Taggart Lake is one of the most beautiful lakes to get married at in the Tetons, and it was particularly serene for this quiet summer elopement.
For the couple who loves the mountains, eloping at Taggart Lake in the Tetons is the place for you to get married. Down to earth and wanting to avoid the spectacle of a wedding, Melody and Matt decided to ditch the big venue wedding in Florida and elope in the Tetons. Being big hikers, they knew they wanted an alpine lake to seal their vows in front of. When I shared with them the blue waters of Taggart, they knew that was the place they were going to get married.
How to Elope in Grand Teton National Park
Planning an elopement in the Tetons is not hard at all!! It is one of the easier National Parks to get married in and makes the planning process very smooth. After helping dozens of couples elope here, I’ve made a checklist for the order you should get things crossed off your planning list.
- Decide on the season you want to get married in. They all have different pros and cons! This elopement took place in the summer because Melody and Matt wanted the warmth of July and some of the last wildflowers. However, summer also means more tourists and the potential for fire season (which it was). If you would like to see what your desired season to elope might look like, I have made a blog about the best season to get married in the Tetons!
- Pick your top two locations to have the ceremony at. Most of what I photograph are intimate outdoor ceremonies, and there are different group size limits based on what you’re planning. To get married at Taggart Lake, you can have up to twelve people present total. At other spots like Colter Bay or Mormon Row, you can have up to forty guests. If you’d like some ideas on where to get married here, here is a list of places to get married in the Tetons. I help with location planning and timeline assistance to my brides and grooms, as well as offer an EXTENSIVE location guide to the Tetons for all my couples to aid in this process. We’ll go through what you want out of your day, and pick a ceremony spot from there if you don’t have one in mind!
- Apply for a ceremony permit through GTNP. This is a $200 nonrefundable permit to get married in the park! Make sure to know your guest count and time of day you’d like as well, as that is information the park rangers need. From there, they will reach out to let you know if your date is available at either of your top two location picks! You can apply for a ceremony permit through the park’s website here.
- Celebrate!! Book your favorite vendors, buy a dress you don’t mind getting some dirt on the hem of, and put on your hiking boots. You’re ready to get married in the Tetons.
Getting Ready at the Teton Cabins
Melody and Matt got a cabin for their GTNP elopement just outside of the Moran Junction. The Teton Cabins have a beautiful view of the mountain range, and they are extremely close to the Moran park entrance! It is the perfect place for you to have privacy and be close to the mountains during your visit to the Tetons. They got ready together, before heading to the trailhead to hike into the ceremony spot.
Hiking Elopement
With hiking boots on under Melody’s wedding dress and Matt’s suit, we started the hike to the lake. Taggart Lake is not a strenuous hike (though I will say I am madly impressed by the fact these two hiked in their wedding garb), but there is a little bit of elevation gain. Overall, it takes about an hour before you get to the main Taggart Lake elopement rock.
In the summer, this trail and parking lot can be quite busy and you might have to park up the road. For more privacy, you can opt for a sunrise elopement, or get married closer to shoulder season in the fall or spring.
We were followed by butterflies the entire hike.
Summer Elopement Ceremony at Taggart Lake
A park ranger accompanied us and was a guest for the elopement. Other couples and families could be found having picnics on the side beaches, but we had the main view all to ourselves and the other tourists were very respectful. It was a very tender ceremony with the sweetest vows. Communion was had with bread and wine, and scriptures exchanged. Whenever I video a wedding, I audio record vows for the wedding film. If you scroll to the bottom of this blog, you can watch that special film of this elopement experience and see what that looks like. Even in an untraditional wedding, I believe that these are special and important aspects to have documented.
Wedding Photos the Tetons
After the ceremony, we had just enough time to run back down the trail and hit two of my other favorite wedding spots in the Tetons!! We had the most lovely golden light that led into the sun setting behind the mountains. Wildfire smoke hazed the mountains slightly, but in the fading light, the peaks looked like a watercolor painting. It was the perfect way to end this wedding. From the elopement ceremony at Taggart Lake, to running around the sagebrush of the outer park, it was THE BEST day to get married in the Tetons.
Jackson Hole Elopement Videography
I was both the photographer and videographer for this elopement. Doing videography in Jackson Hole is MY FAVORITE JOB IN THE WORLD. I love filming elopements in the Tetons and would love to film yours too. If any of this is your vibe, reach out and we can get talking about all of what you’re dreaming up for your day.
