Rainy Weddings
A week ago, I photographed The Woodlands rainy wedding day of Shannon and Liam outside Bozeman, Montana.
It has been lovely getting to know this couple and their five-year-old husky/shepherd, Iroh, over the past year.
Shannon and Liam met in Monterey Bay, California in the Fall of 2014. What started off as a friendship, quickly blossomed into a strong relationship. Together, they have been exploring the world together ever since. As an introvert, Liam loves Shannon’s extrovert energy. She cares so much about her relationships with others. She is loving and fits perfectly into his family dynamics. He admires her moral compass and how it constantly helps him navigate toward the right decisions.
Shannon loves how Liam truly understands her. He has helped her grow as a person and gives endless support to her. He keeps her accountable and showers her with love and patience.
Last summer I photographed their Mount Ellis trailhead engagement portraits in Bozeman. If one thing was clear, this couple was head over heels for one another and they were so excited for their approaching wedding day.
With friends and family traveling in from California and New Jersey, this engaged couple wanted a venue that could accommodate all of the fun.
They choose to celebrate their wedding day at The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon under the guidance of their wedding planner, Events by Killian.
The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon offered plenty of space for the wedding party to get ready – girls upstairs, gentlemen downstairs. The venue also offered plenty of space for the wedding guests to take shelter in a pinch.
Right before the wedding ceremony was to begin, a rainstorm came through that forced everyone to leave their ceremony seats.
As it turned out no amount of water could dampen the spirits of this group. Forward-thinking from the talented wedding vendors provided guests with clear umbrellas before the ceremony, just in case. The Woodlands Rainy Wedding didn’t phase anyone in attendance. After a brief delay, everyone returned to the outdoor lawn ceremony site for a heartfelt exchange of Shannon and Liam’s wedding vows under sunny skies.
Smiling ear to ear, Shannon and Liam welcomed their guests for a reception evening filled with great BBQ from Just a Taste Catering and the good tunes from Catered Rhythms DJ coaxed the wedding guests into dancing all night long. It was a really fun evening with everyone. Here are some of my favorite moments from Shannon and Liam’s wedding day.
I’m excited for these two and wish them a lifetime of happiness! -M
Wedding Vendors for Liam and Shannon’s Wedding Day
Venue: The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon
Wedding Planner: Events by Killian
Photography: Greener Visuals Photography
Catering: Just A Taste Catering
Rentals: Montana Party Rentals
Bartender: Jade Pierce Bartending Services
Dessert: Sweet Pea Bakery
Entertainment: Catered Rhythms
Florals: Bouquets and More
Videography: Cosmic Cine
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A few weeks back, I photographed the Bozeman Holy Rosary Church Wedding of Cassie and Justin and their wedding reception at Bridger Bowl Ski Resort.
After dating for the past eight years, Cassie and Justing wanted to say their vows during their Holy Rosary Church Wedding surrounded by the most important people in their lives. Their celebration after the ceremony would be amongst the mountainous backdrop of Southwest Montana at a place they both love so much, Bridger Bowl Ski Area.
For many of their family members (coming from Florida, Maine, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Washington) their wedding weekend would be the first chance to see the place the newlyweds have called home for the last few years.
After an unusually soggy Spring and Summer in Southwest Montana this year, we had high hopes of avoiding the recent rain weather patterns. Alas, on a Saturday in mid-July, the rain found us.
Luckily, it just so happened that Cassie and Justin’s wedding ceremony and reception were preemptively planned for a rainy day – they had an indoor Catholic mass ceremony at the church and then lovely intimate reception at the Bridger Bowl mid-mountain lodge.
The rain couldn’t keep us down.
We celebrated indoors at both locations by dancing, eating crusted trout and elk tenderloin (delicious!), and playing in the Greener Visuals Photobooth. Many of their guests had taken advantage of the close proximity of Yellowstone National Park and were telling stories of their recent adventures. It was a lovely evening in a great place with good people.
I could not be more excited for these two. Congrats to the newlyweds Cassie and Justin! -M
This past weekend, I had the pleasure of photographing the Bozeman, Montana wedding day celebration of Cassie and Justin at Holy Rosary Church and Bridger Bowl Ski Resort.
