320 Ranch Backcountry Horseback Wedding of Addie & Nate
Over the 4th of July Weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing the 320 Ranch Backcountry Horseback Wedding of Addie & Nate of Addie & Nate.
Back in 2017, these two hired me to photograph their wedding at Bridger Bowl Ski Area with 100 guests. They wanted to celebrate their community of loved ones in the mountains – rain or shine.
They were so excited.
Over the next couple of months, the couple discovered that the addition of planning for their big wedding day had become a bit too much to juggle.
Between the busyness of finishing school and working demanding jobs, Addie and Nate made the decision to postpone their wedding day to a later date.
Enter Spring 2020.
While the rest of the world was shutting down, most of my wedding clients were being rescheduling for 2021. Addie and Nate, To my surprise, reached out and let me know that despite the challenging circumstances, the time had come. They were going to make their wedding happen…with a twist.
Rather than the big wedding celebration they originally planned for, they instead decided to ride horses into the backcountry with their immediate family members for an intimate wedding ceremony at Albino Lake south of Big Sky, Montana.
It was a wonderful alternative to large group gathering that ended up being a unique, more personal solution.
Their enthusiastic group met up at The Nine Quarter Circle Ranch. After horses were assigned, we loaded up our gear and the wedding party rode out on horseback for a wedding ceremony in the wilderness.
For Addie and Nate, being together in the mountains is such a restorative, important aspect of their relationship. Having their 320 Ranch Backcountry Horseback Wedding out perfectly.
Under warm blue skies with puffy, white clouds against a gorgeous mountain lake backdrop, they said “I do”.
After exploring and making photos around the lake, the group descended down the mountain. We then drove over to the 320 Ranch, just down the road, for a small outdoor reception. There we conected with a few other family members and friends who joined for a BBQ, cake, and cold libations.
Everyone had such a great time celebrating these two newlyweds.
There’s no better reason for a group of folks to gather than to celebrate love and the union of two great people. I think all guests in attendance missed the feeling of being around others. I think these photos show all the love that surrounds Addie and Nate.
Here are some favorite photographs from the day. To view all of Addie and Nate’s Big Sky Back Country Horseback Wedding Day photos, click here.
I was so glad to be apart of the adventure. -M
