Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming

the hearnes » adventure elopement photographers

jen + amanda's intimate elopement in grand teton national park | jackson hole, wyoming wedding photographer | LGBTQ wedding photography

Jennifer and Amanda eloped among the sage brush and towering peaks of the Tetons. Their kiddos made up the bridal party and their ceremony was one of the sweetest I’ve witnessed. Afterwards we set up camp chairs and enjoyed cake and champagne in a shady field of flowers...it was almost like the Tetons had received the memo that everyone was wearing a dash of yellow and sprouted their best flowers to match.

Oh my goodness, I don’t even know where to stay with these two. Honestly, wedding days like theirs are why we love this job so much. Jen and Amanda met while they were both working for Ikea in Salt Lake City. According to Jen, they connected over their huge passion for Home Furnishing! Since then, they’ve redone just about every bit of their house together. Even in our initial emails back and forth, Jen spoke so highly of Amanda, saying she was her rock, bringing so much stability and constant caring to Jen’s and even her kiddo’s lives. When they’re not working together (which they love, so rare but we totally relate!), they love to do all kinds of outdoor activities around Salt Lake City like hiking, biking, kayaking, camping, and skiing. 

Jen and Amanda really wanted their elopement day to be focused on their love for each other and their shared passion for the outdoors. They eloped in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. They went with the Jackson Hole area for the gorgeous mountain views, long hikes, and because it wasn’t too far from their home in Salt Lake City! They chose to spend a long weekend with their family out there hiking and enjoying the area. In fact, I got the sweetest email from Jen the day before their elopement and I just had to quote it here! She sent: 

“We got here on Friday of last week and have had such a great time exploring the National Park, it seems unreal. I was thinking a lot this morning about having a wedding here in the mountains and what it means to us, and how nothing could be more perfect or authentic for Amanda and I.

We have spent the last couple of months trying super hard to be “ready” to get married, making sure we have haircuts and white teeth and clear skin etc. and it feels like 5 days in the Tetons has taken all that away and reminded us of who we really are 😊. We will show up tomorrow as our real selves - with sunburns and blisters and chapped lips and full hearts - clearly the mountains gave us WAY more than they took. We have seen moose, elk, deer, antelope, snakes, frogs, marmots, pika, river otters, osprey and hawks. We took our kids on a 17 mile hiking adventure through Cascade Canyon that I am sure they will never forget; we rode our bikes all over the Moose, Taggart and Jenny Lake areas; and we have watched sunsets and moon rises in these amazing mountains to remind us every evening of just how lucky we are!”

Ugh. You guys. I just really love these two and absolutely love the attitude they had coming into their elopement. We met up the day of their wedding and wandered out into a field for their elopement ceremony. They invited two friends to join, one of which officiated the ceremony beautifully. Their wedding was full of so many meaningful details, but one of the sweetest things was how they included the kiddos in their ceremony. I found myself fighting back tears through the whole thing. Afterwards everyone was all smiles, and we made our way to a nice shady spot covered in yellow wildflowers for a little mini reception under the trees. They brought little personal champagne bottles (sparkling water for the kiddos!), fruit, cheese, crackers, and a delicious cheesecake. It was the perfect way for everyone to relax and unwind post-ceremony.

After we’d had our fill with snacks and bubbly drinks, we headed up to an overlook for sunset portraits. Jen and Amanda both expressed that they weren’t sure they’d enjoy two whole hours of wedding portraits, but I’m happy to report they had so much fun and didn’t feel like they were getting their photos taken the whole time ;) We all ended the day watching the sunset behind the Tetons and the giant Strawberry Moon rise on the horizon. 

One last thing I want to note - the details and creative vendors involved in Jen and Amanda’s wedding day were amazing. For instance, Jen wanted to make sure they didn’t introduce non-native flora into the park, so she did some research and found an artist in Russia that makes clay flower bouquets and wedding accessories. Amanda’s suit was custom made by The Tailor Cooperative, their mountain rings were by Ash Hilton Jewellery, and Jen’s incredible skirt was by Sweet Caroline.

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The Hearnes Adventure Photography is run by Abbi and Callen Hearne, a husband & wife wedding photography team with an emphasis on adventure. They live on the road as full-time nomads in their big white van, allowing them to serve a large portion of the western US including California, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, and Wyoming. They believe love is the greatest adventure and strive to create photos that are epic, romantic, true, and timeless.

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