A Rustic Summer Wedding on a Montana Ranch

Three months pregnant, Emily Hormuth was questioning boyfriend Patton Penhallegon's suggestion that they climb to the top of Intersection Rock in Joshua Tree National Park. It's one of the keen climbers' favorite routes—but the tough ascent was made even harder that day by particularly strong winds. "All I could think was, Why am I doing this?" Emily says. Her answer came as she reached the top and saw Patton down on one knee, holding her grandmother's engagement ring. "I wasn't expecting it—and I was so out of breath, I could barely get out the 'Yes!'" Emily laughs.

The couple had first met through friends at Stolpman Vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley in 2010, but didn't begin dating until the following year, when Patton was running the beverage program at a restaurant in Newport Beach and Emily walked in with a group of friends. "We made plans, canceled plans, and rearranged plans, then finally went out in downtown Santa Ana one night and haven't looked back since," Patton says. Now based in Orange County, California, where Patton is the owner of Penville winery and Emily works in the home-building business, the couple wanted a summery wedding that celebrated their shared passion for the great outdoors. They decided on Emily's family's ranch in Bigfork, Montana, and the date of August 6, 2016, enlisting Darci Greenwood of Montana-based Greenwood Events to bring the romantic country wedding, centered around the property's picturesque red barn, to life.

Emily and Patton wanted their guests to experience the beauty of the natural landscape, and adventurous pre-wedding activities filled the week, including a float down the Swan River and a hike to Avalanche Lake in Glacier National Park. By the time everyone (including their 10-month-old daughter, Penelope) gathered for the outdoor ceremony, they felt like old friends.

The couple's first act as husband and wife was the planting of a cherry tree with soil from their childhood homes. "We love the idea of going back to see its progress and being able to share that with our daughter," says Emily. After a feast in the barn, everyone hit the dance floor until, as if on cue, the wedding ended with a spectacular, rain-free lightning display: A wedding gift from Mother Nature herself.

Watch Emily and Patton's Wedding Film by Jeremiah and Rachel Photography