Sawtooth Mountain Wedding

March 27, 2023

Sawtooth Mountain Wedding

Matt and Jessica's shared an intimate Sawtooth Mountain Wedding in the fall. Jessica and Matt dreamed of a mountain wedding surrounded by the mountains and gorgeous fall colors. On the most beautiful cloudless sunny day in September, Matt and Jessica shared their vows with just twenty of their closest family and friends.

A Sawtooth Mountain Wedding

As soon as Matt and Jessica got married, they knew they were going to elope. We met for coffee only a few months before their elopement day. In true millienail fashion, they emailed me before they were officially engaged! And it felt so romantic to plan their Sawtooth adventure elopement together in the Sawtooths before anyone knew. Sometimes as a photographer, I get to know my client's most intimate secrets and it's a real treat. Matt and Jess imagined a wedding in an epic location with panoramic views of the Sawtooth mountains. As foodies and lovers of amazing lodging, they chose a luxury modern hotel in Sun Valley. For months, we sent Google pins and photos back and forth choosing their perfect ceremony location in the Sawtooths. It was like a puzzle finding the perfect spot for their Sawtooth Mountain Wedding!

The Most Memorable Part of their Elopement

Of all the elopements I've photographed, Matt and Jessica did something I've never seen. And it was truly my favorite moment of the day. Instead of exchanging vows in front of all of their friends and family, Matt and Jessica shared their vows at sunset alone after the ceremony. Once everyone left the ceremony to get prepared for dinner, we took portraits in a gorgeous field until the sun started to go down. At sunset, Matt and Jessica exchanged private vows. I couldn't hear a word and stayed far enough back with my zoom lens that they got to share their moment in complete privacy.

An Interview with the Couple!

How did you and your partner meet & fall in love?

It’s 2013 and I walk into Biochemistry at Boise State, my last semester before graduation. I immediately spot this guy in the back corner of the room with a hat and headphones on, obviously trying to hide. Challenge accepted. After weeks, I finally make my way to his corner and innocently ask for help with technical difficulties on my iPad. He politely helps and then responds, “that’ll be $100.” His sense of humor had me. Over the following years, Matt and I dated, but most importantly, developed a SOLID friendship. At one point, we made a mutual decision to split as we wanted different things out of life- for me, marriage, for him, no marriage. Spoiler alert. We’re married now. He eventually came around and realized it was me, or no one.

What was the first decision you made when planning your wedding?

Ha! We planned an entire wedding before we were even engaged or had even told our parents we were contemplating marriage. The very first decision we made was that it was going to be done OUR way.

What were your priorities when planning your wedding day? What was most important to you about your wedding?

Matt is not a center of attention guy. He was very adamant about keeping it small and intimate. For me, I wanted to keep the price tag down as I truly didn’t feel that a dollar amount would add to or subtract from my experience. It was all about actually becoming husband and wife. I desired EPIC views and a skilled photographer to encapsulate the memory for us. That was biggest priority.

Why did you choose to get married at your location?

Matt and I are both super adventurous. We love to explore and we love to travel. A destination wedding really seemed like a good fit for us, but second to that, we both really love where we live… IDAHO <3. So it only made sense to combine destination, EPIC views, and Idaho… therefore nothing made more sense than SUN VALLEY.

What feeling or moment sticks out the MOST from your wedding day? What part of the day had the most effect on you or your relationship?

We chose to exchange vows in private. I have always wanted to write my own vows and I always desired to have my husband do the same. Matt agreed, so long as he had the privacy to really share his heart. The moment itself was special, but oddly enough, the car ride from the sunset photo session back to the reception… just us two… brand new husband and wife… is honest to God one of my hearts greatest treasures. I will never, as long as I live, forget the amount of pure joy, admiration, and giddiness we had for each other in THAT moment.

What was the funniest moment of the day?

My step-mom (bless her heart) lost her freaking mind that I forgot my bouquet walking down the isle. Hahaha I didn’t even notice (or care)!

How did you pick your wedding vendors? What were your priorities when choosing your vendors?

Maggie was my only “vendor”. I chose Maggie for so many reasons. First, her photos are IMMACULATE. But secondly; I really cared about finding someone that knew the area- the terrain, the lighting, the typical weather patterns, and of course, the most breath-taking backdrops. From the very first text exchange with Maggie, I knew she was my girl. But she really nailed it home when she invited me to Hyde Perk for coffee 😉 Oh, and I must not forget to mention that Maggie also lended suggestions for hotel, hair, makeup, and florists in Sun Valley. I used ALL of her recommendations. I have not even ONE tiny complaint about any of them. 10/10.

Any future advice for future couples?

IT. IS. YOUR. DAY. Do not let anyone, anyone persuade you in to making choices that are not in complete alignment with your perfect day.