Helicopter Elopement Planning Guide

Epic Alaska Helicopter Elopements: Your Ultimate Adventure Wedding Guide

Picture this – exchanging vows while standing on a massive glacier, surrounded by towering peaks that stretch endlessly into the horizon. This isn’t just another wedding venue – this is Alaska, home to 664 glaciers and endless possibilities for couples ready to embrace the ultimate adventure elopement!

When to Plan Your Helicopter Elopement in Alaska

Let’s get real about timing your epic day! June may be the very best month to consider for your Alaska helicopter elopement. Helicopters can not fly in wind over 45 miles per hour and must have visibility. So when deciding when to elope via helicopter anywhere, weather matters. According to Outbound Heli, in Palmer, Alaska, they have to reschedule the most during late August and early September. However, that does not mean you can not fly then or that it is a bad time for a flight – most of the photos in this blog were captured the first week of September!!

Finding the Perfect Helicopter Company

We’ve explored Alaska’s vast wilderness and connected with the very best helicopter operators who truly understand the magic of elopement adventures. We have flown in Juneau, Seward and Palmer with various pilots and this is who we would recommend:

• Outbound Heli (Palmer) – Masters of the stunning Knik Glacier
• Seward Helicopters (Seward) – Your gateway to mountain and glacier magic
• Coastal Helicopters (Juneau) – Perfect for wild coastal adventures

You do not want to work with just any heli company, you want to work with companies that fly often in the are you are visiting with good reviews and the best pilots! Not only will picking the right team keep you safe, but they can take you to the best locations as glaciers change every day, week and month so you want someone that has eyes on the glacier often.

Alaska Helicopter Mountain Elopement

The Chugach Mountains stand out as one of our absolute favorite spots for helicopter elopements, especially to see the fall colors. Within this area you are overlooking the Knik glacier. Just imagine sharing your vows in complete privacy surrounded by vibrant glacier pools, ice walls and mountains. These peaks will give 360 glacier, lake and mountain views. Using a helicopter to get to the top of a mountain for your elopement saves you so much time and energy, especially in Alaska, as the trails there can be quite steep.

Coastal Mountain Elopement in Alaska

For couples craving that perfect blend of sea and sky, Juneau and Seward offer something truly special. What sets these coastal elopements apart? Picture this – one moment you’re soaring over lush rainforests, the next you’re spotting whales breaching below, and finally, you’re landing on an ancient glacier.

Our absolutely favorite place for a coastal elopement is off of the Bear Glacier in Seward, Alaska. Here, you can kayak around the massive glaciers that have fallen off and are making their way to sea. Not only can you stay for a quick visit, you can stay overnight in a yurt here watching sunrise and sunset. Or you could go to a second location high up in the mountains or to your own private beach where waterfalls meet the sea.

Alaska Glacier Helicopter Elopement

There are so many glaciers you can visit in Alaska via a helicopter. So far our favorites have been the Knik Glacier (dating all the way back to the Pleistocene Ice age) and Herbert glacier (just a young 3000 years old!). Glacier elopements offer a lot of diversity with the ability to land near glacier pools, glacier walls, caves and mountain top overviews. You can do a cold plunge into the glacier, drink the glacier water or kayak within the pools. Oh wait, did I mention Ice Climbing!!???!

Recommended Glaciers in Alaska to visit via helicopter:

• Knik
• Herbert
• Mendenhall
• Bear Glacier
• Matanuska

Your Guide to Planning an Epic Helicopter Elopement

After capturing countless couples saying “I do” from various aircrafts and remote locations, we know exactly what makes helicopter elopements truly unforgettable. Time to dive into the nitty-gritty details that will make your day absolutely perfect!

Real talk – timing is everything with helicopter elopements! While some adventurous souls book their elopements just weeks ahead, for a flight tour we recommend booking earlier than that. Helicopter tours, especially in Alaska, are popular and can book out in advance.

How much time do you need for a helicopter elopement?

When booking your flight tour it is important to know the tour time includes the time to fly, so you need to calculate flight time there and back to know how much time you’re giving on the glacier or at the landing location.

We recommend no less than a 2 hour helicopter tour for your elopement if you are booking photo + video. If you are doing the ceremony you will want even longer. Truly, this is not an experience you want to rush. Every couple we photographed on a helicopter glacier elopement has said “this was the best day of their lives,” you do not want to rush that….

The longest flight tour we have done with a couple was a 7 hour tour, with 4 landings and honestly, it flew by. It was the perfect amount of time for them to share vows and do a few other activities while enjoying the locations we landed at. During the planning process we will help you decide how many hours to book with the heli company based on several planning factors.

For more information on elopement planning timelines check out these real examples.

Weather and Helicopter Tours

Helicopters need visibility, so that means they have to be back by sunset or won’t fly out until sunrise. This is something to consider when coming up with your entire elopement day plan.

