If you’re reading this, that probably means you’re planning your elopement in Glacier National Park! How exciting! I know that planning an elopement can take lots of research, and sometimes trying to elope in a location such as a National Park can be overwhelming. That’s why I created this guide to help you plan your elopement easily! With that being said, let’s dive in!

Photography By Brogan | Glacier National Park Elopement & Wedding Photographer

Choose Your Photographer

Hey there! I’m Brogan, a Northwest Montana photographer who’s experienced in the Glacier National Park and who specializes in weddings and elopements in the Glacier National Park and Flathead area!  Finding the perfect photographer for your Glacier National Park elopement is key! You want someone you can vibe with, and someone who has experience photographing in locations like a national park because they’re going to know the ins and outs! My goal is to create unity between the intimacy & stunning backdrops. I would love to be a part of your Glacier National Park wedding or adventure elopement day, if you are ready to make that happen, fill out my contact form and let’s do it!

Choosing Your Date and Time

It’s important to decide on your date and the time of year you want to elope! Glacier is gorgeous year-round. The majority of the park (most of the grand views) is only open from mid-July to mid-October though, so keep this in mind! The wildflowers are also in bloom from July-August usually, depending on the spring we have! Lake McDonald is open year-round which makes for beautiful ceremony sites in the winter and spring months if that’s the timeframe you’re looking for. The Going-to-the-Sun Road opens in July, which is what a lot of people want to see because it’s absolutely stunning! 

Weekday or Weekend Elopement?

In my opinion, weekday elopements are the way to go! Weekends are so busy! Because of this, ceremony sites can be really crowded! I recommend sunrise or sunset elopements because the middle of the day can get so busy with tourists! I LOVE shooting in the golden hour! Google will tell you what time the sun sets on any given day so I base my timing on that for the perfect golden hour elopement photos! Check out the Google sunset times here!

Picking Your Glacier National Park Elopement Ceremony Location

The park has an amazing list of ceremony sites with a ton of information on this page! Below are five of my favorite spots to elope for you below!

My Top 5 Favorite Spots To Elope: 

Josephine Lake: There’s a one-mile hike to the ceremony site, but in return the views are incredible! They only issue ONE permit for this location a day, so it gets somewhat competitive! This is on your way to the famous Grinnell Glacier hike, (bright turquoise lakes, uhhh STUNNING!!!) so we could even incorporate that into your adventurous day!

Pray Lake/Two Medicine Lake: These lakes are absolutely stunning! If you chose this location, your ceremony site will be at Pray Lake, and then we would explore all around and take some epic shots! 

Bowman Lake: This location is STUNNING!!! It’s a gorgeous lake with some really incredible mountain views! It really shows off in the fall months! 

Sun Point by St. Mary’s: If you want grand views with a gorgeous blue/turquoise water lake, this is your spot! This will be along the Going-to-the-Sun Road, so we could hit up all the major sites after your ceremony!! 

Many Glacier: This spot is so unique to me! I think the character it shows is beyond words.

Lake McDonald: This is probably the busiest spot in the park because it’s the easiest to get to! At sunset it starts to calm down and is more private. It is SO unique. Its bright-colored pebbles and calm water is the perfect spot to elope all year round! 

Now, I want you to imagine this…

You and the love of your life decide to elope in Glacier National Park. Not only are you marrying your other half, but you’ll get to see breathtaking views that will be captured in photos that you will look back at for the rest of your life. Memories that will flood back to you and every detail every time you look at your elopement photos. After your ceremony, you rent a boat at sunset and ride off into the night with your new spouse. UGH! If this doesn’t sound absolutely dreamy I don’t know what does! 

Applying For Your Permit & Vehicle Registration 

It’s very important that you apply for your permit as soon as possible! If you for some reason don’t get the ceremony site you were hoping for, we can always go take photos there afterward! You can apply for your permit here!

The vehicle registration system is a program they just started two years ago. In short, vehicle registration is required to access the Going-to-the-Sun Road Corridor and North Fork, Many Glacier, and Two Medicine Vehicle Reservation Areas. You can find more information on this here! Your elopement permit counts as your vehicle registration ticket! I am more than happy to help with any permit assistance + planning! It’s included in all of my elopement packages!

Book Your Vendors For Your Glacier National Park Elopement!

It’s also important to make you start looking into booking vendors in advance! If you book with me, you get my full list of Trusted Vendors! 

