Julie + Matt’s Jackson Hole wedding at Turpin Meadow Ranch is an incredible example of weaving an adventurous spirit into more traditional wedding plans. A church ceremony with a trip into Grand Teton National park was the perfect pairing for this sentimental, sweet wedding day in Wyoming.
This couple’s story started with a meet cute straight out of your favorite rom-com. Julie was a working television news reporter in Orlando, FL when she literally fell backwards out of a news truck and who was there to catch her?! A handsome fella (and fellow photographer) named Matt. As they say, the rest was history.
Fast forward a few years and their movie script meeting escalated to planning a Jackson Hole wedding, just outside of the epic scenery of the Grand Tetons. Then they found little ol’ me. I’m always urging couples to find a wedding photographer they connect with on a personal level (100% the best way to get photos that really feel true to you). Julie reached out to me after reading my About page on my website, where I’ve shared my own experience with the meaning of photos after losing my dad. We were just two girls who lost their dads to heart attacks way too young and with far too few photos to remember them by.
Because of this, I knew exactly how much these photos would mean to them. Oftentimes, we get caught up in feeling uncomfortable in photos or not taking the time to capture the moment or thinking, “oh we’ll take some later” and then never do. Our loved ones age and pass on. Life goes quickly and memories fade. Without the photos, our minds lose the details. But with the photos, you can almost hear the way they laugh, almost feel their hugs, taste the food you shared. That’s why I do what I do. And it’s what I wanted to give Julie + Matt on their wedding day.
And what a wedding day it was! They stayed at the Turpin Meadow Ranch, a stunning resort outside of Jackson Hole. Julie + Matt had visited the area many times and intentionally chose it because they shared so many fun memories there. Now they can add to them – starting with their laid-back first look on the porch, where they just hung out and chatted for the most natural start to their day. Along with their close family and friends, they rode into town on buses they booked prior (a genius move, so easy + efficient!) and started with their ceremony at Our Lady of the Mountain Catholic Church.
Julie’s uncle walked her down the aisle to Matt, who waited under wooden beams and stained glass windows while their closest friends + family watched. After the ceremony, their guests headed back to the resort for cocktail hour and snacks, while we headed into Grand Teton National Park. Accompanied by Julie’s aunt + uncle, we explored my personal favorite spots in the Tetons. I mean… the whole park is as epic and dreamy as you could imagine. Along the way, we made sure to snap photos of her aunt + uncle even when they played shy, because these are the moments that matter.
The sun was setting over the meadow, with the big Teton views in the background, and we ran along forgotten timber and over bridges and down roads. The perfect adventure wedding feeling to mix in after their church ceremony – the best of both worlds. Julie + Matt ended their Jackson Hole wedding back at the ranch with an intimate dinner + quality time with the people they love most. Absolute perfection!
Somewhere along the way, Julie shared with me that she doesn’t have many photos of her dad. In fact, really only one good one. It’s printed and kept in her home in Florida. And it’s the first thing she grabs when there’s a threat of a hurricane. That’s the power of a photo. It’s the reason I do what I do.
Wedding photography is a big investment, especially when you start to add up everything it takes to put a wedding together. I get it. But when it comes to choosing a wedding or elopement photographer for your day – no matter your plans, no matter your budget, no matter your location – I really urge you to find one who values the same things you do. It makes all the difference.
So if you read my about page and thought, “hmm this gal gets me!” then let’s chat, bb!!!! ‘Cause that probably means you’re my type of people and I want to meet you too. Just fill out this contact form and it’ll pop you right into my inbox! The rest might just be history!
