The Top 3 Best Places to Elope in Alaska
Eloping in Alaska is a dream come true for many couples.
Alaska is known for rugged and hard to reach places. But there are so many wonderful and easy to reach hideaways that can create your epic elopement. From wild beaches to jagged mountaintops you can pick the landscape that you most love.
The wide variety of landscapes available and relatively easy access were the reasons I chose these top 3 best places to elope in Alaska. You’ll find a glacier, an alpine mountain valley and an ocean beach from the top 3 options.
Read to the bottom to get some additional ideas for some unique and unconventional eloping ideas.
#1 Best Place to Elope in Alaska
Couple traversing a ridge in hatcher’s Pass. Elopement bouquet by Turnstone Farm. Photo by Echo Photo
Hatcher’s Pass made my #1 Best Place to Elope in Alaska.
It’s an hour and a half drive from Anchorage. Even the drive from Anchorage will blow your mind as you travel over glacial rivers and past high rocky peaks. You can stop in the quaint old farming town of Palmer, Alaska for a bite to eat or a beverage and even walk down to the rushing Matanuska River. Once on Hatcher’s Pass Road, you can drive all the way into the alpine (above tree line). The tundra covered mountains offer backdrops for stunning photos.
The rustic Hatcher’s Pass Lodge is above tree line in a valley that was once used for gold mining. Now it’s a hiking, skiing and berry picking destination. The lodge is a popular place for photos and a great place to base your elopement out of.
The road is paved all the way to the lodge. You can park there to access fabulous mountain backdrops or hike up the the now defunct mine or find any rocky mountaintop to make your destination.
Another fun adventure, is to drive up the unpaved road to Summit Lake. Get amazing vistas and spot a paraglider or two before you continue down the other side to Willow. Photo opportunities on the Willow side of the Hatcher’s Pass Road include rolling tundra and the picturesque Willow Creek.
See more photos from a Hatcher’s Pass Elopement here: Hatcher's Pass Elopement Blog
#2 Best Place to Elope in Alaska
This blue glacial ice makes for an impressive backdrop for your Alaskan elopement. Big and wild Turnstone Farm bouquet in the foreground. Photo by Lily of the Wild
The Knik Glacier made my #2 Best Place to Elope in Alaska.
The Knik Glacier is accessed via a quick and dramatic helicopter ride. Step right off onto the ice for a once in a lifetime experience.
You can also plan your trip in the fall to not only get glacial ice photos but also get stunning fall colors.
Helicopter tour companies include:
Alaska Helicopter Tours
Alpine Air Alaska
Greatland Adventuers
Walk on glacier ice for your magical Alaskan Elopement. Classic baby’s breath and rose bridal bouquet in the slightly wilt Turnstone Farm style. Photo by Henry Tieu
See more of this fall elopement on the Knik Glacier HERE.
#3 Best Place to Elope in Alaska
Couple on a remote beach in Resurrection Bay. Made possible by a sailboat. Dark and moody Turnstone Farm bouquet. Photo by Megan Freeman Photography
Resurrection Bay made my #3 Best Place to Elope in Alaska list.
This is the place to go for all you ocean lovers out there.
There are many options for your Resurrection Bay wedding ceremony. You could keep it simple with a beach ceremony and photos followed by an unbeatable and intimate dinner at The Cookery.
Or you could book a sailing excursion out of Resurrection Bay near Seward, Alaska
Sailing charters out of Seward, Alaska are a romantic and timeless way to explore and celebrate your marriage.
Resurrection Bay Sailing Charters is the only charter company at the time of this writing that I know of doing sailing charters.
Go here to see more photos from a sailboat elopement: Sailboat Elopement Blog
A sunny day at an Alaskan beach is every couple’s dream-come-true. This couple had their wedding ceremony on the beach near Miller’s Landing. The bride is holding a colorful Turnstone Farm bouquet. Photo by Erica Rose Photography
Other great things to do in Seward, Alaska include:
Eating at The Cookery (I just had to list this twice)
Grabbing a beer at Seward Brewing
Visiting the Sealife Center
Hiking the Caines Head trail to the beach and possibly beyond
Hiking up the legendary Mount Marathon
Planning your visit to coincide with the 4th of July for the annual Mount Marathon race and festivities
Hiking part of the Lost Lake Trail
Low clouds and sea weed make for a rustic tone to this quintessential Alaskan wedding. Elope on the beach near Seward, Alaska to experience the natural wonder of the ocean. Ombre bridal bouquet by Turnstone Farm. Photo by Kristian Irey
More Alaska Elopement Ideas
Rent Kayaks and explore a quiet beach outside of Whittier, AK.
