From Phoenix to Big Sky Country: A Wedding Weekend to Remember
Rain-soaked river walks, a very feisty bear, way too many cookies, and one unforgettable Montana wedding.
This has been a busy summer of domestic travel for our family, and we just returned from our second big trip of the season. This one was the good kind of chaos: family gathering from all across the country to celebrate the wedding of my eldest son in Montana.
My husband, our daughter, and I made the drive from Phoenix all the way north to Billings and having her along for the ride made it even more fun. (I don't think we annoyed her too much... though I make no promises.) Along the way we stopped in Salt Lake City and West Yellowstone, which turned the trip itself into its own little adventure before we'd even arrived.
Big Sky ended up being one of our favorite stops for the spectacular views alone. We walked a river path in the rain, and it was so beautiful and peaceful out there, the kind of quiet that makes everything smell green and alive. We followed it up with a wonderful dinner downtown before heading to Bozeman for the night.
In Bozeman we got to meet up with our youngest son and his wife. We couldn't resist a stop at the Montana Grizzly Encounter, where one particularly spirited bear kept us entertained by enthusiastically slapping everything in her water area like it had personally wronged her. Ten out of ten bear behavior, honestly.
By the time we reached Billings, the trip shifted from sightseeing into all-hands-on-deck wedding prep with family. Somewhere in there we baked way more cookies than necessary, but it was worth it to have something sweet to share with the wedding party and guests.
The wedding itself was held in the mountains about an hour outside Billings, and the views were every bit as stunning as you'd imagine. New family, old stories, big skies, and a whole lot of happy tears. The time together was truly precious.
(Fun fact, being the folklore-obsessed author that I am: They married on Lughnasa, the Celtic seasonal festival of light and love and first harvest. Completely unplanned, but it felt like the perfect, unintentional theme for the day. If you missed my Lughnasa newsletter it arrived in your inbox on July 29th.)
I had my camera out through all of it, from the road trip stops to the wedding day itself, and I'm sharing a few of my favorite shots below.
It's hard to top watching your kid start a new chapter, surrounded by the people who love him most, in one of the most beautiful corners of the country. Montana, you were a stunning backdrop for a perfect day.
More travel (and more books!) coming your way soon. Thank you all for letting me share the personal moments alongside the writing ones. It means a lot. 💛
Until next time,
Kelley
