This romantic mid summer evening wedding began at home with the bride prepping for the day. I was greeted warmly by Elise and her bridesmaids. Each finishing their hair and makeup or steaming dresses. If you read about Elise and Jon’s hiking celebration (take a look here) then you know at this point, we were already friendly acquaintances and had been talking about this day for almost 2 years now! Their hiking celebration shared above, was to commemorate their originally planned wedding date in 2020. Sadly, the Covid-19 pandemic pushed their wedding day back. Effectively postponing it until 2021 for the safety of their guests in the midst of what was unknown about the illness at that time. Jon had contacted me when they made the difficult decision to postpone their wedding celebration; they both had heavy hearts over rescheduling this commitment to each other. I suggested finding a way to celebrate this date regardless and we chose to go on a hiking adventure in the mountains at sunset. On our adventure, Jon and Elise popped champagne and read personal handwritten letters to each other. We also enjoyed cold beers that we drank along the trail and a beautiful sunset with hazy pink hues caused by the wildfires out West. Although it was not the day they had anticipated or planned out, it still felt special to intentionally recognize their love for one another on their original wedding date.
Jon and Elise met while working at the Jackson Lake Lodge in the Grand Teton National Park located in Western Wyoming. The Jackson Lake Lodge sits 35.9 miles North of Jackson Hole on HWY 191 and less than 5 minutes away from Jackson Lake. As you walk into the lobby you are mystified by the huge 60 foot floor to ceiling windows that showcase panoramic views of the gorgeous Teton Range. This is an especially pretty view to catch at sunrise. As the sun crests the horizon, the peaks glow vividly pink and wisps of clouds rise across the front of the Grand Tetons due to fog dissipating from the misty sage filled valley floor. If you wake up early enough, you can snag one of the couches in the heart of the lobby beside a warm and cozy fireplace to watch this magical experience occur. Jon and Elise both worked at the front desk, welcoming and settling in weary travelers from their long journeys into the Teton Wilderness. These guests arrive from all over the world, traveling near and far to enjoy and explore the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Jon just so happened to be Elise’s supervisor while they worked together at the Jackson Lake Lodge. We all had a good laugh and joked together about Jon dipping his pen in company ink when they shared this bit of their story with me. Thankfully, the risk they took in getting to know one another while working side by side paid off. Elise and Jon had a lot in common, they spent many hours talking to one another at the desk and learning about each others past, present, and future dreams. Both decided this was a friendship worth investing in for the long run and the two began dating. They left the lodge on their days off and took many adventures in the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park together. As this season of their life in Jackson eventually came to a close, Jon and Elise decided to move to another mountain town; Silverthorne, Colorado in Summit County.This would begin many new adventures that would take place within the Gore and Ten Mile Ranges. Elise says, “In our relationship, we are partners. We’ve been together for quite a while and know that with each other, we can handle anything. Neither of us are from the mountains, and we built a whole life together in these beautiful alpine wonderlands that we love.”
As their love grew, they started looking towards the future. Both knew that it had to include the other and their journey shifted into more serious waters. Jon proposed to Elise where they first met, back in Grand Teton National Park. The two were camping with friends at Colter Bay where he chose to propose. Here’s how the story goes according to Elise, “We were grilling dinner outside with friends and enjoying the evening. Jon suggested we go for a little walk by the lake. As we were walking down, I had a feeling something was up. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed a couple of our friends hiding, not so inconspicuously, amongst the trees. They also had cameras in hand. Seemed a bit suspicious! I continued on with Jon and pretended not to notice. Along the path by the lake shore Jon popped the question. He asked me to marry him and of course I said yes! It was the perfect way to propose in the place where we first fell in love. Afterwards, we popped champagne and celebrated with our friends!”
Elise was full of nerves the morning of their wedding. There had been so much anticipation with their prolonged engagement and with the day finally here it did not feel real! Or maybe, a little too real. Thankfully she had the most amazing bridesmaids who loved on her and helped calm down the mounting anxiety as the day progressed. I reassured Elise that as soon as she saw Jon, the nerves would all fade away. And they did. For their first look, we drove to Summit Cove, a small community off of HWY 6 on the road to Keystone, Colorado. We parked at the Snake River Inlet, a popular spot to stop and enjoy the lake. The Snake River Inlet offers prime fishing and ample afternoon picnic space. The views here are incredible, Red Peak and Buffalo Mountain of the Southern Gore Range are often reflected along the waters edge. These mountains stood tall and solemn, fittingly reverent for a wedding day. We were blessed with cloudy weather for optimal afternoon lighting and had our fingers crossed that it would not rain. I had Elise wait in the car and found Jon sitting patiently in his vehicle, ready to see his beautiful bride. We walked together down the well worn path toward Dillon Lake Reservoir and I got Jon situated for their first look. Elise joined us shortly after, stepping into the romantic little nook of the trail. I stepped back to capture the moment when Jon turned and gazed upon his beautiful bride. Elise was all smiles and so relieved to finally be in Jon’s arms on their wedding day. These two were a sight to see; wide grins and sweet embraces against the alpine lake and mountain peaks in the background. We spent time here along the bank of the lake taking in the view and relaxing while family arrived for group photos. As we greeted both families, it began to sprinkle. We all raced back to the cars to stay dry! The storm was short and after waiting it out we gathered Elise, Jon, and all of their closest relatives together for photos on the lake shore. Family then left for the ceremony at the Silverthorne Pavilion. We stayed behind and spent a little extra time enjoying the solitude of the shoreline. The sky continued to clear and it looked like the evening would be perfect for their mid summer evening celebration.
