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Elopement

Grand Teton National Park Elopement

Bride running barefoot at sunset in the Grand Tetons National Park
I'm Jackie

Traveling wedding photographer + photography/small biz educator.

Mesmerized by the way two people love each other, each so uniquely.  I always leave room for dessert. Believe swear words are just sentence embellishers. Think indulgences are necessary in this life. 

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Okay who wants a Grand Teton National Park elopement? Because I know I spend alot of time in Glacier but the truth is…. Tetons are my favorite park! There is something about those mountain peaks, the town of Jackson Hole, the color of, what seems like billions, of wildflowers in the summer and the crisp,warm colors in the fall. Man, this place is just unreal. Add in a couple so wildly in love with each other and it’s an absolute freaking dream. Which brings us to Ally + Erik and their day eloping in the Tetons. 

A+E laugh when they look back on the way they met. Their paths had been connected even before ever meeting in person. Erik was best friends with Jared, who was dating Becca, whose sister is Ally. Did you follow me with that one?! They had heard countless stories about the other. There were many instances where they could have been in the same place at the same time, but it never happened. That was until a winter day in January of 2018. Their paths finally crossed and they knew it was it. They said there was never any question of whether this was forever. Gives me freakin’ goosebumps. The magic they felt between each other radiated in every part of their Grand Teton National Park elopement. 

I’ve photographed in Jackson Hole a few times, from weddings to engagements. Like I said, I am obsessed with the place. So I was so stoked to be back in Wyoming for their elopement! The drive to the mountainside townhouse was incredible. As I pulled in, I noticed something in the middle of the driveway. I had to chuckle a little when I realized it was a pair of underwear. Yes, underwear!!! Hahaha! The funniest part is that it didn’t belong to anyone and they had no clue where it came from. BUT ANYWAY! I walked into the house (which was renovated by the guys from https://www.myhousepainter.com/painters/georgia/ site) and there wasn’t a soul in sight. Finally, after a brief scavenger hunt, I found Ally + the girls getting ready upstairs. 

A+E invited their siblings + their siblings partners, one friend who officiated the ceremony and his partner. There might have been a couple friends who crashed from the parking lot that weren’t supposed to be there. But it was all a good laugh and we joked about the elopement crashers all day. 

Ally brought along her grandma’s wedding dress from 1934, but opted to not to wear it for the elopement. It was so delicate + fragile that we were worried about how it’d hold up as we roamed around the park. So instead she wore a gown from Lulu’s, which was stunning. During the ceremony, Ally’s sister performed a celtic handfasting ceremony by reciting a poem + wrapping their hands in cloth. It was SO beautiful. If you’ve never heard of this, you can read more about it here! Becca, Ally’s sister, read from a poem and I had to share it with you! 

“These are the hands of your best friend, young and strong and full of love for you, that are holding yours on your wedding day, as you promise to love each other today, tomorrow, and forever….And lastly, these are the hands that even when wrinkled and aged, will still be reaching for yours, still giving you the same unspoken tenderness with just a touch.”

Make sure to find + read the whole poem in the images below!! 

The elopement ceremony along a river was short + sweet. So we spent the rest of the evening roaming through the park, running through fields and down roads, soaking in the beauty of the Tetons. At sunset, we stopped in a golden field with panoramic mountain views where they had their first dance. Remember what I said about radiating magic throughout the whole day??? This moment…the purest, most breathtaking moment of magic!!! They ended their day with shots of Wyoming whiskey, toasting to the beginning of a beautiful forever. So you ready to start planning your Grand Teton National Park elopement? Let’s start planning, babe! 

I’m obsessed with Jackson Hole, the state of Wyoming, the Tetons – all of it!!