Sarah & Chris are getting married here in Bozeman this June. When I first met with Sarah, I knew there was something very familiar about her and finally I placed it! I had her mom, Cathy Hill as a 6th grade teacher at Rimrock elementary school in Billings. Small world eh?

At any rate, Chris and Sarah and I had a blast shooting their engagement session. It was a chilly day but that didn't stop us. They are both fun, energetic and playful! We bopped around the Gallatin Valley and Bozeman and eventually found ourselves at Dave's Sushi for a little dinner. Yummy!

As many of you know, engagement sessions are useful on many levels. It gives clients a chance to get to know me, how I work and how I photograph. It gives me a chance to get to know the clients, see how they respond to me and my camera and it allows me to put them at ease. All in all, it helps the wedding day go smooth because they know me, know I will do a great job for them and they already kinda know the "drill" (not that there is really a drill). Even if clients come to town the week of the wedding, I always highly recommend even a short, mini engagement session.

Still looking for a wedding venue for 2009? Look no further! The Double T River Ranch is a new guest ranch located in the Shields River valley about 30 minutes from Bozeman. I have been honored to photograph their twice in the past year for their promotional website and brochure. I quickly discovered when you rent out the Double T, you are literally renting an all access pass to a huge, gorgeous ranch! Think, fly fishing, horseback riding, hiking, wildlife watching! There is a huge beautiful party barn, equip with a commercial kitchen, a quaint, but still luxurious ranch house, a cottage and 2 riverfront cabins. As you will see from the pictures, the ranch and all the buildings are amazingly beautiful yet truly Montana. I highly reccomend this venue for weddings, family reunions, corporate gatherings and even large business parties.


Here is a little information I grabbed directly from the Double T River Ranch website:

Hot, sunny summertime lounging and listening to the river. The cold clear beauty of snow-covered meadows and awe-inspiring mountain backdrops. Deer and moose grazing under blaze orange fall foliage. Bald eagles soaring silhouetted against true blue skies. Private riverside trails wandering through aspen groves and towering cottonwoods to brilliant wildflower meadows...

Just another day at the Double T River Ranch. Come live for a while at your Montana home.
The Double T River Ranch is different. Not a guest ranch, not your typical vacation home. It's your ranch, your way. Discover one of Montana's hidden gems...

The Double T River Ranch...Look forward to laid back.

Located 3 minutes from the friendly, quaint, western town of Clyde Park, MT, the Double T River Ranch offers 115+ acres of beautiful private Montana wilderness - all for the exclusive use of you and your group. The ranch features one mile of prime Shields River frontage, dedicated concierge services, comfortable sleeping space for up to twenty-five guests and a restored "party barn". Whether you bring your family, your fishing buddies or your corporate team, you and your guests will enjoy luxurious accommodations, friendly, warm service and a relaxed, comfortable environment without the distraction of other guests. The Double T is your ranch, your way, offering total freedom to build your ideal vacation.

Born from our own experiences trying to find the perfect place for a vacation for our large, three generation family group, The Double T River Ranch is the realization of a dream to provide a one-of-a-kind experience. The Double T River Ranch provides what typical hotel rooms, guest ranches and vacation homes can't - space, privacy, luxury and unique communal spaces carefully designed for hanging out. Offering a huge restored "party" barn, a four-bedroom ranch house, a one-bedroom cottage and two private riverfront cabins, The Double T River Ranch comfortably sleeps two to 25+ people in total comfort and luxury. The finest linens, overstuffed pillows, down comforters, and handmade quilts can make it hard to get out of bed in the morning, but fully appointed baths, rich thick towels, mountain sights and scents, and the amazing array of activities available will ensure that you enjoy each day in true Montana fashion. We believe that quality time deserves a quality place - and that defines the Double T River Ranch!

The Double T River Ranch is beautiful and secluded yet :

• 3 minutes from friendly, quaint western town of Clyde Park, MT: grocery, gas, restaurant, bar/tavern, etc.
• 20 minutes from Livingston, MT (galleries, movie theater, great restaurants, shopping, fly shops, etc.)
• Yellowstone Park - 1 hour
• Downhill Skiing at Bridger Bowl -30 minutes
• Cross-country skiing (5 minutes or 20 minutes)
• Yellowstone River - 10 minutes, Boulder River - 30 minutes
• Great big game and bird hunting close by
• Bozeman, airport - 1 hour

My dear friend, Jessica Johnson is getting married this July here in Bozeman at the classic, Gallatin Gateway Inn to her long time sweetie Perry. They are such a handsome couple! Miss Johnson works next door at Chisel Industries so we often chit chat at work and hang out after. I was honored when she asked me to photograph their engagement portraits for their wedding announcement. I wish I could photograph their wedding, but I already had the day booked; which is even more sad, because I can't attend their wedding either. Boohoo. Anyway, these are my favorite shots for our super quick shoot last month.

Congratulations Jessica and Perry!

Sean and Lindsay are getting married this July here in Bozeman, Montana. For their engagement session we decided to make it a family affair with Lindsay's (and soon to be Sean's) son Payne! It was a refreshingly different session with the young Payne livening up the mood and increasing our energy. You'll see in the photos, Payne is an excellent jumper, want to be photographer (he loved holding my cameras for me), ham for the camera and of course, a mama's boy. It was a blast speding the afternoon getting to know these guys.