When we arrived to the venue, the Silverthorne Pavilion tables were adorned with florals and their ceremony space was decorated with the prettiest paper lanterns strung high up in the trees. The Silverthorne Pavilion is a large venue offering indoor reception and outdoor patio space; both rustic, elegant, and absolutely inviting for any celebration. Their ceremony site sits along the Blue River that runs through town and is lined with cottonwood, pine, and aspen trees. It offers the calming sounds of the blue river along with stunning views of the Gore Mountain Range. Guests were arriving and it was finally time for their official wedding ceremony to occur! Elise walked down the aisle beside both her mom and dad. Jon greeted them and took Elise’s hands. The couple stood together listening intently as their officiant spoke to all attendees who sat beneath the forested alcove. They shared their vows and commitment to one another with their guests as witness to the promises made. When it came time for the rings, Jon’s ring finger was not having it. Elise had to wiggle and push until it slid forcefully over his knuckle. This had everyone laughing and wiping away happy tears. After their announcement and first kiss as husband and wife, the celebrants vacated the ceremony site for cocktail hour. Everyone enjoyed drinks from the bar along with delicious appetizers that wound their way through the crowd. As the night carried on, all guests were invited into the Silverthorne Pavilion’s indoor dinner and reception space. They were sat beneath the warm glow of string lights where they enjoyed dinner, toasts, and first dances. Before I left the celebration, both families jumped up when the song “Paradise by the Dashboard Light” by the artist Meatloaf, came on. Soon there were two large groups standing opposite across the dance floor. Each one took turns advancing towards the other. They pointed fingers at each other, sang to their rival partners, and then turned their back on the advancing group as if ignoring the other half of the dance floor. It was quite the performance that had all of the family involved, singing loudly and dancing together! If you’re curious, fast forward to 4:27 on that song and listen to it while checking out the shenanigans shared at the end of this gallery!
Post Wedding Reflection
What do you remember most from your wedding/elopement day?
Being together and celebrating in the mountains with everyone, from all corners of our life, was so special.
What was your absolute favorite moment or detail about your wedding/elopement day?
Gosh, it was all amazing! Jon and I were the last to leave our after party, and we walked back to our ceremony site at like 2am where our lanterns and lights were still up, and just stood together and savored what a beautiful night it was.
What was your favorite photo from the day - and what made it so special to you?
I have to pick just one?! There's lots, but one of my very favorites is Jon & I in our Subaru when we got caught in the rain. We were just so happy. Second favorite has to be us in front of the river with the lanterns on display. I love the black and white version Micah made of that one especially.
What advice do you have for couples who are in the midst of planning their own big day?
I am someone who found planning to be quite stressful. My advice for couples in the midst of planning is that when the big day comes, make sure you set aside a small moment of time for just the two of you to step away at some point during the night. This was actually a suggestion from Micah, our photographer, for us. And it was a perfect time to slow down and soak up the entire emotion filled evening. Plus, it resulted in one of our very favorite pictures on the blue river while everyone else was inside dancing!
What made you decide how your ceremony would look? (ie: Why did you choose to elope, have an intimate ceremony, or a wedding?)
It was always a wedding for us. We have big and important families that live out of state. We don't get to see them as often as we'd like because we live so far away from them both in the mountains. Even some of our closest family members hadn't gotten to come visit and see this beautiful area where we live! A wedding with everyone hailing from all corners of the country to our special home in the mountains was the only way we ever even considered celebrating. Plus, we love to dance and a rowdy dance floor was a necessity.
If you could go back and change anything about your day, what would that be?
In retrospect, I wish I could've told myself to stress less! But, that's just me. And it was still the best day of my life.
You're married! What advice do you have for couples after they say their own vows?
Take a year to look inward! The year after our wedding has looked like a lot of travel with just the two of us. Lots of cozy weekends at home and trying hard not over extend ourselves. Just relishing the time and season we are in!
Vendors
Venue: Silverthorne Pavilion // https://www.silverthornepavilion.com/about/about-silverthorne-pavilion
Dress: BHLDN // https://www.bhldn.com/
Suit: Men’s Wearhouse // https://www.menswearhouse.com/
HMUA: Southern Exposure // https://www.southernexposuresalon.com/
Caterer: Gilchrist Catering // https://www.gilchristcatering.net/
Florals: Mountain Roots // https://mountain-roots.com/
His Ring: Summit Gold Jewelry // https://summitgoldjewelry.com/gallery/
DJ: DJ Crisp // https://www.breckenridgecrispdj.com/
Ceremony Music: James Freeborn https://www.songfinch.com/artists/64293