Moody Missoula Wedding | Britt + Nolan

The rain of an early Montana summer day gave this Missoula wedding the perfect moody backdrop. Photography by Katy Shay Photo.

"Nearing 10 years ago, Britt and I met and became friends when we were both attending University of Alaska Fairbanks. Things didn't really start to get serious until my final year and when it came time to graduate. As my college career ended, Britt still had one more year of school. I was heading south to start my pro career and she was finishing her last year of her Justice major. We were at a point where it was all-in or all-out so we decided to make our relationship official in the spring of 2015. For most, the prospect of leaving each other for the foreseeable future wouldn't be an all-in type of situation, but we knew there was something special between us.

For the next year we did long-distance, which was difficult. As Britt graduated from school she began to try and find jobs back home in Anchorage. We agreed that if it was going to work, she would have to take a leap of faith, leave home, try and find a job here in Huntsville, AL, and come to continue our relationship and allow me to chase my dream. Being the selfless girl that she is, she did it, and the rest is history. We've now been in Huntsville for five years together. We got engaged on October 19, 2020, after a birthday dinner at one our favorite spots in town. We had been together for six years and as we started to approach our 30s, we felt it was the right time.

There was a light drizzle all day in Missoula on our wedding day, June 4th. It was just enough to force an indoor wedding, but we were prepared and it turned out perfectly. The barn doors of the venue served as a perfect entrance especially for Britt to enter down the aisle. When the skies cleared, guests would go outside and enjoy the weather with easy access to the bar and music was projected perfectly for indoor and outdoor. When a popular song would come on everyone would run to the dance floor to dance and when it was over we would walk outside to cool off.

The day itself went by so quickly between getting ready, getting married, pictures, dinner, visiting and dancing there wasn’t much time for just us. The time we did get to spend together was during our photos. We are so glad we picked Katy, she was great! She made taking pictures fun and she knew exactly how to get the perfect shot.

Being able to reminisce over the special moments we might have forgotten is the best part. We’re so glad we made photography a priority of ours on our wedding day so we can cherish that day and those memories for the rest of our lives." –Nolan, the groom