Palmer, Alaska Glacier Elopement: Morgan + Kellen’s Half-Day Helicopter Adventure

You know those books or movies you wish you could experience again for the first time? That’s how we feel about Alaska. We’ve been several times now, but every time we get to bring a couple who are seeing it for the first time, we get to watch that magic happen all over again.

Morgan and Kellen had never been to Alaska before their elopement and they chose their first experience with this wild place to also be the day they got married.

They met at a friend’s wedding in 2017—babysitting kids together while the reception went on around them. At the time, Kellen was living in California and Morgan was living in Texas. A year later, he moved across the country to be with her, and two years after that, they were planning their own wedding celebration—an Alaska glacier elopement.

Why They Chose an Alaska Glacier Elopement by Helicopter

When they reached out to us, Morgan and Kellen already knew they wanted to elope in Alaska. Their vision included just them, and—because they love to travel—they wanted a destination elopement in a brand new location. 

They had considered other places like the Redwoods, Big Sur, and Tahoe, but Alaska was where their heart was. It gave them a complete wilderness experience and was the kind of bucket-list experience that felt worthy of starting a marriage.

Morgan and Kellen both consider themselves introverted, and they didn’t want to spend their wedding day worrying about everyone else. They wanted to be fully present and celebrate in a place that felt as big as the commitment they were making to each other.

Which is why a helicopter elopement made total sense for them. They didn’t have to hike for hours to reach glacier views. Instead, they could experience multiple locations in a shorter timeline. And they’d get to experience the whole thing while being completely alone on top of an ice field, surrounded by mountains in every direction.

The fact that neither of them had ever been in a helicopter or stood on a glacier made their plan that much better. Everything would be new and would be part of the adventure they were stepping into together.

A Half-Day Glacier Elopement in Alaska

Getting Ready at Their Airbnb

We met Morgan and Kellen at their Airbnb in Palmer that morning, about an hour north of Anchorage.

They were still finishing getting ready when we arrived, so we started with their details—rings, vow books, and a few items from Kellen’s mom. She’d passed away, and having pieces of her there were really important to the couple, so we made sure to capture those before anything else.

Instead of doing a traditional first look, they chose to get ready together. Kellen helped zip Morgan into her dress, but he’d never seen it before, so it still felt like a reveal moment. 

One of our favorite details of their elopement was the cake.

Morgan had baked it herself in Texas, carried it on the airplane all the way to Alaska, and driven it to Palmer. They wanted to bring it on the helicopter so they could cut it in the mountain vista overlooking the glacier. It was literally a cake that traveled the country (and spoiler alert: it still looked flawless hours later when they finally cut into it on top of the Knik Glacier).

An Outbound Heli Tour With Three Glacier Stops

From their Airbnb, we set out to Outbound Heli Adventures for their helicopter flight. The thing about helicopter tours in Alaska is that they are very weather-dependent. If the weather seems unsafe, the pilot won’t fly out. 

The weather for Morgan and Kellen’s elopement was not ideal, so we were a little worried we wouldn’t get to fly that day. But we got approved to go up, so off we went. 

We landed on the first accessible part of the Knik Glacier and found a glacier pool with a small patch of ice that looked like you were floating on bright blue water. Morgan and Kellen decided to hold their ceremony here with the sound of glacier ice shifting in the distance and mountains surrounding them in all directions.

After they said ‘I do’, they drank glacier water (something we encourage every couple who elopes in Alaska to try).

We hopped back on the helicopter and made off to our next stop—a place where two glaciers merge into one. This stop is our favorite for elopements because of what it represents. Two separate paths coming together to create something new. Here you get to stand at the physical point where that happens, on the day you’re making the same commitment, and it really is the most incredible symbolic moment. 

We gave them some time to explore, take it in, just be in the moment together.

Then we flew to what we call the glacier wall—a black sand beach area where the glacier ends and breaks away. Flying over it, you don’t really understand the scale of these landmarks. But when you land and stand there, you see how massive the glacier is, and you hear how loud the ice is as it shifts and cracks. Morgan and Kellen chose this spot to pop champagne—an epic landscape for an epic celebration.

