This past Monday I had the absolute pleasure of photographing the Livingston Montana Wedding Day of Erika and Josh near the banks of the Yellowstone River at the Livingston KOA. For newlyweds Erika and Josh, it was all about returning to the source. Little did they know after a chance encounter over a foosball game table in Livingston, Montana, two years later they would be celebrating their wedding in the beautiful Paradise Valley just south of town. Both being well versed in hospitality (Josh as a chef at Feast Raw Bar & Bistro and Erika as a former wedding planner) wanted to have their wedding day be “about letting their friends and family know how much they’ve impacted us in our lives.” Great food, meticulous decorations of 1,000 paper cranes and rock cairns, homemade booze-infused cupcakes and the right tunes to keep the dance floor busy. It made the day a true delight. Not even the constant rainfall throughout the day could dampen the spirits of those in attendance.

While I’m still working away at editing all the fun photographs, I wanted to share a small preview of their awesome wedding day celebration. Congrats to the newlyweds! Stay tuned for more photo goodness. -M

A few weeks back I had the pleasure of photographing the destination wedding of Zachary and Elizabeth in Yellowstone National Park. These two lovebirds traveled to Montana from Kansas City with their relatives in tow to celebrate their wedding day celebration in America’s largest national park. It was a classic DIY wedding complete with 1,000 paper cranes, paper flower bouquets and a small festive reception at their parents place in West Yellowstone. Their small collection of family and friends came together to make their wedding day special. After driving around YNP, we arrived at Artist Point to have their wedding ceremony overlooking the Yellowstone Lower Falls in Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone National Park. What a special day it turned out to be. It’s always so inspiring to be around a couple so completely in love with each other. I was so glad I could be apart of it. Here are some of my favorite photographs from the day. Wishing the newlyweds all the best. -M

Over the 4th of July weekend, I was up at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Whitefish, Montana photographing the summer wedding day of Tim and Jill. These two Bozeman locals wanted a destination feel for their wedding celebration without leaving the Big Sky state. Northwest Montana was the perfect answer. When their big day arrived, I traveled north to Whitefish, Montana where I was able to join up with Tim and Jill’s wedding entourage at the resort. After a sunset wedding ceremony at the summit, we took the chairlifts down to the reception where we all dined and danced while celebrating the union of the newlyweds. You could not have asked for a nicer summer day. It was a true pleasure for me to be present and document their wedding day festivities. Wishing Tim and Jill all the best and many years of happiness! -M

Over the 4th of July weekend, I was up at the Whitefish Mountain Resort in Whitefish, Montana photographing the summer wedding day of Tim and Jill. These two Bozeman locals wanted a destination feel for their wedding celebration without leaving the Big Sky state. Northwest Montana was the perfect answer. There are so many more great photos to show you all. For now, here is a preview of a few favorites so far from wedding day. I’m hard at work editing the rest. My congrats to the newlyweds! Stay tuned for more awesome. -Mike

When my brother informed the family that he had proposed to his long-time girlfriend Brandy, we were just thrilled. Group effort wedding planning soon commenced. In celebration of the Greener/Hollenbeck wedding day in Hope, Alaska this past summer, I brought along my Greener Visuals Photo Booth for the reception. The reception site was held two hours south of Anchorage, Alaska at a the Discovery Cafe in Hope, Alaska. I’m going to say it…photo booths just make weddings receptions better. They are interactive, creative and often hilarious. Bringing your own props allows you to shape the photo booth interaction for the reception guests and invites them to play. Having one at this Greener wedding reception was a no brainer. Like I mentioned in their wedding day photos blog post, this “do-it-yourself” wedding required frugal creativity on everyone’s part. Everyone aided in making for a really special weekend. Tasked with final prep for the reception photo booth, my sister Katie and I decided to go drive around and visit numerous thrift stores scattered around Anchorage, Alaska for last minute affordable photo booth props. Our efforts didn’t disappoint. At Eric and Brandy’s wedding day reception, we set up the booth against a rustic, weathered looking cabin wall as the backdrop. The photo booth was a complete hit. Via remote control, their wedding guests could fire the camera and strobe to make epic, wonderfully weird self portraits on their own. Without fail every time, those who enter it let loose in their creativity and leave with a grin on their face. The best part is you never know what you are going to get.

Here are some of my favorites from their wedding day photo booth but you can view all of the awesome photo booth pictures, by going here. PW: greener

What a fantastic day! I could not be more excited for Eric and Brandy! I love you guys! Wishing you a lifetime of happiness! – Your brother Mike

Eric & Brandy Wedding Day Photos in Hope, Alaska - Greener Visuals Wedding Photography

It is with much love and pride that I present the wedding photos of my brother Eric & his awesome lady Brandy’s wedding day celebration in Hope, Alaska.

