The groom’s wedding-day shower was him lying down in an ice-cold river with his clothes on. Half of the 200 wedding guests camped in tents and RVs. Bathroom locations were listed as “one of the outhouses or just pee in the woods.” Shoes were definitely optional. And there were a couple of wedding guests with bathing suits on under their party clothes. Because, well, it’s good to be prepared for anything.
This is off-the-grid Montana, where electricity comes from solar panels and generators. Where you spend most of the day hiking and cooling off in the river. Where Matt’s mother has built her dream home away from civilization. And where Matt and Liz decided was the perfect place to become husband and wife.
They Met Days before the Lockdown
Liz and Matt met online, just days before all the world went into isolation with the initial Covid lockdown. The beginning of their dating life was mostly phone calls since they couldn’t be together physically. When people finally starting venturing out again, Matt asked his friends, whom he had been quarantining with, for their permission to kiss Liz, since she was not part of their pod. He received their enthusiastic approval. Matt’s friend Sam, who WAS part of that pod, was also the person who officiated Liz and Matt’s wedding. He pointed out how special it was that he was able to give them permission a second time, this time for their first kiss as husband and wife.
A Legendary Party in the Middle of Nowhere
Friday’s welcome party was a square dance with a bluegrass band. The wedding ceremony was in a meadow cleared specifically for that purpose. For the reception, Liz and Matt brought in the LA club DJ Splyce, and under his guidance the dance floor was never once empty. In fact, when the plugs were pulled at 2 a.m., a few guests were still going strong.
This was one of those weddings that was all heart, genuine, organic, a few frills but mostly all resources focused on what truly mattered: quality time with family and friends, gathering as many loved ones as possible on this beautiful, secluded property, and showing them a damn good time.
Day-After Portraits in the River
We ended this Montana wedding weekend with a day-after portrait in the same ice-cold river. Liz and Matt waded into the frigid water in their wedding attire, showing remarkable patience as we worked with slow shutter speeds and off-camera lighting, and also video filming from Vlad. If you want to see what it REALLY felt like to be part of this unique wedding, watch Vlad’s highlight film: Montana wedding video.
We also photographed Matt’s sister Taylor’s wedding in Costa Rica, just a year and a half before. Check out Taylor and Matt’s Costa Rica wedding at Hotel Nantipa!