I had the pleasure of getting to second shoot this amazing western wedding at the High Country Guest Ranch in Hill City, South Dakota. This is a working horse ranch, filled with horses and donkeys. As an animal lover, I was sure to capture some pictures of the animals as well. In chatting with the owners, they stated they put a bunch of horse food in front of the fence prior to the ceremony, to get them up close. The owners were such nice people, and truly think about every detail.
The ranch has different cabins that can be rented on property. For Natasha and Spencer’s wedding, they rented two cabins- one for a bridal suite and the other a grooms den.
Natasha was in a beautiful strapless gown with the options of a veil and a hat. The hat was definitely a staple piece of the day and honestly one of my favorite things-as seen by the numerous photos I took of it. In addition to her ring, she also had a vintage, family ring she wore on the day.
Natasha had her first looks with her dad and groom-to-be, Spencer, under the porch of her bridal suite. Her first look with her dad was one of my favorite first looks I have captured. The emotions were very evident! You can see how much they love each other and I tear up looking at it!
The ceremony took place in front of a beautiful backdrop of hills and trees. A single violinist played a soft tune that broke the silence as the wedding processional began. Natasha walked down with both her parents. Her beautiful, full veil was a complete show stopper as it blew in the wind.
After the beautiful ceremony, the reception took place indoors. It was a beautiful, rustic, fall theme. There were assigned seats with personalized table settings. Another super fun idea was the chalice party favor- “to have and to hold.” So many fun options to choose from. The guest book they chose was puzzle pieces, which was a creative display for home. A single layered heart shaped cake sat within all of the dessert options.
A final appreciation for all of the beautiful couple portraits. The sun was shining bright, but the happy couple needed to take a moment to greet the horses. There was also a moment for some great golden hour photos.
I finally need a moment for one of my favorite photos of the day- the bride’s brother. Hahaha
Overall it was a beautiful wedding day that celebrated two individuals very much in love. The views of the day were gorgeous and I am definitely wanting to photograph more weddings out in the Black Hills!
