Epic Horseback Riding Elopement in Stanley Idaho

Abby grew up with horses of her own, and once she and Luke started dating, Luke’s love for horses grew almost as quickly as it did for Abby. These two knew they didn’t want to have a big wedding, but they knew they wanted to incorporate horses and extravagant views into their day, making their decision to go trail riding in the Sawtooth Mountains the perfect decision for their Stanley elopement.

Sunrise Hot Spring Date

We always love to take the time to get together with our couples before their elopement days begin. Not only does it help our couples’ nerves for the day, but it also allows us to get comfortable working with them and get to know them better. Luke and Abby decided to go to a local hot spring near Stanley, Idaho to start their day relaxed and enjoyed the sunrise together before their big horseback riding adventure in the Sawtooth Mountains.

Getting Ready at a Beautiful Cabin with Sawtooth Views

Abby, Luke, and their families all took a road trip from Wisconsin to celebrate their elopement. They were able to rent out the most stunning VRBO property with a main house and a guest house that overlooked the Sawtooth Mountains and provided plenty of space, fishing, and games to enjoy during their stay. Abby decided to hire a hair and makeup artist duo from Boise (EMILY AND HANNAH) who made the trip up to Stanley bright and early in the morning so they could doll Abby, her sister, and both Luke and Abby’s mothers up for the big day. While the girls were getting their hair and makeup done, Luke was in the back catching trout in the stocked pond that was on the property. Once they were both ready they sat side by side while they finished writing their personal vows.

Trail Ride to the Ceremony Location with Mystic Saddle Ranch

MYSTIC SADDLE RANCH was able to accommodate Abby and Luke’s group size for their special day. While groups of less than 12 are typically very normal for elopements, being on horseback added lots of extra factors to navigate. With the help of the amazing team at Mystic Saddle Ranch, we were able to pull off the most beautiful trail ride over Marshall Ridge to a ceremony spot overlooking Redfish Lake and Grand Mogul Peak.

Ridgeline Ceremony Overlooking Redfish Lake

Once we arrived at the ceremony spot everyone got off their horses and began getting ready for the ceremony. Abby requested having horses standing with their families during the ceremony and the awesome guides from Mystic Saddle Ranch happily obliged. We got the horses and their families positioned, and then Abby made her way up to Luke and tapped him on the shoulder for the first look. After Luke turned around and got a look at Abby in her dress we began the ceremony. The ceremony included a prayer at the beginning, personal vows, and a letter reading from Abby’s grandfather whom wasn’t able to make the trip to Idaho. After their first kiss they walked with the horses down the aisle and we took some bridal photos with them.

Epic Horseback Ride in Wedding Attire

Luke and Abby decided to ride back down in their wedding attire, which made for some awesome horseback photos with a Sawtooth Mountain backdrop.

Bridal Photos in the Sawtooth Valley

We snuck the two of them away for some golden hour bridal photos. We chose one of our favorite locations – a big open valley that leads up to the Sawtooths. They had a blast and even showed off some of their new dance moves that they had recently learned.

Reception under the Stars

After the bridal photos we headed back to the VRBO property for some reception activities. It was a beautiful evening surrounded by mountains and family. They did first dances, cut some cake, did a little bit of fishing, and topped it all off with some stargazing. There happened to be an ongoing meteor shower that week, which meant an amazing amount of shooting stars in the Milky Way covered night sky. We hung out with them the rest of the night and lost count of the number of shooting stars. Stanley is actually in the CENTRAL IDAHO DARK SKY RESERVE, which means its one of the darkest places in all of the United States. The night skies in the summer are something you have to experience at least once in your lifetime.