You've probably landed here because you recently got engaged or are just starting to plan your elopement. Congrats, by the way!! In this blog you find the ultimate planning and packing list for your upcoming Glacier National Park Elopement. At the end of this blog, you'll find a link to a PDF of a Glacier National Park Elopement Planning Checklist that you can snag and use to plan your own elopement... could things get any easier?
Elopement "Big Picture" Planning Decisions
Before you can get to all the "fun" planning of your upcoming elopement, you've got to decide on a few key factors that will shape your elopement day and planning. If you take the time to sit down and figure these out first, it will help overall, so there's no surprises. I will note, some of these decisions unfold in the initial planning phases; for example, you might decide on date when your favorite vendors are available, etc. The best part about choosing to elope is that there is a bit more flexibility in your planning vs. a large wedding. So let's get into it, below are three decisions that I consider relatively important and should be thought of first in the planning process.
Choose your Elopement date
There are many things to factor in here when choosing your elopement date. You might pick a special calendar date that has sentimental meaning and you find vendors that can work with it. Or you can figure out a location, season, vendor availability, etc and choose a date that works with your priorities and wants for your elopement day.
decide on your guest count
Some couples choose to elope solo and have the most privacy and others decide to include a select few family/friends to witness and help them celebrate their elopement. This is a completely personal decision that you and your partner have to discuss. Sometimes family members get added to the list in the planning phases due to logistics and family matters. Be sure to communicate with your vendors regarding guest count changes, sometimes permits and packages may hinder or allow changes in guest count.
Create your elopement budget
Many elopement couples choose to elope so they can save money, rather than plan a large wedding. Choosing to elope can certainly be cheaper than a 100+ guest wedding, however, you can make your elopement day as adventurous and luxurious as you want it. Vendors and travel costs are usually among the highest expenses when planning an elopement, I created a helpful post about How Much Does an Elopement Really Cost, this should give a little insight on what the average vendors and cost of travel, etc would cost in the area surrounding Glacier National Park. For some couple, planning an elopement may take a year and others might make it happen in the matter of weeks. You can break down your budget for your elopement and decide when the right time is for you.
Now that we've got these decision made, we can discuss the next important steps to planning your elopement. I've broke things down by pre-elopement (like travel, vendors, permits), elopement day, and post- elopement planning to help make things easier to digest!
Pre-Elopement Planning List
The below checklist items are things that should be handled long before your elopement day. If you're planning months-year ahead of time, the items listed below will help check off the necessary travel, vendor, permits, logistics part of your planning. I've also included respective time frames that booking/securing these items should be completed in (just a helpful idea of the area and when it's recommend to complete these items). Check them out and the information tidbits that will make planning easier.
Booking Travel to-do's
RENTAL CAR
6-9 months in advance
Glacier National Park and surrounding area is a highly trafficked area in the summer. Be sure to secure your rental far in advance to prevent price hikes mid-season. Check into Turo if you run into rental car shortages.
LODGING
6-9 months in advance
Be sure to check out options like Airbnb, VRBO, park lodges, camping, and hotels.
Flights
3-6+ months in advance
Be sure to set flight alerts to get the cheapest flights. If you're flying into Kalispell, the airport is called Glacier Park International Airport, code FCA.
National Park Entrance Reservations
3-6 months in advance
Purchase these through Recreation.gov for Glacier National Park. If you are unable to secure them in advance, they do release an allotted amount for next day visits.
Booking Vendors to-do's
Photography
6-12+ months in advance
Most photographers will allow for booking more than 1 year in advance and sometimes have last minute availability. Always reach out to find out their booking windows.
Videography
6-12+ months in advance
Like photographers, videographers also book a year+ in advance, but may have last minute availability. Reach out early to secure your top vendors.
Officiant
6-9 months in advance
The best officiants can be booked on popular dates up to a year in advance, make sure you get this vendor secured along with photography and videography.
HAIR & MAKE-UP
6-9 months in advance
Local hair stylists can usually accommodate bookings within the 6 month range. I recommend booking this vendor around 6 months out.
Florals
3-6 months in advance
Many local florists can fit in an elopement bouquet during this time frame, some of the more popular florists you might want to book sooner.
Baker
3-6 months in advance
Local bakers often will be fully booked by 3 months in advance, reach out early if you desire to work
with a specific vendor.
Pre-elopement to-do's
ceremony permit
6-12 months in advance
Glacier National Park is in high demand for wedding couples. I always strongly encourage my booked couples to submit their permits ASAP. Over 700+ permits get submitted each year in Glacier. To get first pick of ceremony spot, apply early!
