Emma + Michael / chico hot springs wedding

Emma + Michael had a dreamy snowy day nestled under the pines and against the Absarokas at Chico Hot Springs in Emigrant, Montana. Their wedding weekend started with a rehearsal dinner at a local bar down the road from the Hot Springs, the typical Montana scene with animal mounts and wood walls and kind but rowdy bartenders. The weather was awful that night, the first snow of the season and the roads were iced over, being together in a warm space to celebrate these two was truly a treat.

Their day was beautiful, the sun came out and the air felt warm despite the 17-degree temps. Emma got ready in a cabin up the hill from Chico with her bridesmaids and family while Michael got ready with his guys closer to the main lodge. Emma was so calm the whole day and took every part of the day in.

The ceremony was beautiful, on the steps of the lodge with the snowy mountain backdrop and the sun just beginning to set behind the hills. After the ceremony, we jumped in my car while some friends followed with wine and charcuterie for a picnic on the banks of the Yellowstone River before taking some sunset photos.

After sunset, these two celebrated their love with heartfelt speeches from dear friends and family. Michael’s parents weren’t able to be there in person for health reasons but the recording they made for Emma + Michael left everyone in tears, including me. After hugs and tears, they danced the night away to an amazing band!

The next day, we met up for an adventure session back on the banks of the Yellowstone and some at Chico too! It was fun to get this time to create and for them to put back on their wedding clothes for some more portraits. We ended the session with a few photos at the Hot Springs with friends to wrap up the weekend!