glacier
locations, vendor referrals,
ideas, all the things
by the way, you picked a great area!
What's next?
ok so you've had that conversation,
FIRST...
Do you have a venue / spot picked out?
01.
If the answer to this is yes, you can pretty much skip to the vendor recommendations and other ideas below. This Location portion is geared towards micro weddings/elopements that do not have a venue.
Location location.
02.
So you don't have an exact location yet, you just know it's Glacier area. Yay, amazing area to get married. With the airport convenience, amazing food, lots of beautiful places to go and fun things to do one can't go wrong. You'll want to start by narrowing down the location first. Montana is huge and each area has lots of smaller areas, often looking totally different from each other.
Here's how I would divide the Glacier area into different areas.
this photo is from Logan pass...this was summer and it was absolutely amazing!
EAST GLACIER
I haven't done a lot of exploring or working in East Glacier. It's quite the jaunt to get to, but it's worth it. Absolutely unreal beautiful and wild. I would highly suggest planning for a fullll day, with travel and whatnot you'll definitely want to plan accordingly.
WEST GLACIER
probably the most simple area to get married in GNP. I'd consider West Glacier-Logan Pass to be in their category. It's easy to cover multiple areas for photos and ceremony without having to be in a car for hours and hours. Then it's about 1 to 1.5 hours to Kalispell again if you want to eat or do anything after.
*in off season you are really limited on accessible areas of the park.
THE VALLEY
this would include outside of the park. Whitefish area down through Kalispell, Big Fork, Flathead Lake. If you're looking for something off the beaten path, don't want to deal with park permits or tourists this is a good option. If you want to explore this option it will require a little more work, but that's not a bad thing. If you have a location in mind perfect, if you're open we'll go through a location scouting process together to find a perfect place.
VENDORS
the people who make your dream day happen
do your research. but I've worked with a few of these vendors and i've nevr had an issue with any of them.
officiants
Montana does not require documentation to officiate, they only need to bedeemed qualified b you the couple. So if you want a friend to do it they can, or if you want to say your vows to each other without being guided, I can sign your license (I can also say "may I be the first to congratulate you" but I do not guide through vows as I'll be takin photos haha. Here are some officiants in the valley!
Lichen + Pines | Bespoke Ceremonies | Best Day | Montana Wedding Officiants
florists
One of the cool things about eloping is having the opportunity to maybe splurge on your bouquet! I absolutely love bouquets, gives your hands something to hold, brings in some color, and completes the bridal look. The jagged peaks mixed with soft flowers?!?! YES PLEASE! Mums is the go to because they a la carte options, but there's several florists around!
hair and makeup
Definitely treat yo self! Getting pampered before heading to the mountains is a good way to just soak in the morning/time before ceremony and take it slow. Get a mimosa for yourself and get dolled up. Your man can also go get pampered!
other vendors
other vendors you might want!
Videography- CJ Spencer | On the Fly Films | Media by Molly | White Rose Films
Planning- SG Weddings | Huckleberry Events | Montana Wildflour Baking |
marriage license
Plan ahead for this. Plan to have time before your elopement day to go pick up y our license. There is stuff you need to bring to obtain it and things you need to do before going in. So make sure to be prepared by visiting the Flathead County website on the matter. Here is the link!
IDEAS
the sky is the limit...for real.
I don't want you to think of your wedding as "we have to do this" or "so and so said they want"...no. From the start I want you to sit down together and dream up your dream day. If that means hiking at sunrise and saying your vows as the sun wakes up, plan for it. If that means having a having a relaxing morning drinking coffee, having a ceremony and drinks after and calling it a day, plan for it.
01
02
03
have a conversation
do nothing crazy
do something crazy
I love a relaxing chill wedding day. You just spending time together soaking in all the moments. BUT... if you do what to do something crazy and memorable, you can. Here's some ideas of things I think would be cool!
Glacier canoe on lake McDonald, boat ride on flathead lake, skiing at Big Mountain, hiking, camping, horse riding... sky is the limit!
I'm pretty sure you've already got the idea that I am your permission slip. This is YOUR day, you can do whatever you want. I can help line out the logistics of timeline/travel time estimates, all that. But I'd love for you two to sit down together and dream up your dream day. No expectations, no judgements, there's no right or wrong way to get married so just go for it!
have a chill morning in town, go out to one of the breakfast joints in the valley, get dressed together, explore the area for photos. Pack a lunch/ charcuterie board and have a picnic in the mountains. Go to a local bar for a celebratory drink.
THINGS TO DO
wildlife /sightseeing tour - do your research on company
camp/boat flathead lake
where to eat
There's some great food in the Flathead Valley. I haven't tried them all so do your own research! Here's some links to all the hot spots from Flathead lake to Whitefish!
WHERE TO STAY
Whitefish, Kalispell, Columbia Falls & surrounding areas
