Summer Wedding in Yellowstone National Park
Destination Wedding In Yellowstone National Park
If there was an award for being mentally present, this couple, well this entire group would have won it. I think there is only one phone in this entire gallery.
I loved everything about this day, and it’s taken some time and many more weddings to kind of realize why it was so special.
This wedding in Yellowstone National Park was absolutely fully and unapologetically them. From the cowboy boots under the wedding dress to the crazy swing dancing acrobatics that my brain simply doesn't understand.
Kiara and Cody got married in Montana at peak covid, so this Yellowstone wedding celebration was their one year anniversary and vow renewal. Kiara is from the Madison, Wisconsin area, and Kody is a cowboy from Montana.
For this day, everyone was present all day. There was only one goal, to celebrate these two humans. Everything that happened truly meant something to the couple and their families. This is the way to plan your wedding in Yellowstone, or anywhere. Just do what is actually important to you, and leave everything else behind. So if you’re looking for inspiration for your own destination wedding in Yellowstone National Park, hopefully you find a little here.
First look in Yellowstone National Park
The day really got started when we drove into Yellowstone National Park for their first look. We ventured in from the entrance near Gardiner Montana driving up the North Entrance Road to a secret spot. Kiara and Kody were both employees at the park together, and we went to a secret little mountain lake for their first look and a little scenic Yellowstone wedding photography.
It was adorable.
I don’t think the public can find it but it has to be one of the best wedding photography spots in Yellowstone. Heck I don’t think I could find this spot again. We went down some service roads and things that don’t show up on google maps.
Definitely one thing that made their first look in Yellowstone so special was that since it was off of the tourist path, we were the only people there. I think that this is something to consider for every destination wedding or any wedding really. Finding a spot that has less people just makes things easier.
Quick Tips For Destination Weddings
Finding places in popular destinations like Yellowstone National Park that are off the main path of other visitors is key.
Go early in the morning or in the evening. This has the benefit of missing the biggest crowds and just as importantly, the light is better during this time of day for wedding, elopement, and engagment photography anyways. I think early in the morning is the best for the least amount of other people, but then you do actually have to get up early.
Reception in Gardiner, Montana
Just to the north of Yellowstone National Park is Gardiner, Montana. The entire event was originally going to be in Yellowstone, but due to the regulations at the time there had to be an audible called.
The reception was at one of Cody’s families residences just outside of Yellowstone National Park. It was spectacular.
I really have no other venders to mention because this couple and their families and friends did everything. I believe Kiara’s sister even MADE HER DRESS. How incredible is that?
Every detail was immaculate. The centerpieces were full of leather boots, mason jars with fresh flowers, and antique lanterns. It was just so beautifully done and felt so authentic to the couple and their guests.
Dancing The Night Away
Cody had one crazy surprise which was a line dance that he and his side of the party performed. Some people (Cody) definetly knew more of the moves than others.
Both Kiara and Cody are big musicians and played for each other’s first dances. It was so just so beautiful.
Under the Montana sky it felt like golden hour lasted for five hours. The light was incredible, even with some extra wildfire smoke in the air floating over the Rocky Mountains.
We of course took a quick five minutes away on the side of the mountain for some sunset photos.
Absolutely always one of my favorite things is sneaking away for some golden hour portraits of the couple. It just gives you a little break with each other and the light is much easier to work with closer to sunset. Which just means it’s easy to take a bunch of great photos really quick and efficiently, and then get you back to the party.
The 5th Quarter - Destination Wedding Addition
Kiara was in the marching band at the University of Wisconsin and a whole bunch of her fellow band members made the trek out to Yellowstone to be there to celebrate with her. And if you’re going to make the trip anyways, you might as well bring the drums with you. And the trumpets, trombones, flugelhorns, and of course borrow a tuba from the local high school.
I was in the band in at UW-Madison too and we did performances at countless events, weddings, and sporting events. But this was like nothing else I had ever seen. It was so magical in the mountains as the sun was setting.
They played all the greatest hits, and it was beautiful chaos.
As the light faded there was a transition to open dancing and the string lights lit up the dancefloor under the Montana stars. Which I am told are the same stars we have in Wisconsin but I remain unconvinced because they were very different,
Final Thoughts:
Simply one of my favorite weddings to date.
The combination of these amazing humans, the priority on presence and mental engagement, and of course having your wedding celebration somewhere like Yellowstone National Park with mountains helps too.
It really was a magical vibe.
Yellowstone Wedding Info: https://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/weddinginfo.htm