A bride and groom stand on the side of a floatplane that is on a lake in Alaska on their floatplane elopement day.

Alaska Floatplane Elopement: Intimate Wedding in the Wild

Alaska Floatplane Elopement

There’s something surreal about taking off and landing on a body of water. Add in the incredible mountain views of Alaska, remote alpine lakes, and a beautiful rainbow, and an Alaska Floatplane Elopement Experience is a real “pinch me” feeling.

When Vicki and Ben mentioned including a floatplane in their elopement day, we were over the moon excited. This blog recaps their elopement day and includes information on where to stay in Homer, Alaska, the incredible pilot we had on this adventure, and so much more. If you’re dying to know how we got these insane photos, keep reading!

A bride wearing a white dress stands on one side of a floatplane that is in the middle of a lake and her groom wearing a plaid shirt stands on the other.
A bride and groom paddle around a remote lake in blue packrafts with green mountains behind them.
A bride wearing a white dress is dipped backwards by her groom as they stand next to a remote lake with green trees and mountains behind them.
A bride wearing a white dress and a groom wearing a blue plaid shirt walk through a grassy meadow with large mountains behind them on their floatplane elopement day in Alaska.

Where to Stay for Your Homer Alaska Elopement

If you’re looking for a super cute spot to stay in Homer, Alaska, for your floatplane elopement day, we highly recommend checking out Ben and Vicki’s Airbnb that they rented. It’s a beautiful log cabin with awesome views of the bay and the mountains, plus a beautiful deck on the front of the house. It has two spacious bedrooms and two bathrooms, so plenty of space if you’re inviting guests, or just want room for you to get ready together. If you’re looking for something even more out of the ordinary, check out this Borealis Basecamp elopement where the couple stayed in glass-roofed igloos under the northern sky.

They spent the morning getting ready here, with Vicki’s mom and sister. Vicki’s mom buttoned up the back of Vicki’s dress and gave her a hand-stitched handkerchief. Once Vicki was ready to go, she met Ben outside on the deck for their first look! With the views overlooking the mountains and the bay, it was such a beautiful spot for the big reveal. 

Instead of having real flowers, Vicki opted for some wooden flowers from Sola Wood Flowers, and they were so incredible. We asked Vicki if she and Ben were going to have any sort of cake or treat, and she let us know that she had a gluten allergy, so she didn’t think anywhere in Homer would have something gluten-free. But we did some digging and discovered that Two Sisters’ Bakery offers gluten-free options. So they had some special cupcakes made for their day!

Pink flowers made out of wood are arranged on a table with a lace ribbon tied around them and two wedding bands are in a black box.
A groom in a blue plaid shirt stands at a balcony looking out over the Kachemak Bay in Alaska.
A bride stands looking up at her wedding dress that is hanging in a doorway at her Airbnb.
A bride applies lipstick in a mirror on her floatplane elopement day in Alaska.
Four cupcakes sit on a white plate on a table with pink flowers surrounding the plate.
Two women wearing blue tops sit on either side of a bride wearing white on a couch, smiling at the camera.
A woman helps a bride wearing a white dress button up the back of the dress.
A woman buttons up the back of a bride's wedding dress while they stand in a bathroom.
A woman kisses a bride wearing a white dress, on her cheek.
A bride wearing a white dress smiles down at a white handkerchief that a woman wearing blue is handing her.
A bride wearing a white dress taps her groom on the shoulder for their first look.
A groom wearing a blue plaid shirt sees his bride wearing her wedding dress for the first time as they stand outside on a wooden balcony in Alaska.
A groom wearing a blue plaid shirt smiles at his bride as she throws her head back laughing out loud.
A bride wearing a white wedding dress stands facing and holding hands with her groom.
A bride wearing a white wedding dress turns around to show her groom the back of her dress on their elopement day.
A bride stands in the middle of two other women, all smiling at the camera.
Three women and a man all stand on a wooden balcony at an airbnb in alaska smiling and looking at the camera.

