Jamie and Evan’s Grand Teton National Park elopement was one for the books. No – really, it stood out to us, big time. Unlike most adventure elopements we shoot, we went the full 9 yards on this one – and by 9 yards I mean 50 miles. Rather than an 8 hour day, their Grand Teton National Park photo gallery tells the story of a 5 days backpacking trip.
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Grand Teton National Park Elopement
We spent 5 days exploring one of Wyoming’s most gorgeous places – Grand Teton. We bushwhacked miles through thick forest, climbed to some amazing views, passed by countless alpine lakes (and even a glacier!), crossed through two mountain passes, used our ice axes to descend Paintbrush Divide (seriously thrilling + AMAZING), and slid on our butts down snowy slopes.
Jamie and Evan had picked out a route prior to contacting us. When they brought the idea of eloping on a 50 miles loop to us, we were so on board. We LOVE being adventure elopement photographers, but we were explorers first, and we LOVE exploring with our couples. Jamie and Evan were pretty set on keeping the whole elopement simple – no big plans, just a go with the flow experience. Their elopement was so relaxed, full of laughs and just being in the moment. There was NO feeling of being rushed. We spend the days hiking through the mountains, and the evenings drinking hot chocolate under the stars.
Eloping in Grand Teton National Park
On the second night, we had a pretty good feeling that the next day would be the day they said their vows. The groom and I had went over a few photos and satellite views of our camp on the third night, and it looked pretty perfect. Our third campsite was in the heart of Grand Teton National Park, and had amazing views of Grand Teton.
We went to bed early so we could get an early start to an 11 mile hike that would lead us to their ceremony location. We woke up early, and started hiking. After we reached the top of the mountain pass, massive views came out of nowhere. We knew we made the right choice for their ceremony spot.
Once we reached camp, Dan and I set up all the tents and made some coffee while we sent Jamie and Evan to write their vows. Yep, they wrote their vows about an hour before the ceremony. I 100% cosign that. They were in the middle of nowhere, away from all distraction, and had just spend an epic 3 days backpacking together. They picked spots on a river, and at the edge of a cliff to separately write their vows.
After Dan and I set up camp, we set out to scout the perfect spot for their first look. We picked a spot overlooking Grand Teton and a giant cascading waterfall.
After their first look, we boogied down the surrounding trails and stopped at a glacial lake for some photos. We spent some time just exploring, and taking photos, and playing campfire games (though we didn’t actually have a campfire.) When Jamie and Evan were ready, we headed to a spot we passed by that they wanted to say their vows at.
Ceremony Location at Grand Teton National Park
Watching Jamie walking down the path to Evan, in the middle of the wide expanse of Grand Teton National Park was such a friggin emotional thing. I’m generally not one for tears, but they were rolling down my face like the waterfall we had just shot their first look at. Everything about their ceremony was so powerful, intimate, and real. It blew my mind that we were able to be a part of such a private and emotionally charged moment in someone else’s life.
After the ceremony, we drank sparkling wine (yep, carried it the whole way in my backpack!). We continued to take pictures for a while after the ceremony. Then, in true Jamie and Evan fashion, we headed back to the tents to again just enjoy the moment and soak it all in.
Finishing the backpacking loop was an adrenaline kicking experience. Paintbrush Divide, when covered in snow, is quite the endeavor. I don’t recommend this to people who don’t have experience with an ice axe, or feel uncomfortable with being extremely exposed at height. If you feel comfortable with your skills, I HIGHLY recommend the snowy route! It was a great way to wrap up such a wonderful freakin elopement in Grand Teton National Park.
Grand Teton National Park Elopement Packages
If you’re looking to elope in Grand Teton National Park, we’d love to chat! We’re a husband and wife adventure elopement photographer team – we’re down for it all. You can learn more about us here! It’s one of our favorite spots, and we’re familiar with the area. We’d love to show you around and help you with every aspect of planning your day. You can check out our elopement packages here! You can get in touch with us by contacting us here, and we’ll get back to you ASAP to start creating your own epic elopement.
