As you fly over Bear Glacier, the mountains open to reveal an iceberg‑filled lagoon — and there, almost impossibly small against the vastness of it all, sit two private yurts on the shoreline.
It’s the moment of realization: this is yours alone. A luxury Alaska elopement further away from anything you’ve ever known, yet filled with warmth, comfort, and solitude.
Eloping here means romance in its truest form — just the two of you, time to linger, and a place most people will never see.
The only way to reach a place this wild is by helicopter.
Why This ALASKA HELI + GLAMPING ELOPEMENT EXPERIENCE Belongs in
the ENCHANTED CANOPY COLLECTION
The Enchanted Canopy Collection™ is about more than beautiful landscapes. It’s about time, stillness, comforts in the wild, and experiences you can’t replicate anywhere else.
Bear Lake belongs here because it embodies all of that.
Vows that aren't hurried or performative...
A private experience, away from the masses...
And, the quiet luxury of staying there long enough to feel what it’s like to call it yours.
This package is built to let you relax into the experience.
A mountain butler to guide your time. A plated dinner of inspired locale flavors. Luxe linens, candles, twinkly lights. The beauty of knowing you don’t have to rush a thing.
And throughout it all, you’re not just supported — you’re cared for.
From the first conversation through the moment you’re flown back to Seward, concierge planning and immersive storytelling by your luxury elopement photographer are woven into every step.
✨ The vows experience inspiring this Collection offering was featured by Destination I Do! ✨
2-Day Adventure Luxe Elopement Experience
Here’s what makes this two-day glamping & helicopter elopement extraordinary:
- A private helicopter journey. Your experience begins with a heli flight into the backcountry. A two‑hour alpine landing gives you space for vows, portraits, and a styled picnic — uninterrupted time to celebrate in a location most people will never set foot in.
- An overnight at Bear Lake Glamp. Nestled between the mountains and an iceberg‑filled lagoon, only two guest yurts exist here — and one is reserved for you. The full 24 hours of time at camp and scale of the wild around you makes this feel further from anything you’ve ever known, yet close and intimate in its privacy.
- Adventure luxe lodging. Inside your private yurt, you’ll find real bedding with luxe linens, a comfortable bed, and unexpected touches — twinkly lights casting a soft glow, the crackle of a fire nearby. It’s quiet luxury in the middle of the wilderness.
- A chef‑curated, plated wedding dinner. At your sweetheart tablescape, you’ll dine with real china, silverware, candles, and thoughtful styling. A delicious meal, plated and served to you under the midnight sun.
- Celebratory sips and a premium picnic. A bottle of bubbly (or similar) is included to toast your evening, while your heli stop is elevated with a lightly styled charcuterie picnic — a touch of elegance in the most unexpected setting.
- Guided experiences woven in. Your mountain butler, an expert backcountry guide passionate about sharing the places they love, supports glamp life. They will lead your kayaking adventure among icebergs, guide shoreline walks, or even set you up for a cold plunge in glacier‑fed waters. Their knowledge ensures you experience Bear Lake as few ever will.
- Concierge design and immersive storytelling photography. From the very beginning, I help you shape the flow of your elopement so it feels intentional, not rushed. In the adventure itself, I am more than your photographer — I’m a coordinator, adventure partner, and friend. You’ll stay fully present in the romance of it all, while I anticipate the details and capture both the delicate moments and sweeping storylines of your celebration.
How It Works:
A Multi-Day Helicopter Elopement Wedding Flow
DAY 1:
- Begin in Seward, getting ready together (or separately, with a first look) in homebase lodging chosen to fit your vision.
- Meet your pilot, load up, and lift into the mountains. The flight itself is an experience — glaciers, ridges, and untouched backcountry sweeping beneath you. For most, this would be the highlight of a trip. For you, it’s just the beginning.
- Land for your private alpine ceremony. With two full hours, there’s space to exchange vows, explore for portraits, and savor a styled picnic in a place so wild a heli is the only way to get there.
- From there, your pilot carries you deeper into the wild, descending toward Bear Lake. The helicopter sets you down on the beach of an iceberg lagoon — yurts so small against the mountains that you realize just how far you are from everything else.
- Your yurt is home for the next 24 hours. Unrushed. No expectations. Just the two of you, supported by your backcountry guide, with time to linger and feel every moment.
- Settle in and explore. As you wander the shoreline and begin to soak in the stillness, portraits among the icebergs and framed by mountains happen quietly as you roam.
- Your sweetheart table is ready on the deck of your yurt, overlooking the icebergs. Linens, real plates, silverware, and candlelight to help set the scene. Your plated dinner is drawn from a local slow‑food kitchen — think slow‑smoked ribs, fresh Alaskan crab legs, and seasonal delicacies, plated and served with care. A bottle of bubbly and a “just us two” sized wedding cake (carried in carefully by heli!) awaits your celebratory toast.
- After dinner, change into something cozy. Walk the beach by lantern light and cuddle under a Pendleton wool blanket as you share memories of the day by the campfire under the midnight sun.
