Can you imagine trying to cram private vows, a family celebration, alone time, and a special activity with your toddler into one wedding day? Kym + Ash couldn’t, either! They decided not to sacrifice anything for their wedding and built their own adventure in Alaska. As lovers of travel, they were so glad they chose a “bucket list” spot for their elopement, and as their adventures wrapped up, they were so happy they’d filled it with the things that mattered most to them!

Day 1: Mingling + Welcoming
Living in different parts of the country, we nimbly planned their adventure through their Client Portal (one-stop-shop for all documents & info!), and over video calls, emails, and texts. Before our arrival in Alaska, we had talked so much we felt like old friends as we met up to...  

Can you imagine trying to cram private vows, a family celebration, alone time, and a special activity with your toddler into one wedding day? Kym + Ash couldn’t, either! They decided not to sacrifice anything for their wedding and built their own adventure in Alaska. As lovers of travel, they were so glad they chose a “bucket list” spot for their elopement, and as their adventures wrapped up, they were so happy they’d filled it with the things that mattered most to them!

Day 1: Mingling + Welcoming
Living in different parts of the country, we nimbly planned their adventure through their Client Portal (one-stop-shop for all documents & info!), and over video calls, emails, and texts. Before our arrival in Alaska, we had talked so much we felt like old friends as we met up to hike a previously-chosen, family & elder-friendly trail to pick their perfect ceremony spot😍 Searching the lush green, they chose a natural amphitheater next to a boulder shaped like a heart along a cascading river. This quiet, unrushed time gave them time to get excited for what was coming, and as we finished, I dropped them off at their cocktail hour to welcome their family & friends.

Day 2: Hike with their Kiddo + Blindfolded First Look + Custom Ceremony
The morning began with a private adventure with their toddler. I had chosen the trail out to a glacial amphitheater for them so that the experience would be one of surprise and delight. Along the trail following the water flowing from the glacier, they picked out flat stones and showed him how to skip rocks, in no hurry, no place to be but exactly where they were. 

Later in the day, after getting ready for their ceremony, they wanted to see each other at the same time for their first look. Their best man and maid of honor blindfolded them so they could uncover simultaneously! We loaded up in cars for the micro-short hike to the ceremony spot at heart rock, and their friend Penny led a ceremony she created specifically for them, including a handfasting ceremony (where the term ‘tie the knot’ comes from!). Ribbons of different colors wrapped around their hands, each representing something new, the last one a white one represented their baby's arrival. There was not a dry eye in the natural amphitheater.  

Everyone headed back to the house to celebrate with a traditional dinner and cake cutting, Kym and Ash delighting everyone with the swing dance they learned for their first dance.  The day was the perfect mix of embracing traditions you love and jettisoning anything that doesn’t work for you.

Day 3: “Just Us” Day with a 4+ Hour Heli Trip
Everything had been beautiful so far, but there had been no time for truly private moments or private vows. The next morning they set off on a custom 4-hour heli tour. I followed quietly, paparazzi style, as they enjoyed high alpine views, ate wild blueberries, and drank a toast with melted glacier water. They read their private vows next to a waterfall pool, with the force of the water blowing their hair and whipping their clothes. As a surprise, I had collected love letters from their invited friends and family who could not be there, and sitting on the edge of an iceberg-filled lake they read well-wishes from those who loved them.  

We skirted a stunning storm on the flight home after a beautiful morning - while the happy couple had celebrated in days prior, I kept an eye on the forecast, and had quietly rebooked our flight to earlier in the day. They had happily flexed with the change and it saved them from having their day canceled. They returned via helicopter, huge grins under their headsets, to continue their experience with a few more days of travel and fun across Alaska--an adventure + wedding for the bucket list storybooks!