As the last stop on our epic Mountain West Road Trip, after photo shoots in the Great Sand Dunes National Park and Summit County, Jesse and I headed northward for Heather and John’s Grand Teton elopement. We already knew their wedding was going to be a good time. After all, not every couple will travel from Colorado to Palm Springs with only two weeks’ notice for an epic airplane engagement session!
Heather and John, like many pandemic couples, had different plans for their wedding. Originally, their nuptials were to take place on the beach in Hawai’i. But with tourism grinding to a halt in the Aloha State and no one allowed in without an onerous quarantine process, Heather and John had to say, “Aloha,” to their plans. The aloha that means goodbye, that is.
So they traded the beaches for mountains and poke for picnics. The couple relocated their ceremony to the banks of the Snake River with the most dramatic Teton Range backdrop. They exchanged vows at Schwabacher’s Landing while surrounded by their closest friends and family. The ceremony was short, very sweet, and reminded everyone that even in the midst of worldwide turmoil, there’s still deep and beautiful love in the world.
But a ceremony in a jaw-droppingly gorgeous location wasn’t the only amazing thing Heather and John had planned for their guests. A quick trek to the Chapel of the Sacred Heart and a short hike down an embankment led everyone to the best possible spot for a picnic at Grand Teton National Park. The newlyweds’ guests lounged on Pendleton blankets, feasted from personal picnic baskets (with hand sanitizer included), and enjoyed the most ingenious socially distanced wedding celebration we’ve seen!
Following the picnic, we spirited Heather and John off for some epic sunset portraits (hey, these fires have to be good for something, right?) before we said goodbye and started in on our long drive home.
Heather and John, your Grand Teton elopement was absolutely splendid! Even with all the universal forces pushing against you, the celebration you put together couldn’t have been more perfect. We hope the rest of your trip was a blast and we’ll have to grab drinks in the (hopefully near) future!
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