Jenn + Dillen’s Hatcher Pass Anniversary Session

When every single corner of Alaska is picturesque, how on earth do you decide where to elope? Michael and I struggled with this for a long time as we figured out where we wanted to have our ceremony. Our best advice, especially now that we’ve had to make this decision for ourselves (and truly understand how hard it can be to ‘rule out’ some truly incredible places) is to start by asking yourself three questions:

What sort of scenery do you want for your elopement in Alaska?

Want to get married in the mountains? On a beach? On a glacier? Alaska has it ALL. Seriously, the sky is the limit here – and even then, the sky isn’t really the limit because our personal favorite way to experience Alaska is by helicopter 😉 We recommend you get started by narrowing it down to just one type of scenery so you aren’t overwhelmed by all the options.

How private do you want your elopement location to be?

Hate the idea of having tons of other tourists watching your intimate elopement ceremony? We get it! Most of our couples who elope choose to do so because they want a private experience where they aren’t the center of attention. As a general rule, your odds of privacy at your elopement location is directly proportional to the level of difficulty in accessing the location (e.g. roadside locations are going to be much busier than a spot on a 6 mile hike). But if you’ve fallen in love with a popular, highly accessible spot you still have options! Highly trafficked spots tend to be busiest in the middle of he day, so consider an early morning or late evening elopement. Alaska gets bonus points here because in the summer there’s plenty of light 24/7. Midnight ceremony on the summer solstice, anyone???

How accessible do you want your elopement location to be?

So we talked about how more accessible locations tend to be the busiest. But that doesn’t mean you have to do a ten mile hike to have privacy on your day, especially here in Alaska! Want a private ceremony with zero hiking involved? It’s time to get creative with your mode of transportation. Consider hiring a helicopter for a glacier landing or a private boat tour through the fjords of the Kenai Penninsula!

Choosing Hatcher Pass – one of our favorite Alaska elopement locations

For Jenn and Dillen’s anniversary session, we wanted to find a fairly easily accessible location within easy driving distance of Anchorage and Hatcher Pass was absolutely perfect! Zero hiking is required for stunning mountain views (all of the photos from this session were taken less than a 5 minute walk from the parking lot) and for a Saturday afternoon, it was surprisingly not too busy. Plus, we could have found even more privacy if we had followed one of the many trails up farther into the mountains. 

We highly recommend eloping at Hatcher Pass if you want an accessible yet stunning location for your Alaska elopement!

Keep scrolling to see how our adventure at Hatcher Pass turned out!

ARE YOU READY TO GET STARTED PLANNING YOUR OWN EPIC ADVENTURE ELOPEMENT IN ALASKA?

We can’t wait to get started helping you make all your wedding dreams come true. With over 3 years of practice helping guide couples in crafting their perfect wedding day experience, we’ve got all the tools you need to make your dreams a reality. We’re ready to help you pick the best, unique location, connect you with local vendors, and create an adventure-filled and stress-free day. All you have to do is have an amazing time together and get married! We can’t wait to be your elopement photographer and wander with you.

CHECK OUT OUR ALASKA ELOPEMENT PACKAGES HERE.