It’s no wonder why mountain lovers from all over want to get married in GTNP. The jagged silhouette of the Tetons are so awe inspiring, who wouldn’t want to tie the knot with a view like that?? Beyond the many wedding venues of Jackson Hole, if you decide that you want to go the full immersive experience on your wedding day and get married inside Grand Teton National Park, there’s a location for every dream day. I have compiled a list of all the places you can get married in the Tetons, the most popular spots to consider, how group sizes can affect where you get married, and what the permit process looks like.
Wedding Permit Types
Before getting into the nitty gritty details, the first thing you need to know about is wedding permit types. There are two types of permits for GTNP: reserved site-specific ceremony locations, and small dispersed ceremony locations.
Reserved Site-Specific Ceremony Permits
Reserved site-specific locations are the spots available for wedding with larger party groups. Most of them are capped at group sizes of 25 people, with a couple allowing up to 40 individuals. However, these locations can also be used for elopements! Of note as well, they can be reserved for two hour time periods. They are typically more competitive to secure permits, as they are very popular. Plan on trying to reserve your date for these spots as soon as permits open for the year! Reserved site-specific ceremonies are able to take place between May 10th and October 20th (this blog was written in 2024, but this is a typical timeline year to year).
Small Dispersed Ceremony Permits
Small dispersed ceremony locations are for those having an extremely intimate day of 12 or less people total. There are a lot more options for locations if this sounds like you! To get married at a dispersed site, you need to give a detailed request about the specific location coordinates and group size details, and you can reserve it for a one hour time limit. There are a few locations that are not allowed for even these small weddings, but you will not find yourself disappointed by what is available.
Grand Teton National Park Ceremony Locations
Knowing the difference between these two types of locations, first thing you need to decide when coming up with locations for your Grand Teton wedding is party size. How many people are coming to celebrate you? Is this an intimate gathering of 12 people, or are you partying with closer to 40 people? This will change whether you need a Reserved-Site Specific Ceremony Location or a Small Dispersed Ceremony Location.
Reserved Site-Specific Ceremony Permits (up to 40 people)
- Colter Bay Swim Beach (up to 40 people)
- Mormon Row (North or South) (up to 40 people)
- Schwabacher Landing (up to 25 people)
- Mountain View Turnout (up to 25 people)
- Glacier View Turnout (up to 25 people)
- Snake River Overlook (up to 25 people)
- The Wedding Tree (up to 25 people)
Small Dispersed Ceremony Locations (12 or less people)
- Phelps Lake (up to 12 people)
- Blacktail Ponds (up to 12 people)
- Taggart Lake (up to 12 people)
- Additional locations can be requested through the National Park
Getting Your Permits
All permits need to be applied for at least 30 days in advance! To order a permit to get married at any location the Tetons, permits are all a $200 application fee, with a $100 reprocessing fee if something needs to be changed. Rangers will generally stop by on the day of your wedding, so make sure you bring your printed permit to your wedding!
To apply for your permit or just have more in depth information, you can here’s the link to get officially on GTNP’s books.
Other Notes
Take note of the regulations on the park website for your location. Most spots have certain limitations, and it is important to make sure both you and your guests are aware of these!
Some of these limitations would be parking space, bringing in outside stands, rugs, chairs, altars, and certain invasive flowers. The park generally has a low impact rule that is good to be aware of before arrangements start being made.
My other big note is to remember that this is taking place on public lands. This means that you will probably have tourists milling about, and though most people generally stay out of the way, we can’t kick anyone out of an area or save parking for the wedding guests, even with the permit.
If you are currently planning a Grand Teton elopement or wedding, congratulations!! You will love it here, and no matter where you get married in the Tetons, it will be a day to remember for sure.
