hELLO!
We are a husband & wife team. Based in the mountains of Montana & Washington State, we’ve been photographing and filming couples since the start of 2021.
Welcome to our blog where you’ll discover elopement planning resources, as well as beautiful galleries from real weddings!
We're Hannah & Adam of Venture to Elope
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Haylee and William reached out to me saying that they had 2 horses and a ranch doggo that they’d love to incorporate in a shoot. So, we got to chatting and picked a location close to Bozeman, Montana that we could adventure with the horses! We met up on a summer evening a couple hours before sunset. It was honestly such a fun western couples session, and I can’t wait to shoot with them again! They give off all the vintage western vibes 🤩 And their horses are just the cutest things!
Pro tip: Don’t forget your bug spray if you’re going to adventure with horses in the summertime here… I got 31 bug bites just from this night!
Horseback Riding Locations in Bozeman For A Photoshoot
Here are some of our top recommendations for places in and around Bozeman to take horses if you plan on photographing a western couples session!
South Cottonwood
South Cottonwood is a great area to explore and take your horses! We love adventuring around here and North Cottonwood. They’re extremely accesible, making these areas a bit busy. However, it’s definitely worth it for the wildflowers in June and the views of the Bridgers! This is a great photography trail if you’re looking for meadows, mountain views, and creek crossings.
Sypes Canyon
Sypes Canyon is a popular Bozeman trail with expansive views from the top! It’s almost 10 miles round-trip with almost 3,000 feet of elevatio gain. It’s a hiking trail as well, but horseback riding sounds a lot better with that much gain!
Missouri Headwaters State Park
This is where we went for this western couples session! We met at one of the lower access points along the river. Missouri Headwaters State Park has great views of rolling hills, the Missouri River, and lots of wildflowers in early summer.
Lava Lake
The Lava Lake and Cascade Creek trail is in the Custer Gallatin National Forest, just outside of downtown Bozeman. It’s a little over 2.5 miles to get to the lake, with around 1,600 feet of elevation gain. The trail can be a bit rocky at times, so be aware of that when taking horses. The views along the trail and at the end are incredible for photos!
Hyalite Reservoir
Okay, Hyalite might be our favorite place to take couples in the Bozeman area! It’s about a 30 to 40 minute drive from downtown. And once you get there, there’s so much to do! You can ride horses, hike endless trails, fish, swim, kayak, have a bonfire or a picnic, cross country ski in the winter, etc. There are several beautiful waterfalls and lakes in the Hyalite area that are definitely worth exploring!
It was so fun getting to know these two and exploring the Headwaters! They grew up in California and moved here a little bit ago. Haylee has been riding horses for a long time, and since her and Will have been together, she’s been helping him get more comfortable with riding! They’re building a house in the area, and starting a life together. It was awesome getting to hear more about their relationship and how they hope to grow together in the future!
As the sun was setting, we had some beers and got a little spicy! Keep scrolling for a fun way to end your couples session. Whether you get in the water, enjoy your favorite beverage together, or take some layers off, make your session unique to YOU.
