Josie Harriet Arnold and Matthew Aza Augustus Sigel, who met while working as seasonal wranglers and horse packers in Wyoming’s Teton Wilderness in the summer of 2023, were married on Oct. 17 in Warren, Rhode Island. Their wedding took place at the former St. Mark’s Church, now a community gathering place, and was officiated by the Rev. Virginia Army, an Episcopal priest at St. Andrew’s by-the-Sea in nearby Little Compton.
Arnold, 26, and Sigel, 24, first crossed paths during the season working for Pendergraft Outfitters, a Wyoming-based outfitting company owned by Peter Linn, a longtime family friend of Sigel’s. Both were involved in multiple extended trips that summer, with Arnold focusing on wrangling horses and Sigel working as a licensed hunting guide by fall. Their initial connection began early in the season during a shared grocery trip, which Arnold described as the start of their strongest friendships.
Sigel grew up on a cattle ranch in Centennial, Wyoming, and has been involved in outdoor sports such as freestyle snowboarding during his youth. Arnold, raised in Los Angeles and educated in Scotland, has a background in international relations and law, currently working with a nonprofit focusing on regenerative agriculture and social justice. Their complementary skills and passions for the outdoors drew them together during their summer assignment.
The couple’s summer was marked by the harsh realities of wilderness life, including the loss of a favored horse named Whiskey, who suffered from severe colic and was euthanized to prevent attracting wildlife. Despite such challenges, Arnold and Sigel shared many moments of leisure, including swimming and playing cribbage during inclement weather. Their relationship deepened over the season, culminating in their first kiss in a mountain meadow and an engagement in January 2025 in their Edinburgh kitchen, where Arnold was completing her studies.
Following their time in Wyoming, the pair spent time in Scotland where Sigel earned a private pilot’s license, later translating it to U.S. certification in Montana. They adopted two dogs, Wadi and Beans, while settling in Bozeman, Montana, where they purchased a home.
The wedding featured elements reflecting the couple’s backgrounds and connections. Sigel’s family contributed sagebrush from Colorado for boutonnieres, while Arnold’s parents, both architects, converted the wedding venue into a gathering space. Music included an original composition and performances by a violinist and cellist. The dinner menu highlighted regional seafood, complemented by a pistachio cake prepared by a family friend. The couple’s first dance was a swing routine to Led Zeppelin’s “Going to California,” reflecting their shared experiences and affection forged in the mountains of Wyoming.