After dating for the past eight years, these two wanted to say their vows surrounded by the most important people in their lives among the mountainous landscape of Southwest Montana they love so much.
Their wedding would be a chance for many of their family members (coming from Florida, Maine, New Jersey. Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Washington) to see the place they have called home over the last few years. Many of their wedding guests were traveling to Montana for the first time. The day was filled with Big Sky excitement and surprisingly for July, lots of precipitation.
It has been an unusually soggy Spring and Summer in Southwest Montana this year. The rain found us.
Luckily, it just so happened that their ceremony and reception were preemptively planned for a rainy day – indoor Catholic mass ceremony at the church and then lovely intimate reception at the Bridger Bowl mid-mountain lodge. The rain couldn’t keep us down. We celebrated without a hitch indoors at both locations dancing, eating crusted trout and elk tenderloin and playing in the Greener Visuals Photobooth.
I’m working hard to go through all the fun photos I made during their special day. For now, I wanted to share a preview of their wedding photographs. Here are a few favorites so far. So many more photos to share.
I could not be more excited for these two. Congrats to the newlyweds and stay tuned for more! -M
A few weeks back, I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the Livingston KOA Montana Wedding of Erika and Josh.
For this engaged couple, their wedding day was all about returning to the source of where they met.
Little did they know after a chance encounter over a foosball game table, two years later they would be celebrating their wedding at the Livingston KOA in the beautiful Paradise Valley where it all started.
Both Erika and Josh are well-versed in the art of hospitality. Josh is a chef at Feast Raw Bar & Bistro and Erika is a former wedding planner and now operations manager for the Shane Center for the Arts.
Erika and Josh wanted to have their wedding day focus “be about letting their friends and family know how much they’ve impacted us in our lives.” They intended to create a personal wedding experience for their guests. They wanted their wedding photography that honored their guests in the same way.
In a wonderfully intimate setting along the Yellowstone River, guests were met with great food, meticulous decorations of 1,000 paper cranes and rock cairns, homemade booze-infused cupcakes, and the right tunes to keep the dance floor busy.
Their attention to the little details made their wedding day a true delight.
Not even the constant rainfall throughout the afternoon could dampen the spirits of those in attendance.
The sounds of the consistent rain and the high waters of the nearby Yellowstone River serenaded the evening. The big pavilion worked as a perfect, versatile space. It began as the ceremony site and transformed smoothly into the catered dinner area. Soon after, it transitioned into an energetic, all-night dance party at their Livingston KOA Montana Wedding.
Happiness smiles, and good times abound. What a fun day!
Here are some of my favorite highlights from my day photographing their wedding celebration. Congrats again to the bride and groom Erika and Josh! Wish you guys a lifetime of happiness! -M
Spring in Montana lately has been a sight to behold. Yesterday could not have been a better setting to photograph the Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding day of Camille and Matt just outside Bozeman, Montana.
The warm spring rains promised in the weather reports failed to dampen the day. Not that it would matter.
This was a group that shrugged off inclement weather.
The wonderful combined family energy of Wisconsinites and Montanans raised the level of a wedding celebration to a new high bar.
They raised their Coors Light libations with smiles and focused on the task at hand, celebrating two special people through hugs, laughter, songs, and dance during their Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding.
I met Camille at a fishing friend’s house over ten years ago. I was working at a newspaper in Northern California and spending my weekends chasing steelhead in the multitude of incredible nearby rivers. We ran in the same flyfishing circles. Camille was about to graduate high school, and the buzz in the fishing circles was that she was already quickly becoming one of the most successful women anglers in the United States.
Camille was raised between Montana and Alaska. Every summer growing up she was at her family’s fishing lodge on the Nushagak River in Bristol Bay. She began guiding at a young age. She has since enveloped herself in the national fly fishing community and has become an advocate for the great outdoors.
Presently, Camille is dominating the internet. She divides her time advocating against the Alaskan Pebble Mine efforts and works as Alaska & Christmas Island Program Director for Yellow Dog Flyfishing. She is living her dream of traveling the world guiding with a fly rod in hand.
