Epic Two-Day Alaska Elopement

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Hey! I'm Mollie Adams, adventure elopement photographer & founder of Between the Pine. Since getting started in 2018, I’ve hiked thousands of miles to photograph more than 100 adventure elopements in my rugged home base (Washington), my tropical home-away-from-home (Kauai), and elsewhere (hi, Oregon!). Welcome to the blog, where I recount adventures with past couples and share resources to help you plan your best adventure yet!

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Elopement

October 27, 2023

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Written by our rad team member, Kiersten Roy

It’s no secret that here at Between the Pine we love exploring the outdoors and this two-day Alaska elopement gave us the chance not only to experience the magic of this beautiful state, but also do it while celebrating one of our couples on their best day ever! Recently I (Mollie) had the chance to explore Alaska during Jo and Mike’s two-day elopement and let me tell you, it was an incredible experience! Not only did we get to witness so many vast landscapes (we’re talking glaciers, mountains lakes, and more!), but the couple also got to have the experience of a lifetime while celebrating the start of their marriage with their families. Keep scrolling to see more from this incredible Alaska elopement!

Groom driving down the road before Alaska elopement

Bride patting the ground during adventure elopement in Alaska

Group trekking across Alaska glaciers during elopement in Alaska

Alaska elopement adventure in the glaciers

Purple, yellow, and blue elopement details with black binoculars

Bride getting zipped into white tulle wedding dress before Alaska elopement

Groom in burgundy suit with cream dress shirt

Bride lacing up hiking boots for Alaska elopement

Bride walking down the steps of mountain cabin in Alaska

Bride smiling before first look with groom

Groom's reaction to bride during Alaska elopement first look

Meet Jo & Mike: The Couple of This Alaska Elopement

Meet Jo and Mike, an adventure loving couple from the East Coast who now live in Washington state. When they first reached out, the couple told me they wanted their elopement to be an incredible experience. It didn’t take us long to decide that Alaska was the perfect place for them to elope. Not only does this state have endless opportunities for adventure and exploring, but it is also filled with so many vast landscapes (we’re talking ocean, mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, and more!).

What I especially love about Jo and Mike’s Alaska elopement is that their experience started before they even got to Alaska. Instead of flying, the couple took a train to Vancouver, Canada before hopping on a cruise all the way up to Alaska (and, they did all this with their family.). Instead of just making their elopement a single day experience, these two had almost two weeks to celebrate! Talk about a memorable experience!

Once they arrived in Alaska, we all met up at Sheep Mountain Lodge, where their entire Alaska elopement experience was based out of. This lodge truly felt like adult summer camp. Nestled on the side of the mountains near the glaciers we explored, Sheep Mountain offers everything you’ll need. Their in-house restaurant makes all the food from scratch, and they even provide helicopter tours and hikes that depart straight from the property!

Because there were so many things they wanted to experience, Jo and Mike decided to plan a two-day Alaska elopement. On their first day we started with a family breakfast at the lodge’s restaurant, followed by a guided glacier tour with MICA tours. Everyone in the family hiked for about two hours to the glacier and filled up their water bottles with the freshest glacier water you can imagine! It was the perfect way to start an elopement day and I love how Jo and Mike included all their loved ones in this activity.

From there, we headed back to the lodge where the couple started to get ready for their ceremony. After a first look, Jo and Mike exchanged vows on the lodge’s private property followed by a celebratory cocktail hour and meal. While everyone was eating, some rain moved in and we saw a rainbow, so of course, we jumped up and ran outside to get some rainbow photos and dance in the rain. That’s the thing about Alaska. The weather can move quickly, so you really just have to be ready to embrace whatever you get (but hey, that’s the fun of it all).

The rest of day one was spent hanging out with family and simply celebrating being married. If you want to see more from this Alaska elopement, head over and check out part two on the blog, otherwise, click here and here to take a peek at Jo and Mike’s incredible two-day helicopter elopement!

