This couple won the most breathtaking elopement in Alaska

When wedding planning gets stressful, one can’t fault a bride or groom for dreaming of running to the mountaintops to elope with their love. An elopement in Alaska is about as iconic a thought of such nuptial bliss…

When Adriana and Chester entered Outland Events‘ Alaskan elopement giveaway, they had no expectations to win. Plus, no idea what beauty and pampering they were in for if they did. The giveaway, hosted by the best team of vendors you could hire for an elopement in Alaska, included over fifteen thousand dollars of wedding vendor services and gifts for the lucky couple.

Adriana and Chester, two adventurers at heart, had no trouble ditching what would be yearslong wedding plans and booking that flight to Anchorage once they were announced as winners of this once-in-a-lifetime wedding adventure: a completely planned, styled and paid-for elopement in Alaska.

There were epic views of snow-capped Alaskan peaks. Cascading florals in rich plums, dreamy lilacs and deep reds. There was an iconic misty rainfall the moment the couple was ready to share their vows. And, what did they do? Run out into the showers to proclaim their love for one another.

In the end, this all resulted in an iconic elopement in Alaska that was still yet uniquely theirs. Plus, the most beautiful photos and fun Super 8 film were captured by Corinne Graves, co-owner of Outland Events. (Yes, my own wedding photographer!). Just try not to shed a tear as you read through Adriana’s story and Outland Events’ inspiration for this breathtaking and adventurous elopement in Alaska.

Our Love Story

We met a la Tinder. However, on our third date we learned that we had a mutual friend and had both been at her engagement party just a few months before matching. So sometimes we like to say we met through her.

Our engagement was a labor of love on Chester’s end. (We also want to note that Chester is not the best at surprises and keeping secrets so this was a feat for him.) After picking out Adriana’s ring in July, Chester began coordinating with her family and writing his first love song.*

After weeks of research, Chester found an incredible mansion in Steilacoom, WA called The Columns. Chester invited her family to be part of the engagement surprise. He kept them all on track with a Google Doc called, Top Secret Proposal that included a day of timeline and the date was set for October. Her family would arrive the night before and would spring out of the bushes after Chester played his love song. Chester also recruited Adriana’s good friend Claire (of Bridal Musings) to capture the moment.

*Chester was adamant when we first started dating that he, as a musician, “doesn’t do love songs”.

To lure Adriana out to this house, Chester coordinated with Adriana’s cousin, Katrina, to take her out for a “day out at a farmer’s market” that also happened to be in Steilacoom. Katrina told Adriana that The Columns was a haunted house and wanted her to see it, leading her up to the steps where Chester was waiting with his guitar. There were a lot of tears (as predicted in the timeline) and a lot of champagne to follow. After the proposal, everyone gathered in the dining room for a feast of Vietnamese take-out from our favorite restaurant.

Winning an elopement in Alaska…

The day that it crossed my mind to elope is the same day that Claire shared Outland Event’s elopement in Alaska giveaway on her Instagram. Taking it as a sign or maybe just a well-timed coincidence, I decided to enter. Chester was fully supportive of the idea and we both thought, who really wins Instagram giveaways, anyway?

It wasn’t until a month or so later on a trip to Boston that we got the news that we won. I had also received some hard personal news that day so it was a rollercoaster of emotions! We happily accepted and began our month-long prep for the big day. Cori and Erin were incredibly supportive and made the whole process fun and manageable.

The Dress and Florals

It is important to me to support my community when I am able, which led me to shop for my dress at Brides for a Cause. We didn’t have a lot of time to work with and I was lucky to find the perfect dress on the first go. I loved the beading, the sweetheart neckline and the tulle. I wanted something unique and comfortable enough to twirl in. Little did I know it would help collect some of the tundra throughout the day!

I was so in love with my bouquet that I’m pretty sure I gasped when I saw it. There were so many unique flowers and I was thrilled to learn that 90% of it was local to the area. The giant red blooms were my favorite. It also smelled lovely and added to the coziness of the cabin.

The Big Day

We stayed in Anchorage the night before and made our trek north by mid-morning. We agreed on an evening ceremony so we had plenty of time to enjoy the drive to Hatcher Pass. As a treat for the groom, we stopped at the Palmer Reindeer Farm. Chester wanted to see a moose so we made it happen! After feeding some moose and reindeer, we continued our journey to Hatcher Pass. We were awestruck by the mountains and natural beauty of the area. We stopped at several viewpoints to take photos and appreciate our surroundings.