Bishop’s Beach Wedding Ceremony

After a beautiful first look, we made our way to Bishop’s Beach for their ceremony. If you aren’t familiar with Homer, Alaska, it’s a coastal town that sits right on the Kachemak Bay. Across the bay is Kenai Fjords National Park, aka huge mountains, glaciers, and wilderness, and where we would be heading on our floatplane elopement adventure! Bishop’s Beach has all of those mountain views in the background, making it a really great spot for an elopement ceremony!

Becky performed a short and sweet ceremony as Vicki’s mom and sister watched on. After their I do’s and first kiss, they took a stroll along the beach. We always love encouraging couples to take a moment alone after their ceremony and throughout the day! It’s such an intimate time in your relationship, so it’s good to let the feelings and emotions sink in and be present.

After a private stroll, they came back for some group photos and went to find some fireweed for photos! Fireweed is the “unofficial state flower” in Alaska. It’s a tall purple flower that blooms across the state from July to September, with its peak time around late July to mid-August.  Lucky for us, the trails around Bishops Beach are overflowing with fireweed, so we had fun taking photos with it!

Three women and a man walk along a black sand beach in Alaska towards the ceremony location.
A woman wearing a blue dress helps tie a flower bracelet onto another woman's wrist.
A bride and groom stand facing each other and holding hands next to their officiant during their wedding ceremony.
An officiant reads from a kindle to a bride and groom who stand holding hands.
A bride wearing a white dress laughs along with her officiant during the wedding ceremony.
A bride and groom stand holding hands while an officiant reads from a kindle during a wedding ceremony in Alaska.
A bride smiles at her groom during their elopement ceremony as their officiant reads from a kindle.
A bride wearing a white dress kisses her now husband after their wedding ceremony at Bishop's Beach in Homer Alaska.
Two woman stand by as a bride and groom share a first kiss on a beach in Alaska.
A bride wearing a white dress walks along a beach in Alaska holding hands with her groom who is wearing a blue plaid shirt and jeans
A bride and groom walk along a rocky beach in Alaska on their elopement day.
A bride and groom stand with their arms around each other's necks and waist taking a moment to take in their mountain surroundings after their elopement ceremony in Homer Alaska.
Two women wearing blue dresses lean into each other laughing as one holds a bouquet of pink flowers.
A bride and groom walk hand in hand along a rocky beach in Alaska with beautiful mountains looming in the background.
A bride wearing a white dress and holding a bouquet of pink flowers hugs her mom as they both smile.
A bride wearing a white dress holds a bouquet of pink flowers down by her side.
A bride and groom walk along a sandy beach after their elopement ceremony in Homer Alaska.
A bride wearing a white dress stands holding hands with her groom as they stand on a sandy island surrounded by ocean and a rocky cliffside behind them.
A floatplane flies over an ocean with mountains in the background in Homer Alaska.
A bride and groom walk on a dirt path through a green meadow with large mountains in the background.
A bride wearing a white dress and a groom wearing a blue plaid shirt walk through a grassy meadow with large mountains behind them on their floatplane elopement day in Alaska.
A bride and groom stand facing each other smiling with a field of purple fireweed flowers behind them.
Two hands are intertwined showing off their wedding ring and wedding band.

Ready to start planning your own floatplane elopement in Alaska?

We are so excited to help you start dreaming up your own elopement day. Not only are we here to capture every moment, but we’re also here to help make those dreams come to life!

Let’s chat!

Floatplane Elopement

After exploring Bishops Beach and enjoying time with family, it was time to head off on our floatplane elopement adventure. We made our way to the Beryl Air dock, where we met with our incredible pilot Stephanie. 

One thing about Stephanie that was super helpful when planning this floatplane elopement was how knowledgeable she was about the area. This is exactly the kind of personalized experience we include in our all-inclusive elopement packages, where we help coordinate everything from pilots to cupcakes. Vicki and Ben wanted to find somewhere remote, quiet, and beautiful and Stephanie definitely delivered. We can’t recommend reaching out to Beryl Air enough for your floatplane elopement!

Once we got loaded into the floatplane, we started our takeoff across Beluga Lake. Before we knew it, we were in the air, cruising over Homer and across the bay. Seeing Kenai Fjords National Park from the sky was so incredible and definitely a must-do on your elopement day.