Earlier this summer, my younger pilot brother Eric tied-the-knot with his long time flight attendant girlfriend Brandy in a lush, mountainous wild Alaskan setting in the small town of Hope, Alaska. She is an incredible lady and I’m so grateful to now call her sister. After a very public Alaskan Airlines in flight wedding proposal that went viral on YouTube, the excitement of the first sibling to be married in the Greener clan was felt by all and plans soon sprang into action to create their special day. This was going to be one hell of a wedding celebration. I would be the best man and wedding photographer which proved to be a tricky, fun challenge. After purchasing their first home together earlier this year, Eric and Brandy were looking to be as frugal as possible when planning their wedding day. Without being over the top, they wanted a place to gather the two clans, have some good food, dance to a live band without breaking the bank. Not a problem. The families and friends all came together to create a DIY rustic themed Alaskan wedding day. I think some of the best wedding successes are when wedding couples think outside the box while staying within a budget.

We got creative.

We took reclaimed weathered barn wood to make their wedding arbor and decorated it with mason jars filled with flowers the grocery stores had that morning. Rather than make the bridesmaids and groomsman buy matching outfits, they instead told them a color palette, in this case navy which also would work with whatever color flowers were available the day of. It worked out well. Scrap pieces of corrugated steel siding with the application of white paint became cool signs and decorations for the reception. The elder Greener gentlemen roasted a pig, guests brought a dish to pass, local friends helped with location needs and their unfinished new house as a staging ground for the bride and her ladies. Everyone in attendance contributed to making their wedding day special. Paying for the live funk band was worth every cent.

There were of course some logistical hurdles to cover, the first being that Hope, Alaska was a dinky little town a two hour drive around the Turnagain Arm on Highway 1 out of Anchorage, Alaska. This meant that everything (guests, tents, tables, chairs, decorations, camping accommodations, food, etc..) would need to be driven out by the family and wedding guests. The venue provided the site alone. In the end, it took a village, generous friends, a fleet of trucks and a used short school bus to make it all happen.

It was a day meant to be. Even the rain held out. What a wonderful love to honor and celebrate. I’m so happy for them. In between dancing, chatting and my best man duties, I managed to make a couple photos through out the day. Here are some of my favorites.

To see all of the wedding photos from the day click here. Password: greener

Love you guys so much! Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness. -your brother Mike

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of photographing Courtney and Jordi’s wedding day at The Woodlands at Cottonwood Canyon in Bozeman, Montana. It was a beautiful calm early Fall day amongst the pine trees. I’m just thrilled for these two. I got to know them earlier in the year when we made some fun engagement photos around the outskirts of Bozeman. Finally their big day had arrived. I had such a fun time documenting their friends and family. It was great to hear all the stories. Here are some of my favorite images I made throughout the day. Wishing many years of happiness to the newlyweds! Congrats you guys! -M

To see the whole wedding, click here.

This past Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of photographing Courtney and Jordi’s wedding day at The Woodlands in Bozeman, Montana. I’m just thrilled for these guys. A beautiful calm early Fall day amongst the pine trees. We had a great time earlier in the year when we made some engagement photos. These two are a lot of fun and I’ve been looking forward to their wedding day celebration. I’m busy editing through all the great moments from their wedding day but for now you can check out a preview of wedding photo standouts so far. Many more wedding photos to come. Stay tuned… -M

A few weeks back my pilot brother Eric married an awesome woman named Brandy, the love of his life in Hope, Alaska. The first of the siblings to get hitched. It was also the first time I’d been assigned the roles as both a best man and a wedding photographer. It was a fun challenge. I’m editing through the mountain of photos and will post their full wedding soon. I’m so excited for you brother! Stay tuned… -M

After a relaxing evening photographing Ali and Drausin rehearsal dinner at the base of the Vail ski mountain at the Manor Vail Lodge Friday night, I turned my attention to documenting their big wedding day. The two Yale alumni chose to have their wedding day at this cute ranch called 4 Eagle Ranch outside of Vail, Colorado. For many of my clients, choosing the venue is a big decision. The venue is the keystone in which all other vendors and wedding task fall in line behind. Once you have it, everything else tends to fall into place a lot easier. For them Ali and Drausin, who were simultaneously planning/executing a long distance destination wedding, moving from Philadelphia to New York City all the while figuring out their honeymoon plans to China, picking their venue was as easy as seeing the background landscape in a photograph on the website and asking where to sign the dotted line. Go figure. I appreciate working with a couple that knows what they want. Getting hitched surrounded by their loved ones while engulfed in the beautiful surrounding Colorado rocky mountains scenery was a recipe for a great time. You could not have asked for a prettier day. With the help of my assistant Josh Couper, we were able to document the fun well into the night including a surprise flashmob dance party coordinated by Ali’s sister. I am so excited for these two. I wish them all the very best and many years of laughter and happiness. -M

To view Ali and Drausin’s entire wedding, you can view them here.