Ousel Falls & Hyalite Reservoir - Bozeman, MT - 10.14.25
If Karlye & Matt’s elopement day was a lesson in anything, it was the notion that flexibility on your elopement day is an absolute necessity. After bouncing around between a few different location options in Montana, they settled on Bozeman as their basecamp for their adventures! With an airport they could fly into directly, easy access to both beautiful scenery, and the amenities & plethora of restaurant options that come with a college town, it was a location that ticked all of their boxes.
As their chosen date was in mid-October, I ensured that we went into their elopement with the understanding that weather could take a turn for the worst quickly, and that we needed to have backup options in place for that possibility. In the days leading up to their elopement, the forecast kept jumping around some, but it was evident that we likely wouldn’t have ideal conditions for their original plan of a full, 12-hr elopement day on their original date. Their initial Plan A location was also off the table, given that it would likely become inaccessible with the snow that was rolling into the area. After Karlye voiced her very founded concerns, I reassured them both that I was busy putting together a plan that would work given the incoming snow
Plan B ended up being even better than the original! We settled on splitting their elopement into two days, with the day prior allowing them to have a bit of fun & settle into the process of having a third wheel joining them. Since the weather was supposed to come overnight, we would meet up for their sunrise first look the next morning, have their ceremony in the early hours at a location that wouldn’t have quite as much snowfall, and round out their day with a visit to the more snow-covered areas in the mountains after the roads had time to be cleared.
On our first evening together, I met Karlye & Matt immediately after an initial burst of rain and small hail broke over Bozeman. We headed to Burke Park to take in the sweeping views of the surrounding mountains against the moody cloud cover, before venturing back to their Airbnb. The mountains were showing off in the distance as the sun started to set, so we made sure to document the amazing backdrop they had at their lodging before they hopped into the hot tub. Some good discussion, hearty laughs, and talk of tomorrow’s adventures to come later, I said farewell until the morning!
I was back bright and early, to capture Karlye & Matt getting ready in their adorable Airbnb, and their sunrise first look had all of the dreamy, glowy light you could wish for! After giving them a minute to take it all in, we all loaded up and started the drive to Big Sky. A quick stop at Caliber Coffee was needed to fuel up for their vows, then we made the hike to Ousel Falls for their ceremony. We had their ceremony location all to ourselves in the early morning, and the roar of the waterfall was the perfect way to ensure that they were the only ones that could hear the promises being made to one another. (If you’re at all introverted & nervous about saying your vows in front of your photographer, a waterfall location is always a good bet!)
After hiking back to our cars from the falls, we then drove up to Hyalite Reservoir for their final adventure! The mountains had been given the most beautiful dusting of snow, and the roads were fully accessible - the perfect combo for those wanting views without the stress of hazardous travel. We ended the day with a final, Forbis Fotography special…ice cream. Because if at all possible, I WILL take my couples out for ice cream to celebrate their day! We stopped at Sweet Peaks back in Bozeman for our farewell sweet treats, then I sent them off to go enjoy the rest of their first day of marriage!
