This week, Mitchell and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! This time last year, we were in Jackson Hole Wyoming, preparing for our wedding day in Grand Teton National Park.
Rather than a large audience, it was just us, my mom (as our officiant), her husband, our photographer (Jocilyn), and the Tetons.
It was small, but it felt larger than life. The mountains were the most reverent witnesses as we vowed to love each other until the end of our days.
It was truly the most magical experience.
As we reflect back on our special day, I would like to share with you the few things that we arranged to make our Grand Teton elopement a success. Although this list is specific to our wedding in Grand Teton National Park (GTNP), it can loosely serve as a checklist and brainstorming for any National Park wedding.
Below you’ll find a 7-item to-do list for eloping in Grand Teton National Park, one of our nation’s most beautiful places. I hope you enjoy the photos from the best day of our lives along the way 🙂
Finding an Elopement Photographer
First things first, you should find your photographer and make sure they are available on the date you want before you do anything else.
Don’t let this be a chore. Finding a photographer is one of the most exciting parts of planning an elopement! Looking at all the beautiful photos makes you imagine you and your partner in all of those dreamy, far away places.
And soon that WILL be you! You just have to find someone that fits your style and you will have amazing memories to look back on for the rest of your lives.
There are so many wonderful destination photographers in this area, but I have to use this opportunity to sing the praises of our wedding photographer, Jocilyn Bennett.
Not only is her work phenomenal, but you will not meet a kinder spirit on this earth. She is SO good at what she does because her heart is in it 100%.
Her confidence and sweet personality make her one of the easiest people to work with.
Jocilyn is such a wonderful guide and resource for helping you plan and make sure you have all of the items on this checklist. The things that I’m telling you not to forget are the same things she told me not to forget 🙂
From a technical aspect, and however obvious, it also bears mentioning that whenever you are planning an outdoor event, the weather can sometimes have different plans for the day.
Jocilyn always has a Plan B and knows how to either wait out the weather or make the most of it!
If you’ll agree to be flexible, she will get you amazing photos rain or shine.
I could go on and on, but for me, our photos were THE most important thing for our wedding day.
I agree with Jocilyn’s philosophy that photos are an investment. They are the capsule of timeless memories that you will look back on 50 years from now, long after the cake and flowers are gone.
If you need an elopement photographer, check out Jocilyn’s page. Again, the earlier you can book the better as she is in high demand and books up quickly 🙂
Applying for a Special Use Permit
After you secure your date with your photographer, apply for your permit. This is important because your photographer will discuss locations and timelines with you and will advise you on what time slot to request when you apply.
I am going to give you a lot of information on permits below, but for complete info or to apply for a Grand Teton permit, click here.
If you are like me and didn’t know, there are quite a lot of rules that apply to getting married in a national park. Some of those rules dictate what type of permit you’ll need for your ceremony. I’ll go into more on that in a minute.
For the sake of this post, I am going to speak specifically to Grand Teton National Park (GTNP). However, if you are planning a wedding in any of the parks, keep these things in mind and check to see if they apply to the park where you want to have your big day.
Reserved Site-Specific Ceremony Permits
Many areas have size limits or are off-limits to large gatherings, so be sure to check on those restrictions before you plan your event.
Some areas of GTNP are limited to 25 guests, other areas are limited to 40. Check on this ahead of time if you are planning for a larger crowd.
Permits are issued on a first-come, first-served basis and you must apply at least 30 days out from your event.
I have been told that permits have been expedited in a pinch, but don’t rely on that. Apply once you have your date set with the photographer. Do I sound like a broken record yet? 😛
One last note here, ceremonies are limited to 2 hours from start to finish. Keep this in mind if you are expecting your ceremony to run long.
Small Dispersed Ceremony Permits
GTNP also has the option of getting a small ceremony permit if you have no more than 12 people (including the wedding party) and are wanting to use an area that isn’t designated as a Site-Specific Ceremony location.
Some restrictions still apply, so be sure to do your research on the NPS website.
Note that ceremonies in those locations are limited to 1 hour. Like the regular permits, applications should also be submitted at least 30 days prior to the event.
Permit Costs & Park Entry Fees
As you budget for your wedding, keep in mind that a permit for getting married in GTNP is $200. This was more than I had expected, especially since we were literally just going to stand in a space outside that didn’t require anything from the park other than permission.
However, keep in mind that fees like this go to supporting our National Park Service and to keeping our parks open and available for everyone.
In addition to the permit fee, the National Parks also require a park entry fee that is usually $35/car for a 7-day pass.
If you have a military ID your annual pass is free, but not all entry signs show this option. Various park passes are available, so be sure to check out the details here.
Applying for a Marriage License
Applying for a marriage license is also an easy thing to forget in the midst of planning the more exciting pieces of your big day.
However, it’s one of the most important pieces if you want to be legally married!
So, if you’re planning a destination wedding, be sure to look to see when and where you need to get your marriage license.
If you are traveling over a weekend, will the office where you apply for a license be open? Do you need to change travel days to accomodate this? Do you need to apply 24 or 48 hours prior to your event?
Because these can sometimes have time restrictions, this is another element of your planning that you need to do early so that you have a solid plan and your day doesn’t get derailed over legalities.
As of this blog’s posting, Wyoming does not require a waiting period. Permits are good for a year after they are issued.
