How To Elope in Glacier National Park
PSSTTTT — THIS BLOG POST IS A LIL OLD AND CRUSTY, READ THE UPDATED GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENT GUIDE HERE!!
HOW TO ELOPE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK
First of all, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT! You’re here because you and your partner have decided to elope in one of the most beautiful places on earth. You’re all about authentic emotion, true connection and reverence for nature and one another, and creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience that reflects YOUR unique love story rather than following the “rules” that have been set out for you.
I see you, and I also understand that while the above is AMAZING you’re also left with a lotttt of questions. Namely — “Howwww do we pull this off!?”
You’ve got questions, I’ve got answers.
Here’s what we’ll be covering:
WHERE DO WE START WITH PLANNING OUR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENT?
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO ELOPE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK?
WHERE SHOULD WE ELOPE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK?
HOW DO WE GET PERMITS TO SAY OUR VOWS IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK?
HOW DO WE FIND AN OFFICIANT AND DO WE EVEN NEED ONE?
WHERE DO WE GET OUR MARRIAGE LICENSE?
WHAT IS AN ELOPEMENT EVEN LIKE? aka WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?
HOW DO WE MAKE TRAVEL AND LODGING PLANS FOR OUR TRIP TO GLACIER?
WHO ARE THE BEST VENDORS FOR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENTS?
Wowwww, turns out we have a TON to cover. LET’S GET TO IT.
WHERE DO WE START WITH PLANNING OUR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENT?
Hollyyyy heck, the starting line can be pretty overwhelming, right!? You’ve made the decision to do this crazy fun, adventurous thing and you have no idea the steps to take to actually make it happen. I get it, and I’m telling you right now to breathe — each step of the process is actually super simple and I’m telling you right now that I’ve heard from manyyyy couples that everyone from the permit office to the vendors you’ll inquire with are SUPER nice and helpful. It’s a Montana thing.
The first thing you should do is to sit down with your partner and decide how you want the beginning of your marriage to FEEL. The scenery, the weather, the activities you build in — having an idea of the experience you want to have, no matter how outside-the-box it might seem, will help you move forward with a vision that feels right to both of you, aannnddd it will help you communicate clearly to your vendors so that we can help you make that vision happen!
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF YEAR TO ELOPE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK?
You should know that Glacier is GORGEOUS at ANY time of the year, but only super limited portions of the park are open year-round! This is on account of the, I don’t know, 80-ish feet of snow that parts of the park get in the winter.
Are you dreaming of late, warm nights and access to all of the most epic views in the park? Plan on visiting between June and September.
Want cool weather and incredible fall colors? Try September through October, but keep in mind that it can snow at anytime and parts of the park may close!
Winter wonderland vibes? November-February is a pretty safe bet.
Butttt you guys, I have to tell you: Montana weather is wild. If you’re down for an adventure, going with the flow, and being okay with whatever mother nature will throw at you, then come on over!! If the thought of snow or rain or mud getting your dress dirty or wind blowing your hair out of place freaks you out? This might not be the best fit.
Want more info about different seasons to visit GNP!? Here’s more from the park’s website: https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/hours.htm
WHERE SHOULD WE ELOPE IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK?
I don’t heckin’ know, where do you want to elope!? Here’s the deal — we need to think about your vision for scenery but ALSO your vision for how you want the experience to feel! If you’re imagining a quick jaunt in the park with epic views + photos but then spending time together at a local brewery before doing a beautifully styled and catered dinner at your AirBNB...thennnn, a sunrise 7 mile hike is probably not in your future! There’s easy-to-get-to places all over the park to fulfill your scenery dreams, but what is most important is your EXPERIENCE dreams. Make sure you find vendors who can help guide you in a way that fulfills both!
HOW DO WE GET PERMITS TO SAY OUR VOWS IN GLACIER NATIONAL PARK?
It’s super easy to get a permit to say your vows in Glacier, and the folks at the permit office are beyond helpful! They will send you a list of available locations for your vows, and we’ll help to guide you based on your vision, but DO NOT WORRY! We don’t have to stay at this location for your entire session — it isn’t a life or death decision.
Here’s where you need to go when you’re ready to apply for your permit + some more helpful info:
https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/permitsandreservations.htm
HOW DO WE FIND AN OFFICIANT AND DO WE EVEN NEED ONE?
Let’s talk about a weird and awesome thing about getting married in Montana: anybodyyyy can perform a wedding here without being ordained. In fact, you can marry yourselves, and many of our elopement couples choose to do so!
If you want a super personalized ceremony, consider asking a friend or family member to tag along to perform it for you. If you prefer to keep the ceremony as intimate as possible, just bring along your personal vows to recite to one another — no officiant necessary. This is called self-solemnization and it’s incredibly powerful. https://www.montanalawhelp.org/resource/getting-married
You don’t NEED witnesses in Montana, either, but we’re always happy to sign your license!
