Grand Teton National Park Hiking Elopement

As little girls we dream of being princesses, as teens we realize that dream isn’t attainable, so we hope for our own prince charming. I never quite dreamt of waltzing around a giant castle in a dress, even as a child, but I did find my prince charming! And we spent the beginning of our happily ever after in a magical place. The Grand Tetons provided their own magic on our special day, with a combination of glowing sunlight, flowing waterways, and fields of flowers. I’ve always known it’s not the place, but the people you’re there with and it’s no less true for our wedding day. As introverts, Ashton and I didn’t want the attention of the day to be on us, but rather a shared moment between the two of us. So with the officiate, the photographers, and the bride and groom, we set out on a hike that would change our lives. I had thought the hike there would be strenuous and exhausting, especially in a heavy dress, but there was nothing but peace. The quiet of the mountains coupled with the low voices of the small group of us chatting was nothing but tranquil. People continue to ask me if I regret not having a wedding or even having anyone there, and the answer is and will continue to be ‘no’. I wouldn’t change the way our day connected us better to each other and to the place we chose. Those mountains will always mean something to us now, each peak set into my mind clearly as the day we hiked there, and we can hardly wait to go back.