Weddings don’t always go as planned but these changes can often lead to new adventures for the bride and groom on their marriage journey. For Kate and Andrew, the COVID-19 pandemic took their plans for a large-scale wedding in their hometown and turned them completely upside down. 

When the pandemic struck, Kate and Andrew made the hard choice to cancel their plans of having all of their friends and family at their wedding in order to keep everyone safe.

“We didn’t think it would be safe to gather a large group of people from across the country and put them at risk,” the bride says.

Stepping away from a larger hometown wedding meant that an intimate destination wedding would be the perfect choice for the couple. A shocking change of plans turned into a romantic moment for the two as they chose to return to the place they were first engaged for their wedding ceremony. 

“Andy and I got engaged in Grand Teton National Park, and we actually got married on the date we got engaged,” the bride says. 

Among the gorgeous mountain peaks and soft greenery around glistening lakes, Kate and Andrew shared vows surrounded by their parents. It wasn’t the grand and busy wedding they had anticipated, but to them, it was worth every minute, and they ended up saving money!

“Our whole 9-day wedding trip (including our wedding day) cost a third of what we were going to spend on a large, local wedding,” the bride says.

Even though the wedding cost less, it was a beautiful and personalized ceremony. With old beer bottles decorated by the bride adding to the rustic feel of the wedding, and a dining table illuminated by soft hanging bulbs – the couple eloped in a perfectly calm and serene setting. 

If there is one thing that the couple learned from their experience and would share with others, it was that going with their hearts resulted in a beautiful outcome.

“This day is about celebrating your love and the relationship you’ve built,” the bride says. “Trust yourselves and respect yourselves enough to make the choices you truly want to make.”