Intimate Jackson Hole Wedding at Colter Bay Swim Beach

Apr 2
6 min read

Updated: Apr 2

a wedding couple standing on colter bay swim beach

What an absolutely incredible day with Jordyn and Sean in the Tetons (I know I say this every time, but I truly mean it)! The mid-September weather was just right and the colors were just starting to turn yellow. The scenery was unbeatable (we even saw a grizzly!), and the happy couple was less than two months away from meeting their little one. Two years previous to this day, they had taken a road trip out west from Ohio to the Tetons, and absolutely fell in love with Colter Bay. Since that day, they planned their wedding around visiting this treasured location again, and man did it show off for them for their Intimate Jackson Hole Wedding at Colter Bay Swim Beach!

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First Look & Private Vows in the Backyard

The day started nice and slow, with the sun poking through the clouds above the mountaintops as I drove to their rental. While I took detail photos, Jordyn started on hair and makeup that she did herself. Jordyn and Sean got ready separately so they could have their first look in the backyard of their rental in Driggs.

After their adorable first look, they then read their vows privately to one another. It was such a nice way to start the day and get the excitement going even more! After this we loaded up and headed to downtown Jackson.

✍️Planning tip: If you're staying on the Idaho side, doing a first look at your rental may be easier, that way you won't have to keep separate for the 1+ hour drive to the park. This is totally doable if you want that classic first look as you walk down the aisle, but I do typically recommend doing a first look at your rental, that way you two can ride together into the park (and not worry about staying separate).

Custom Hats with Beaver Creek Hats and Leather

We planned to visit downtown Jackson for one main event - getting custom hats with their wedding date! We went to Beaver Creek Hats and Leather and spent some time looking at all the options and hat accessories. We got to watch as they branded their wedding date onto the hat, which was super cool!

✍️Planning tip: If you'd like to get custom hats made, be sure to include lots of extra buffer time! We were there in mid-September on a Saturday, and it took us a while to find parking, to walk to the shop, pick out hats, and then wait our turn. I would allot around an hour or more (especially in the summertime). This would also be a fun thing to do the night before while you're out exploring the town and getting dinner! Then it could be part of your detail photos the morning of as well!

Maternity Photos at Elk Ranch Flats

Once their custom hat was finished, they brought a change of clothes and we took some maternity photos for them at Elk Ranch Flats. This was a nice pull off spot off the main road that had incredible views of the Teton range, and there were even bison in the distance! This was on the way to their ceremony spot, so that's where we went next.

Heartfelt Ceremony at Colter Bay

Colter Bay is a great spot for a ceremony (and one of the most popular for good reason). It's easy to access, a short walk from a large parking lot, and there's bathrooms right by the picnic area. So this worked great for Jordyn to get her dress on and for the family to start gathering on the beach below for their heartfelt ceremony that was officiated by Sean's dad. Jordyn also shared in the sweetest first look with her dad before they walked down the aisle together.

✍️Planning tip: The beach at Colter Bay changes in size throughout the year. In summer, the water is higher, so the beach area may be too small to hold a large group. In the fall, the water level isn't as high so it may work well to have a larger group on the beach at that time of year. I'll be able to scope out the area for you the day before, and we can come up with a gameplan, but you are welcome to choose either the picnic area or the beach for your ceremony.

Jackson Lake Bridals

After their sweet ceremony, Jordyn and Sean got some photos of just them at their favorite place on the beach at Colter Bay. After ceremony, I always let my couples have a few minutes to themselves to really let the fact that they just got married sink in! So after they had a few minutes, I came back down and took some photos of my couple by Jackson Lake.

Cake Cutting at Jenny Lake

To finish off this special day, we drove over to Jenny Lake, which on the way there we saw a lot of people pulled over, and we both pulled to the side of the road and people told us there was a grizzly bear out in the distance! What a cool thing to say that you got to see a grizzly on your wedding day (see the grizzly in the photo below)!

Once we arrived at Jenny Lake, it was raining a bit, but it lightened up enough for us to walk over an overlook. We found a perfect spot for them to cut some cake to finish the day!

Grand Teton National Park Elopement Inspiration

Grand Teton National Park Elopement Photographer

From helping my couples pick vendors, locations, backup locations, activities, assist with the permit process and more, I am here to be your Grand Teton Elopement Photographer and expert! You can also read more about me here.

Jordyn and Sean's Review from their Intimate Wedding in the Tetons:

"Karlie captured our attention from the very beginning of our wedding planning - gut feelings are so telling! We had absolutely no idea where to even start on wedding planning. My now-husband came across her website which was instantly a breath of fresh air. Soon after we reached out to her, she scheduled an initial phone call and provided us with SO MANY resources to ensure our wedding day out west was smooth sailing!

She checked in throughout our planning months - through text messages and phone calls - helping us solidify plans and establishing timelines for our big day. She was more than our photographer, she was a true resource with genuine intentions. She provided us with direction on how to secure our National Park ceremony permit and also with information on the process of my father in law becoming an ordained minister (to officiate our wedding).

About halfway through our planning, we found out we were expecting our first baby also and that our due date would fall just over a month after our scheduled big day. Karlie handled that with grace, reassuring us we could reschedule with her if we needed to. She was extremely patient with me on our wedding day, as we were strolling around Jackson Hole and I was searching for the nearest bathroom every 30 minutes (8 months pregnant at the time).

I have nothing but positive things to say about Karlie. The photographs she provided us are truly breathtaking and more than we could have ever asked for. If you are looking for a top-notch photographer as well as a perfect and personalized wedding day advocate - she is your girl!"

elopement photographer taking selfie with clients

Grand Teton National Park Elopement Packages

Here's a look into what all of my Grand Teton National Park Elopement Packages come with, and if you're wanting more details on my packages, check out my pricing page here with full package information and range of pricing details!

↠ Booking Gift

↠ 72 Hour Turn-Around Time for Sneak Peek Images

↠ Day of Elopement Gift

↠ Beautifully Edited Final Images

↠ Access to High Quality Print Products

↠ Free Phone Consultation or Zoom Call

↠ Timeline Creation

↠ 40+ Page Grand Teton Location Guide

↠ Leave No Trace Guide

↠ 90+ Page Elopement Planning Guide

↠ Vendor Recommendations

↠ Unlimited Planning Assistance