A Natural, Casual Wedding at a Private Residence in Red Lodge, Montana

Skiles (Sky) England (29 and a writer) and Daniel (Dan) England (32 and a landscape architect) met in Costa Rica while staying at the same hostel. The pair had a whirlwind four-day romance and then parted ways, figuring they would never see each other again. Three years later, when Sky was living in San Francisco, she joined Facebook on a whim. The next morning, she had a friend invitation from Dan. The two began a long-distance correspondence of little packages, phone calls and text messages until Sky booked a flight to visit Dan in Vancouver. A year and a half later, Dan proposed to Sky on a secret beach in Big Sur, California. The couple got married at Sky’s grandparents’ house in Red Lodge, Montana, surrounded by stunning natural scenery and the Bear Tooth Mountains. Nature inspired the green and white color palette and casual atmosphere. The bride wore a short, sleeveless vintage wedding dress with a big green ribbon around the waist and a skirt that twirled around her paired with her favorite cowboy boots. Dan and his brothers built the couple’s wedding altar out of reclaimed fence posts found around the property. They celebrated the reception under a tent decorated with greenery and flowers where guests enjoyed a dinner full of Montana flair. Friends and family of the bride and groom wore crocheted bear hats made by Sky as they danced until the sun began to rise over the mountains.“Dan and I are avid outdoors people and wanted to share our love of nature, hiking and the mountains with our guests,” says Sky. Since many people flew in for the weekend, the couple had a big bonfire the Thursday before the cerermony. On Friday morning, there was a whitewater rafting trip. At the rehearsal dinner, Dan's brothers put together a home spun fireworks show followed by a trip down to the local bar to see a live Montana band. On the wedding day, Sky and Dan arranged a hike for guests so they could explore the area. And finally, on Sunday evening, guests were invited to the local pig races.