Beautiful Flathead Lake Wedding at Kwataqnuk Resort in Polson, MT
Rebecca & Kyle’s Flathead Lake wedding at Kwataqnuk Resort in Polson, MT was a delight from start to finish. The beautiful lakeside venue sits right on the shore of Montana’s Flathead Lake and has breathtaking views of the lake and the Mission Mountains. Rebecca happens to work at the resort, so having her late spring wedding there was an easy decision. As their wedding photographer, I not only appreciated the amazing lake and mountain views, but also getting to photograph their beautiful 4-year-old daughter, Vaeda, who lit up the day with her big brown eyes and bright, energetic spirit! If you follow my photography at all, you can probably gather that I love photographing kids~ so having Vaeda and the other children present at the wedding made the day all the more enjoyable for me.
Getting Ready in the Casino Suite at Kwataqnuk Resort
Rebecca and her bridesmaids got ready in the Casino Suite at Kwataqnuk Resort. Her maid of honor wore a red satin robe while her bridesmaids wore pink satin robes. Even the flower girls had their own pink robes, which were adorable. When I arrived at the bridal suite, I practically melted seeing Vaeda in her pink robe and pink heart sunglasses! What a doll! Of course, we got some shots of the bride and bridesmaids getting ready and also of Rebecca’s mother helping her put on her dress. But first, Rebecca wanted to get a shot of Vaeda looking in the mirror holding Rebecca’s wedding dress up to her. What a great shot for Vaeda to look back on when she’s older! I also got a shot of Vaeda holding Rebecca’s wedding bouquet, which was absolutely adorable and ended up being one of Rebecca’s favorite photos.
The groom and his groomsmen were looking very dapper in their suits. And I especially wanted to get a photo of Kyle’s cufflinks, which were a gift from Rebecca.
Outdoor Ceremony at Kwataqnuk Resort on Flathead Lake
The weather was slightly unsettled early in the day and I wasn’t sure if we might get some rain. As luck would have it, we decided to start the ceremony a little early and in doing so were able to bypass the rain and have a completely dry ceremony. Rebecca looked absolutely gorgeous walking down the aisle and the red and pink florals contrasted beautifully with the blue lake water. The sincerity with which Rebecca and Kyle’s vows were exchanged touched me, even as I was slightly distracted working behind the camera.
A Cheeky Toast from the Best Man
During the reception, the best man gave a rather humorous toast boasting of his position as Kyle’s number one, right hand man! After calling the two other groomsmen to stand up, he had them close their eyes and awarded them with 2nd and 3rd place ribbons, generating a hearty belly laugh throughout the reception hall. Hopefully these two groomsmen have recovered from their public shaming by now. ; )
Unforgettable First Dances
Rebecca and Kyle had a beautiful first dance in the reception hall ballroom, followed by Rebecca’s dance with her father and Kyle’s dance with his mother. I was able to capture some of the dancing using some backlight coming in from the hallway, which was nice. But my favorite reception moment by far was a very special father-daughter dance between Kyle and Vaeda. I could tell by the way she ran onto the dance floor and into his arms how excited she was that it was finally time for them to do their dance! The beautiful connection they share was obvious to all (photographer included), and I could tell how meaningful this moment was not only to Rebecca and Kyle, but to their family and friends as well.
Lakeside Portraits of the Bride and Groom (…and Vaeda)
Later in the evening, as the sun was getting lower in the sky, we ventured outside on the dock to get some portraits of the bride and groom. Getting beautiful shots isn’t terribly hard with such stunning views of Flathead Lake and the Mission Mountains as the backdrop. Add to that a cloudy sky and you’ve got the perfect setting for wedding portraits at dusk. Vaeda came along in the beginning and was happy to take part and be featured in some of the photos, and also snagged another chance to dance with Kyle! One of my favorite photos from this set is a close up shot I took of their hands and rings, in which Vaeda jumped in and wanted to include her hand in the photo as well~ chipped blue nail polish and all! I couldn’t be happier with this particular shot~ and what a darling memory and photo for the family to look back on!
Let’s Get This Party Started
Any wedding blog post wouldn’t be complete without some photos of dance floor shenanigans. Adults and kids alike had great fun waving colorful glow sticks on the dance floor. And I had fun too, playing with my shutter speed to infuse some movement and blur into the images, which made for some fun and unique dance floor images. I also loved the matching pink velvet Converse shoes the bride and bridesmaids wore during the reception~ perfect for hitting the dance floor without sore feet! Unfortunately, the little girls didn’t have tennies and had to contend with sore feet!
All in all, this Montana Flathead Lake wedding was a day to remember with stunning scenery, lots of fun doings, and many magical moments sprinkled throughout the day. And as I always say, I’m more than grateful for having had the opportunity to photograph it for this beautiful family of three.
“Carin is amazing to work with, she puts so much thought and effort into the photos she takes. Carin was extremely professional throughout the shoot for my wedding and engagement session. Her attention to the small details is what really makes her stand out from the rest. She was always making sure that the light was just right, hairs weren’t out of place and smiles were present. Carin’s talent is evident in the proofs you’ll receive for ordering, every picture is so good you’ll want to order every one! I am so happy that I booked Carin Rene Photo for this once in a lifetime moment. We now have beautiful photos because of Carin and for that I am forever grateful.”
R Garnett, 6/30/24
Photography: Carin Rene Photo, Missoula, MT
Venue & catering: Kwataqnuk Resort & Casino, Polson, MT
Flowers: Rebecca’s mother
