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 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.

October 5, 2022

Lauren & Spencer’s Glacier National Park Adventure Portrait Session

When Lauren and I first touched base they still had not nailed down all of their wedding plans. They were either going to get married here in Whitefish, or in Northern California. What they were certain about was wanting portraits in their wedding attire, in Glacier National Park. I was more than happy to oblige.

September 7, 2022

Going-to-the-Sun Road Adventure Portrait Photographer, Unique & Luke

If you've read my blog before you may recognize Unique & Luke from their spring wedding at Snowline Acres in Kalispell.

They still really wanted some epic portraits in Glacier National Park as part of a "day after" adventure portrait session. The thing about Glacier though, is that in May, not very much of the park is typically accessible. So right away we made plans to meet up later in the summer to capture the amazing mountain portraits they wanted. Thankfully, we experienced a relatively smoke-free in August, and everything from the sky to the wildlife performed beautifully for their portraits.

Editors Note: The header image above ended up on the cover of the 2023 My Montana Wedding magazine. You can read it online here, or pick it up for free at any number of locations here in the Flathead Valley.

August 15, 2022

Glacier National Park Adventure Portrait Photographer, Natasha & Aaron

The idea of "day after" portrait sessions seemed to have gained steam over the last several years. At least here in Northwest Montana where you might be getting married at a particular venue, but still want portraits done in Glacier National Park.

What may not be as popular, but just as sound in terms of destination wedding planning, is the "day before" session. Natasha and Aaron were traveling from out of state, and the way the travel schedule was working out, plus just the basic logistics of hair & makeup, etc. we opted to schedule their portraits in the National Park the day before their wedding at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

It was a perfect opportunity to spend some time getting to know each other in person, while also getting some of the wedding day and portrait jitters out of the way ahead of time, and it worked out beautifully.

August 5, 2022

Glacier National Park Adventure Portrait Session, Paige & Chris

This was one of my favorite days all summer, even though it was very much my longest day of work. My previous post featured Natalia & Ben's sunrise Glacier National Park portrait session. Well, that very same day I got to hang out with Paige & Chris again for their adventure session. It truly was a day that cemented in my head why I love doing what I do. The weather was perfect and we simply took our time meandering our way through the park and stopping when the opportunity presented itself. Prior to that, we did stop just outside the park to take some photos with their dog who was unable to attend their wedding day. That way he could be let off leash briefly which is generally frowned upon when inside the park, and explicitly denied on trails.

Paige & Chris once again proved themselves to be more kind than I could've imagined, and I can't wait for our paths to cross again.

August 1, 2022

Glacier National Park Sunrise Adventure Portrait Session, Natalia & Ben

Northwest Montana is an almost unbelievably beautiful place, and Glacier National Park is a perfect illustration of that. And sunrise pretty much anywhere usually provides really great light for photography. That said, in this part of the world devotion to that morning light comes at a cost. The cost of waking up very, very early in order to arrive at your destination for said light. It's bad enough living in Whitefish and traveling to the Western entrance to the park, but it's even worse when you live about halfway down the Western edge of Flathead Lake like Natalia & Ben do.

They had to get up and on the road a solid two hours before I did in order to make it to our session on time but I'm so thankful that they made the effort and were good sports about it all.

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

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