March 20, 2024

West Glacier Vow Renewal Photographer, Joni & Brandon

Joni contacted me all the way from Texas because she, her husband, and their three children would be visiting the Flathead Valley and wanted to have a simple vow renewal somewhere picturesque, ideally with snow and mountains. Thankfully, Mother Nature cooperated, and we coordinated with Jason of Big Day Officiants for the ceremony exchange itself and had the most lovely evening together.

March 13, 2024

Surprise Glacier National Park Winter Proposal, Melanie & Bryan

I told Brian—after he'd successfully asked for Melanie's hand in marriage on the shore of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park—that I think my heart was probably pounding as quickly as his heart was. Surprise proposals are such an honor to be a part of but man can they be stressful. What if I'm in the wrong spot? What if I'm focussing on the wrong couple? What if I have a camera failure at the key moment?

Thankfully, choosing a winter proposal here in Glacier means it won't be super busy, and with the proper preparation—something Brian and I began discussing three months prior—a lot of the risks can be minimized. Photographing a proposal is also an adrenaline rush for me not unlike the start of a race, where I quite literally have one opportunity to get it right, and there are no true do overs.

February 21, 2024

Whitefish Engagement Portrait Photographer, Gabrielle & Christian

Gabrielle and Christian had two prerequisites for their engagement session. They wanted to include their dogs, and as winter sports enthusiasts they wanted it to be snowy.

Including the dogs was the easy part, but the snow was not so much. This winter has been so strange—and more like spring than winter for most of it if we're being honest—so we kept pushing the session date. Thankfully, Mother Nature finally delivered with almost a week straight of snow, and temperatures low enough to where it stayed pretty and didn't turn to slush. We also lucked out by avoiding the weekend when it was -28 degrees. However, we still dealt with single-digit temps as it was.

I cannot wait for these to get married next fall at Star Meadows Ranch!

November 20, 2023

Winter Engagement in West Glacier, Kristina & Casey

Another day, another astonishingly beautiful day in West Glacier. Kristina and Casey are getting married this summer just outside the West entrance to Glacier National Park and were in town meeting up with their planner Big Day Celebrations and other wedding vendors so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to grab some engagement portraits in the same area they'd be getting married in!

November 17, 2023

West Glacier Engagement Photographer, Abby & Kyle

When Abby and Kyle first booked me for their wedding and added an engagement session, we always planned on scheduling it in the Fall. Partially because the Fall colors in Northwest Montana are amazing, but also out of necessity. Kyle is a Wildland Firefighter, and during the summer his schedule can be extremely volatile.

Thankfully, things worked out tremendously weather-wise. We did have a heavy dusting of snow that provided a lovely contrast with the Fall colors. I am so looking forward to their wedding this spring.

November 15, 2023

Glacier National Park Adventure Engagement Photographer, Lauren & Wade

Lauren and Wade's wedding is this coming summer, but they wanted some portraits taken in Glacier National Park for their save-the-date cards. If you saw my last blog post, you already know what the Fall colors look like right now. As luck turned out, Going-to-the-Sun Road closed until next year the day before our session. No worries, it encouraged us to explore a handful of less-traveled areas, and it meant we practically had the park to ourselves. As soon as the road closes for winter, the crowds truly disappear, and it's a really special time to be in the park.

Cannot wait to get these two married next year.

November 10, 2023

Fall Glacier National Park Adventure Portrait Session, Lindsay & Brady

When is a "day after" adventure session? When it's five months later. Lindsay desperately wanted some portraits done in the mountains, in the Fall but also wanted more predictable weather for the wedding day itself. The solution? A June wedding with a Glacier National Park portrait session in late October was the obvious answer. And while we were constantly getting spitting rain as we traversed Going-to-the-Sun Road, the Fall colors were popping off everywhere. It could not have been more vibrant, moody, and more in line with what they were hoping to accomplish.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Glacier is a cheat code for photographers, and I am not mad about it.

September 27, 2023

West Glacier Engagement Photographer, Ashley & Matt

Ashley and Matt were recently engaged and just happened to be here in Northwest Montana for a friend's intimate wedding day. In my extremely biased opinion, they had the magnificent idea to get some engagement portraits done while they were here. After all, it's awfully difficult to pass up the opportunity for engagement portraits at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park.

September 25, 2023

Jennifer & Eric’s Glacier National Park Adventure Portrait Session

I met Jennifer and Eric at the My Montana Wedding Expo & Style Show in Kalispell this past January. They already had an amazing wedding photographer for their big day but weren't able to schedule an adventure session with that same photographer due to scheduling. They were on the hunt for a photographer who offered adventure portrait sessions and was familiar with Glacier National Park. I was happy to inform them that I fit both of those requirements and was more than happy to get them on my summer schedule.

We enjoyed a very hot but no less beautiful late summer wedding day along Going-to-the-Sun Road, getting to know each other, and making some stunning portraits. The session honestly couldn't have gone any better.

September 4, 2023

Glacier National Park Adventure Portrait Photographer, Julia & Javier

Living in an area that is for many people a once-in-a-lifetime destination is a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because it means I get to meet and work with so many couples and families from all over and often witness their first experience with Glacier National Park. The curse comes with the realization that I will not get to hang out with the vast majority of these individuals again.

But every once in a while the stars align, and I get to hang out with people who are now basically old friends. Those stars aligned for Julia and Javier when they were able to return to Montana for their first anniversary, and I got to introduce them to a large portion of Going-to-the-Sun road they never got to experience when they were here for their wedding. A wedding that was beset with absolutely relentless rain for probably 85% of the day but was one of the most memorable weddings I've had the honor of being a part of. Memories aside though, the rain prevented the appropriate amount of couples portraits that they—and the handmade dress Julia's friend made her—deserved.

Prints & Canvas

Matt Wetzler is an editorial, motorsport, portrait, and destination wedding photographer based in Whitefish, Montana.

Copyright ©Matthew Wetzler 2008–2024