It was only natural that she would find a partner with the same passion for the outdoors. Through Camille, I got to know Matt. He’s a kind, caring, and incredibly talented hunting and outdoor lifestyle photographer based here in Bozeman.
Their shared love of the outdoors helped influence their Springhill Pavilion Mountain Wedding day style.
Yellow flowers intermixed with whitetail deer antlers accentuated the venue. As their wedding guest dined on wild game appetizers and sipped local Montana wine and microbrew. The wedding couple’s mutual love of fishing was highlighted by artwork details of fly fishing files for the table settings and incorporated into the bridal party boutonnieres and corsages.
Their wedding day was a wonderful and complete representation of all that was important to them in their lives. I loved meeting all of their loved ones and photographing the festivities during their wedding day.
I could not be more thrilled for these two newlyweds! Congrats Camille and Matt! It has been a pleasure getting to know these two over the past year. I am convinced that anyone would be hard-pressed to find a better pair of people so perfectly suited for one another. Wish you guys a lifetime of happiness! -M
This past Monday I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the Livingston Montana Wedding Day Photography of Erika and Josh on the banks of the Yellowstone River at the Livingston KOA.
For newlyweds Erika and Josh, it was all about returning to the source.
Spring in Montana is a sight to behold and yesterday could not have been a better setting for my couple Camille and Matt’s wedding day celebration at the Springhill Pavilion just outside Bozeman, Montana.
2016 was another great year of documenting the fun memories of my client's wedding day through my photography
I’m proud to present the Best of 2016 wedding photography from Greener Visuals!
Winter has arrived and it’s snowing in Montana now. I’ve been reminiscing about the past year. It’s funny how time flies when you’ve been having so much fun. 2016 was another great year of documenting the fun memories of my client’s wedding day. I kept busy this year photographing over the Spring, Summer, and Fall. Southwest Montana offers up so many beautiful places to get married and I feel thankful that I was able to continue to explore the hidden pockets throughout. It was such an honor to be a part of my client’s wedding celebration.
I feel so grateful to be doing the candid wedding storytelling photography that I do.
My travels this year took me all over Montana. Traveling up to Whitefish down to Yellowstone National Park and as far away as downtown Chicago, Illinois. I even got to witness a wedding in northeast Mongolia.
In addition to having fun documenting the love, one of my favorite highlights of the year was when I moved into my new photography studio inside of Gallatin Event Rentals. It has been a wonderful place to house my wedding and portrait photography business. Having an inviting, comfortable space to host my clients and hear their wedding story has been such a pleasure. If you haven’t stopped by already, I’d be happy to give you the dime tour and geek out on photography with you.
Here are a few of my favorite wedding images that stood out to me from this past year.
I am now booking for the 2017 wedding season and I travel all across the country. I’m looking forward to the new smiles and faces I’ll meet and photograph in the new year. Wishing you all a fantastic new year ahead! -M
At the tail end of April this year I had the honor of flying back to my old stomping grounds of Chicago, Illinois to photograph the wedding day celebration of my old family friend Matt and his lovely bride Liz.
I recently photographed the Salvage One Wedding of Matt & Liz in downtown Chicago, Illinois.
One of the best perks of documenting the love at weddings is that every once and a while, I get an opportunity to travel to photograph the wedding of friends. This past April, I had the honor of flying back to the old stomping grounds of my youth.
Growing up together in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, Matt and his family grew close to mine over the years through our local church and the family social circle. A few years ago I photographed the wedding of his brother Nick in California. When I learned that Matt and Liz were to be married, I was completely honored when they asked me to photograph it. It is such a treat for me to be able to document the weddings of old friends, especially the same family twice.
These two lovebirds decided to marry in style in the heart of the windy city. We started the day getting ready at The Godfrey Hotel. From there, the bridal party and I took a trolley around the city taking in the sights, dodging the spring rain showers, and making creative portraits along the way.
Their wedding ceremony took place at Church of the Holy Family, one of the oldest Catholic churches in the city. It is a beautiful gothic-looking building.
As the wedding ceremony transitioned into the celebratory reception, we finally landed at Salvage One.
Salvage One a 60,000-square-foot vintage Chicago warehouse covered in fantastic antiques. Matt is a professional chef so creating a celebration that emphasized great food experience was essential. Laughter and some epic dancing made the night truly one to remember.
