Host the Cowboy Wedding of Your Dreams at Castaway Cabins in Roberts, Montana

This past August I photographed a wedding at a gorgeous location! The Castaway Cabins are perfect for families like I grew up with in Wyoming and Montana, the ones that love to be outdoors and look forward to a peaceful camping trip. If you envision a wedding where your closest family and friends haul up their horse trailers, campers, and fishing equipment to spend the week (or weekend) setting up and celebrating your wedding, then this location is for you! I think that this is a wedding venue that can make for lifelong memories and accommodate your friends and family whom you want to be intimately involved in the wedding festivities, while also being convenient enough for guests who prefer (or you prefer) to stay in a hotel in a nearby town. Below I will explain the accommodations that are available on the property for you and your guests.

As of 2024 when I visited, they had six cabins available to rent. You could choose between king, queen, and double beds. They came with bedroom and laundry essentials, air conditioning, heating, and lots of parking! Arguably the most important feature could be that it is pet friendly! Besides the cabins, there are 17 camping spots, and I saw campers set up in beautiful areas that were close together, but in a private setting with the amount of trees and greenery that surrounded the entire venue.

Outdoor adventures could be endless at the Castaway Cabins because they have so many activities that would be so much fun for wedding guests. They offer zip lines, fishing access, horseshoe pits, a playground, a basketball court, and a large pavilion. The pavilion was where Lauren and Carson hosted their reception and it was conveniently placed next to the playground and horseshoe pits, which was super fun for the children that attended the wedding. Besides these fun activities, they have a community bathhouse with two individual shower rooms for anyone who might be tent camping, and there are bathrooms throughout the area.

Outdoor Montana Wedding Venue

It is so fun to work with couples that I know and grew up with! Lauren and I attended 4-H together while growing up in Wyoming and I was so excited when she reached out to me at the beginning of the year, asking if I would be available to photograph her wedding. She explained that she had plans to get married at a beautiful venue between Laurel, MT, and Redlodge, MT. Her fiance, Carson, is from Montana and she thought it was a great place to get married. But what made her choose to get married at the Castaway Cabins in Roberts, Montana was the beauty of the location. Near the ceremony location is a slow-moving stream and tons of aspen trees. The quiet noises of the water and the wind blowing through the trees made the location extra special.

After she told me of her plans and we booked her wedding, we started planning. She only wanted the basics covered, so we booked her wedding at my smallest package. It gave her just enough time to capture the ceremony, a few group photos, bridals, and the basics of her reception. However, I always like to encourage my couples to consider booking a package with either six or eight hours of coverage if they also value the pre-wedding moments (such as getting ready, first looks, and detail shots) and the traditional reception festivities. Even though you will see some of the reception in her gallery, it was very rushed to capture that in the right amount of time, but Lauren had a plan and we made it work. Regardless, it turned out beautifully and I love her wedding!

Relaxing Ceremony Next to a Stream

I showed up 10-15 minutes before the ceremony started to set up my equipment. Everyone was mingling around and slowly making their way to their seats, so I was able to run up to the arch and capture their decorations. Once the clock hit 4 pm-ish everyone started walking down the aisle, it was go time! I took my position at the front of the ceremony area and captured everyone walking down. When Lauren walked down the aisle with her brother, she was stunning. It was such an emotional and touching moment. So many people were crying, including her, and I immediately knew that this would be a very special ceremony. Her officiant was from the Baptist Church in Douglas, the one she grew up attending, and he was very well-spoken and it was a great ceremony.

After the ceremony, Lauren and Carson took a moment together and everyone helped pick up the chairs. Once the area was cleared of chairs, decorations, and people, it was the perfect time to start the family and group photos. Everyone who knew they were supposed to be in photos hung around the area and we went down the list, capturing families and groups. It was a beautiful setting and the trees allowed the sun to peak through, lighting everyone up in a way that photographers dream of!

Golden-Hour Bridals

After we had captured all of the group photos, we had about 45 minutes of golden light left to photograph their bridals. I could tell that Lauren was looking forward to these photos the most. Even though the property is large, and I am sure there were several other beautiful areas to explore, our time was limited so we decided to stay in the same ceremony location. It was gorgeous and I liked the idea of capturing photos that I knew would be breathtaking, in a well-kept lawn. It made it easy, and it was so much fun. Carson was not a fan of photos, so I kept dragging him back into them, which was amusing to me.

The wedding party all looked so great! I loved the cowboy hats, and I especially loved the bridesmaid's dresses. The browns, blacks, and greens worked perfectly with the setting of the area. Lauren DIY'd a lot of the decorations, including the flowers, and her gorgeous bouquet. She got so many compliments on it! Her dress was perfect on her! I honestly could not have imagined a dress that better fit her and her style. She is such a beautiful bride and I think her vision could not have come more perfectly together if she tried!

A Reception with Famous Ribs!

The pavilion where the reception was held was only a short walk from the ceremony. I was happy to see that it had very bright main lights, and then decorative twinkle lights. One thing that some venues like this do not consider is that as photographers, we need some light. Even though I always pack my flash, my camera needs enough light to focus on a subject so that I can capture clear photos. Some outdoor venues do not have lighting, so I was happy to see that this venue did. Although I am not sure how it all worked in order to explain it to another bride, I know that the location had someone on site who cooked dinner, and boy, was it amazing! Everyone was lining up to eat once we got done with the bridal photos, and Lauren told me I should take a break to eat. I was glad I did because apparently, these ribs have such a great reputation that Jimmy Buffet even made his way out to Montana to give them a try himself. There was fruit, salad, lemonade, and several other classic BBQ sides. It really was a feast, and everything I tasted was amazing!

After everyone ate, Lauren and Carson snuck over to cut the cake. They didn't want to make it a big deal, so I am glad I had my eyes on them and I was able to snag a few photos. Once her mom saw what they were doing, I think they got a bit of a scolding, but hey! That's how they wanted to do it and I thought it was a cute touch. The sun began setting quickly, people got up and gave some great speeches, and then it was time for the dancing! I look forward to every first dance. I almost always tear up for first dances, and Lauren and Carson's dance was especially sweet because they danced to an Ian Munsick song. If you didn't know, Ian Munsick is a fellow Wyoming native so of course I always look forward to supporting other Wyoming artists! Their dance was very sweet and it transitioned over to Carson and his mom's dance. One they finished dancing, it was time for me to head out.

Montana Wedding Photography

I plan to do many more weddings in Montana in the future. I graduated college with my AAS in photographic communications in the northwestern region of Wyoming, so I also spent a lot of time in Montana. The people, the views, and the way of life stole my heart, and I get so giddy at any opportunity to photograph there. Besides this wedding in Roberts, I have worked a lot around Bozeman and spent a lot of time in the Billings area. Of course, a Glacier National Park elopement is on my bucket list as well! Reach out to me with any Montana wedding inquiries and you will make my day!