Once we arrived at the red cabins that make up Hatcher Pass Lodge, I was whisked away for make-up and hair. Chester decided to take advantage of the time and go for a hike around the area. He may or may not have ended up in some mud and rinsing off in a creek. Meanwhile, I was sharing music and laughs with make-up artist Cathy and being pampered by Hannah from Ema Rose Hair Salon. I decided on a more natural make-up look and romantic waves with a braid for my hair. Erin created a beautiful flower piece for my hair that added to the romantic element.

The Ceremony

Taking photos with Cori was so much fun! She did not seem to mind our goofiness as we hiked and danced around the tundra. (Also learned that men’s dress shoes don’t do well going downhill…). Everything was running on schedule until…

After we finished up photos, Cori mentioned that we were running on schedule and as an event planner, I know that means trouble. Sure enough, within about five minutes it started raining and of course, rain was nowhere on the forecast that day. Chester and I took shelter in the cabin while rain became hail and more rain. We signed our paperwork inside and had a choice to make. Do we say our vows in the cabin or do we take on the Alaskan elements?

We decided to stick with the original plan and go outside. The rain and hail stayed with us until our “I dos.” Only when we were prompted to share our vows did it all stop and the sun slowly came back to us. It made us all laugh and the thrill of the moment only added to the beauty of such a special day.

The Planning by Outland Events

“When dreaming up this elopement in Alaska giveaway, we decided to focus on one of our favorite locations, Hatcher Pass, and aimed to incorporate the iconic Hatcher Pass Lodge into the experience and images of the day. We gathered a group of talented vendors to create a curated, all-inclusive elopement experience for one lucky couple this past June.

We could not have asked for a more loving, fun, beautiful, and authentic couple, and we see these qualities shine through in the photos and the video from their day. They embraced the nature of the giveaway offerings and trusted us to plan and design their day. They explained their style (quirky, thrifted maximalism) and desired vibe for the day through our customized questionnaire, phone calls, and emails, allowing us to keep them top of mind at each step of the planning and design process.”

Their ceremony was a heartfelt mix of deep connection and lighthearted inside jokes, a true reflection of Adriana and Chester’s connection. This adventurous pair was hailed on during their ceremony but rolled through the meteorological surprise with good humor and enthusiasm. They embraced the unique experience of an elopement in Alaska and were rewarded with a story to tell and memories to cherish!

– Outland Events

The Photography & Videography

I was already familiar (and a fan) of Cori and her work as we were both at Claire’s wedding in Mexico. (I was a lot more camera-shy then!) I also knew that if Claire sought her out as a photographer then she was exceptional. Cori is truly an artist and we feel incredibly fortunate to have had her capture our big day.

The First Dance

Following the ceremony, Chester and I shared our first dance to a song by one of our favorite bands. The lyrics match us and our relationship so well. To dance to it in the mountains of Alaska was a dream come to life.

“We completely fell in love with Adriana and Chester during our day together and we think you will too through the story of their day as told through Corinne Graves’ photos and video.”

– Outland Events

Start planning your elopement in Alaska.

The Design Inspiration

“Their love of bright, bold colors, specifically red and purple, guided the floral and tablescape designs. Our mid-June date meant that our lavender lilacs were in full bloom and local red peonies bloomed just in time for the celebration.

In keeping with our commitment to sustainable floral practices, we used biodegradable and reusable floral mechanics to support the designs, which meant selecting and timing the cutting of local flowers and creating some arrangements on-site day-of to keep flowers looking their best. The ceremony floral semi-circle defined the space on the expansive tundra at Hatcher Pass for their vow exchange and first dance as a married couple. The cascading sweetheart table florals lent a maximal, lush feel to the lovers’ picnic and cake cutting.

The deep red florals tied in beautifully with the iconic muted reds of the Hatcher Pass Lodge cabins, where Adriana and Chester got ready and spent their evening. Adriana had her hair and makeup done in a quaint comfortable cabin overlooking Hatcher Pass and their ceremony site.”

– Outland Events

Advice to Other Couples

Go with your gut and do what makes the two of you happiest. It’s no secret that after you get engaged people will suddenly have questions and opinions. Take time for the two of you to talk about what you want and what’s important. On the day of the wedding, just have fun! Things will never go exactly how you planned them to and that’s the beauty of it. Be present in the moment.

I also highly recommend working with Erin and Cori! Chester and I agreed that even if we hadn’t won the giveaway, we would gladly pay to work with them again. They are artists, visionaries, and friends.

The minimoon (and honeymoon to come…)

Following the big day, we had a “minimoon” that included a visit up to Talkeetna and a stay at the Alyeska Resort. Next year we are planning to do a month-long adventure around Asia as our big honeymoon and anniversary trip.

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Thinking you might want to run away to some dreamy elopement in Alaska? We have the ultimate Alaskan elopement and wedding guide with destination ideas and planning tips from none other than Outland Events.