Bus Lifers Elope on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park
Bus Lifers Elope on Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park
Jordan + Hollie’s Montana Elopement Adventure on Going to the Sun Road
Videography and Photography by Montana Diaries
Jordan and Hollie’s Summer Elopement in Glacier National Park
You wouldn’t believe the warmth between these two — the way Jordan looks after Hollie, how they melt into one another, how hard they had to work to make this Glacier wedding dream come true with their immediate families.
After hourrrsss upon hours driving cross-country in their converted bus, these two settled into a campground right outside the park along with their three sweet pups. Then, we got them hitched on the shore of Lake McDonald before stealing them away for an adventure session along Going to the Sun Road.
It was magic. They’re magic.
Getting ready at Glacier Campground
After Hollie got her hair and makeup done by the INCREDIBLE Shayna Beauty, we met Jordan and Hollie at Glacier Campground, which is 1 mile outside the west entrance of Glacier National Park. We opted to meet at their campsite for a few reasons — we wanted to capture their amazing converted bus, which wouldn’t be safe to drive up Going to the Sun Road, and their two gorgeous dogs before heading to the ceremony. Glacier has many areas that don’t allow dogs, so we encourage our couples to build in time to capture their pets outside the park.
Side note: Glacier Campground is also home to the amazing Sunflower cafe! If you’re traveling to West Glacier and you want to grab a great breakfast before your day of hiking, I highly recommend stopping here.
Intimate Ceremony on Lake McDonald
Jordan and Hollie were joined by their parents and siblings for their intimate ceremony on the shores of Lake McDonald, and were married by Hollie’s sweet uncle. Eloping does NOT have to mean running away without your closest loved ones! There are no rules — if it feels right to invite people to witness the beginning of your marriage, then just do it. If it doesn’t…then, well, don’t.
Remember, when holding a ceremony in Glacier National Park, you need to get a permit! The park has specific locations where they allow ceremonies, so click here to get more info about applying for a ceremony permit.
Adventure Elopement Photos on Going to the Sun Road
After Jordan and Hollie tied the knot, we enjoyed a delicious cake from Bonjour Bakery and Bistro — Bonjour provided a delicious vegan huckleberry lemon cake, I HIGHLY recommend trying them out if you’re looking for vegan and gluten free options!
Then, when time ran out on their permit, we said our goodbyes to the fam and adventured up Going to the Sun Road for adventure portraits. Jordan and Hollie are magic — he looks at her with such intensity, and they are so gentle with one another, it made our jobs easy. When it comes to adventure portraits, it’s as much about allowing our couples to experience the place we’re exploring as it is about capturing it. So, it’s all about reminding people to take everything in, cuddle one another, and forget about posing for the camera. Jordan and Hollie did just that…and well, look at them. They’re gorgeous.
Should you get married in August at Glacier National Park?
August is a lovely time to get married in Montana and explore GNP — it’s the warmest time of year, but we don’t tend to experience much humidity, so it’s a dry heat when it does get hot. While the weather is unpredictable in Montana, we role with the punches and explore the outdoors rain or shine.
I would caution any couples planning an August elopement to think about fire season, which tends to envelope the mountains in haze if there’s little rain to dissipate it. You can see from Jordan and Hollie’s photos and film that the smoke can look lovely and add a lot of dimension, but if you’re picturing a perfectly clear view of the mountains during your trip, August might not be the best time!
Montana Elopement Vendors
Videography and Photography: Montana Diaries
Makeup: Shayna Beauty
Floral: Mums Flowers
Cake: Bonjour Bakery & Bistro
Want an inside perspective on the big day!? Take it from our beautiful bride, Hollie:
Our wedding video is finally here! 7.15.2021 🤍
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After 6.5 years together, we finally tied the knot in the most beautiful place, Glacier National Park. It was a small and intimate ceremony with our immediate family.
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Jordan’s dad, @daquintommy, became an ordained minister in the state of Montana, and was our officiant. It was such an honor to have him marry us and I can’t imagine having done it differently.
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Shayna, (@montana.diaries) created the most beautiful video of our day that we will cherish forever. Seriously, she’s the best and I am so grateful that I found her.
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thank you @shaynabeauty21 for doing my hair & makeup! It was perfect.
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@bonjourbakeryandbistro created the most delicious vegan cake for us. It was lemon huckleberry and we ate every bit of it. (straight out of the box) 🤣
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I LOVED my bouquet from @mumsflowersmt. It was everything.
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Our vendors were amazing! I don’t know how I managed to find such amazing vendors from across the country and on Instagram at that! Yes, I found all of our vendors through Instagram and they did not disappoint. 🤍
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Last, but certainly not least, our families. Our parents and brothers drove & flew across the country to be with us. We knew we wanted to elope but still wanted to have our parents & brothers be apart of it. So grateful they were able to make the trip and be there for our special day.