We made several stops that day, and each time we hopped back onto the helicopter, we alternated seats so everyone had a chance to get the different perspectives. 

If you’ve never ridden in a helicopter before, the front is this bubble-like experience where you feel like you’re flying. The back is more like riding in the back seat of a car—it still gives incredible views, but a different feeling overall so changing seats between stops allowed both Kellen and Morgan to have the true helicopter elopement experience. 

What to Know About Half-Day Alaska Glacier Elopement Packages

Every Alaska elopement timeline looks a little different. Some couples choose a multi-day adventure so they can incorporate different activities and experiences or spend more time with guests (check out Matt and Lauren’s 3-day adventure for an example).

Morgan and Kellen chose a half-day helicopter elopement, and it was perfect for what they wanted. Their helicopter tour allowed them to fly to multiple stops and get different scenery in a short amount of time—something we would have never been able to do if we had done a hiking elopement on foot.

If you’re considering a half-day Alaska glacier elopement, here are a few things you should know:

• Timeline: A half-day elopement is 6 hours total, from getting ready to landing back at the heliport. 
• Weather: Alaska’s weather is unpredictable, and if the conditions aren’t right, we won’t be able to fly. This is why we build flexibility into every elopement plan. We block off a full day for flexibility with a half-day elopement.
• Investment: The two biggest costs for an Alaska glacier elopement are photography and the helicopter flight itself.
  • Photography: Our elopement packages range from half-day to multi-day coverage.
  • Helicopter flight: Expect $2,500-$5,500+ depending on flight time and how many glacier stops you include. Click here for information on Alaska helicopter packages.
  • Total elopement cost: When you add travel, accommodations, attire, marriage license, and other details, most couples invest $9,000-$30,000+ total. Half-day experiences tend to fall on the lower end. Check out our complete guide for more information about the cost of eloping.
• Accessibility: You don’t need to be an experienced hiker to explore Alaska’s glaciers. You don’t even need special gear beyond warm layers – the helicopter company provides crampons. The helicopter does the work of getting you to places that would otherwise require serious backcountry skills.
• When to go: Late May to early September tends to offer the most stable weather in Alaska, though it can still be unpredictable even during this season. We photograph elopements there from June through August, so if you’re interested in heading here for your elopement, reach out—we’d love to help you plan something incredible!

Why Alaska Is One of the Best Places to Elope for First-Time Visitors

One of the reasons we love elopements in Alaska is that it feels like you’ve gone international without leaving the US—which also makes the marriage license process easier.

You can only ever experience a place for the first time once, and we think there is no better place to have that first-time experience for your elopement than Alaska (seriously, it may just be the best place to elope in the United States!).

Watching couples see Alaska for the first time never gets old, even though we’ve done it five or six times now. The scale of it, the wilderness, and the way the landscapes make you feel small and alive at the same time are just some of the reasons that make it such a powerful place to get married.

Morgan and Kellen chose somewhere they’d never been, took a chance on an adventure they’d never done, and ended up with a wedding day that was exactly what they wanted: just them in nature, an unforgettable adventure, and a homemade cake that somehow survived a helicopter ride to a glacier.

If you’re starting to think an Alaska glacier elopement might be right for you, we couldn’t agree more! 🙂 You don’t have to plan a week-long expedition. A half-day helicopter experience can give you everything you’re looking for—the views, the adventure, and an unforgettable start to your marriage.

Ready to plan your Alaska glacier elopement? Check out our complete guide to eloping in Alaska or learn more about helicopter elopements.

Vendors Who Made This Alaska Glacier Elopement Possible:

Photography & Officiant: Adventure and Vow
Cake: the Bride
Hair & Makeup: Cathy Vang
Flowers: All Dahlia’d Up Flower Farm
Charcuterie: Alaska Berry & Board
Wedding Dress: Sunday’s Bridal
Wedding Rings: Taylor Custom Rings & Amazon
Airbnb: Cozy Riverside Retreat
Helicopter: Outbound Heli Adventures
ATV: Alaska Backcountry Adventure Tours

Free Consult Call About your Alaska Glacier Elopement

Blog post written by Sonder Studio