Mountain weather loves to keep us on our toes. We spend a lot of time virtually and in person scouting locations that are close by the helicopter companies take-off points to always have a plan b + c in the back of our minds and ready if needed. This is also why we block off additional time for each elopement to ensure flexibility if your flight tour needs to be/can be rescheduled.

What to bring with you for a helicopter elopement

Prepping properly for your adventure ensures a good time! Fun fact: for every 1,000 feet up we go, the temperature drops 3-4 degrees Fahrenheit. Time to channel your inner mountain goat and pack smart!

Essential gear for your epic day:

• The Official Stuff: Marriage license, permits, ID and payment method for your tour
• Comfort is Key: Layers on layers, cozy socks, solid boots so you can easily attach and walk around in your provided crampons
• Emergency Essentials: hand warmers and clear umbrellas in case of rain
• Celebration Must-Haves: Vows, rings and champagne
• Looking Fresh Kit: Touch-up makeup kit, tissues and hair touch up items

Epic Helicopter Elopement Destinations Beyond Alaska

Ready to explore some seriously jaw-dropping alternatives to Alaska? Let’s dive into locations that make our adventure-loving hearts skip a beat! After photographing elopements across these incredible spots, we can’t wait to share why each one holds a special place in our hearts.

Grand Canyon Helicopter Tours

Helicopter tours for the Grand Canyon mostly fly out of Vegas and most of them are simply fly over tours, but there are some landing locations. Elopement permits for the Grand Canyon are also quite challenging to pair with the Grand Canyon special use permits.

If you do want to elope and include a Grand Canyon helicopter tour I would recommend eloping in Las Vegas and then exploring after.

Instead of the Grand Canyon I would really recommend considering a helicopter elopement from the Page, Arizona area. Did you know you can elope at the top of a butte towering in the middle of Lake Powell!?

Moab Helicopter Elopement

Let us tell you about Moab – this place is pure magic for couples seeking big adventures among the red rocks! We’ve fallen head over hiking boots for the canyons, slots, and mesas here. Taking a helicopter out in Moab is sure to be an incredible experience seeing everything from above and landing at your own private desert oasis to share vows. Driving to various locations in Moab can often take hours because of how vast the land is, but via helicopter – more places in less time means more epic adventures to experience! We would recommend working with locals, Pinncale Helicopters. Trust us, your photos will look like they’re straight out of another planet!

New Zealand Helicopter Elopements

New Zealand is quite literally one of the most magical places to visit! It is a great place to elope abroad as planning travel there is quite easy, being there is easy AND their Summer is in our Winter.

New Zealand offers a lot of great opportunity for helicopter elopements. You can take a helicopter from the Mt Cook area to visit the mountains glaciers and remote landings. You can also visit the ever famous Fox Glacier on South Island. Or you could head to the Milford Sound area and take a helicopter to the top of Mitre Peak, the famous peak center of attention in the Sound!!

There are also various options on the North Island for helicopter tours that land at the top of volcanoes or that do sight seeing tours.

Finding Your Perfect Helicopter Elopement Photographer

We love helicopter elopements! Each we have gotten to capture has been such a special experience.

What Makes Helicopter Photography Different?

Photographing elopements from the sky requires a totally unique skillset. Working with someone with prior experience is important to knowing what lenses to bring and what rules there are for photographing in and around helicopter. Even more so glacier travel etiquette if you are flying to a glacier landing.

What sets the true adventure helicopter/mountains photographers apart from a general wedding photographer:

• We understand mountains and weather so you do not have to solely rely on the tour company to provide you information.
• We’ve built solid relationships with multiple heli companies and tour guides.
• We are not afraid to do what it takes to get the right angle. We have our own experience on glaciers and with ropes giving us extra abilities to get the shot.
• We know mountain safety like the back of our hands and are WFR-certified. We come prepared to all elopements with first aid.
• We understand how light plays differently at 9,000 feet and are comfortable photographing in any and all lighting conditions.

Check out this incredible 3-day helicopter elopement video

FAQs

How much does a helicopter elopement in Alaska typically cost?

The cost of a helicopter elopement in Alaska can vary widely. Base pricing for a private helicopter elopement experience typically starts at $3,000 and can range up to $15,000, depending on the chosen package and additional services. Prices for a helicopter rental for your elopement depends on the hours needed, amount of landings and how many people will be in the helicopter.

Are there good alternatives to Helicopters?

Helicopters can be a really great for accessing glaciers and remotes areas. The helicopter experience is also a lot of fun and unique. However, they can be expensive and the fewer people the better. Good alternatives depending on the location could be a Seaplane, small crop plane, taking the Alaskan train to a glacier or a small private boat ride. You can find more ideas specific to Alaska here.

We’d Love To Hear More About Your Helicopter Elopement Plans!