- Fall asleep in your private glamping yurt to the sounds of icebergs creaking in the lagoon. The best night of sleep awaits as you slide into your real bed with luxe linens and cozy blankets. Comfort in the wild.
Day 2:
- Wake slowly in your yurt, breakfast delivered to you by your mountain butler. Sip coffee on the porch of your yurt, overlooking the iceberg‑filled lagoon. Enjoy the luxury of time, and the sweetness of privacy.
- Prep, and set out by kayak with your guide to explore the lagoon, paddling between icebergs and into hidden corners. The colors of the water and the ice will amaze you.
- Enjoy the adventure at your own pace, and when ready, pause for a shoreline picnic lunch. Your time on this experience, too, is unhurried and private, set in a place and an experience you’ll remember forever.
- Return to camp. If you’re looking for a fun addition to your bucket list, take a plunge into the glacier‑fed lagoon (surrounded by icebergs!) for a truly once‑in‑a‑lifetime opportunity. Wild, cold, and unforgettable.
- Enjoy downtime at camp: relax by the campfire or take one last walk along the shoreline. Savor the time of simply soaking in this feeling of “just married!”
- When it’s time, the helicopter returns to carry you back to Seward. For most, this would be the end of a trip — for you, it’s the close of a wedding story unlike any other.
- Farewell & onward travels — As your experience winds down, say goodbye to your guides and begin the next adventure: continuing your honeymoon across Alaska, where the journey is only just beginning. If you’re dreaming of extending your journey, I’ll help you craft an Alaska honeymoon road trip (sign up for my email series on routes and insider ideas).
Across both days, your award‑winning luxury elopement photographer is part of the experience — not posed interruptions, but a partner in adventure.
From high alpine landings to slow mornings in your yurt, these moments (big and little) are documented with care, rooted in movement, emotion, and your connection to this incredible place. This is storytelling designed so you’ll always remember not just how it looked, but how it felt.
This is a two-day, adventure luxe elopement experience — not a single-day trip.
This two-day luxury Alaska elopement is designed for privacy, romance, and immersion in a place that is stunningly beautiful, and, in an experience unlike any other. Every element is thoughtfully planned to keep you comfortable, supported, and fully present.
Here's what luxuries and experiences you can expect:
Starting at $24,500 for 2026 elopements
—this package includes virtually everything you need to bring your wedding experience, to life. Florals are typically the only element you’ll add.
Total. Transparent. AMAZING.
- Award-winning elopement photography coverage (multi-day documentation, sneak peek gallery, and final gallery delivery)
- Comprehensive elopement design & concierge-level planning support, from permits and timelines to curated activity options and seamless coordination with my trusted expert partners in Seward and beyond.
- Private helicopter flights in and out of Bear Lake.
- Private flightseeing experience en route to Bear Lake, including a two‑hour alpine landing for vows & exploration.
- An exclusive overnight stay at Bear Lake Glamp, with just two guest yurts on site. This intimate-sized camp is fully reserved just for you.
- Adventure luxe lodging touches: real bed with comfy linens & blankets, twinkly lights, Pendleton blanket to use by the campfire, and creature comforts in the wild.
- Plated wedding dinner served at your sweetheart table with real china, silverware, and candlelight. Seasonal menus highlight Alaska delicacies — think slow‑smoked ribs, fresh‑caught crab legs, or other specialties prepared (and carried in by heli!) with care.
- Bottle of bubbly for your wedding toast, elopement cake or celebratory dessert sized just for two.
- Premium charcuterie presentation for a picnic during your mountaintop heli adventure.
- Breakfast, snacks, and lunch prepared and served at camp during your 24‑hour stay in the backcountry.
- Mountain butler service: your dedicated backcountry guide, passionate about sharing this landscape, leading camp service along with your kayaking and shoreline adventures.
- Guided kayaking excursion among icebergs in the Bear Glacier Lagoon, with the option to hike and picnic as you explore hidden corners.
- Licensed officiant support to finalize your marriage license.
- Complementary album layout design to make it easy to bring your wedding story to life in a beautiful, heirloom wedding album.
What happens if the weather changes?
Helicopter flights are weather‑dependent, but that’s part of the magic of Alaska. We plan with trusted pilots to ensure safety, and sometimes shifting conditions reveal views or landings even more spectacular than we first imagined. And, we always prep with bringing the right gear and layers so you can embrace any weather that unfolds.
Flexibility is built in, so your celebration unfolds in the best possible way.
Flexibility is built in, so your celebration unfolds in the best possible way.
Can family or friends join us at Bear Lake?
This package is designed as a “Just Us Two” experience. Given the intimate size, the camp cannot host additional guests overnight, ensuring privacy for the two of you.
If you’d like to include family or a few treasured friends in your Alaska destination wedding, I can help design a complementary celebration in Seward. You can honor your loved ones with ceremony, celebrations, and even group‑friendly adventures in there or other locations in Alaska — before or after your luxury elopement at Bear Lake.
If you’d like to include family or a few treasured friends in your Alaska destination wedding, I can help design a complementary celebration in Seward. You can honor your loved ones with ceremony, celebrations, and even group‑friendly adventures in there or other locations in Alaska — before or after your luxury elopement at Bear Lake.
