Colorful Late Summer Stanley Elopement with a Sunset Appetizer Cruise
- Karlie Larson
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
Would you have guessed this elopement was planned in under 3 months?!
Keely and Brandon really wanted to travel across the country to Southern Idaho to elope amongst the mountains and jaw dropping scenery, so after our initial call together they decided they wanted to do it, and it was the most perfect day!! ✨
Keely has been to this area of Idaho before, but for Brandon, this was is first time visiting Idaho! They were so excited, and made sure to include things that were special to them such as bringing letters from family to read together the morning of their elopement, and renting two separate rooms so they could have a first look together!
After their meaningful and emotional first look, they had the dreamiest ceremony on the shores of my favorite lake, and read private vows to one another.
Then it was time to pick up some more coffee of course, and the baristas drew the cutest little drawings on their coffee cups for them!
After doing a little bit of hiking, we decided to head to the lake for a sunset appetizer cruise, with a captain that gave us a boat tour around the lake, which was the absolute perfect way to end this Colorful Late Summer Stanley Elopement with a Sunset Appetizer Cruise!
Starting the Morning with Coffees from Stanley Baking Co.
One of my new favorite things for my couples to do together before their elopement day even starts is to take some time together in the morning to relax and spend time together. That could be a breakfast picnic, going to a local cafe for coffees, or chilling out on the deck of their Airbnb with mimosas, just a few ideas!
For Keely and Brandon I met them bright and early at Stanley Baking Co. to start their day with the necessities, aka coffee! The nice thing about Stanley is that this place was basically across the street from where my couple was staying, so it didn't take long to hop over here and start the day right!
After grabbing our coffees, we went over to the Pioneer Park to enjoy the morning mountain views and brews, and Keely and Brandon brought letters from family to read together on the park swing, how sweet!
Getting Ready + Details at Mountain Village Resort
This August morning was absolutely beautiful for this elopement, we had sunshine and clear, crisp views of the Sawtooth's. After my couple was done with reading their letters, we went back to Mountain Village Resort to get ready! Keely and Brandon ended up renting two separate rooms for this since they wanted to do a first look at the lake, so this worked out great for that!
Mariah Joy Beauty did Keely's beautiful hair and makeup in her room, and I was able to grab some photos of Brandon in his suit from as well (their rooms ended up being back to back on the opposite sides of the building so it worked really well to stay separate but still allowed me to take photos outside of Keely's dress without worrying about them seeing each other).
Keely had the most stunning and colorful summer bouquet and flower lapel for Brandon by Ella June Gardens. (I'm still drooling over these florals and I'm writing this in January)! Keely brought the cutest little details to be included in the detail shots as well! And of course Keely's gorgeous, high neck dress was the perfect addition to it all.
An Emotional First Look
Once we finished getting ready, we coordinated driving separately to their ceremony spot at at the lake for their first look, which was one of the sweetest first looks I've ever witnessed! I led Brandon down to the beach first, and made sure he was facing away from where Keely would be coming down. I then went back up to the parking lot to grab Keely (this time is also super nice for the bride to have those few moments to herself to do touchups and stay in a vehicle with A/C).
Once I brought Keely down she walked up to Brandon and they shared such an emotional and sweet first look together with McGown Peak watching in the background.
Sunny Ceremony on Stanley Lake
I was able to work with Nicolle Foster again as she officiated not only Keely and Brandon's elopement, but I also worked with her the very first time I worked in Stanley back in 2022! It was so nice to meet back up with her, and she seriously does the most beautiful ceremonies!
They had such a beautiful ceremony on the shore of Stanley Lake. This is my absolute favorite spot in Stanley for ceremonies, as it's super easy access and there are some trails that lead right down to the beach.
Hiking Bridals + More Coffee
The freedom you gain from doing elopements (especially if it's just the two of you) is so huge and a game changer, because after the ceremony Keely and Brandon wanted to make another coffee stop, and go back to the rental for a few minutes to freshen up, use the bathroom, change if needed, eat, and grab the stuff they needed for the hike we were gonna do next, and we were able to do that no problem! No one was waiting on us, so they were able to take a bit to themselves.
As your photographer as well, especially after ceremony, one of the things I do is just let my couples enjoy the fact that they just got married. I'll give them a few minutes to themselves without a camera, and without going into posing immediately for photos. I'll let them soak in the views and the feels for a bit before we continue on. It's so simple and it makes the biggest difference in my couple's overall experience. Read a bit more about what it's like to work with me here!
