Schwabacher Landing Elopement In GTNP
“He keeps me safe. I keep him wild.”
Kim & Brandon, a precious couple from Kentucky, met in 2020 while riding ATVs in the mountains of Southeast Kentucky with friends. They hit it off, and the next week they went hiking together as their official first date.
After being in this industry for several years, it's apparent that opposites definitely do attract. It's beautiful to see how much couples complement and balance each other. This phenomenon is no exception for Kim and Brandon. In fact, Kim described their relationship to us with one perfect sentence:
"He keeps me safe, and I keep him wild."
Kim has always been an avid adventurer and hiker. When she initially reached out to us about photographing their elopement, she shared some of her favorite adventures:
"Getting off the grid in Patagonia, hiking the Himalayas to Everest Base Camp, waterfall chasing in Costa Rica, scuba diving in Belize, and snow skiing in Colorado are a few of my favorites."
So a ‘Grand’ wedding in the Tetons, one of the most magnificent places in North America, was so fitting. It is both wild and beautiful, but it also holds an unchanging stability and strength.
Discover all the details of our Jackson Hole wedding options, recommended vendors, and more by browsing our comprehensive wedding information guide:
Kim & Brandon knew they wanted a small intimate wedding since neither of them like to be the center of attention. And it just so happened that they had already booked a vacation to the Tetons prior to their engagement; it just made sense to use that trip for their nuptials! So they planned a destination, elopement-style wedding, inviting only a few of their closest people. Kim told us that "the epic views of the jagged mountains reminisce of Patagonia now seem like the perfect spot to start our forever adventure."
And it truly was perfect.
We asked Kim to share her perspective from their wedding adventure. Continue scrolling to read her beautiful words.
"As the sunlight streamed behind the jagged peaks, I strolled into a field of gold with tears glistening in my eyes. The wind caught my veil and the antique lace on my dress echoed the whispers of the grasses and our dreams as I meandered to my fiancée for our first look.
The autumn haze added to the romance and blanketed us in the softest light.
“This is my forever,”
I thought to myself,
“my adventure and home all in one.”
From our first look near Mormon Row, we transitioned to an intimate ceremony at Schwabacher’s Landing with our closest family and friends.
The individual moments are what I most treasure: my dad carrying my train as we wandered down a dirt trail to our ceremony spot, our dear friend serving as our officiant injecting humor from our storied pasts, twirling dresses with my niece and flower girl, walking hand in hand along the waterfront with my new husband, and toasting an aged bourbon to a lifetime of health and happiness. The aspens were the richest shades of gold and added the perfect grandeur to the beauty that enveloped us in the last rays of golden hour. We celebrated with our family and friends into the night at the Gun Barrel Steak and Game House in Jackson, and the following day we set out on an epic adventure.
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."
Vendors & Resources:
Photography | Contact us here | @eastlynandjoshua
Bride’s Dress Shop | Something New Borrowed Blue | @snbbbridal
Bride’s Dress Designer | Sophia Tolli | @sophiatolli
Reception Dinner | The Gun Barrel
Groom’s Attire | Tom James Clothing | @tomjamesclothing
Ceremony Location | Schwabacher Landing, GTNP
Information on eloping in Wyoming & Teton County