Montana Destination Wedding

Allie and Dustin booked us for their Montana destination wedding long before the word “pandemic” landed in our daily lexicon. They wanted plenty of time to plan the ultimate blowout celebration with all their closest friends and family, so they had planned their date two years in advance. Luckily, that meant that they skipped the whole 2020 rescheduling chaos and still got the wedding of their dreams.

We first met Allie and Dustin in DC at Allie’s sister’s wedding. It’s always a huge compliment to photograph multiple weddings within the same family, so we were pretty excited when Allie reached out to us. Doubly so, because based on our experience with them in DC in 2019, we knew the party was going to be epic.

It’s probably the understatement of the year to say that this crew knows how to party. We all boarded their party bus a little after noon and then careened down the side of one mountain and up a forest service road on the side of another mountain. (I have to pause to shoutout Doug the bus driver for his superb driving skills and serene countenance.)

After finishing all the formal portraits, we took over a dive bar in Missoula. Allie and Dustin and their crew piled in, did a round of shots, played some pool, and tipped the bartender very well. Then we were on our way out like a hurricane, leaving the regulars dazed and a little confused but with a story to tell all their friends. The drive back to Snowbowl wouldn’t have been complete without a pit stop for more beer and a game of “slap the cooler” while driving 80 mph down the interstate.

Post-ceremony, the party kept going with a crazy dance floor right up until the glow stick/fog machine send off (and I hear the party kept gong after we left). To top off a day filled with did-that-really-happen moments, Jesse and I almost hit a bear with our car on the drive back to Missoula.

Allie and Dustin, thank you for including us in your crazy celebration; Montana has always been a place from which we return with outrageous and memorable stories and your wedding now lives in our top five! We enjoyed getting to know your family and friends and capturing all the weekend shenanigans (including the ones that aren’t fit for blog posts).

P.S. Can we hire you to get the party started on all our party buses from now on?