Elopement at the Grand Tetons

J + g's dreamy and adventurous elopement right in front of beautiful grand tetons

Earlier this summer I had the pleasure of traveling out west to document some of the most beautiful love stories. Gayl and Joe were the main characters of one of the many I photographed. Their day was slow and unhurried. We planned to arrive at the elopement location just before sunset to take advantage of the golden hour light which left us the whole day to relax, enjoy, and get to know each other.  I took care of all the detail shots before we left the Airbnb so that when we made it to our chosen location all of my focus could be directed towards Joe and Gayl. Our wonderful makeup artist finished up a little early which allowed us to stop for dinner on our way to the location. Due to the remote nature of our chosen location, our only dinner option was Applebees. A funny and joyful detail I often look back on and laugh to myself about. Who eats Applebee’s moments before a stunning, awe-inspiring elopement like this one??? 

The drive to our destination was almost as beautiful as the views we saw when we got there. We drove for miles and miles between farms and fields with massive mountains in the background. The view of the Tetons got closer and closer. That part of the country is so beautiful. It makes so much sense why the locals are so proud of where they come from. Almost every home we passed had a backyard view of the spectacular mountain range. We ascended a winding mountain road and pulled off at a quiet little lookout. There was no one else around. Just us. The view of the mountains was breathtaking of course, but when you turned around the view of the valley struck us with awe all over again.

This is why I love elopements. It is a beautiful thing to celebrate your love with a huge party and everyone you love, but there is just something so special about dedicating your life to the one you love surrounded by beauty such as this with no one to experience the moment except you and your love (and me of course.) I let the couple take their time taking in the moment before I began directing them for photos. I never want to make a couple feel like they missed something because I was only focusing on the task I had at hand. We took advantage of the gorgeous golden hour light. And just when we thought it could not get any better, the sun sank behind the mountains, and blue hour hit. I think that’s when the weight of the moment really hit me. I love shooting at blue hour. While golden hour brings an undeniable glow, blue hour offers an understated, soft beauty that is so often ignored. 

The sun finally went down and we descended back down the mountain. The couple went one way, and I went another. I feel so lucky to be even a small part of so many people’s stories. I doubt my couples will ever know the impact that each of them has had on me.

Who wants to go next????