When is the best time of year to get married at Bear Lake in Seward?
Bear Lake Glamp in Seward, Alaska is open from early‑to‑mid June through early September, when the lagoon is dotted with icebergs and the midnight sun stretches the days. With only two guest yurts on site, this experience is extremely limited — securing your date 12+ months in advance is strongly recommended.
How can we personalize a Helicopter and Glamping elopement in Alaska?
I believe that even in the most remote places, there are ways to add touches of luxury and intention that make the experience uniquely yours:
- Private chef service for an elevated, fully custom multi‑course menu designed just for you, prepared right at camp.
- A luxe, fully bespoke sweetheart table, elegantly styled to your vision for your first meal as a married couple.
- Bespoke décor and florals to enhance your camp; a luxury picnic tablescape to elevate your alpine picnic experience.
- Ceremony décor tailored for beauty and uniqueness — think a refined “stage in the wild” — created by my expert partners with Leave No Trace principles always in mind.
- Additional helicopter time for more landings, alpine hiking, or flight seeing.
- Dogsled Excursion on nearby Godwin Glacier. Build in a heli outing to take part in on-glacier dogsledding experience. (Pro Tip: you can elope here via dogsled too!)
- Extended multi-day photography coverage creates a continued arc in your story, capturing not just the elopement but the adventures, beauty, and joy that follow. You'll stay immersed in experiences as they are happening, happily knowing these core memories will have beautiful images to match.
- Full travel concierge support customized to help you (and/or your treasured few) with flights, car rentals, lodging, or honeymoon extensions so your Alaska journey stays smooth and stress-free from start to finish.
Looking for more ideas on how to expand your adventure?
Couples choose to add on extra time with me before their backcountry Bear Lake & Heli adventure for a lifestyle session in Seward. It is a great way to capture the feel of this coastal town, show more of your elopement adventure, and, to help you feel confident being photographed in motion before your actual elopement experience.
See how Ronnie & Anthony's in-town adventure showed a beautiful part of story before their elopement began.
Couples choose to add on extra time with me before their backcountry Bear Lake & Heli adventure for a lifestyle session in Seward. It is a great way to capture the feel of this coastal town, show more of your elopement adventure, and, to help you feel confident being photographed in motion before your actual elopement experience.
See how Ronnie & Anthony's in-town adventure showed a beautiful part of story before their elopement began.
FAQs About
Seward Helicopter Elopements
Bear Lake Glamp is open from early‑to‑mid June through early September, when the lagoon is scattered with icebergs and the midnight sun stretches the days.
This summer window offers long daylight hours, warmer conditions, and the rare chance to kayak among icebergs during your stay. Because there are only two guest yurts, dates are very limited — booking 12+ months in advance is recommended.
Seward is one of Alaska’s most beautiful coastal towns and a perfect place to include in your destination elopement.
While this Bear Lake Glamping & Heli elopement package is designed as a just us two experience, Seward offers incredible opportunities to celebrate with family or friends at traditional or more adventurous "venues".
I help couples design guest‑inclusive experiences in Seward, with ceremony and celebrations with private dinners, luxury picnics, or local adventures — fully customized so you can weave your loved ones into your wedding story exactly as you’d like.
It is possible to include Bear Glacier directly in your elopement.
With a tailored heli tour, you can land near the glacier’s edge (conditions permitting). The main body of the glacier rests within protected federal lands, so access is limited.
Staying in the adventure luxe private glamping that this luxury elopement package offers put you at the glacier’s outflow lagoon. And with the water filled with icebergs that have calved off of the glacier, it is a unique --and absolutely gorgeous-- way to include Bear Glacier in your wedding experience.
For more surefire glacier access when eloping in Seward, explore a dogsledding elopement package on Godwin Glacier. It is also one-of-a-kind.
With a tailored heli tour, you can land near the glacier’s edge (conditions permitting). The main body of the glacier rests within protected federal lands, so access is limited.
Staying in the adventure luxe private glamping that this luxury elopement package offers put you at the glacier’s outflow lagoon. And with the water filled with icebergs that have calved off of the glacier, it is a unique --and absolutely gorgeous-- way to include Bear Glacier in your wedding experience.
For more surefire glacier access when eloping in Seward, explore a dogsledding elopement package on Godwin Glacier. It is also one-of-a-kind.
MEET KATE
Principal Designer & Photographer
I design -then photograph- luxury destination elopements that are neither preceded nor replicated.
Search these remarkable landscapes, and you won’t see a parade of identical wedding photos.
I believe the world is too extraordinary for a borrowed plan.
My passion for unique global travel, belief that anything is possible, and mantra that meaningful experiences can’t be rushed are the foundation of how I support you.
Share how you want your wedding to feel, and as your luxury elopement photographer I’ll create options as original as your love story—capturing images of every unforgettable moment.
Featured In:
Kate's not just a photographer... She seamlessly shifts between being a creative director, a local concierge, and your biggest cheerleader...
-Ryan Monahan
Us Two International Lifestyle Adventure