WEDDING ATTIRE
9-12 months in advance
While a wedding dress might need to be ordered 9-15 months in advance if you're going with something more custom that needs alterations, suits can be ordered 6-9 months and be fitted in time for the wedding day.
marriage license
3-6 months in advance
In Montana, you can submit for your marriage license online up to 180 days in advance of your wedding date. Once you arrive in town, you'll need to appear in person to pick it up.
wedding rings
3-6 months in advance
I aways recommend that couples don't forget to order their rings with ample time before their wedding. Rings can take months to arrive if custom made. Don't be forced to exchange silicone rings on your wedding day (unless you really want to)!
Elopement Day Checklist
My best advice for having your elopement day go smoothly, is simply being prepared. Having a mini checklist of things to bring along on your Glacier National Park elopement will help the day flow smoothly and allow you both to relax. For my booked clients, I provide a thorough list of items they may want to pack along for their time in Glacier National Park a few weeks ahead of time. I'll include the day of must-haves below.
- Marriage license and permit copies (one for each vehicle on the permit)
- Identification & Glacier National Park pass (possibly an entry reservation if needed on your day)
- Layers for mountainous weather, alternate footwear for rocky/uneven terrain
- Water and snacks
- Sunscreen and/or bug spray
- Appropriate maps or offline navigation, if necessary for the location you're going to
- Vow books, rings, bouquet/boutonnière, other special items for your elopement day
While not as expansive, still very important items to have with you on your elopement day! I usually recommend that my couples bring a small backpack or bag to keep items in. Now, go have the best elopement day!!
Post Elopement To-Do's After Your I Do's
After the excitement and love rush of your elopement day fades, you'll have a few items to tackle. Some things you'll need to handle before leaving Montana (if you traveled to the area) and others you can do after you've returned home. Check out the final planning aspect items below for your Glacier National Park elopement.
1.Plan a Celebratory Dinner
Whether it's just you two or a group of 10 guests with you, I encourage you to plan a dinner for the day after your elopement. If eating out at a restaurant is not your style, plan for a catered or private chef made dinner at your rental. Heck, you can even throw a pizza party if that's your more your style, but you should celebrate your special day!
2.Return your signed marriage license
This ideally needs to be done within 30 days, however, I recommend that couples do this before they travel home. Some officiants in the area offer to do this complimentary when booking with them, something to ask when you consult with potential vendors.
3.Announce Your Elopement
Whether you send a text, FaceTime your bestie, or send physical "we eloped" cards, share the news with your loved ones and friends. Most photographers get your preview/sneak peek images back within a week, so you can announce when you return home.
4.Back Up Your Photos & make memorable wall art/albums
Once you receive your final gallery from your photographer (or video from your videography), back up those precious memories! Don't let them live on just one device. You can use online backup options like Google drive/photos, Dropbox and also have physical hard digital copies like on an external hard drive/USB or SSD. Print and display your images. I love old school photo albums or you can have a beautiful wedding album made.
5.Review your Vendors
Leave reviews for your vendors. This step can often be forgotten, but the best gift you can give your elopement vendor is to recommend them to other wedding couples like yourself. We also love hearing about how we helped make your day special and unforgettable. You can ask your vendor where they prefer to receive reviews, but Google Maps Business Listings is a great place to start.
6.Write Thank You's
Send thank you notes to guests/family and your vendors. Your guests might appreciate a hand written note (you can include an elopement photo too), but a text/call might suffice. Vendors love a text, social media tag, or email!
7.Plan your Anniversary Trip back to Glacier National Park
Plan a trip back to the place that stole your heart in the first place. We can even plan an anniversary session while you're here, just reach out!
Time To Start Planning Your Glacier National Park Elopement
Pheww, that concludes the super helpful planning list for your Glacier National Park Elopement. If you'd like an actual checklist that you can track your planning progress, I've created a helpful PDF of the planning tasks for your very own Glacier National Park elopement. You can find it HERE and save it for you're when you're ready to dive in!
If you're just getting started in planning and haven't found your photographer for your elopement yet, but know that you want to get married in Glacier National Park, please reach out to me! I specialize in Glacier National Park elopements and love stories and I would love to capture your special day. If you can't tell already, I love helping couples have a seamless and relaxing day, checklists and all. You can fill out a contact form on my website and hear about the experience of working with me and my availability for the year/upcoming year! I can't wait to hear all about the vision for your day and help you start planning all the fun things that follow!