Hike up into the Chugach State Park (a 15 minute drive from Anchorage) and take your pick of lakes (Rabbit Lake) , mountaintops (Flat Top or Near Point) or rushing creeks (McHugh or the Eagle River) for a super unique experience.
Head up to Denali National Park (a 4 hour drive from Anchorage) and day hike up the Mountain Vista trail, snap photos by Riley Creek, ride the bus as far as you can go for an extra remote and wild experience or bike ride into your choice of gorgeous locations.
Ride the Alaskan Railroad to Seward, Portage or Denali.
Plan a winer elopement to Alyeska on skis or explore the local resort town of Girdwood, Alaska on snowshoes.
Book a cabin at Kesugi Ken Campground and hike up Curry Ridge.
Book a cabin on Nancy Lake and rent a canoe from Tippecanoe.
Pick any beach: Miller’s Landing in Seward, Kincaid Beach in Anchorage, any local beach in Whittier, Anchor Point on the Kenai Peninsula, or Bishops Beach in Homer.
Helicopter tour from Talkeetna onto a glacier of Denali, our country’s tallest mountain.
Alaskan Elopement in the Chugach Mountains
Jess and Eric eloped in Alaska in the Chugach Mountains which are minutes from downtown Anchorage.
Jess and Eric eloped in Alaska in early March 2022 in the foothills of the Chugach Mountains.
The Chugach mountains are minutes from downtown Anchorage and offer a wild backdrop for the nature-loving couple.
This Alaskan elopement was especially amazing because of the simplicity of planning - getting to their ceremony location was fairly easy.
Although you do have to be up for a winter adventure on skis or snowshoes, it’s close to Anchorage and inexpensive to get there.
And with the wildness of the photos, you would never know! It seems like they are miles into the wilderness.
Jess’s choice of colors for her flowers contrasted the landscape so perfectly. The bright and bold bouquet looks amazing with her winter white landscape.
Plus, how lucky they were to have this sunshine!
The great thing about bright and bold colors is that they come to life in any weather situation. If it had been a cloudy or even foggy day, they would have popped even more.
Special thanks to the Alaska wedding photographer at Chugach Peaks Photography for these amazing photos.
The Alaska wedding photographers that make up Chugach Peaks have a bright, crisp and clear quality to their work that is exemplified in Jess and Eric’s photos.
Wanting to elope in or around Anchorage Alaska? We would LOVE to create your elopement bouquet with our signature style using seasonal blooms.
Get more inspiration for your winter elopement in Alaska by going here: Winter Elopement on the Knik Glacier
See a summer elopement in the Chugach Mountains HERE!
Click below to take the first step in booking your flowers with Gardenwild Floral.
Elope in Alaska on the Knik Glacier
A Knik Glacier elopement in Alaska offers a magical experience and stunning backdrop for your wedding photos.
Leanne and Peter eloped in Alaska in late February on the Knik Glacier.
Leanne requested a very large “Ice Queen” bouquet and I was absolutely thrilled at the idea of creating such a piece!
If there’s one thing I LOVE to make, it’s a big and wild bouquet.
Bouquets transform an experience and no one tells you how fun they are to hold.
Their aroma fills your experience with an additional sensual pleasure that helps to imprint this magical and life-changing event in your mind forever.
If there’s one thing that you don’t want to skimp on, it’s your bridal bouquet.
I was so thankful to work with Alaskan wedding planner, Wild Hearts Events based in Anchorage, AK and Lily of the Wild Photography to help this couple create an amazing, beautiful and memorable event.
When choosing the flowers for this bouquet, I was looking for “icy” tones of blue, blush, white, and frosty green.
I found some amazing white to blush butterfly ranunculus, heavenly smelling white & purple stock, veronica, blue hydrangea, and eucalyptus.
Looking for more inspiration for your elopement in Alaska? Go here to view another Alaskan winter elopement: Alaskan Elopement in the Chugach Mountains
Looking for flowers for your event?
Read what Leanne had to say about working with me:
“Greta was amazing when creating my wedding bouquet.
I honestly did not know exactly what I wanted but I gave her my vision and she went above and beyond.
I was so happy with the way they turned out. Not only were they everything I could’ve dreamt of, they were beautiful and smelt amazing.
”
Check out another Knik Glacier elopement here: https://www.gardenwildfloral.com/wedding-blog/fall-elopement-in-alaska-on-the-knik-glacier-2023
I invite you to book a free call with me to talk about your wedding flower vision!
