Kate + Ryan’s Fairytale Elopement in the Mountains.

Enjoy this story of the magic that comes to pass when you let your photographer plan your all day elopement in Glacier National Park!

The Dream

Imagine a wedding day so ethereal, so intimate and private that even the birds held their chirping. Imagine showing up to the Airbnb on the morning of your wedding knowing that the whole day was planned with you in mind. That every detail was crafted for you and your experience. Kate & Ryan’s elopement is a testament to the day you can have when you trust your elopement photographer fully.

Kate came to me with nothing more than a dream and dress. Ok, maybe she had a little more figured out than that. Anyone that knows Kate and Ryan can tell you these two are extremely selfless people pleasers, and even choosing to elope was tough one. Deep down they knew that a private intimate ceremony was what was going to serve them best. Then, they found me, and I planned every detail of their fairytale elopement in Glacier National Park!

Kate showed me some inspiration photos of flowers she liked, and a stunning photo of her dress and the vision of her dream day began to take shape! There was an overall elven theme, like something out of a fantasy book or movie. I was immediately so inspired. And when they booked me for an all inclusive whole day elopement I knew the possibilities were endless!

The Plan

Planning an elopement in glacier national park comes with a lot of boxes to check. There’s permits and vehicle passes, locations with restrictions, and the occasional road/area closures for various reasons. We started with the custom list of location ideas I had picked for Kate and Ryan to look over. There were a handful of stunning ceremony sites on the list, and they ultimately chose Sun Point. I reminded them as we sent in the application that there was a possibility of getting a different location or time.

To our surprise they got approved for Sun Point at 5-7pm! It was the best news ever. I began building their day around this ceremony on the east side of Glacier National Park and it was starting to take shape. I found an amazing treehouse to get ready in, a bit on the small side, but totally fit the theme of the day. I booked a Picnic with Montana Picnic Company for them to enjoy after the ceremony. I found the Hair and Makeup Artist Allie and booked her too! I worked with Erika Bakes to create a masterpiece of a wedding cake for the love birds. Of course I ordered another amazing floral package from Big Sky Boho. Everything literally fell right into place.

Over the next few months I worked on putting together a timeline and planning the day in its entirety. Creating moments of intimacy for Kate and Ryan to explore and experience. They had never been to the park before so it was important to me to leave pockets of time in there day for them to just exist in the environment. With everything planned and booked we awaited the big day with so much excitement!

The Adventure Elopement

The Morning

The morning of their elopement I met them with donuts at the Airbnb for a slow start to the day. Their best friend and officiant Miles joined us with jokes and anecdotes. He kept us all totally entertained as the morning began to unfold. The sun peeked up over the trees and Allie got to work getting Kate ready. She did an amazing job turning Kate into a woodland fairy princess. The woman looked magical.

Because Ryan had already seen Kate in her dress they opted for getting ready together rather than a first look and I could not have planned it better. There in the tiny treehouse Ryan zipped Kate into her dress and she helped tie his tie. They shared moments of intimacy with the sounds of heavy metal filling the treehouse. I did my best to take up as little space as possible during these sweet moments of the morning allowing them to enjoy each moment as it came.

We took a handful of portraits on the balcony of the treehouse and in the grass field right behind. They danced in the grass like the day dreamers they are. The morning ended quicker than we realized and before we knew it we were off to the park. Videographer Em from Genuine Videography joined us for the trip.

The Portraits & Exploring

We began their day at the riverside. Pulled off to one of the little stops there just north of Lake McDonald, and trekked down to where the rocks met the gushing river. Nothing makes you feel smaller than standing at the base of mountains with a raging river flowing passed you. There were so many beautiful moments there on those rocks.

From there we went on to Trail of Cedars. This is one of my personal favorites and whenever I can I take my couples there. There is something so otherworldly about the trees. The sheer number towering over you. A canopy of cedar trees with trickles of sunlight peeping through. This was not only the perfect backdrop for the elven couple, but it was a great place for them to explore and roam. There’s a stunning path there perfect for walking hand in hand, or pinky in pinky.

The day wouldn’t have been complete without a stop at the iconic Paradise Meadows, the Big Bend of GNP. There the sweeping mountains are met with wildflowers reaching for the skies. One mountain stacked upon another for as far as the eye can see. Truly epic views. This is a great spot for soaking in all that an elopement in Glacier National Park has to offer.

The Ceremony

As the sun dipped in the sky and the afternoon faded we piled out of the car at Sun Point and prepped everything we needed for the ceremony. A short little walk down to the site, and we were met with those heavy clouds and bowl shaped mountains backing right up to St. Mary Lake. This site is one that takes your breath away, and Kate and Ryan fit into the scenery as if they had been painted there. Again we gave them space to explore the trail as we walked to the ceremony site. There in low voices and complete privacy they made their promises.

There is something so incredibly powerful about baring witness to this kind of intimate wedding. There in the wilderness with nature as your only audience. Perfect silence and serenity wrapped all around them.

The Picnic

The picnic that followed the ceremony was like something out of a romance novel. The most perfect little table for two, pillows in the wedding theme. The glasses and plates, everything was so thoughtful and chosen intentionally for this day. Kate and Ryan enjoyed a platter of breads, and crackers, cheeses and meats. And Cokes because that’s what they like and it was perfect! They ended their little dinner with the amazing cake!

As an ohmage to the running joke of the day that Kate was third wheeling her own marriage Ryan secretly fed Miles cake as if he was the bride, and the laughs from the table could easily have been heard all the way in West Glacier.

The After Party

We ended the day as the sun set behind the mountains. The sunset was dipping lower each second, and the day lingered in the air around us. We took a little extra time to shoot some blue hour photos before the night came to an end. The photos really just speak for themselves.

A Perfect Day

I said it before, Kate and Ryan’s elopement really is a testament to the amazing experience you can have when you put all trust in your photographer. Not all of us offer this level of planning, but the ones that do can really pull of something amazing. Come to us with an idea, a vision, and give us the freedom to build your day around you. Allow us to take all the stress off your plate, and let yourself experience the magic of your best day ever.

For information on how to book your All Day Elopement in Glacier National Park click here!

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