If you are planning a wedding in Grand Teton (or Yellowstone), you can apply for your marriage license in Jackson Hole at the Teton County Clerk’s Office.
You’ll need to schedule an appointment by calling 307-733-4430. Their office is open Mon-Friday from 8a-5pm (except holidays).
Deciding on an Officiant
Securing a wedding officiant was honestly something I had completely overlooked until our photographer mentioned it in one of her emails.
On average, wedding officiants typically cost anywhere from $200-$500. This is another one of those hidden costs that you may have never considered if you don’t have experience planning weddings. Not only was I not expecting that price, but I also didn’t know how to go about finding an officiant.
Luckily, our photographer had a list of local officiants to choose from, so always remember to use your photographer / florist / hair and makeup artist as a resource for finding other local services. They are the subject matter experts in this field and won’t steer you wrong.
We ultimately decided to ask my mom to be our officiant. We wanted someone who was close to us since our wedding was going to be so small and intimate.
Let me point out that my mother is not a minister. She did an online officiant certification (I think for around $80) to be able to conduct our ceremony.
Keep this in mind if you are struggling with finding an officiant who you feel fits your special day. Consider a close friend or family member.
Not only did having my mom officiant cut down a large amount of the cost, we knew we would have someone close to us rather than a stranger conducting our ceremony. This made the day even more special for us.
Booking a Florist
As I began to research florists, I found that the flower shops in Jackson Hole were quite expensive.
Luckily, there is a florist just across the state line in Idaho that came to our rescue!
Shania at Historia Florals had MUCH more reasonable prices and was able to accommodate the look I was going for even during the pandemic’s flower shortage.
I was able to get my bouquet, flower crown, and Mitchell’s boutonniere for the price of my bouquet alone out of Jackson Hole.
I sent her several photos of the bouquets I liked and she sent me photos of all of the flowers she would use to make the arrangements.
I loved that.
Often, florists will send you the names of flowers and give you estimates of size, but Shania sent me individual photos of each flower so that I didn’t have to google it or guess.
On the day of our wedding, she hand-delivered our pieces to our hotel and gave me easy instructions for keeping them fresh for our ceremony.
She was so personable and easy to work with. If given the chance, I would use Historia Florals again in a heartbeat.
Choosing Lodging
I talk a bit about Jackson Hole hotels in my post here.
My personal favorite is The Anvil, but if you want different accommodations or more space than The Anvil offers, there are plenty of hotels and resorts in the area. I also have first-hand experience with The Snow King and will add that it’s a great option if you are looking for a hotel with a lot of amenities.
For our wedding, we stayed in the Anvil, but they did not have enough rooms to accommodate my mom for the entirety of our trip. So, she stayed in the Snow King instead which was only about a 5 minute drive away.
I mention this because the sooner you can book your lodging, especially if you have a larger group, the better. This will ensure that the majority of your party can be close by.
However, if it doesn’t work out, Jackson Hole is a small town and if some members have to stay a few blocks away, it won’t be the end of the world
Consider Pre and Post-Wedding Venues
In the Jackson Hole area, Glorietta and Million Dollar Cowboy Bar should be on your list for wedding week festivities.
Consider Glorietta as a venue for your rehearsal dinner and Cowboy Bar for post-wedding shenanigans.
Glorietta did not have availability on our wedding day since our ceremony was in the evening. However, we ate dinner there the night before our wedding and it was perfect.
It’s not a large restaurant, so it may not work for you if you have a lot of guests. However, if you are looking for an intimate setting for a small party, you won’t find anything better.
Once we were done with our ceremony and photos, we headed back into Jackon and straight to Cowboy Bar.
There is nothing like going to a western bar in a wedding dress!
The other patrons were buying us drinks and the horse-saddle bar stools made for fun post-ceremony photos!
Cowboy Bar also often has live music, so if you are looking for a fun place to spend your “reception,” this is it.
General Considerations for Getting Married in Grand Teton National Park
The National Parks are some of the most breathtaking landscapes in our country.
The NPS is kind to allow ceremonies on these sacred lands and has put rules in place to help keep them pristine.
That being said, it’s important to do your research on what is and isn’t allowed for a destination wedding of this type. Here are a few restrictions to keep in mind. All of the following are prohibited:
- Attaching decorations to natural or historic structures, National Park Service signs, benches, posts, or buildings. (Basically, all decorations/flowers must be things you and your party can carry at all times)
- Setting up arches alters or platforms, or using rugs
- Throwing/Scattering of any materials (ie. birdseed, confetti, etc.)
- Releasing things such as birds, butterflies, balloons, etc.
- Setting up chairs (except in special/permit-authorized cases to accommodate persons with limited mobility)
- Receptions or catered food. Champagne toasts are ok but must follow strict bear safety/food storage protocols
This list isn’t exhaustive, but I wanted to give you an idea of some of the more popular wedding practices that won’t be available in the parks so you can plan around them.
For more information, be sure to visit the GTNP page here.
Our first year together has been nothing short of a love-filled adventure, and it all started in one of the most amazing places we could have ever dreamed of.
If you are considering a destination wedding or elopement, I know I am a little biased, but I say, “Go for it!”
Your day will be so special and intimate in a way that you cannot even imagine.
I hope this checklist helped you with some of the more technical aspects of planning your Grand Teton wedding! Best wishes, have fun, and safe travels!
Oh, and please reach out if you have questions or if I can help!
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