Alaskan Sailboat Elopement
Alaska is a premier destination for couples wishing to elope.
Pristine mountain vistas, gorgeous backdrops of woods or tundra and water - lots of it.
This couple chose to embark on a sailboat adventure with a Turnstone Farm bouquet in hand.
And although I’d like to say that the weather they had is typical, you really never know what you’ll get. These folks completely lucked out with a gorgeous day on a sailboat with Resurrection Bay Sailing charters.
In late June the flower garden at Turnstone Farm is just beginning to open up into bloom. I chose these exquisite, delicate columbine, dried black albion pods, dark purple anemones to add some interest. Alaskan Grown peonies and dark, moody carnations set the foundation for this big and full bouquet.
Thanks to Wild Hearts Events and Megan Freeman Photography for coordinating this gorgeous event!
5 Things to Consider When Planning your Wedding Flowers
Wedding planning can be A LOT!
Especially since for most of us mortals, the biggest thing we've organized is a dinner party.
Just the sheer number of decisions to make can be daunting.
So just to get you prepped for ONE (but one very important) part of your wedding, YOUR FLOWERS, here's a few things to start mulling over in order to get exactly what you want.
And while you're thinking these things through, remember that YOUR FLOWERS WILL BE MEMORIALIZED IN YOUR WEDDING PHOTOS FOREVER!
It is for this reason that while the experience of your wedding is so important. People remember what you do and how you make them feel…
Your attire and flowers are right up at the top of the list for importance.
So here are 5 things to consider when planning your wedding flowers.
1) Size.
Size does matter! But it's all dependent on what you want.
Big, small - YOU decide! Sometimes size can match your body size but mostly I tell people just to go with what feels good.
Do you want your flowers to make a statement? Go bigger.
Do you like small and dainty? Go smaller.
Do you want to communicate abundance? Go bigger.
Leanne is holding the quintessential Turnstone Farm bouquet: it is big and wild and reminiscent of holding a garden in your hands.
2) Shape.
Cascade, upright, vertical, loose, tight. What kind of shape do you like?
Hop on google and peek around - get a sense of what you like! If you're looking for trends, here's what's hot right now: loose, wild-flower like, slightly cascading, or vertically sprawling (and I'm loving it). But honestly, you don't need to give a crap about what other people like. This is YOUR FREAKING wedding.
Elizabeth wanted a large and wild-flower like bouquet. Most of my large bouquets can be held in such a way as to create a slight draping cascade.
3) Color.
Often when folks come to me, they have already decided on a color palate. I just match my seasonal blooms with their attire and other decorations. But if you're not sure yet, peek around on Google. See what you like. Ask yourself why you like something.
Color can be fun!
Let it be fun!
And after designing and seeing hundreds of wedding photos, the most colorful bouquets look the best in photographs.
Fun fact: I used to be scared of color. As an artist, I felt like there were just too many options.
That's why I've always loved black and white photography and printmaking. You can keep it simple!
But since flowers came into my life it's fair to say that I"m color-obsessed. If you're stuck on color - I'm here to help.
Rebekah and her bridesmaids are holding bright and cheerful fall bouquets which really pop against the woodland backdrop.
4) Varieties.
Here’s what I would recommend - be open to having lots of different varieties in you floral designs! Roses and carnations don't have to be boring. Wildflowers don't have to be boho. But they can be!
I say if you're obsessed with a variety and it's in season let's make it happen! But if not, there are so many amazing flowers.
I want to fill your bouquet and arrangements with as many varieties as possible. Because you know what's in right now? Texture. How do you get texture? Lots of variety!
Marielle holds a farmed and foraged bouquet of Alaskan Grown flowers and foliage.
5) Floral pieces.
Maybe I should have started with this one. But I think deciding what you need to have is so dependent on the following.
What do you want your wedding to FEEL like?
What is most important to you?
These answers may help guide your decision as to whether you need a full floral arch or want to give bouquets to the moms (which is an idea I honestly LOVE - as a mom, I will be a joyful, tearful mess if I get a bouquet from my kids on their wedding day).
For Rosalyn, the most important floral pieces were her bridal bouquet and her full floral arch.
And finally, I'm here for you. Comment below if you have any questions about planning your flowers!
Then click the button below to schedule your wedding flower discovery call, if you haven’t done so already.
Cannot wait to hear from you!
Thank you to Lilly of the Wild Photography, Echo Photo, Chugach Peaks Photography, Lauren Roberts Photography and Joshua Veldstra Photography.