Here in Missoula, there are some beautiful wedding venues. It can be challenging deciding which to tour or which one is best for your type of wedding day. As a local wedding photographer, I want to share a few thoughts on these great venues in hopes that it helps you navigate where to get married!

The Barn on Mullan: Every year this venue fills up its bookings quickly. It is located by the Ranch Club Golf Course. The building itself is perfectly what it seems like—an elegantly rustic barn with lots of wonderful amenities!  This venue is excellent as it's kind of inclusive with on-site cuisine, catering staff and bar. This saves having to make arrangements for several vendors, and the chefs are widely recognized.  The ceremony site is normally outside on the golf field and the reception site typically is in their stunning barn. The lawn is undoubtedly well-kept and beautiful with little to no trees to block the stunning mountain views. If you are wanting a prime location in Missoula, this one’s for you!

The Barn on Mullan

White Raven: This venue is a trendy and elevated spot that you really ought to check out, even if it's in Alberton, Montana, the outskirts of Missoula. In actuality, it's the best of both worlds. While it's remote enough that you don't feel like you are "in-town”, it also is close enough to Missoula to make travel arrangements for guests to and from hotels effortless. The ceremony location takes place in a gorgeous Montana setting surrounded by trees and gorgeous scenery. Additionally, the new building has a hint of a natural aesthetic, but not enough that you would feel compelled to host a rustic-themed wedding. Not only do they supply gorgeous tables and wooden crossback chairs to instantly boost the elegance of a wedding, but this venue features stunning windows that let in an abundance of natural light. One of the main things I look for in a location as a wedding photographer is lots of natural light. This venue truly does allow for the most amazing indoor wedding images. You should definitely check out this place!

The Keep: Located on a golf course in the Pattee Canyon region, The Keep is similar to the Barn on Mullan in this regard. However, with its intimate ambiance and stone walls, the building itself exudes an entirely different look. If you are wanting to have your reception inside, I would recommend having a smaller guest count. If you have a large number of guests, they will likely be split among the two separate rooms insides. This isn't a significant downside until the toasts, cake cutting, and first dances of the evening come around. The majority of the ceremonies take place on the golf course, which has a fantastic perspective of the setting in Missoula's southeast hills. These kinds of unusual venues are often favored by wedding photographers due to their distinctive architecture and the variety of shooting style.

The Homestead on McVey: About thirty minutes south of Missoula is a lovely and light venue in the Bitterroot Valley with stunning mountain views. The Homestead has a dining hall, two stories of barn, and enough room for more than a hundred people under a willow tree canopy. This is a great place for an outdoor wedding, but if also with indoor options in case of unpredictably bad Montana weather. The on site Bridal Suite is a perfect airbnb for bridal prep and night after accommodations. Being a light and airy photographer, a white aesthetic is more than ideal. Not to mention, the owners are just darling people to work with. This place is one to consider!

The Homestead on McVey

Daly Mansion: This venue is personally one of my favorites near Missoula. It is 50 miles south of Missoula located just outside of Hamilton, MT. This elegant and charming venue is breathing taking with gorgeous landscapes, historic feel and class. Do get me started on the classy columns in front of the mansion, as well as the unreal rows of trees leading to it. This allows for an old world meets elegance and sophistication look. There are 400 trees on 26.5 acres of stunning landscapes, every photographer’s dream. Most couples use their 40 by 10 foot white tent from May to October for the reception space. While the inside of the mansion is mainly for the preservation of history, it can still be used for bridal and groom prep. If you want gorgeous portraits, this may be the venue for you.

The Ranch at Rock Creek: While this venue is undoubtably outside of Missoula, it is unmatched especially if you have a larger budget for your wedding. With gorgeous western buildings adorned with rustic barnwood, cowhide upholstered furniture, and extravagant lighting fixtures in select buildings, this is undoubtedly a higher end venue. They have accommodations for guests as well as activities such as horseback riding for everyone to partake in. I would describe the venue as being everything that you would picture a classy Montana wedding to be.

Paws Up: This is another upscale venue with a genuine western/Montana vibe. Although it's outside of Missoula as well, it's worth a visit if you're searching for a genuine destination vacation escape for your visitors. It's a premier destination resort renowned for its excellent western activities, wonderful chefs, and kind hospitality. It resembles the Ranch at Rock Creek quite a bit. There are two main differences between the two,  I would say the difference between the two is the proximity to Missoula (the Ranch at Rock Creek is closer) and privacy. Although Paws Up is a resort in title, I wouldn't suggest that its large number of visitors will disrupt your day. Both venues are top choices for Missoula, MT!!