Best places to elope in Alaska

Maybe you just got engaged or maybe you’ve been planning your special day for months. As time goes on you begin to realize that a big wedding isn’t really your style. So you start scouring the internet to find resources and answers. You fall in love with the idea of eloping. You’ve got your heart set on Alaska but wanna know all the best locations before you make a final decision.

It can feel a little overwhelming at first. Trying to gather up every single ounce of information to plan out your adventure elopement but let me just say you don’t have to go it alone. As a wedding and elopement photographer, I’m here to help you and not just when you are in front of my camera.

Location scouting is a huge part of what I do as an alaska elopement photographer. I get to explore cool places like Denali National Park and Hatchers Pass here in Alaska ensuring they are the perfect location for your elopement. There are so many great places to choose from here in Alaska in this post I’ll be breaking them down for you!

Elopement Locations in Alaska

This is just a short list of elopement locations here in Alaska. There are millions of acres to explore here in Alaska, but these are a few that I highly recommend to my couples.

1. Hatchers Pass
2. Beluga Point/Bird Point
3. Denali National Park
4. Porcupine Beach
5. Girdwood, Alaska
6. Portage Lake
7. Mattanuska Glacier/Kniks Glacier
8. Seldovia, Alaska
9. Homer, Alaska
10. Whittier, Alaska

How to elope in Alaska

Let’s make this a one-stop shop for ya while you’re here! I’m going to give you all the details on how to elope in Alaska so that by the end of this post you are fully ready to get to planning. So let’s dive in head first, shall we?

Apply for a marriage license

First things first we want to apply for an Alaska marriage license. You can do this by filling out this form on this website. A couple of quick things to note when obtaining this document; there is a 3-day waiting period, they expire three months after issue and there is a $60 license fee.

Apply for any required permits

Now that you’ve got your marriage license we can jump back into the Alaska elopement locations that we talked about above. In order to host your adventurous wedding or elopement here in Alaska, you will need to apply for a special use permit. You can click here for additional information on permits!

Hire your dream team of Alaska wedding professionals

If you are a do-it-yourself kinda person l I can totally respect that but if that’s not your style fret not help is here! Hiring a dream team made up of wedding professionals can completely change your overall elopement experience. Rather than stressing over details, you can spend this time soaking up moments as a newly engaged couple.

Here are just a few of my favorite wedding professionals here in Alaska who can help make all your day of elopement dreams come true.

1. AK Happenings (Wedding and Event Planner)
2. Yarrow and Co (Boho Wedding Florist)
3. Honeybloom Floral Design (Wedding Florist)
4. Wild Poppy AK (Wedding Florist and custom rentals)
5. Glam By Cathy (Hair and Makeup artist)
6. Doll House AK (Makeup Artist)
7. Hairplay AK (Hair Stylist)
8. Bateau Bridal Boutique (Wedding dress store)
9. Anderson’s Bridal (Wedding dress store)

Pack your bags and board the plane

The moment you’ve been patiently waiting for has finally arrived! It’s time to head to Alaska and marry your best friend. I know you must be feeling so excited! If this is your first time visiting Alaska I promise that you are going to fall in love! I mean if you are like me you may never want to leave.

There are two major airports you can fly into for your Alaska wedding or elopement. The first major airport is Ted Stevens and the second is Fairbanks international airport. If you are planning to stick around the Southern Alaska area say the Wasilla, Palmer, Anchorage area, etc I recommend flying into Ted Stevens.

If you are sitting here looking at your empty suitcase feeling unsure about what to pack for your trip. Here’s a checklist of items to bring with you during your stay.

Wedding/Elopement related items

1. Wedding Dress
2. Suit
3. Footwear (waterproof if possible)
4. Rings
5. Marriage License

Fun things to do while visiting Alaska

There is so much you can do here! Whether you looking to add a little fun to your elopement day or just explore with family and friends theres something here for everyone to enjoy. Heres a little list of places and things you can do during your stay!

Places to eat

1. 49th State Brewery
2. Ronnie 2 Sushi
3. Mooses Tooth
4. Humpy’s
5. Glacier Brewhouse

Activities you can do

1. Take a helicopter tour out on a glacier
2. Ride on a boat out to sea and fish
3. Explore the outdoors and take a hike
4. Enjoy a calm drive down the turn again arm
5. Go camping

I hope now you are feeling a little more prepared to take on your special day. If you have any questions or need a little extra help I would love to work with you! Lets create a one of a kind elopement experience for the two of you!