Rustic + Romantic Jackson Hole Ranch Wedding
Maybe because I'm saying my own "I do's" beside gorgeous mountains in only a mere couple of weeks, but these pics from Carrie Patterson have me practically jumping out of my seat. From the intimate ceremony scene to the detailed decor throughout the celebration, In Any Event created one beautiful bash weaving the rustic natural elements elegantly through it all (I'm taking notes!). More this way!
From the beautiful Bride… Sami’s first trip with my family was a ski trip to Jackson Hole, a place my family has enjoyed many a summer and winter vacation. It has always been a special place to me, and it didn’t take long for Sami to fall in love with Jackson as well. We met five years prior while Sami was in med school and I was in nursing school. We’d like to say we met thru some scholarly endeavor, but we met at a graduate school event in a bar in North Carolina. After a few bourbons (I’m a Kentucky girl afterall) and teaching Sami the pretzel, the rest was history. Our dog, Pup, joined us shortly thereafter, and the pack was complete. It was only fitting Pup attend our wedding as the flower girl.
The day of the wedding was cool and rainy, but it didn’t matter. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds for a short moment after we said our vows, and that was enough for us. We are forever grateful to our wedding planner, Elizabeth Kelleher of In Any Event, for arranging a back up tent for the ceremony just in case. Outdoor weddings can be risky, and you have to be just as excited about your rain plan as you are about your perfect weather plan. The weather also provided an excellent opportunity for Carrie Patterson to showcase her incredible photography skills. Enduring the cool temps was well worth the amazing photographs!
Although we decided to get married on a ranch in the great outdoors, we were hoping for an intimate, spiritual feel for the ceremony. What better way to accomplish that than church pews and classical music? Yes, under that intimate tent in the great outdoors, we had church pews to provide that sense of reverence and community. Beautiful classical music provided by my brother, an amazing cellist, was icing on the cake for what proved to be our perfect ceremony. At the reception, we kept the décor simple, but elegant and added a few local touches. We flew the Wyoming state flag atop the reception tent and used a moose icon on several items including the cocktail stirrers. Instead of a traditional guest book, we decided to frame two photographs by Tom Mangelsen, a local legendary nature photographer. Guests inscribed their well wishes on the matte border of the photographs. Both photographs now hang in our home, and are a constant reminder of the love and support we felt from our family and friends on our wedding day and every day. Many of our guests were traveling to Jackson for the first time. We were so excited to introduce them to all Jackson has to offer from rafting trips to bike rides to mountain hikes. A wedding day is special for any couple, but add in your best family and friends in your favorite place on earth, and it doesn’t get much better than that.
The day of the wedding was cool and rainy, but it didn’t matter. The sun peeked out from behind the clouds for a short moment after we said our vows, and that was enough for us. We are forever grateful to our wedding planner, Elizabeth Kelleher of In Any Event, for arranging a back up tent for the ceremony just in case. Outdoor weddings can be risky, and you have to be just as excited about your rain plan as you are about your perfect weather plan. The weather also provided an excellent opportunity for Carrie Patterson to showcase her incredible photography skills. Enduring the cool temps was well worth the amazing photographs!
Although we decided to get married on a ranch in the great outdoors, we were hoping for an intimate, spiritual feel for the ceremony. What better way to accomplish that than church pews and classical music? Yes, under that intimate tent in the great outdoors, we had church pews to provide that sense of reverence and community. Beautiful classical music provided by my brother, an amazing cellist, was icing on the cake for what proved to be our perfect ceremony. At the reception, we kept the décor simple, but elegant and added a few local touches. We flew the Wyoming state flag atop the reception tent and used a moose icon on several items including the cocktail stirrers. Instead of a traditional guest book, we decided to frame two photographs by Tom Mangelsen, a local legendary nature photographer. Guests inscribed their well wishes on the matte border of the photographs. Both photographs now hang in our home, and are a constant reminder of the love and support we felt from our family and friends on our wedding day and every day. Many of our guests were traveling to Jackson for the first time. We were so excited to introduce them to all Jackson has to offer from rafting trips to bike rides to mountain hikes. A wedding day is special for any couple, but add in your best family and friends in your favorite place on earth, and it doesn’t get much better than that.