Diana and Bill’s love story feels like it was always meant to wind its way through the mountains. Having already signed the marriage license back home, this mountain adventure was about something bigger. These two planned an elopement to honor their journey through the wild places that have brought them joy. Here’s just a glimpse into the magic we witnessed at their Glacier National Park elopement.
Choosing a Glacier National Park Elopement
Diana had dreamed of escaping to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Glacier National Parks for a long time, but life kept putting her trip on hold. It didn’t take long after meeting Bill (who had already explored many of the national parks) that they started planning adventures together.
Diana and Bill both took a leap of faith that turned into love and led to a proposal made under an eclipse a few years prior to the wedding day. The couple finally chose Glacier National Park in Montana to celebrate their marriage through elopement photos and time with family.
I did a lot of location scouting for this Glacier National Park elopement and almost every permitted location for weddings is stunning. In my opinion, I found the lighting seems best suited for the afternoon and sunsets rather than sunrise.
Unlike the Grand Canyon or other national park wedding locations, Glacier accommodates a larger number of guests at their wedding sites. You are not limited in elopement location choices here! Almost every overlook is also a permitted wedding location and each one is more breathtaking than the last!
Glacier has a really short window for their peak season so parking can be challenging and there are people everywhere. I have done two overnight backpacking trips in the park and it was still incredible! Come prepared to be patient with parking and crowds and it will be great!
Bringing Family Along For Your Adventure
This actually was my sister’s elopement and my first time capturing a Glacier National Park elopement. I loved working somewhere completely new to me! It was so effortless going with the flow photographing Diana and Bill. Family can be stressful, but it was really easy with these two!
We started the elopement day timeline at the Two Medicine trailhead which brought us to Sun Point. It was extremely windy and I was really proud of them for braving the cold water to get some epic shots.
The next day we drove the Going-to-the-Sun Road pulling over again and again to soak up the views and photograph their love. We loved seeing wildlife and wildflowers everywhere! The road requires timed entry permits so the couple got passes for the week for a group of cars allowing family members to join the journey.
Family wedding portraits were interesting because I had to be in them! I set up my best tripod which allowed me to jump into a few shots using the self-timer. The newlyweds then exchanged rings privately at Grinnell Glacier while my boyfriend and I set off on a backpacking trip through the park.
Later, we all came back together alongside friends and family to celebrate these two hearts at Lake McDonald. There was hiking, a boat tour, campfires, and so much laughter.
When the Photographer is Part of the Party
The theme of the day was simplicity. Diana originally chose a long pink skirt and white top for her fall wedding outfit, but neither arrived in time. The bride selected a white wedding dress instead as a complete surprise to Bill. I was so excited to photograph her in it!
I also took some photos of the family boat tour in 35mm film photography. I’ve been shooting film on my dad’s old Pentax K1000 camera. Even though I’ve shared film photos with my dad, I wanted him to see it in action! He’s a little bit of a softie and I really enjoyed seeing his nostalgia as I took his photo with it. I also took some Polaroid photos with my family while we were on our hike to the Trail of the Cedars.
One of my favorite parts of the day was adding in some silliness that Diana and I have always shared. We’re both ridiculous in the best way sharing our love for wax lips, clown noses, fake mustaches–you name it!
On a past river trip at the Grand Canyon, we laughed ourselves silly using goofy disguise glasses and nose. Of course, I brought it along to Glacier and I convinced Diana to wear it for a pretend first look with Bill even though he had already seen her dress.
These photos are still some of my absolute favorites. They capture her joy, our friendship, and how much laughter is woven into her love story with Bill.
Wedding Vendors
Destination | Glacier National Park
Bouquet | Sarah Kay
Photographer | Terri Attridge Photography
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