Planning your Jackson Hole wedding from out-of-state can make you feel like you are “missing out” on all the fun parts of planning, but it doesn’t have to!
On-Location planning days provide a big push in getting through major planning tasks and are a fun way to enjoy your wedding location again before your vows. I like to build at least two of these on-location planning days into my couple’s planning process. For my Wyoming wedding couple, we recently headed to the cowboy state for an on-location planning day. Here’s a behind the scenes look into what went into making the most of our visit together.
Psst… Want to see more of the behind the scenes of on-location planning days? Check out my recent travels to Colorado Springs, Colorado & Carmel, California.
8:30a – Breakfast on Your Own
Planning days start unhurried around here. (Is it because I want my couples to start the day with some relaxation or because I’m notoriously not a morning person? That’s a secret I’ll never tell!) I encourage my couples to enjoy a leisurely breakfast before we hop into a full day of wedding planning.
This is also a great opportunity to test some restaurants to add to your wedding website or hotel welcome cards as a recommendation for your guests.
Some of the Jackson, Wyoming breakfast recommendations I made for my couple included:
Pearl Street Bagels (just don’t ask for them to toast the bagels, trust me.)
10:00a – Venue Site Visit
Your venue is a great place to start an on-location day. Not only does it often rekindle you love for your wedding location, you venue is the foundational element for your entire wedding. Everything is built from there so refreshing your plans from the foundation is key to an efficient and useful planning day.
Bundled up and borrowing my clients’ extra snow boots (which after two snowy on-location days have moved to the top of my to-purchase list), we surveyed the all-outdoor space at Moose Head Ranch. The view of the Tetons is a primary reason my couple chose the venue. One of the central components we continued to discuss was choosing locations for the day’s events based on the view. The ceremony will take place in the meadow at an angle that centers Grand Teton. Cocktail Hour will be at the bank of the pond which will provide an unobstructed view of the mountain range. Our tent will be set behind that as to ensure that throughout the night, the best views are taken into account.
11:30a – Floral Visit
Monica of JH Flower Boutique was kind enough to host us for a visit to see her extensive (and incredible) vessel collection as well as talk current floral costs in Jackson Hole.
As expected with inflation, we’ve seen costs, and therefore prices, increasing across the wedding industry. Between the pandemic, labor shortages, wild fires, shipping delays, and all the rest of the ongoing world issues, the floral industry has been hit hard. All of this has made estimating budgets for florals such a moving target. I appreciated Monica taking the time to share the regional situation. She give myself and my couple a more targeted insight on what we can expect for their floral cost.
12:30p – Miscellaneous Planning Tasks
In between the visit to Monica’s shop and our tasting, we stopped into Cowboy Coffee Co. for a little caffeine pick-me-up and to quickly cover some of our outstanding to-dos.
This quick meeting included discussing entertainment options, officiant, & wedding party attire.
1:00p – Tasting
When this couple booked my services, they insisted the only caterer they would even talk to was Bistro Catering. That worked just fine for me because they are my go-to in Jackson Hole! (See our last wedding together here.)
And let me say, Jen and her team did not disappoint.
Since the couple are regulars in Jackson, and familiar with the Fine Dining group’s quality, our focus wasn’t on items they were already familiar with. Instead we tried some items that might be more adventurous for guests to make the most of the tasting.
Here was our menu:
- Appetizers
- Seared Elk Bite with Potato Puree & Jalapeño Huckleberry Jam
- Roasted Mushroom Tartines with Whipped Ricotta Cheese, EVOOO, and Watercress on Artisan Toast
- Mini Twice Baked Potato & Caviar with Fried Fingerling, Crème Fraiche Potato Puree, Caviar, and Chives
- Kanpachi Crudo with Crispy Rice, Miso-Green Onion Vinaigrette, Citrus Emulsion
- Salads
- Charred Peach & Arugula Salad with Rocket Greens, Crispy Prosciutto, Shaved Parmesan, and Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette
- The Simple Evolving Farmer Greens with Shallot Vinaigrette, Parmesan, Spontaneous Pickled Vegetables, and Crispy Bagel Chips
- Entrees
- The Chicken & The Egg with Sautéed Greens, Toasted Farro, Lemon-Caper Picatta Sauce, and Egg Yolk “Jam”
- Smoked Heritage Pork Roast with Grilled Peaches, Pickled Blueberry, Cauliflower Puree, Cardamom Coffee Crumble, Red Eye Chicken Jus
- KC Strip Steak with Pommes Puree, Broccolini, Crispy Shallots, and Bordelaise
- Peach & Soy Marinated Frilled Barramundo with Chilled Salad of Smashed Tomato and Grilled Summer Squashes, Fresh Basil and Mint, Togarashi, and Crispy Rice Chip
- Seared Wild Alaskan Halibut with Olive Oil Whipped Potatoes and Broccolini
- Dessert (all in miniture form)
- Fruit Tart
- Pretzel Tart
- Pies of Apple, Mixed Berry, and Strawberry-Rhubarb
On top of being a delicious time, we were able to talk through beverage plans, service expectations, and general F&B timelines. We all left excited for dinner in September!
Roasted Mushroom Tartines & Kampachi Crudo 
Salads & Entrees 
Desserts
3:00p – Miscellaneous Planning Tasks
After the tasting, we headed over to one of Fine Dining groups’ restaurants Bin22 for our final planning meeting of the day. I figured with our logistics heavy topic list, wine was in order!
We covered a variety of truly riveting topics like restrooms trailers, guest transportation, and guest accommodations. Thankfully, my couple was ready to step into the space with me and get some real headway on these less than fun planning topics.
We also discussed more exciting tasks like tabletop rentals and creating a timeline that fits their priorities for the day.
7:30p – Farewell Dinner
After a full day of planning their Jackson Hole wedding, I love to invite couples out for a dinner where we can kick back and connect outside of planning.
From their planning questionnaires, I knew the groom loves Japanese food so I made a reservation for us at new Jackson hot spot, Suda Izakaya. This Japanese-style bistro served as a great cap to our planning day with their small dish, sharing menu perfect for us to manage portion sizes post-tasting. Plus it offered up a variety.
I always cherish this time with my couples as I get to know them better. As this couple are avid travelers separately and together, we spent a good bit of our time talking about our favorite trips and bucket lists. After hearing their stories, I’m moving Iceland up my list for sure.
Interested in tying-the-knot in Jackson Hole? Inquiry with me to set up a connection call.
