Beautiful summer elopement video at Pray Lake in East Glacier National Park
Beautiful Pray Lake Elopement Film in East Glacier National Park
Sam and Emily had the most beautiful summer wedding in east Glacier National Park — from their intimate ceremony on the beach of Pray Lake to their adventure session at Many Glacier, these two savored every moment together and repeatedly expressed their gratitude for each other, their loved ones, and the beautiful scenery. It was an honor to film their day and work alongside Jessica Billings Photography.
The bride’s response to her Glacier National Park elopement film
“Shay, OKAY WOW. We were absolutely blown away by our videos!! We watched them yesterday morning snuggled up with coffee and we were both in tears after about 45 seconds of the highlight video 😂 You are so incredibly talented and we are so thankful that we trusted you to preserve such precious memories for us! Sam’s favorite part was the way you edited together the footage with the various voiceovers. That was also my favorite part - especially how you found specific footage to match the things that were being said (like when Sarah was saying to take a mental snapshot of the ceremony and you juxtaposed that with the footage of us taking pictures of one another, or when I talked in my vows about us having adventures together and you played that over the footage of us laughing in the back of the car on our way to go take pictures by the lake.) It is so evident how much thought and care is put into your work. We are so grateful!!”
Sam + Emily’s East Glacier National Park Elopement
Sam and Emily’s micro-wedding is the perfect example of how you can combine an intimate destination wedding that includes your loved ones with the incredible elopement footage + photos that might appeal to your personalities — they were able to tie the knot in a gorgeous location while including their loved ones, and also head off for their adventure session and make a memory just for the two of them.
This day was also a great example of how we work with other photographers — I actually started Montana Diaries as a video-only service, so we’re no strangers to working with other photogs! Typically, we defer most planning and timeline help to the photographer on video-only projects, and Jessica Billings is such a seasoned pro that we had no problem doing so with Sam and Emily’s wedding! She works really similarly to us in that she prioritizes the couples’ wish list while helping with structure and logistics — planning long distance is *no joke* and we want our couples to feel completely supported through the process. Keep reading to get some inspo on how to structure an adventurous wedding in East Glacier National Park, and how we cover it with photo + video!
Getting ready at an East Glacier Airbnb
Jessica Billings and I met Emily at her cabin Airbnb outside east Glacier National Park to capture details and the last 30 minutes of wedding preparation. Emily’s stunning makeup was done by Whitney Williams and her gorgeous hair was crafted into an updo by the talented Madeline Coogler.
It was such an emotional moment getting Emily into her wedding dress — mama zipped her up on the porch to give everyone room to take her in, and both her parents and sister broke down crying when they saw Emily’s complete bridal look.
Sam and his father met us outside the cabin to put on their boutonnières before we all caravaned to Pray Lake.
First look and Ceremony at Pray Lake
Sam and Emily opted for a first look overlooking Pray Lake — they wanted a private moment to take one another in before being joined by the rest of their family for their vows.
After their emotional first look, their amazing officiant Sarah Harding gathered everyone on the shore of Pray Lake for the ceremony. Emily was walked down the “aisle” — aka the trail — by both her mother and father.
The ceremony was absolutely lovely — Sarah Harding kept it so personal and true to the couple, and Sam and Emily wrote their own personal vows. My favorite touch they added to the ceremony was a “ring warming” where they passed around their rings for each of their loved ones to pour their prayers and good energy into the rings/their marriage.
After the ceremony, we enjoyed cake and champagne at the picnic tables and a few loved ones gave heartfelt toasts. The marriage license was signed with the sunlight flickering through the trees in the background, and then we said our goodbyes to the family for our adventure session with the newlyweds.
Many Glacier Adventure Session
Emily and Sam chose Many Glacier for their adventure session, and I’m so glad they did! The long drive gave them a chance to decompress and chat, and for us to get to know each other. Sam is a news producer and Emily is a school teacher, and they’re two of the most beautiful, empathetic, intentional people I’ve ever met.
It was a gorgeous evening at the Many Glacier Hotel. The light over the mountains literally had Jessica and me squealing in excitement haha!! Sam and Emily were so fun to work with and they enjoyed taking in the incredible view.
All About Eloping in East Glacier
How to get to the east entrances of Glacier National Park
If you're coming from the east, there are three entrances to Glacier National Park that you should know about: St. Mary, Many Glacier, and Two Medicine. To get there, just take Highway 89 north from Great Falls for about 125 miles until you hit the town of Browning. From there, you'll see signage directing you to the respective entrance you want to go to. And if you're coming from the west, just follow U.S. Highway 2 into Browning and you're good to go. As for lodging, you'll find Glacier Park Lodge, St. Mary Village, and Prince of Wales Hotel on the east side of the park.
Weather info + the best time of year to elope in East Glacier
If you're planning your elopement in Glacier National Park, I highly recommend the Two Medicine area. The entrance is located just a short drive north of East Glacier on the eastern side of the park, and it's seriously breathtaking. To get there, just hop on Hwy 49 north out of East Glacier and cruise for about 4 miles before turning onto Two Medicine Road. Even though the entrance is open year-round, keep in mind that from mid-October to mid-May, the road might be closed to vehicles because of snow. But no worries! You can still enjoy the stunning scenery of Two Medicine by strapping on some snowshoes or cross-country skis and taking a peaceful stroll.
With that said, the best time to elope in the Two Medicine area of East Glacier National Park is in the summer and early fall!
Permits, passes, & legalities for getting married in East Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park Special Use/Activity Permits
How much does it cost?
It costs $125 to apply to get married at Pray Lake in Glacier National Park.
How do you apply?
You can download the application for the special use permit by clicking here!
How long is it valid for?
Your permit allows your use for 2 hours!
What locations is it valid for?
You can review the ceremony permit locations in Glacier National Park at this link and request your specific spot on your application.
How long in advance do you need to apply for it?
I would apply literally as soon as you know where you want to get hitched!! Some years, my couples don’t even hear back until a few weeks before their big day so we’ll need to come up with back up plans just in case.
Do you & your guests still have to pay a separate entry/parking fee?
Your ceremony permit will allow you entry for the park’s reservation ticket system, but you will still need to pay for the general park pass fee.
Click here for more information about getting married in Glacier!
East Glacier National Park Elopement Vendors
Working with Jessica Billings Photography on a Glacier National Park wedding
It was such a joy to work with Jessica Billings — she guided Sam and Emily through their elopement experience beautifully and allowed me to step away from the planning and focus on filmmaking. Jessica is seriously such a light and a joy to work with; I’d be happy to work every elopement with her if I could!
East Glacier National Park Elopement Videographer
Heyyyy, I’m Shay, your Glacier National Park elopement videographer. If you stumbled on this post while planning your Pray Lake or Many Glacier elopement, you’re gonna want to have me along to capture the beginning of your marriage with my story-driven videography style. I’m from Northwest Montana and it’s an honor to share its beauty with you — andddd help you capture it in a way that brings you right back to your wedding day. Click here for our info + pricing page, and click here to contact me. I can’t wait to hear more about your vision!
Vendor List
Photographer: Jessica Billings
Videographer: Montana Diaries
Officiant: Sarah Harding
Makeup Artist: Whitney Williams
Hair Stylist: Madeline Coogler