Bride and groom wipe tears during Alaska elopement

Bride reads handwritten vows during elopement in Alaska

Bride and groom hold hands during elopement ceremony in Alaska

Bride and groom elope in Alaska with family and friends watching nearby

Groom holds bride's hand during elopement ceremony in Alaska

Bride and groom kiss during Alaska elopement ceremony

Bride and groom laugh during their elopement ceremony exit in the mountains

Three Adventures to Add to Your Alaska Elopement

An Alaska elopement is one of the best ways to experience unique adventures that make for unforgettable experiences on your best day ever! Here are three of our favorite adventures to add to your special day.

Helicopter Tour

A helicopter tour is one of the best ways to experience all the different landscapes Alaska has to offer! Not only will you get charted off to remote destinations, but you’ll also get to see the views from above (and I can guarantee they’ll take your breath away!).

Hiking

Going on a hike is always a good idea in our book, but here in Alaska, hiking is an extra special experience. Whether it’s a guided glacier tour (which we highly recommend) or simply lacing up your hiking boots and going on one of the many trails that Alaska has to offer, you’ll get to witness so much of Alaska’s vast landscapes up close and be surrounded by some of the most beautiful scenery there is.

Boating Tour

If you’re down in the Seward area, going on a boating tour to see wildlife and icebergs is such a fun experience for your Alaska elopement. And who knows, sailing through the pristine glacier waters, you may even catch glimpses of whales breaching and seals basking on floating chunks of ice, making your elopement an unforgettable and truly wild experience.

Bride and groom kiss in front of a glass greenhouse in Alaska

White frosted wedding cake decorated with colorful wildflowers

White reception table with colorful wildflowers running down the center

Colorful wildflowers and candlesticks at Alaska elopement

Colorful wildflowers decorate white reception table with custom place settings

Bride and groom kiss during elopement reception in Alaska

Guests toast during elopement reception in Alaska

What You Need to Know About Alaska Elopement Packages

When choosing to have an Alaska elopement, we highly recommend our two-day elopement package.

A two-day elopement package will give you an amazing variety when it comes to planning an Alaska elopement and it’s the perfect option especially if you are inviting guests to celebrate with you. Because there are so many stunning locations in Alaska (and the state is quite large meaning it can take some time to get from one place to another) planning a two-day elopement allows you to plan an adventure elopement filled with all the experiences you dream of while also allowing for plenty of time to experience it all, spend quality time with your loved ones, and not feel rushed.

If you don’t plan on inviting any guests, our sunrise-to-sunset package is another great option (plus it happens to be one of our most popular elopement packages booked by our couples). When booking a sunrise-to-sunset elopement, you get golden hour and blue hour at BOTH sunrise and sunset! This means you are going to get the best light on your day (twice!!) and get to experience multiple locations.

Click here to learn more about our packages for your Alaska elopement.

Bride and groom hold hands while walking away from their elopement cabin in Alaska

Bride and groom kiss at the base of the mountains in Alaska

Bride raises bouquet into the air while kissing groom at the base of the mountains

Groom twirls bride around during outdoor elopement in Alaska

Bride and groom hold hands while running through the mountain trail in Alaska

Bride and groom stand surrounded by lush greenery during their Alaska elopement

Bride and groom run through the green trails during their adventure elopement in Alaska

Bride and groom hug during elopement photos in Alaska

Bride and groom kiss while surrounded by greenery at their Alaska elopement

Bride runs hand along the ferns while walking through a mountain trail

Meet Your Alaska Elopement Photographers

We feel most at home in the outdoors, so it’s no surprise that is where we gravitate towards as your Alaska elopement photographers. Between the Pine was founded by Mollie in 2018 and she has hiked hundreds of miles all over the Pacific Northwest and Kauai, to capture couples during their best day ever. Since 2018, we’ve grown our team and continue to hire even more incredible photographers!

Our team at Between the Pine is passionate about our jobs and adventuring to the most beautiful locations to document your best day ever. We know the Pacific Northwest like the back of our hands and are dying for a reason to head back to the mountains, forest, and everything in between! Click here to learn more about the Between the Pine team, your Alaska elopement photographers!