Wyoming, United States
Elopement & Private Ceremony photography in Jackson Hole
A backdrop no venue can buy: the Tetons, rising straight off a flat valley floor.
The Tetons have no foothills. They come off a flat valley floor in one move and rise seven thousand feet, which is why from almost anywhere in the valley you have an uninterrupted view of the entire range — and why an elopement here needs no clever vantage, no hike to a secret spot, and no luck. The mountains are simply west of you.
Sunrise is the serious hour, and in June that means being dressed at half past four in the morning. The range faces east; first light hits the peaks several minutes before it reaches the sagebrush you are standing in, and for a short while the mountains are lit and you are not. Every couple we have brought out here at that hour has said the same thing about it afterwards. The permit for a ceremony inside the national park is applied for well in advance at a specified location with a capped number, and we establish that first because it decides where the rest of the morning happens.
The light
Choosing a month in Jackson Hole.
June
Snow still high on the peaks, green valley, wildflowers beginning, and the longest days of the year. Cold mornings regardless.
July to August
Warm days, afternoon thunderstorms in the range, and clear golden evenings after they clear.
September
Cottonwoods turning yellow along the Snake River, elk audible at dusk, cold clear mornings and the sharpest air of the year.
What has to be planned for
- Ceremonies and organised photography within Grand Teton National Park require a permit, obtained in advance, at specified locations with capped numbers. This is the first thing to establish, not the last.
- Sunrise is the serious hour here. It is also, in June, before half past five in the morning.
- Wildlife is genuinely present and genuinely wild. Park guidance on distance is not advisory.
- Mountain weather turns faster than the valley forecast suggests. We build a second window into every elopement plan.
The commission
- Coverage
- One photographer, three to six hours, the two of you.
- From
- $6,500
Frames
From Jackson Hole.
Questions
How much is a Jackson Hole elopement photographer?
From $6,500 for one photographer and three to six hours, including the location planning and the park permit research and application. A wedding with guests starts at $14,000 for a full day with two photographers.
Can we be married inside the national park?
At permitted locations, with a permit applied for in advance and a cap on guest numbers. The list of locations and the caps change, so it is checked fresh for your date rather than assumed. We handle the research and, if you would like, the application.
Is sunrise really worth it?
Here, more than anywhere else we work. The range faces east, the valley is empty at that hour, and the first light hits the peaks before it reaches the floor. It means being dressed at half past four in June, and nobody has regretted it.
Which month?
June for snow still high on the peaks, a green valley and the longest days. September for cottonwoods turning yellow along the Snake, elk audible at dusk and the sharpest air of the year.
What about the wildlife?
Genuinely present and genuinely wild. Park guidance on distance is not advisory, and it occasionally decides where a session can happen on a given morning. We plan an alternative for exactly that.
How reliable is the weather?
Mountain weather turns faster than the valley forecast suggests, so we build a second window into every elopement plan. It is rarely needed and it is the difference between a contingency and a hope.
Elopement & Private Ceremony in Jackson Hole?
Tell us the date and what you are planning. We reply personally, usually within two business days.