Summer Wedding at Raven Glacier Lodge, A Top Girdwood Venue
Ever dreamed of having a wedding that felt like it was right out of a Disney fairytale?? Look no further than Ally + Kevin’s dreamy wedding at Raven Glacier Lodge, an incredible Girdwood, Alaska wedding venue!!
I met these two at a wedding fair allll the way back in 2019, and I advertised some camping mini-sessions for spring 2020. They booked one of those with me, and we hit it off right away – so grateful I’ve been able to capture them over the past few years!
Ally + Kevin’s Magical Wedding Day in Girdwood, Alaska
The top Girdwood wedding venue they chose: Raven Glacier Lodge
Ally + Kevin chose one of my favorite venues in Girdwood, Alaska, Raven Glacier Lodge, for their big day. When you think of a fairytale Alaska wedding, THIS is the venue that comes to mind immediately! Surrounded by lush green forests, a flowing river, and enchanting walks through the trees, the lodge truly feels like a whole separate world. It captures the beauty of Alaskan scenery in a beautiful, serene way that is seriously unbeatable as a venue for your special day!
Unfortunately there’s not a ton of information about the lodge online, so if you’re considering Raven Glacier Lodge for your Girdwood, Alaska wedding venue, reach out to me here & I’m happy to give you some insight!
Their dreamy blue wedding color palette
I think blue is sooo underrated as a main wedding color. Not a lot of couples opt for blue because it can be hard to find naturally blue flowers, but Ally + Kevin DEFINITELY made the right decision when they picked a light blue color palette for their wedding day!
From Ally’s pale blue high heels to their custom, blue velvet ring box, to the light teal vow books + stationery, allll the way to the blue flowers in their bouquets – I seriously could not have brought their vision to life any more perfectly than they did, with the help of Lily of the Valley for their florals. Ally also had her bridesmaids wear blue robes and dresses to tie it all together!
A first look + vow exchange before the ceremony
After Ally & her gals did a champagne pop on the deck of the lodge, she headed out to meet Kevin for their first look in the woods. Kevin freaking killed it with his outfit choice, rockin’ an emerald green suit that paired beautifully with Ally’s simple lace gown & the Alaskan scenery around them. Talk about a power couple!
They also chose to exchange vows in private during their first look, which I always love love love. It gives couples a chance to make their promises in private before tying the knot in front of their loved ones, and is always a really great way to start off the day on a peaceful, intimate note!
Once they were ready to wrap up their first look, we went to a viewpoint that offered STUNNING views of the mountains & river below the lodge. It didn’t matter that we didn’t have much sun – the landscape looked unreal with the low clouds & fog, and Ally + Kevin twirling around in front of it made for a really magical scene!!
The charming wedding ceremony in the forest
I cannot say ENOUGH about the ceremony site at Raven Glacier Lodge: it legit looks like it’s right out of a fairytale. It’s super charming and rustic, nestled right in the middle of the lush Alaskan forest. They tied the knot in front of a simple wooden arbor decorated with classic white flowers & greenery, and their loved ones watching. Truly the most enchanting walk down the aisle you could dream of!
A reception filled with laughter, love, & lots of dancin’!
Ally + Kevin wrapped up their special day with a reception underneath a covered outdoor space, laughing and having a blast with their family & friends. And of course they had to do plenty of dancing to embrace the happiness of the day!
A Peek at Ally + Kevin’s Journey
One of my freaking FAVORITE parts of being an elopement photographer is that I often get to witness a couple’s journey through more than just their wedding!! Usually they reach out when they’re engaged or about to get engaged, so I’ll get to photograph their engagement session & proposal if I’m lucky. Then comes the wedding, and after that we can do a day-after session, a honeymoon session, anniversary sessions, and even family sessions if/when the time comes for that!
I believe it’s incredibly important to meet & work with your photographer BEFORE your wedding day even comes, so that we can get comfortable & get to know each other. Below I’ve included some fun photos from Ally + Kevin’s engagement session, because I’m so grateful I’ve gotten to photograph them multiple times so far! We were able to get super comfy and they knew what it would be like working with me when the big day came. Now, I’m crossing my fingers that I get to photograph them a few more times in the next few years!
Girdwood, AK Wedding Vendors
Florist: Lily of the Valley
Makeup: The Beauty Room (Cassie)
Planner: I Do Events
Videographer: Megan Freeman Photography & Film
Venue + Caterer: Raven Glacier Lodge
Entertainment: DJ KDean
Transportation: Aurora Limousines
More Girdwood, Alaska Wedding Inspiration & Resources
For more Girdwood wedding inspiration, check out Bronson & Michelle’s Raven Glacier Lodge Forest Wedding!
If you’re feeling more interested in a glacier wedding than a rustic lodge wedding, no prob – take a look at my ultimate guide on How to Elope on a Glacier in Alaska!!
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