I offer an all inclusive package which includes an officiant, florals, champagne + flutes, and a cake.

Get Your Marriage License!

Here is the link to apply for your marriage license! You will need to bring your marriage license to the ceremony! If you hire an officiant, either you or they can file it! 

Book Your Travel Plans! 

If you’re flying in, I recommend Glacier Park International Airport because it’s central to everything! It’s also only about 35 minutes from the West Glacier entrance! 

Lodging For Your Glacier National Park Elopement: 

Inside the park or around the West Entrance: Lake McDonald Lodge, or Glacier Raft Company.

Inside the East Side of the Park: St. Mary Village, Many Glacier Hotel,

In Whitefish: Firebrand, The Whitefish Lodge, Grouse Mountain Lodge, Columbia Falls

In Columbia Falls: Cedar Creek Lodge.

Airbnb & VRBO: I HIGHLY recommend looking into Airbnb or VRBO as an option for lodging! There are some very unique places that you can find around the area!

Fun Things to Plan While You’re Here!

Hiking is the number one reason why most people visit this area!!! You can find some great hikes here! I also really love this guide on fun things to do in Glacier! If you’re bringing family along, check out some family-friendly activities below!

Family-friendly Things to Do

Glacier Highline Zipline is an excellent spot to zipline near Glacier National Park! This park is family-friendly with lots of activities for young children and adults!

The Amazing Fun Center is a 2-level, human-sized wooden maze 7 miles south of the West Glacier entrance. The fun center has an 18-hole miniature golf course, a bumper boat pond with a fountain and electric boats that can squirt water at each other, bank-shot basketball, and a deluxe go-cart track!

Whitewater Rafting is such a fun activity for the whole family to experience! I definitely recommend trying it out while you’re here!

Flathead Lake offers sailing, power boating, waterskiing, swimming, fishing, picnicking, and camping! In the summer, you can find some roadside stands along the east shore that has an assortment of locally grown cherries, apples, and other fruits! YUM!

Finley Point is a 28-acre park and it has a ton of different farms to choose from for cherry and apple picking!

The Red Bus Tours is also a neat, family-friendly activity! On top of touring guests around Glacier, the buses have also evacuated guests in times of fire or flooding! They average transport of 60,000 tourists each summer through Glacier National Park!

The Whitefish Mountain Resort has lots of activities to check out and is another great family-friendly idea! I definitely recommend checking their event calendar out!

Do The Dang Thing!!! You’re Married! 

Congratulations, you did it! Now it’s time to share with family and friends! Aside from marrying the love of your life, it’s also super exciting to share your big moment with your friends and family! Post that cute elopement announcement to the gram or Facebook it! 

Tips To Make Your Glacier National Park Elopement Go Smoothly! 

Photo Prop Ideas:

Bring a “We Eloped” sign! Some officiants provide this for you as well, but if you want something custom or unique to you, then make sure to bring one! It’s a fun memory to add to your day! It’s also a great idea to bring a map of the area because it can be fun to incorporate that into your wedding gallery for some stunning detail shots! 

Be Prepared For The Weather & The Wild!

I always keep some umbrellas on hand, because the weather in Glacier can be VERY unpredictable and can turn quickly. For that reason, I recommend bringing some coats or warm attire! Some brides have even worn warm leggings under their wedding dresses because of this! If you plan to have an adventurous elopement, definitely bring hiking boots! If you want other shoes for the ceremony, you can totally bring them along! After the ceremony is over, you can go explore and get some amazing shots, because you brought some boots!

Bring bear spray and bug spray! There are a lot of wild animals and of course, bugs in the park, so I definitely recommended bringing this with you! Headlamps, snacks, and water are also good ideas too! And of course, bring some bubbly or cold beers to celebrate your special day, because you deserve it! Also, make sure you bring your ceremony permit and marriage license! DO NOT forget! 

Let’s start planning your Glacier National Park elopement together!

So, what do think?! Are you ready to plan your own dreamy elopement in Glacier National Park? I know I’m ready! As a photographer who is familiar with Glacier National Park and who has photographed elopements here before, I know I’m up for the task! 

When I’m capturing your love story unfold, my goal is to capture your moments in a way that is raw, authentic, and absolutely YOU! You can learn more about me here and if you’re ready to make some memories, let’s chat!