Jackson Hole Wedding Photographer Archives

Jackson Hole Engagement Session in Fall and Winter

TJ and Caroline are planning a summer wedding in Jackson Hole at her family ranch. They love where they live and they wanted to have all of the seasons represented in their wedding photos. We did their two Jackson Hole Engagement Sessions in Fall and Winter, and each season they turned out so beautiful. We went to some of my favorite locations at String Lake and Colter Bay.

Their Story

Their love story began in a barn with goats! It was November 23, 2019 when they first met in Caroline’s barn. Caroline was hosting her first winter goat yoga session and TJ’s sister, Tatum, dragged him to it. TJ and Tatum grew up in Arizona with goats, so when they moved to Jackson summer of 2019 and heard about goat yoga, they were so excited to attend!

Caroline and TJ both weren’t looking for anything serious at the moment but became best friends. Hanging out every Friday at the ranch and taking care of the 7 new baby goats that were born that January. TJ, Caroline and Tatum decided to take a trip to Arizona in February 2020 to visit their family. This is when we started to realize our friendship was turning into something more. Fast forward to March of 2020, when everyone thought the world was ending, our dating relationship was just beginning!!

We were sitting around a fire, talking about life, when TJ asked Caroline to be his girlfriend. Starting a new relationship in the middle of a pandemic made us get creative for date nights. We spent a lot of time eating in the truck while enjoying the Grand Tetons, we had picnics by the river, watched a lot of movies, and really got to know each other!

The past year and a half has been a lot of growing together, growing towards Christ, exceeding in our careers, making so many memories, traveling, cooking, hiking, and just enjoying life in Jackson.

What was your first date?

We forgot to make a reservation for dinner and decided to just walk into King Sushi. They told us it was a 2-hour wait. We called about 5 other restaurants that said the same thing…so we walked into one of the nicest restaurants in Jackson and they had 2 spots open up at the bar. We had the perfect first date at Snake River Grill!

The Proposal

It happened on July 1, 2021. TJ’s family flew in for the Fourth of July early for it. TJ planned an entire night at Snake River Sporting Club starting down by the river. He set up pictures from when we first started dating, had champagne opened and ready, a photographer was hiding taking photos
of us, and after we poured some champagne he told me to follow him down closer by the river. We walked over past where he had everything set up and I saw a beautiful Pendleton blanket with our initials, an arch decorated in flowers, and two flower vases on each end of the arch. He first said this little speech (neither of us can remember) and then got down on one knee and asked me to be his wife!

After I said yes, I heard clapping and screaming and looked over to my family, friends, and TJ’s family running from behind trees. They were all hiding. It was so thought out and planned. Afterward, we took pictures and then celebrated at the club with dinner and drinks!

About the couple

The Bride

I own 12 pygmy goats and love each of them so much, I love working out, hiking, meeting new people, and making new memories. I am a real estate agent as well and I love being able to help people find their dream homes

The Groom

TJ never says no to anything new and can fix anything! He is so easygoing and loves to make new memories as well. TJ is an electrician and is very very smart with numbers and pretty much everything! Very detail oriented and such a good listener 🙂 He loves loves loves to hunt, fish, and just be outdoors any new adventures that involve hiking, lakes, rivers, etc he loves.

Their Story

“The beginning to our Jackson Hole wedding story started when Matt and I met almost 12 years ago, in a bar in New York. Surrounded by loud music, it was one of those bars where the lights are dim and anything is possible. Immediately the sparks were evident. After a proper date, we quickly became an item. At this time we were 20-somethings exploring New York, starting new jobs, moving into new apartments, and falling in love. But, as the old adage goes, even if everything else is perfect, timing is truly everything.

After a few years of dating, a combination of mutual youthful uncertainty and job opportunities brought our story to a brief hiatus. Soon after I moved to the west coast. Similarly, we both took a few years to independently build our careers, acquire life experience, and grow up a little. During that time, we never fully lost touch. In addition to the passage of time came greater clarity that our story wasn’t really done. After 4 years, a business trip took me back to New York. Knowing Matt was single, I asked him to meet me for a drink, and the rest – as they say – is history.”

Changing Plans

” ‘On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open and the love starts.’ Those were the words read out loud at our wedding ceremony, between bouts of lighting and thunder, followed by blue skies and rainbows, and nestled in the towering Teton mountains. While the weather may not have been perfect for our Jackson Hole wedding ceremony, after a year’s delay due to the pandemic, the love was so evident on that day.

When we started planning our wedding in 2019, getting married in the Valley was a no brainer. We each have our own ties to Jackson – Matt’s family is from Jackson and I’ve been visiting family and friends there since I was a toddler. Jackson is also the location of many of our relationship firsts – our first “I love yous,” meeting each other’s families, our first ski trip.

Once we agreed to host our wedding in the valley, we knew we wanted Snake River Ranch as the backdrop for our vows. I called up some very good family friends to see if we could use their beautiful ranch. By the end of 2019, we had a great vendor team lined up and were ready to celebrate in 2020. That was until COVID hit. As well as so many couples, we therefore had made the tough decision to rethink our wedding. We knew we didn’t want to risk anyone’s health and safety. Additionally, we knew we didn’t want to miss out on a special celebration with our “tribe” of friends and family.

With some reorganizing, amazing kindness and flexibility from our vendor team, we postponed our plans in Jackson for 364 days. We then turned our attention to replanning for this year’s celebration.

The Wedding

‘On a day when the wind is perfect, the sail just needs to open and the love starts.’ Those were the words read out loud at our wedding ceremony, between bouts of lighting and thunder, followed by blue skies and rainbows, and nestled in the towering Teton mountains. And while the weather may not have been perfect for our Jackson Hole wedding ceremony, after a year’s delay due to the pandemic, the love was so evident on that day.

Most of our guests had to travel to get to Jackson. We wanted to make sure that everyone had a chance to enjoy the splendor of the Teton Valley, from fly fishing, backyard parties, lawn games and group hikes in the mountains. Moreover, it was important to us that the weekend was personal and highlighted the importance of our families.

We wrote our own vows, the table numbers were hand made by my father, my veil and the lace table runners were both sewn by my mother. In fact, our welcome party was held in Matt’s parents’ backyard where so many of our fond memories are. In other words, we intentionally to created a sense of an intimate and personal celebration. And celebrate we did.

Worth the Wait

In spite of the rain and thunder that damped the Valley throughout our wedding weekend, after almost 18 months of living through the pandemic, the love and excitement from our friends and family couldn’t be damped.

In the same way our dating journey wasn’t a straight line, it’s almost destined that neither would our wedding planning journey be. Whether you’re weathering the challenges of wedding planning during a pandemic, or just planning for the uncertainties of weather in Jackson, having the right team is key. Most importantly, we learned that if you make your love the priority, surround yourself with a thoughtful and talented team of vendors, and are willing to roll with whatever surprise the Valley throws at you, Jackson Hole is a truly incredible place to celebrate your marriage.”

-Kristen, the bride

See their wedding featured in Rocky Mountain Bride here!