WHERE DO WE GET OUR MARRIAGE LICENSE?
The closest place to Glacier National Park to snag your marriage license will be the Flathead County Courthouse in Kalispell, MT. Our past couples have said it’s SUPER SIMPLE and FAST to grab your marriage license, but head over to the site for more info: https://flathead.mt.gov/clerk_of_court/_marriage_application_start.php
WHAT IS AN ELOPEMENT EVEN LIKE?
aka WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO?
Ahhh, the “supposed to” question. Listen and BELIEVE what I’m about to say:
You don’t HAVE to do anything. You GET to do exactly what you want to do.
No two elopements are the same because no two couples are the same. Release yourselves from expectations and rules and what your second cousin did for their wedding — it doesn’t apply. You are making a conscious decision to start your marriage off in a way that feels true to YOU. Let go of anything and everything that doesn’t feel right, and embrace every idea that feels good — it’s as simple as that.
I get couples who are avid hikers, who want the most epic views, who want to see and experience the park all day. I get couples who imagine a lazy morning sipping coffee and reading together and the idea of us documenting them as they are in those moments before heading to the park makes their souls happy. I get couples who want a true adventure fishing or rafting or ziplining along with their vows in the park. I get couples who love the idea of reciting their vows near the entrance of the park so they have time to go back to town to bar hop before returning to their lodging for a beautiful catered dinner.
There are NO rights or wrongs, NO supposed-tos, NO rules. Let this be your permission slip to plan the exact elopement you want.
HOW DO WE MAKE TRAVEL AND LODGING PLANS FOR OUR TRIP TO GLACIER?
Plan your travel and lodging as early as possible!
Many couples opt to fly into Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, Montana because it’s the closest to GNP, but also consider flying into Missoula International Airport if you can find a better deal! The drive from Missoula to the Flathead valley is gorgeous.
As far as lodging goes, I would check into lodging in Kalispell, Whitefish, Columbia Falls, or Bigfork — each town has amazing things to offer when it comes to activities, shopping, and local restaurants and bars! We’ve got a bit of a Stars Hollow thing going on in all of those towns. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OX8JtJffWo
photo credit: jaci vigil
WHO ARE THE BEST VENDORS FOR GLACIER NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENTS?
Okayyy, you KNOW I have to drop some amazing GNP vendors because this is the #1 pain point I hear about from my GNP elopement couples. Let me tell you — nobody knows how to plan a wedding, let alone an adventure elopement, and I get that choosing vendors can be SO overwhelming. Let’s break this down and keep in mind that these awesome people book up SUPER fast, but they’ll probably be able to point you in the right direction if they’re already booked for your date!
VIDEOGRAPHY + PHOTOGRAPHY
Heyyy, it’s me, Shay — the owner of Montana Diaries, the writer of this insanely long blog post, the chaco-wearing fraggle who is gonna curl her hair for your wedding and then put it in a messy bun five minutes into the day. I’m your gal for full-coverage videography and I’m always stoked to add on photography, but I also have some AMAZING GNP photog friends who I love to recommend if you want a different style than what I offer! (Be sure to poke through the website — my style is story-driven, campy but clean, and earthy. Long story short: I want my work to look and feel like Northwest Montana.)
Jaci Vigil — emotional, documentary + film-inspired: Jaci’s a rad time; if you hire us together, we’re gonna bump some tunes, take a shot of tequila, and vibe out. Jaci shares our values of telling ALL kinds of love stories, we’re both LGBTQ+ friendly vendors.
Elsa Eileen — Epic, warm: Elsa is the sweetest person you’ll ever meet; together, we’ll take you to some of the most amazing places you’ve ever seen and her calm nature will draw out your true connection.
Katy Shay — Moody, romantic: Katy is all about combining the art + innovation with the adventure; together, we’ll capture your authentic love story in the most beautiful, unique way possible.
FLORALS
HAIR + MUA
*For lash extensions before the wedding: Lashes By Lindsey
CAKES & DESSERTS
*GLUTEN FREE + VEGAN: Red Poppy
OTHER
Huckleberry Weddings and Events
Please use this list as a jumping off point and let me know if you need more help researching — I'm always game to ask around and to post questions to my social media if all else fails!
Let’s get you hitched!
okey, now that I’ve just freaking thrown up ALL OF THE INFO about eloping in GNP at you, don’t forget to head over to the experience page to learn allll about Montana Diaries’ heart behind our full coverage videography + photography for adventurous couples (aannnddd our prices, I’m not here to play haha!!) OR click on over to the MEET SHAY page to — ya know, meet me. If you read this entire blog post, we’re gonna be friends, I can already tell.
