They started the day off on a helicopter and flew over some of the most epic glacier views in all of Alaska. After saying their vows in front of an absolutely stunning river, with glacier-capped mountain peaks behind them. They headed off to a glacier for the freaking coolest wedding photos! Finally, they ended the night with a gorgeous variety of s’mores around a campfire. Jessica + Ryan truly planned one of the most amazing Alaska glacier helicopter elopements ever. Keep reading to see the whole day in its beauty, and to get all the inspo you’ll need for your own adventure elopement!

Jessica + Ryan: How They Met

We gotta start with their cute love story, right?? I’m a sucker for romance. I always love asking my couples to tell me all the gushy details about their journey together 😉

They met on Match a couple of years ago (I feel like they need to be part of a Match commercial to show off their success!!), and started dating mid-2020. After a wild ride of dating through the beginning of the pandemic, they moved in together in November of 2020. Ever since Jessica says being with him has felt just like home!

She & Ryan love exploring the outdoors together. Whether they’re mountain biking or hiking, and wanted that adventurous spirit to be brought out on their elopement day. They wanted to both feel in their element and envisioned getting married somewhere with breathtaking views of nature. So that’s just what they did!

Their Adventurous Knik Glacier Elopement

If you’ve looked through any of my other informative blog posts (like this one on How to Elope on a Glacier in Alaska). You might know that I LOVE Knik Glacier sooo freaking much as an elopement location. So when we decided on this spot for Jessica + Ryan’s big day I was ecstatic!

An epic adventure through Alaska Helicopter Tours

Jessica + Ryan booked a helicopter through Alaska Helicopter Tours for their big day. A company I have loved working with in the past. They provide epic helicopter experiences in Alaska for regular tourism as well as specifically for weddings & elopements. So you’ll get a customized, truly once-in-a-lifetime wedding experience with them on your big day! As a company, they’ve got top-notch reviews & a perfect safety history. Not to mention multiple options for alpine & glacier landings for ya to choose from.

Their elopement ceremony

To start their day off we headed to Grasshopper Ridge for their elopement ceremony, where they changed into their wedding attire in a pop-up tent and had a super sweet first look. Then they exchanged their vows in front of the Knik Glacier, with STUNNING fall colors surrounding them & beautiful clouds floating through the mountains in the backdrop. Seriously, how could you ask for a more epic outdoor location for you to promise forever to your honey?!

Elopement portraits at Knik Glacier

Once the official part was over we hopped back on the helicopter & made our way to Knik Glacier for some epic glacier elopement photos. Not only did they look freaking amazing standing on the ancient ice, but they also brought the cutest little CAKE to eat while they hung out on the glacier, no big deal!! They made it all look so effortless!

If you’re considering eloping (or even having portraits done) at a glacier in Alaska, check out this blog post for my best glacier elopement tips to keep you safe + give you the most epic experience ever!

A campfire + s’mores at Eagle River Campground

As if the rest of the day hadn’t been perfect enough, Jessica + Ryan ended their elopement with a campfire at Eagle River Campground in – you guessed it – Eagle River. 

And this wasn’t just your average campfire – they hired A Touch of Saige Events to create a whole freaking beautiful setup for them, complete with cozy pillows, cushions, a beautiful wood table, lanterns, candles, flowers, pizza, and the most GORGEOUS, intricate platter of s’mores ingredients!! 

It seriously looked like it was straight out of a movie, and I even got to work alongside Saige to help set it up – check out a fun behind-the-scenes video of that here! Talk about all the campfire elopement inspiration you’ll ever need!

Their Alaska elopement vendors

A huge thanks to the whole team of vendors that made this day possible for Jessica + Ryan:

Planner: A Touch of Saige Events

Helicopter Tour: Alaska Helicopter Tours

Hair & Makeup: Amanda Bacher

Pizza: Moose’s Tooth Pub

Cake: Midnight Sun Cakery

Florals: Wild Poppy AK

Bridal Gown: Morilee

Campfire Lanterns: Barebones Living

More Knik Glacier elopement inspiration

If you’re looking for even more beautiful elopement inspiration at Knik Glacier be sure to check out Levi & Katrina’s Alaska Destination Wedding at Knik Glacier!

A sweet testimonial from the couple

To finish off this blog post I wanted to include the super sweet review that Jessica + Ryan wrote me – my heart is so full and thankful reading this!

“Donna is a very talented and amazing photographer. She puts her heart into her photography, you can tell when you are working with her that she truly enjoys what she does. 

Donna was able to make my husband and I feel so comfortable during our elopement. The pictures came out more beautifully than we could have imagined. She really gets you to be yourself in front of the camera, you forget it is there. You are just having fun with the one you love and enjoying the whole experience with them!!! 

She also worked closely with our wedding planner to make our day intimate and special in every possible way. Finding the perfect spot for our special day, the views were stunning and everything we wanted and more!! This was truly a fairy tale wedding that my husband and I could share together. The memories will last us a lifetime. 

Being on a glacier it was a bit chilly, but Donna was ready to go with hand warmers to keep us nice and toasty in between pictures. She was able to capture the love my husband and I share towards each other so beautifully and naturally. I would recommend Donna for any of your photography needs. She really does go above and beyond and even worked with us to be able to get some night campfire shots!!”

Jessica + Ryan’s elopement should give you so much encouragement to do what feels natural + FUN to you on your elopement day! They loved sitting around the fire and snuggling up together, and their whole day felt so them. I’d love to help make that happen for YOUR big day, too – reach out here and let’s plan your dream elopement together!