That’s a wrap on another summer (autumn) season of weddings. Friday marked eight weeks in a row driving down to the Hole (Jackson Hole) for officiating gigs—with two Snake River trips thrown in to keep the end of summer ritual alive and strong. Love this pic snapped up at the Amangani—place is the stuff of legends. Sarah (wedding and event planner extraordinaire) caught me taking a picture of Taylor Glenn (the one and only) after the ceremony. Despite a smoky summer, a global pandemic, social and civil unrest (fight on), there were still people getting married, many of whom chose the iconic landscape of the Tetons to do so. Even when there’s anger and fear and frustration and chaos and uncertainty assailing our world—as there is right now, we still need hope and love and beauty and optimism.
I logged a lot of miles on the truck (and the thunderbolt—my mountain bike) driving back and forth each week for the last two months. Some trips were epic—a grand ceremony, albeit on a smaller scale, followed by cold and cozy nights in the back of the truck and big rides on the Idaho side of the Tetons. And some were quick and dirty (15 hour) dashes in the Prius, driving down and back in a day in order to daddy the way Kamiah is accustomed to me daddy(ing). But every trip held magic. With the exception of one here in Bozeman, all of my summer weddings down in JH were intimate affairs—elopements and small gatherings; celebrating the sacredness of the day, while honoring the seriousness of the pandemic #maskup. I’m so grateful to have connected with and told the stories of so many beautiful couples this summer, while working with these titans in the Jackson Hole wedding industry. I logged 64+ hours driving for about four hours of showtime these last eight weeks—but those four hours of getting into reverend mode and storytelling were beyond meaningful.
And there was Jack Johnson, Dr. Stephen Seiler, hours of single-track (both real riding and daydreaming about the bike & saddle sessions), and oftentimes, Amanda and Kamiah to keep me company. These traveling sermons are pretty rad really.
With nothin’ but love, mwl