Laura and Greg’s elopement in breathtaking Grand Teton National Park reflected not just their love for each other, but also their shared passion for the outdoors, snowy mountain peaks and sparkling rivers. They brought Dustin Prickett of Sunglow Photography along for the days leading up to their ceremony, to document each memorable moment, the striking landscape, and even a moose! We’re so lucky to get a glimpse of their intimate, romantic adventure, and if you are inspired to plan your own trip to the Grand Tetons, check back later today for another post on some of the local highlights of this favorite honeymoon destination!

The Couple: Laura and Greg

The Wedding: 5.22.12 – Grand Teton National Park – Moose, Wyoming

What three adjectives best describe your wedding? Intimate, adventurous, minimalist

How did you select your wedding location? What drew you to the Tetons? We first traveled to the Tetons in the summer of 2008, after we had been dating for a little over a year, during an extended seven-week backpacking trip to various national parks. As soon as we decided to elope, we knew that it would be reminiscent and meaningful to go back to one of places that we visited during this trip, and we settled on Grand Teton National Park. In the Tetons, we remembered hiking through some of the most picturesque mountain landscapes and were amazed by the beauty of the snow-capped mountains, expansive rivers and lakes, and of course perfect back country camp sites. We also knew that the near-by town of Jackson would provide ample choices of hotels, restaurants, and other entertainment.

What inspired your personal wedding style, and how did you incorporate your style and personalities into your big day? In the end, we both wanted a big day that was meaningful and romantic, yet simple and low-stress. For us, an elopement ceremony achieved exactly this. The specific spot we chose at Schwabachers Landing also provided an ideal natural venue – one that fit our personalities and rendered a fitting backdrop. And though we had envisioned how the ceremony might go, many of the smaller details fell into place the day before, or even the moments before, the ceremony. For example, when we decided that our ideal spot for the ceremony was on a small peninsula reachable only across a small stream, Greg and the photographer built an aisle bridge out of logs found along the trail, which we all had to cross to get to this perfect spot. Seeing details come together in this way not only made it very special for us in the moment, but made for great pictures too! It was this simplicity and flexibility that made the day feel so uniquely us.

Looking back, what are the moments, decisions or memories that you love the most about your wedding? Because our wedding was an elopement and did not have an audience, we were so happy we decided to bring our photographer along to document the first two days of our trip rather than having just a few hours of photography on our wedding day. Our photos really tell our wedding story, from arriving at the airport, to signing the marriage license, to the ceremony and the post-wedding hike. This was very important to us because we wanted to have a way to share our special day with our loved ones. We both agree that a favorite memory from the ceremony was when we read our vows that we had written to each other. The lack of distractions leading up to and during the ceremony enabled us to really focus on each other, and our big moment!

What piece of advice would you give to a bride planning her wedding today? I would tell any bride not to get overwhelmed by other peoples expectations for your wedding. Focus on the things that are most important to you and your new life with your love, and dont sweat the small stuff!

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Sunglow Photography
Ceremony Venue: Schwabachers Landing, Grand Teton National Park
Reception Venue: Lunch at the Mural Dining Room, Jackson Lake Lodge
Officiant: Patricia Hatfield
Florist: Briar Rose
Wedding dress: In Wedding Dress
Groom and groomsmen apparel and accessories: Groom’s grandfathers tux from 1940s, and great grandfathers cuff links
Rings: Bride –  bmjnyc on etsy.com; groom – Ravens’ Refuge on etsy.com

Thank you for sharing your breathtaking elopement with us Laura and Greg!

Readers, do you know that our Inspiration Gallery is searchable by colors, decor, and even location type? For more weddings with beautiful vistas, be sure to visit our section on beautiful landscapes! And stop back here later today for more on our favorite Grand Teton and Jackson Hole highlights!