A Glacier National Park Elopement at Paradise Meadows and St. Mary Lake

1 day ago

3 min read

Updated: 18 hours ago

We planned Chris and Meagan's Glacier National Park elopement around a morning that would take them from vows at Paradise Meadows to a hike above Hidden Lake, with a final stop at St. Mary Lake. Our job was to put those pieces together: the ceremony timing, the drive along Going-to-the-Sun Road, the hike, and backup options if we couldn't park at Logan Pass.

Bride and groom kiss in a wildflower meadow, holding a purple bouquet, with a towering mountain at sunset behind them.

Newlyweds holding hands on a mountain overlook above a lake, with snowy peaks and green slopes in the background.

Planning their Paradise Meadows elopement

Before the wedding day, we worked out the order of the morning: ceremony first, then Logan Pass for the hike, followed by portraits at Sun Point. That gave us a route to follow while keeping room to adjust.

Chris and Meagan arrived a few days early, picked up their marriage license in Kalispell, and visited Paradise Meadows themselves. The wildflowers were blooming, and there was still an ice bridge across the road. Getting to see the place before their ceremony confirmed that it was where they wanted to get married.

Their ceremony took place under an NPS Special Use Permit. When we help plan a Glacier elopement, we work through the ceremony location and permit requirements with our couples alongside the photography timeline. Those decisions belong together, because where and when you can exchange vows shapes the rest of the day.

Couple hiking through wildflowers in a mountain valley, holding hands under sunlit snowy peaks, calm and romantic mood

Elopement ceremony at Paradise Meadows in Glacier as the mountains caught the light

We scheduled their ceremony for around 6:00 AM. We met at 5:30 AM on July 29 and started their ceremony around 6:00. There were wildflowers in the meadow and snow still in the mountains. They read their handwritten vows as the sun started hitting the peaks above us.

Their ceremony was covered by an NPS Special Use Permit. Helping couples work through the ceremony location and permit process is part of how we help plan their day.

Making room for the Hidden Lake Overlook hike

After the ceremony, we drove to Logan Pass and found parking around 8:00 AM. We had backup options in case the lot was full, but that morning we were able to stick with our plan.

From there, we hiked to Hidden Lake Overlook, stopping for photos along the way. We had built time for the hike into their morning so they could enjoy it without rushing to the next stop.

When we got to Hidden Lake, we spotted mountain goats and stopped to watch from a distance. One curious goat followed us for about 10 minutes. Once the goats moved on, we set up a picnic for Chris and Meagan.

We had included the hike adn picnic in their timeline, along with backup options if the parking lot was full. Finding a space that morning meant we could follow our original plan.

The overlook is roughly 1.4 miles from the trailhead, about 2.8 miles round trip. The walk is part of the experience.

Elopement Photos at St. Mary Lake in Glacier National Park

We finished at Sun Point on St. Mary Lake. It was windy, and we took their last portraits above the water before wrapping up the morning.

In one morning, Chris and Meagan got to exchange vows, hike together, and see several parts of the park. We helped put the day together and photographed it from start to finish.

Planning your Glacier National Park elopement

We're Leti and Stefan, the husband and wife team behind Backcountry Portraits. We help you choose locations, work through permits, and plan enough time for the things you want to do.

Our Glacier National Park wedding guide is a good place to start. You can also learn more about working with us for your Glacier elopement.