A Winter Montana Elopement

It wasn’t supposed to be snowy. But I guess that’s Montana for ya.

Shelby and Rob had recently moved, and decided to elope there, changing their previous wedding plans. Their original plan was to have a huge wedding in Alabama (where they used to live) with all of their family, friends, and favorite people. But once Rob got approved for and accepted a job in small town Lewistown, MT, they knew their plans had to change. Shelby was not about to plan a wedding in a state that was 1,800 miles away, so they decided to do what they really wanted. ELOPE! She brought this to me, and I was all for it; said, “Sign me up and book the flight.”

Since I knew Shelby personally from the summer of our freshman year of college, (we worked at a local farm stand/greenhouse and shucked corn for hours on end. I can’t look at corn the same to this day), this day was extra special for me to get to be a part of.

The snowstorm had brought the frigid weather to the lovebirds’ elopement, but weather has never stopped me, and it wasn’t going to that day. I drove from the airport to their adorable little town (first time driving in snow. . . scary but we made it), grabbed dinner and checked into my hotel. The next morning, I bundled up in my biggest jackets, wore two pairs of pants, a shirt plus a sweater and the thickest socks and got to work on the day.

It turned out to be absolutely stunning, and I learned many things that weekend, the two most important being how to drive in the snow and just how low of a temperature my camera and I can survive in (the answer: very low but not for longer than 30 minutes).

Our day began with getting ready, thankfully indoors. Shelby did her makeup herself with the company of her loyal four-legged friends (Grits may or may not be my fav) and got into her dress and jewelry, which included a strand of pearls from her mother-in-law and an understated tiara. Part of her outfit also included a necessary large, fur coat that she thrifted and boots. The officiant was a friend of Rob’s and after dropping him by the house to get ready (they brought Krispy Kreme as an elopement day treat), Rob did his hair, put his suit on, and wrote his vows in their little book before heading out.

The two had their first look in the snow during the ceremony and immediately embraced. We love to see it. Shelby pinned his boutonniere on which was made of dried flowers from her bouquet that she made herself! We love a crafty woman!

It was an incredibly private weekend, with just Shelby, Rob, Rob’s officiant, two friends, and me standing in knee-deep snow on a mountain with snowflakes blowing around us. Their officiant only helped to emphasize how personal their day was. I love it when couples choose someone to marry them who really knows them and has experienced life with them.

Now this is the part where I’d say something cheesy like “although they were shivering, they had their love to keep them warm,” but seriously, it was freakin’ cold! We had the officiant huddled with us during the vows so he was slightly warmer and not in the way of Shelby and Rob! This did mean a good bit of running back and forth for the poor guy, but hey, at least he was warm!

Immediately after the vows and the big kiss, we ran to the cars. I mean it when I say we BOOKED IT back to the warm trucks, it was so cold! We had one of the two friends get the trucks started before we even finished, and that was such a great decision.

Rob, Shelby, and co. continued to enjoy their special day by eating at a cozy local brewery, where they also signed their marriage license and cut the cake — as if this unique day could get any sweeter! After that, we made the most of the frosty weather, shooting some intimate moments between them in the snow. To this day these are some of my favorite photos I’ve taken. The glimmer of snowflakes and the backdrop of lit-up roadside signs are just... *chefs kiss*. Absolutely unbeatable vibe.

Then, they had a snowball fight. As you do. Because we like to have fun around here. Even their friends joined in on this, and it brought me so much joy to be here to capture it. We took goofy wedding party photos.

I am in awe of these two, and not just because they can tough out the Montana winters. I love love! And here’s to many more — though maybe less below-freezing— ceremonies.