So after grabbing some more coffee fuel (the baristas also drew the cutest bride and groom on their coffee cups, how stinking cute) we met up at a trailhead to do a little hiking. We decided on the fly that is was really too hot to do the entire hike (I will always put your experience and how you're feeling first), so we pivoted and found this gorgeous, shady forested area on the trail and hung out in there for photos instead, and the photos we got here are some of my favorites ever!
A Quick Dip in Pettit Lake
My couple picked Pettit Lake to check out as well - and it did not disappoint! It was such a beautiful spot for a quick dip into the lake. The most turquoise blue water and tall pointy mountains really stood out to us! Keely really let her dress live it's best life for their elopement and I loved that so much. They took off their shoes and went into the water, and of course found a cute pup on the beach that got some loves.
Sunset Appetizer Cruise on Redfish Lake
Since we ended the hike a bit early, Keely and Brandon decided they wanted to end the day relaxing on a boat on a lake. Redfish Lake Marina offers a Sunset Appetizer Cruise option, and so we boarded a pontoon boat, had a captain, and they even brought on a beautiful and super delicious charcuterie board that we all got to enjoy as we got a private tour of Redfish Lake!
The views on this lake are so insane, you really have to board a boat to see the views open up around the bend. We were all saying that we felt like we were in New Zealand because of how crazy the mountains were *cue the Misty Mountain song from The Hobbit.*
What an absolutely amazing way to end this incredible elopement day in Idaho!
Stanley Idaho Elopement Inspiration
Stanley Idaho Wedding Vendors
Even with 3 short months, Keely and Brandon hired the best dream team of vendors for this elopement in Southern Idaho, and they truly made this day unique, beautiful, and memorable for all of us!
Photography: @karlielarsonphotography
Flowers: @ellajunegardens
Hair + Makeup: @mariahjoybeauty
Officiant: @sacredmariposa
Dress: @newyorkbridelastlook
Suit: @josabank
Stanley Idaho Elopement Photographer
Hey there, it's Karlie! Your Idaho elopement photographer helping you create a memorable and meaningful wedding experience in the outdoors, and Stanley is such a wonderful place to do just that. I help couples that come from all over the country to elope in Idaho, even if they've never been here before, so don't worry, I have all the needed resources to help you plan the elopement of your dreams in the mountains. Take it from Keely and Brandon ⬇️
Keely and Brandon's Review from Working with Me in Stanley:
"Absolutely beautiful photos of our elopement. Karlie’s photos are stunning but she also goes the extra mile, scoping out potential photo sites in the wilderness, bringing simple things that I never would’ve thought to pack for an elopement (like a nice hanger for my dress, vase for flowers, etc). She is up for anything and is happy to go along with changes on the fly. She is a very chill person and a calming presence during a stressful time, but soon the stress/nerves fades into relaxation and realizing you have a day all to yourself and she is there to help bring your dreams to life. She also coordinated and worked super well with my other vendors. Just an all-around amazing person and beyond talented photographer. Highly recommend her to anyone and everyone! Thank you Karlie!!!"
Stanley Idaho Elopement Packages
These are what all come with my Stanley Idaho Elopement Packages, and my pricing page goes way more in depth on everything else included, so be sure to check that out too!
↠ Booking Gift
↠ 72 Hour Turn-Around Time for 30+ Sneak Peek Images
↠ Day of Elopement Gift
↠ Beautifully Edited Final Images
↠ Access to High Quality Print Products
↠ Free Video Consultation
↠ Timeline Creation
↠ Leave No Trace Guide
↠ Idaho Location Guide
↠ 90+ Page Elopement Planning Guide
↠ Vendor Recommendations
↠ Unlimited Planning Assistance
↠ 8 Week Turnaround Time for Full Elopement Gallery
↠ Travel & Accommodations are Covered for Photographer
Contact me for your Stanley Idaho Elopement here!
More Idaho Elopement Inspiration
As an Idaho local, I have so many incredible Idaho elopement locations to share with you for your special day in the mountains! Here's some helpful planning posts and some more Idaho Elopement Inspiration.
How to Elope in Idaho Free Resources:
More Stanley Idaho Elopements:
Ready to spend your summer in Stanley like this Colorful Late Summer Stanley Elopement with a Sunset Appetizer Cruise? I have availability left for 2026, and will be opening my books for 2027 this Spring! In the meantime, here's a Pinterest pin for you to save to your Idaho elopement board ;)
