Luxury Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding

Traci and Pilgrim are a rare kind of couple who celebrated a weekend of love with at the luxury Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch wedding venue. 100 of their closest friends and family traveled to the remote Sawtooths for a full 4 day weekend. As a destination wedding photographer, it simply can’t get better than an amazing couple and an unreal Idaho wedding venue. These two are so in love. I felt it the first moment we hopped on a Facetime call and got to know them. Their adoration for one another, commitment to bringing their blended family together in harmony, deep love, and shared kindness is something to behold. Working in the Sawtooths brings me so much joy! Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch is the best luxury wedding venue in Idaho.

An Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Rehearsal Dinner

Full Weekend Wedding Photography

One of my favorite 2024 wedding trends is seeing couples choosing to invest in photography for their entire wedding weekend. Rather than hiring a wedding photographer for the average 8 hour wedding day, couples are choosing to hire a documentary wedding photographer to capture all the wedding events of the entire weekend. Traci and Pilgrim asked me to cover every moment of their full destination wedding. As a destination wedding photographer, I highly recommend investing in your photos. I documented Traci and Pilgrim’s rehearsal dinner and welcome party on Thursday and Friday before their wedding. It gave us the opportunity to capture more candid moments with their loved ones!

An Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding

I have worked at the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch once before here.

Traci and Pilgrim’s September wedding day started slowly on a perfect morning. Imagine this: your father in law is eating breakfast on the front porch with his dog sitting next to him. You are finishing your vows under the awning of your private cozy honeymoon cabin overlooking the Sawtooths. The air is crisp and feels like the start of fall. The aspen trees are starting to change colors. It’s your wedding day and everything is still except for the mountain breeze. Sounds perfect right?

We planned a special first look at a stunning lake in the Sawtooths. Adventure is a huge part of Traci and Pilgrim’s love story. They asked me if we could incorporate their adventure van into their wedding day and I said of course. Pilgrim drove to the secret first look location in his van while I drove Traci. They saw each other for the first time on their wedding day on the lake shore of Redfish Lake. Once we finished their first look, Traci and Pilgrim got in their van together and drove away to their wedding ceremony.

A Stunning Wedding Ceremony In the Sawtooth Mountains

In my career, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more stunning ceremony. Located at a secret location on the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch, we were transported to a magical oasis in the Sawtooths for Traci and Pilgrim’s wedding ceremony. Every guest was shuttled in blue buses to the magical location. When guests arrived, they were greeted with champagne and a white parasol.

Working hard with Kelley from Blue Bottle Events, Traci and Pilgrim designed a dramatic wooden aisle flanked with overflowing white roses and flowers. Once all the guests were seated, Traci arrived at the wedding ceremony in their van. It was an incredible entrance.

After vowing to love one another forever and speaking the most romantic vows I’ve ever heard, they danced down the aisle in a shower of flower petals. It was unreal!

Golden Hour Sawtooth Adventure Portraits

You can’t skip golden hour portraits during an Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding. Once all the guests left for cocktail hour, we stole Pilgrim and Traci for a few sunset portraits. We asked them to just take in the moment, cuddle close, kiss one another, and take in the landscape. My favorite thing about being an Idaho Wedding Photographer is letting couples take a moment without the cameras “on” and have them face the mountains. Allowing them a moment to absorb the scenery is so important for their experience. Time felt like it stood still.

Sun Valley Idaho Wedding Photographer

My top tip for planning an Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Wedding? Invest in local vendors and talent. Stanley Idaho is a remote location. It really is a place where “who you know” goes far and having the ins and outs of the local intel matters. I highly recommend sourcing vendors from nearby luxury destination wedding location, Sun Valley Idaho. Sun Valley is within an hour of Sun Valley. Tara Bella Flowers in Sun Valley designed gorgeous flowers for Pilgrim and Traci. Shawna Hines created stunning hair and makeup looks for Traci and her gals all weekend long.

A Luxury Destination Wedding in the Mountains

I get a lot of the same questions when asked about how to host an Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch wedding! Here are a few common questions with answers:

How much does it cost to get married at the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch? It costs about $23,000 per night with a requirement of a $5000 event fee to get married at the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch. This includes lodging, 3 meals per day, activities, coordination, and more for 54 guests on site.
Who owns the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch? The ranch is privately owned by Courtney and Steve Kapp and Diana Kapp and David Singer.
Where is the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch Located? Located directly on ID highway 75, the ranch is 9 miles south of Stanley, Idaho. I recommend flying into the Ketchum airport located 1 hour away. You can also fly into Boise, Idaho and drive 3 hours along the scenic Highway 21.
When is the Idaho Rocky Mountain Ranch open? May 15-September 15th.