Breathtaking Alaska Elopement with Helicopter Wedding | Kim & Chris

Anchorage, Alaska Elopement Packages | Helicopter Elopement in Alaska | Alaska Elopement Photographers

Tips for Planning a Helicopter Wedding

One of my favorite ways to experience the mountains is via helicopter. There is something about being flying over vast mountain ranges that makes you sit back and think about how small we are and how vast and beautiful nature is. That is why we love recommending helicopter adventure elopements when possible.

In the United States, though, it is actually against the law to land a helicopter on any National, State, or Forest lands (faa.gov) which is why we are very careful when helping our couples choose the best place for a helicopter elopement. For more tips on planning a helicopter wedding keep reading:

When is the Best Time of Year to Schedule a Helicopter Tour

Generally summer and autumn are the best times of year to plan a helicopter elopement. While helicopter tour companies can run all year long, the summer and autumn months are often warmer and have more predictable weather, helping reduce the chance that your tour will get canceled.

What to Wear for Your Helicopter Elopement

Since we will be high up in the mountains it’s best to be prepared with extra layers and other items to keep you warm. Some important things to consider bringing are:

Extra layers/jackets
Hiking boots or sturdy shoes
Gloves
Hand Warmers

Have a Backup Plan in Place

As mentioned earlier, helicopters are highly dependent on the weather, and if there is bad weather forecasted, your helicopter tour may get canceled. While we do our best to eliminate these chances by scheduling during the best time of year, in the event that the tour is canceled, we’ll want to have an alternative plan in place. This is where we as elopement photographers will help you throughout the planning process to ensure that everything is in place to help you have the best adventure elopement experience possible!

Check out this beautiful Whistler Helicopter Elopement for more helicopter elopement inspiration

The Couple and Their Decision to Elope in Alaska

Kim and Chris didn't know they wanted to elope in Alaska until we got on the phone. On that first phone call together we talked and talked for hours. Not about Alaska, but mostly about life and that's how we connected right from the beginning. When Kim and Chris decided that they did indeed want to plan an Alaska helicopter elopement I got so damn excited! Viet (Rain and Pines) and I had previously planned on traveling to Alaska back in July but had to postpone due to a family emergency. During the following months, we continued working and helping our couples, so when Kim and Chris came to us and decided on an Alaska elopement in September, we knew it was truly meant to be!

This breathtaking Alaska elopement is now featured on Junebug Weddings.

From Emotional Getting Ready Moments to Exchanging Vows on Top of the Glacier, this Is How To Elope In Alaska Adventurously

The morning of Kim and Chris’ elopement was so beautiful. I can still remember the crisp morning air and the clear skies. It got emotional the minute we started taking getting-ready photos. The couple eloped by themselves and got some sweet letters from the family so they read those during the early morning moments. Then we were off to go meet our helicopter for a tour of the glacier where Kim and Chris would exchange their vows.

We flew to the ceremony spot and let me tell you the views were breathtaking! Kim and Chris shared their vows on top of this gorgeous glacier and expressed their love for each other around a little pond that was formed from being under the sun. (And yes, we all drank glacier water 🙂.) It’s hard to describe these feelings but it’s so great to witness love among such beauty. We ran around the glacier a bit having fun and taking photos before flying to our next location for some more photos.

Life happens in the most unexpected ways. If our trip didn't get postponed Kim and Chris wouldn't have ended up in Alaska for their elopement. We wouldn't have been able to see these colors and all the beauty Alaska has to offer. Sometimes, I try not to question why things need to happen I just want to be able to live and see the beauty in living each moment for what it is.

Kim and Chris, thanks for completely trusting in us for your elopement. Thanks for allowing us to take you to places you didn't even know you wanted to see. We are incredibly grateful for you both.

Kind words from the couple:

We eloped on 9/17 & there hasn’t been a day since that I haven’t stopped to admire Henry’s work - I have been SPEECHLESS from our experience, but have so many good things to say. Whether it’s from our own elopement, or the art he continues to curate with others, he continues to surpass even himself, in every new post we see. Choosing Henry was the best decision we made (aside from finally eloping) & we know our experience wouldn’t have been the same if we had gone with anyone else.

We reached out to Henry at a time when we were discouraged with wedding planning—we couldn’t decide what we wanted, until one day we asked… What are we waiting for?! So we inquired if Henry had any remaining availability for 2021. We didn’t have any specific location requests—we knew that wherever had availability would be beautiful & we just wanted to experience somewhere new. My husband (!) & I are always plagued by rainy weather when we travel, so we were drawn to Henry because we saw his ability to embrace all the moody/rainy conditions & capture the beauty in those moments.

As soon as Henry replied to our inquiry with some already-detailed options to consider, we were SO excited by his enthusiasm right off the bat. He suggested a couple places, but the location we were most intrigued by was Alaska, but in 2 MONTHS. We didn’t know if it was a possibility to consider, but Henry quickly assured us that it was feasible, & gave us suggestions on what to tackle right away to make it happen, all before we even officially signed any contracts.

What we didn’t know at the time, was that he was offering us availability right in the middle of crazy-busy elopement season! Despite how busy Henry was, we never felt like he was rushing us through the process & would even remind us to slow down & enjoy this time together. During one phone call, Henry was stuck in traffic & still pulled over for our call, instead of just asking to reschedule. He is truly so accommodating, so fun to talk to, yet professional, even at his busiest times.

Before choosing Henry, my thoughts were “Why do we need to go all out, if it’s just us? We could just go to city hall.” We are so glad we squashed those thoughts & loved how Henry was able to guide us in creating such a meaningful, memorable, intentional day. Henry was an incredible resource during planning & day-of, to ensure our day went smoothly, & didn’t even flinch when our plans were almost completely changed due to thick fog & low visibility, with a simple reassurance that we could easily switch to plan B. His abilities truly exceed more than just being a photographer. Investing in Henry is without question worth every penny & the greatest wedding investment, as we now have such vivid photos to look back on to relive our day. PRICELESS!

Henry & his husband Viet (of Rain & Pines, also highly recommended) were amazing to be around throughout the day. We loved watching them help & support, & joke around with each other - you could tell the admiration & respect they have for each other’s craft, & I’m sure their company was just another factor that added to the perfect-ness of our day. They make an incredible team, personally & professionally, who made sure the whole process was so easy & so fun. After they walked away at the end of the day, my husband said, “it was like we got married, & two of our friends were just there.” Also, “Where should we elope next year?”

I don’t know how, but Henry has managed to take the most stiff & awkward individual (me), & capture these organic moments from our day. We never felt like he was awkwardly posing us— his encouragement throughout the day truly helped us to relax & take in every moment. The next day, Henry surprised us with over a hundred sneak peeks & gifs, & WOW! INCREDIBLE! UNREAL!! It was important to me that we have pictures of our surroundings, to continually remind us of the beauty we witnessed on our wedding day. The landscapes (& bears!) Henry captured are breathtaking & we are so privileged to see ourselves through his lens.

We are so blessed to have crossed paths with Henry & strongly encourage everyone to book him or help spread the word for others to book him ASAP - you will not regret a thing. His talents should be shared & I know that he spreads happiness in all he does. We knew the pictures would be beautiful, we didn’t know Henry would be too.

Wishing you all the success, Henry! We hope to see you again one day soon & are sad to be so far away. THANK YOU - we are truly so grateful K&C