Performing a Wedding

About a month and a half ago, my roommate and his girlfriend asked me to perform their wedding. After I got over the initial shock of the unexpectedness of that request, I happily accepted the honor. Just so you know, I have the ability to perform weddings now in several states (at least Wyoming and Montana) and would happily offer my services should the need arise. My specialty: eloping with parents to beautiful mountainous landscapes. 

It was quite the experience and I learned a lot. Matt, Sacha, and I did some pre-marital counseling (thanks for the advice Walter!) and worked together to plan their ceremony including vows, ring exchange, and message. The ceremony itself was held in Grand Teton National Park among the old buildings and barns of Mormon Row. Attendees of the service included Matt's parents, Sacha's parents, two bride's maids, a best man, and bride and groom. With me it totaled ten people! Very personal and special. 

And photogenic! We had a couple of days of amazing weather, the first for a camping trip and a hike and the second for the wedding itself. The Tetons practically begged to have pictures taken of them and I hardly put up a fight. Some of the best are shown below.

The wonderful couple out on our hike the day before their wedding. The Grand Teton in the background.

Wedding party (minus Matt's bro) photo at the top of Inspiration Point overlooking Jenny Lake.

The Treager family, up from Georgia, loving the mountains.

It was a little cold for Sacha's home-made wedding dress. The thoughtful groom came through!

Bride and her attendees, accented by the Tetons.

Kiss pose...go!

Weddings are a great excuse to bring people together to celebrate life and love and happiness. In the past couple of weeks, at first Tim's then Matt's weddings, I've gotten to meet a bunch of really cool people. And in the preparation of the wedding I looked a lot at what love and commitment is: how Christ shows us the way to service, submission, and love in all our relationships, but in marriage especially. I feel like more marriages would last if each individual tried to out serve their spouse. For those of you married folks out there (and those of you thinking about getting married) it's never too late. This is my charge to you: to serve each other more than the day before and try to outdo one another in service, submission, and love.

Minnesota Wedding

The weekend after Memorial Day, I left Wednesday night for Minnesota for a high school buddies wedding. My friend Tim, a ski buddy mentioned in posts before, married the love of his life Emily on June 2nd. The road trip of 15 hours both directions was well worth it; it was so much fun! I don't think I've laughed that much in a long time, sharing stories of the golden years.

Wedding party rehearsal photo bomb.

This is one fun, amazing couple!

One of the jumping photo attempts.

Beartooth Weekend

This year for Memorial Day, my family came down to visit. They picked up Larkin in Missoula, Alli and I in Bozeman, and we went on to Red Lodge and the Beartooth Highway and Scenic Byway. It was the first weekend that the road would be opened and we were hoping to go and take advantage of the lasting snow for some late season skiing. 

Family photo with a rushing stream!

Unfortunately the weather was not in our favor and the road was not opened on Saturday when we arrived. So we drove up as far as we could and posed for some family photos. Not to be denied some skiing, we then powered up to the Red Lodge ski resort where Alli, Dad and I skinned up to the summit. The snow seemed as if it would be awesome: fresh from the recent winter storm, but that was all we were skiing: 6 inches of fresh on top of grass and rocks. Dad found several with his elbows, poor guy.

Summit self timer photo having followed the "skin track to heaven" to the  top, ready for gravity to take us down.

The next day, after a wonderful mexican dinner in downtown Red Lodge, we attended church services at the local church of Christ, where our little group greatly increased the number of people in attendance. Afterwards, we went back up a newly opened Beartooth Highway (at least partly opened, up to Vista Point). But it was opened enough to get some fresh turns on the Rockcreek Headwall.

Jump on that train!

Larkin, Alli, Dad, and I got up into the alpine, even bootpacking/wallowing up a wide couloir.

Mama Lane loving it in the Beartooths. 

Skier in the middle (Alli?) coming down the Headwall, taken from the truck by Mom. 

We got snowed on while skinning up the Headwall and therefore got to ski powder turns...on May 27th! Some of the best turns of the year, just smooth as butter, blasting down through some really cool terrain.