Delta Lake Elopement in Grand Teton National Park

Kim requested the best of both worlds—a small ceremony in the valley with her and Brandon’s closest family and fiends, and an epic adventure to commemorate their personal vows. To make this happen, we decided to split their wedding experience into two days.

So, Kim and Brandon held their intimate wedding at Schwabacher Landing on a Monday; and on Tuesday morning, we met at the trailhead at Lupine Meadows to start our ascend on the mountain.

After several hours and multiple breaks to catch our breath, we lost it again when we finally reached our destination. Seeing the Grand up close with it’s base rising from the turquoise waters of Delta Lake was absolutely breathtaking. Photos can never do it justice—like its namesake, this place is too grand and majestic and awe-inspiring to ever capture its essence on camera. The only proper response in its presence is speechlessness. And we were. We stood and stared for several minutes before continuing our quest of vows and photos.

Kim describes the experinece, as follows: “We hiked through forests splashed with autumnal color with sweeping views of the lakes below and across challenging boulder fields until we reached a pristine alpine lake with turquoise crystal water at the base of the Grand. Breathless from the hike and the awe-inspiring view, we stood in silence letting the light transform the bowl into nature’s most beautiful dressing room. I slipped into my gown and he his suit, and we met on a well-appointed boulder in the turquoise waters where we made promises to ourselves and each other and decorated those granite walls with our dreams and aspirations.

Though we had never before been to Wyoming, we knew we wanted to embark on an adventure symbolic of the journey of marriage itself, and the Tetons certainly delivered. These were the days we dreamt about when the sunlight painted us gold, and our promises to each other echoed among the jagged peaks and ripples on an alpine lake under the grandest Teton of them all. We sincerely thank our photographers and now friends Eastlyn and Joshua who captured these moments so perfectly for these are the moments that inspire and enrich our story and make the Tetons so grand.”

Of all the hikes we’ve accomplished in The Tetons, this was by far our favorite. We’re grateful to Kim and Brandon for taking us on their journey.