Grand Tetons Engagements with Dog • Blacktail Pond Overlook

Nikki and Sam met while they were both attending University of Utah while they were studying Chemistry and made their own chemistry. (Get it? ;) ) They’ve been together for over 6 years now and decided engagements in the Tetons made the best sense with their outdoor and adventurous personalities.

Nikki mentioned how much Aggie meant to her and Sam and that they wanted to include her in their session. Bringing your dog to the Grand Tetons is a great idea! Especially if you’re taking family photos or engagement photos! It can be overwhelming trying to figure out where dogs are and are not allowed in Grand Teton National Park. A good rule of thumb is dogs can go anywhere cars can go. That’s exactly why we decided to shoot at Blacktail Pond Overlook which is on the outside of the park so you don’t even need a park pass to go to! We ended at Mormon Row to get some wind coverage. I love that tall, green grass and open area to really show off how great the Grand Tetons are.

June is one of my favorite times to shoot in Jackson. The grass and sagebrush have greened up, the snow is melted on the ground, but there’s still snow on the mountain which just looks stunning in photos! I love that I get to enjoy this view every week! Shoutout to Nikki and Sam for dealing with some cold wind we weren’t really expecting.

Grand Tetons Summer Proposal

This summer proposal is what dreams are made of! I have shot over 30 proposals now in the Grand Tetons and I feel like I’ve gotten it down to the perfect system. So when Henry reached out looking for ideas and how to make sure it was documented and stress-free, (as stress free as proposing to the love of your life can be), I had his back!

Henry and Kira were coming from Australia to the US to travel for a month to visit National Parks. I loved Henry’s idea of proposing near Jackson Hole in the Grand Tetons so we FaceTimed about a week before they headed to the US to line out all the details. Henry mentioned how he and Kira were adventurous and truly loved having fun together. He was pretty certain that Kira would have no idea what was coming, and boy was he right! Kira was in complete shock and so excited that a “stranger” was taking photos of the beautiful moment. The weather ended up being just the right amount of cloudy after another hectic week of weather.

One of my favorite moments to capture as a Grand Tetons proposal photographer is the hug after the moment. There’s pure joy on both faces from such an exciting moment. Honestly I get a bit of a rush from it myself because I’m genuinely so excited for my couples! I’m so grateful Henry trusted me with documenting his epic proposal to Kira. It was a beautiful day with a mix of sunshine and overcast, which just so happens to be my favorite to shoot in.

If you’d like to see more proposals in the Grand Tetons check out this Winter Proposal.

Grand Tetons Surprise Proposal

Planning the Proposal

I normally don’t travel to Grand Teton National Park. November thru April. The Teton pass gets nasty during those winter months but when I got Jud’s email about coming to Jackson Hole in April to propose to Abbey, I had to make it happen!

I chatted with Jud on the phone a few times before meeting up and warned him that our winter was intense with over 400 inches of snow at Jackson Hole Mountain. Since he and Abbey had hiked in Bryce Canyon a few weeks prior in 5º weather, he was confident the weather would be just fine. We planned to meet on the outside of the park at Glacier View.

At the Grand Tetons

I was extremely grateful we were blessed with clear skies when just the day before clouds covered the peaks of the Grand Tetons. Jud and Abbey arrived looking astounding! Jud had told Abbey he booked a little mini tour guide before a fancy dinner in Jackson Hole after. I gave a few cool facts about the park while showing off the beautiful view. Then I asked if I could take a few photos since i’d been dabbling in photography, (dabbling for 10 years that is 😉). And that’s the moment Jud proposed to Abbey with the beautiful Grand Tetons as a backdrop! It was a perfect night!

I got to know Abbey and Jud and their 11 year relationship that started in the 8th grade! I thought that was so cute! Jud is a pilot and Abbey is a traveling nurse. I found out they did long distance for 5 months and hated it so now they try to stick together as much as possible. They travel to National Parks when Abbey isn’t on a contract. It was a fantastic night in Jackson with these two! I feel like best friends with them now! Congrats to the newly engaged couple!