Joe and Meagan live in the nearby idyllic city of Vacaville, CA.  Needless-to-say, they wanted a picturesque mountain filled backdrop for their engagement photos and thankfully, chose me as the photographer.  They are loud, vibrant, bold personalities that love the outdoors and we hit off instantly.  So instantaneously, in fact, that they decided on the spot, in the parking lot of Sand Harbor State Park on the day of their portrait session, to hire me as their photographer for their wedding.  Joe grew up on the Wyoming side of the Black Hills and mountains, forest and hunting are important to him and so Meagan and Joe wanted to get married in the countryside that meant so much to him and his family.  They swore to me that it was the most beautiful country you’ve ever seen.

They were not lying.

When I originally booked my trip to South Dakota for their wedding, I tacked on a few days on the front end so that I could explore part of America that I had never seen before.  I had big plans: the Badlands are nearby, as well as Mt. Rushmore.  My plans all went to shit the moment I stepped foot outside on the first dewy morning in Spearfish Canyon: it was breathtaking.  Limestone palisades flank the deep green gorge.  Miles of trail running flank the river beds and walls, peppered with cattle and other wildlife.  Waterfalls are around every corner.   The Spearfish Canyon Lodge is about as rustic and quaint and adorable as you would expect and while the coffee might leave something to be expected, you can overlook that while you rock on the porch in giant wooden chairs while wrapped in a blanket reading a book as the morning fog lifts.  Yeah.  It’s like that.  Straight out of Sunset Magazine, the midwest version.

Meagan and Joe’s wedding was unbelievable and every day I wish I could relive it.  Their family is engaging, inclusive and incredibly generous.  Their friends are fun and have some kick ass dance moves in their back pocket.  I usually try to keep posts to ten photos and I literally couldn’t for these two.  So, without further adieu, here’s way more photos than normal from a wedding that I want to have again and again and again.

Venue: Spearfish Canyon Lodge | Catering: The Latchstring Inn | DJ: Marek’s DJ Services | Bride’s Attire: La Soie Bridal | Bridesmaid Attire: David’s Bridal | Groom and Groomsmen Attire: Men’s Warehouse | Hair and Make-up: Ulta

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