I was so grateful to be a part of it. Here are some of the highlights from their wedding day. What a fun weekend! Wishing Matt and Liz a lifetime of happiness. -M
I just flew back from photographing Matt and Liz’ Wedding Day in downtown Chicago a few days ago. Despite a little midwest precipitation, the day was a fantastic celebration, a wonderful reunion with old friends and spirits were high.
Photo booths just make weddings receptions better. I set up my Greener Visuals Photo Booth for Eric and Brandy's wedding reception at a the Discovery Cafe in Hope, Alaska and the photos turned out awesome. Check them out!
I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the Alaska Wedding Photo Booth at Eric & Brandy’s wedding reception in Hope, Alaska.
When my brother informed the family that he had proposed to his long-time girlfriend Brandy, we were just thrilled. Group effort wedding planning soon commenced. In celebration of the Greener/Hollenbeck wedding day in Hope, Alaska this past summer, I brought along my Greener Visuals Photo Booth for the reception.
The wedding venue was located two hours south of Anchorage, Alaska at the Discovery Cafe in Hope, Alaska.
Wedding photo booths just make wedding celebrations better.
They are interactive, creative, and often hilarious. Bringing your own props allows you to shape the photo booth interaction for the reception guests and invites them to play. Having one at this Greener wedding reception was a no-brainer.
As I mentioned in their wedding day photos blog post, this “do-it-yourself” wedding required frugal creativity on everyone’s part. Everyone aided in making for a really special weekend.
Tasked with final prep for the photo booth, my sister Katie and I drove around Anchorage and visited numerous thrift stores for inspiration. For last-minute affordable photo booth props, our efforts didn’t disappoint.
At Eric and Brandy’s wedding reception, we set up the photo booth against a rustic, weathered-looking cabin wall. It made for a clean backdrop. The photo booth was a huge hit with the wedding guests. Their wedding guests could trigger the camera and strobe via remote control, and make an epic, wonderfully weird self-portraits on their own. Without fail every time, those who enter it let loose in their creativity and leave with a grin on their face. The best part is you never know what you are going to get.
What a fantastic day! I could not be more excited for Eric and Brandy! I love you guys! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness! – Your brother Mike
Earlier this summer, my younger pilot brother Eric tied-the-knot with his long-time flight attendant girlfriend Brandy in a lush, mountainous setting in the small coastal town of Hope, Alaska for their rustic DIY wedding day.
Photograph the wedding day of Elizabeth & Ryan at Chico Hot Springs in Pray, Montana
A few weeks back my pilot brother Eric married an awesome woman named Brandy, the love of his life in Hope, Alaska. The first of the siblings to get hitched. It was also the first time I’d been assigned the roles as both a best man and a wedding photographer. It was a fun challenge. I’m editing through the mountain of photos and will post their full wedding soon. I’m so excited for you brother! Stay tuned… -M
A couple weeks ago I had the pleasure of photographing the wedding day of two amazing people here in Bozeman, Montana. Courtney and Chris had their late summer outdoor wedding at the beautiful Springhill Pavilion just outside of town.
It’s funny how some people come into your life. I first met Chris during a friendly (but intense) game of garage ping pong with mutual friends at my old place in town. Little did I know that a few months later I would run into his bride-to-be Courtney at the 2014 Bridal Affaire Bozeman Montana last February and we hit it off. From the get-go, I loved the energy these two brought to the table. Such endless positivity and smiles.
I love a wedding couple that takes the traditional concepts of a wedding and instead go in their own direction to make it entirely a unique experience. Such was the case with them. Their wedding honored their friends just as much as the day was meant for them. They had all of their friends contribute and participate in some way to make their wedding day special. Some performed songs, others read poetry, spun fire and gave blessings. They even had a friend perform numerous AC/DC songs on a cello. By the time DJ Missy O’Malley cranked up the beats, everyone celebrated into the night dancing their faces off. It was a wonderful celebration and I was so thankful to be there to document the fun.
A big thank you to Time Of Your Life Events wedding planner Genevieve Burmeister and crew for making it all flow so smoothly. I wish these two all the best. -Mike Greener
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