Nicole and Alex were married in a beautifully romantic and tear-filled wedding ceremony in December! She knew she wanted snow for their engagement session and wedding, and they sure got their wish. Both of their families traveled from thousands of miles away to attend their wedding in Jackson Hole. I was so nervous about not making it to their wedding because of snow that my husband and son drove over with me the night before and we made a long weekend out of it! They went swimming and played while I photographed the wedding. It was the best of both worlds!

Jackson Hole Wedding Venue

The bride and groom were married in Grand View Lodge at Snow King Resort. This was my first time having the opportunity to photograph a wedding at this particular venue. They have an amazing on site chef who made mouth watering brisket. The venue itself boasts a wall of floor to ceiling windows that look out over Jackson Hole. In other rooms of the lodge, there are beautiful doors leading to the outside areas. My favorite thing about this wedding venue was the stone fireplace and the floor to ceiling windows! I love the natural light we had streaming through the windows lighting our couple as we photographed their “prep” photos.

Romantic First Look in Grand View Lodge

When couples choose to have a first look, they are never disappointed in having that special moment to themselves. I believe it takes nothing away from the emotions and excitement you will still feel as you look at each other during your wedding ceremony. This experience is a tender private moment where you get to see each other in your beautiful wedding attire for the first time. It’s one of my favorite things to document.

Emotional Wedding Ceremony

Nicole and Alex’s wedding ceremony was incredibly heartfelt. I have become more emotional in the last year when I hear the wedding advice and vows given. Nicole has a special heart necklace that was a gift from her grandmother. This necklace was to represent her real heart and to safeguard it carefully until she could give it fully to the man she would marry. I think we all teared up when Nicole gifted her ‘heart’ to Alex during their wedding ceremony. There is such true and pure emotions shared in these wedding vows!

Bride and Groom Wedding Portraits in The Snow

After their wedding ceremony, the bride and groom braved the snow and wind to have their wedding portraits taken outside. There has been a lot of snow this season, and there were several fresh inches of snow that morning. If a bride is planning a winter wedding, I definitely recommend they skip out on “cute” shoes during this time and wear warm winter boots, like Nicole did! It makes for a much nicer experience. Seeing a moose during their couple portraits was a totally new experience. This is one of the first times I’ve seen a moose in Jackson Hole, and especially one this close! It decided to ‘photobomb’ our photo shoot and made for a memorable experience. We quickly moved away into another area once we realized he was ambling closer and closer to us. There was a whole parking lot of skiiers watching from a distance also!

Wintry Rustic Reception Details

Can you have a winter wedding reception in Jackson Hole without elk sheds and snow? All of these details were just perfect. One of my favorite details were the gorgeous wood burned snowflakes momento napkin holders with their names.