The Bride And Groom Embrace At Dusk At Grizzly Gardens, Forested Mountains Framing The Sky Behind Them.
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Aly & Tyler: A Western Wedding at Grizzly Gardens in Helena

ByCharles Moll
The Bride And Groom Embrace At Dusk At Grizzly Gardens, Forested Mountains Framing The Sky Behind Them.

Aly and Tyler kept their wedding simple and entirely their own. They got married at Grizzly Gardens just outside Helena, skipped the first look, and built the day around black cowboy hats, a barn full of their people, and zero interest in anything that felt staged. When Aly filled out her questionnaire, she said she wanted photos that were genuine and not too staged, and that she mostly wanted me fed and comfortable enough to actually do the work. That tells you most of what you need to know about the kind of day it was.

Getting ready

Aly had her hair done that morning at Loc and Leaf Salon in downtown Helena, then everyone finished getting ready at the venue. The bridal suite had a floral garland strung behind the vanity, the bridesmaids were in olive green, and there was a lot of downtime spent laughing, including a stretch where two of them got into a video game between hair and makeup. Out in the barn, Tyler got dressed with his dad and his groomsmen, all of them in matching black cowboy hats.

The Bride Sits At The Vanity Mirror In The Getting-Ready Suite At Grizzly Gardens, A Floral Garland Hanging Behind Her.
A Bridesmaid Laughs At The Table By The Windows During Morning Preparations.
The Bride Fastens Her White Sandals At The Vanity While Still In Her Black Robe.
A Bridesmaid In An Olive Green Dress Laughs In The Getting-Ready Room.
Two Bridesmaids Laugh Over A Video Game Controller During Downtime Before The Ceremony.
The Groom Pins A Boutonniere On His Father In The Barn Before The Ceremony.
The Groom Fastens His Collar While His Father Helps Him Dress, The Bride Watching From The Foreground.
Two Groomsmen In Cowboy Hats Laugh Inside The Barn, Guitars And Vintage Signs On The Wall Behind Them.
The Groom In A Black Cowboy Hat Holds A Crystal Award Inside The Barn, A Basketball Hoop Behind Him.

The ceremony

They decided against a first look, so the first time Tyler saw Aly was when she came down the aisle. The ceremony was outdoors in the late afternoon, under flowering trees with hanging floral installations, and it was short and unfussy, right around twenty minutes. Exactly what they wanted.

The Bride And Groom Stand With The Officiant During The Ceremony At Grizzly Gardens, Hanging Floral Installations And Guests Behind Them.
The Groom Stands With His Groomsmen, All In Matching Black Cowboy Hats, During The Ceremony.
The Groom Watches The Processional, His Best Man Beside Him In A Matching Hat.
The Groom Smiles During The Ceremony, Greenery And The Barn Behind Him.
The Groom Stands With His Eyes Closed, An Orange And Red Boutonniere On His Lapel.
The Bride Beams During The Ceremony In Her Strapless Gown, Holding Her Bouquet.
Two Guests Watch The Ceremony Beneath Flowering Trees, A Cabin Visible Behind Them.
An Older Guest Clasps His Hands During The Ceremony, Roses And Bare Branches Behind Him.
Two Guests Laugh Together During The Ceremony, The Seated Rows Soft In The Background.

Just the two of them

We slipped away for portraits right after. A quiet slow dance on the wooden deck, foreheads together, the forested mountains going soft behind them as the light dropped. This is usually my favorite stretch of any wedding, and with these two it was easy.

The Couple Share A Quiet Dance On The Wooden Deck At Grizzly Gardens, Tall Pines And Boulders Framing Them.
The Couple Stand Forehead To Forehead, Smiling, With The Mountains Soft Behind Them.
The Groom Kisses The Bride's Forehead As She Closes Her Eyes And Smiles.
The Groom Stands In Profile In His Cowboy Hat And Patterned Tie Beside A Wooden Fence.

The reception

Dinner was at one long candlelit table, with toasts, a mother-son dance, and a first dance to “I’m gonna love you” by Cody Johnson and Carrie Underwood under the string lights.

The Groom Gives A Toast At The Long Candlelit Reception Table, Guests Listening.
The Bride And Groom Share Their First Dance At The Grizzly Gardens Reception, String Lights Glowing Overhead.
The Groom Dances With His Mother Under The Outdoor Lights.
The Couple Dance Closely, The Bride In A Lace Dress.
The Couple Embrace During Their First Dance As Guests Watch From The Dark.

After dinner the party loosened up fast. Tyler lit a cigar in the barn, somebody turned up in a full dog costume for reasons nobody fully explained, and the dance floor stayed busy the rest of the night. Those are the frames I always end up loving most.

The Groom Lights A Cigar In The Dim Barn, Backlit By A Single Overhead Light.
A Guest In A Burgundy Blazer Jokes With Someone In A Large Dog Costume Under The Barn Beams.

And then it rained

The rain came in the evening, and instead of shutting things down it gave us some of the best frames of the whole day. The aisle went wet and reflective, the gazebo lit up against the dark, and Tyler and Aly went back out into it for a few night portraits. Worth getting a little wet for.

The Groom Stands Alone On The Rain-Wet Aisle At Night, Facing The Illuminated Gazebo At Grizzly Gardens.
The Groom Dips The Bride On The Lit Gazebo At Night, Ceremony Chairs Still Lining The Rain-Wet Aisle.
The Couple Kiss On The Rain-Wet Deck At Night, String Lights And Hanging Greenery Overhead.
The Groom Kisses The Bride On The Deck, Draped Fabric And Garden Foliage Behind Them.
The Groom Dances With Guests Inside The Barn At Grizzly Gardens, The Party In Full Swing.
The Groom Holds The Bride At Night As Guests Mingle Under The String Lights.
The Bride And Groom Kiss At Night Beneath The String Lights.
The Bride, In A Black Sequin Dress, Looks Up At The Groom In A Brick Hallway Lined With Pendant Lights.
The Groom Dances With Guests In His Shirtsleeves Late In The Night.

The vendor team

Thinking about your own Grizzly Gardens wedding?

If you’re planning a relaxed, unstaged wedding around Helena and want documentary coverage that stays out of your way, I’d love to hear about it. You can also see more Helena wedding venues here.

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