As we flew over the mountains and glaciers, we saw a small lake approaching. Stephanie landed us on the lake with such ease you couldn’t even tell you were landing on water! She docked the boat, and we were able to walk to a small beach. 

Three floatplanes are docked in the water with a dock leading out to them.
A bride wearing a white dress walks up to the side door of a red floatplane in Alaska.
A bride wearing a white sweater sits in a floatplane with a headset on while flying in the air.
A pilot and a passenger sit in the front of a floatplane wearing headsets as they fly over water.
The view out the window of a floatplane shows a blue river and green grassy mountainsides.
The view out a floatplane window as the plane flies in the air shows a bay and a braided river flowing into the mountains.
The view out a floatplane window shows a large glacier.
The view from a floatplane window is a light blue glacier with mountains surrounding it.
A pilot's hand reaches up to control a dial on the dashboard of a floatplane.
A pilot stands in the water wearing an orange floatation device next to her floatplane as a man steps off the floatplane into the water with his boots in his hand.
View out the window of a floatplane shows a bay with mountains in the background.
View out the window of a floatplane should a bay and mountains as well as dark stormy clouds in the sky.
A pilot stands in the water wearing an orange lifejacket as a woman in a white wedding dress walks along the float of the plane holding her dress up so it doesn't get wet.

Packraft Adventure on a Remote Lake

Something you should know about Brian and me is that we’ll do everything in our power to make your Alaska elopement day really special. Every couple is different, and we love helping you design a day that reflects that. We’ve put together a list of Adventure Elopement Ideas, which you can visit here to get some ideas of your own. We’re also always down to chat about coming up with some new ideas, too!

When we finalized the plan to take the floatplane over to the lake, we suggested bringing some pack rafts along so that Vicki and Ben could paddle around the lake after we landed. So we called up a few companies in town and found somewhere that we could rent some pack rafts from. 

Becky started inflating the boats with Stephanie’s help while Brian explored the shoreline with Vicki and Ben. They scrambled up some boulders, danced on the shoreline, and watched a rainbow appear from behind the mountains.

Once the boats were inflated, they headed out across the lake for a peaceful paddle, all while this rainbow shone above them. It was really incredible! After paddling for a bit, they came back to the shore for a very “Top Gun” photo session with the floatplane. Ben looked like he was straight out of the movie, wearing his aviators and leaning against the plane. 

A groom stands on top of a big boulder and reaches his hand down to help his bride, who is wearing a white dress, get up.
A bride and groom walk hand in hand along a small beach next to a lake as a red and white floatplane is docked behind them
A red and white floatplane sits docked in the water as two people paddle blue packrafts in the lake next to it.
A white and red floatplane sits docked in a lake as two people paddle blue packrafts next to it.
A groom twirls his bride around in a circle as they stand on a beach next to a remote lake in Alaska after their floatplane elopement.
A groom twirls his bride as she holds the side of her dress and smiles.
A bride wearing a white dress stands next to her groom holding his hand as they stand on a small rocky beach in Alaska overlooking a remote lake, green grassy mountains and a rainbow.
Two people sit in blue packrafts in a lake as a person on shore gives one of them a push and a floatplane is docked in the water next to them.
A red and white floatplane sits docked in a lake as two people paddle blue packrafts next to it.
A red and white floatplane sits docked in a remote lake as two people paddle blue packrafts next to it.
A bride and groom sit in blue packrafts in the middle of a remote lake kissing as a rainbow shines behind them
A bride and groom sit in blue packrafts in the middle of a lake holding hands and looking at each other as a rainbow shines bright in the hills behind them.
A bride and groom sit in blue packrafts in the middle of a remote lake that is surrounded by green grassy hills.
A floatplane pilot sits on a rocky beach while her floatplane is docked in the water in front of her.
Two people paddle yellow paddles through the water as they sit in blue packrafts.
A woman in a white sweater paddles with a yellow paddle in a blue boat across a lake as a man in a blue plaid shirt follows behind her.
A black and white photo shows two people paddling across a lake in packrafts while mountains are behind them.
Two people paddle in blue packrafts across a remote lake in Alaska with green mountains and a rainbow behind them.
A bride and groom stand on the float of a floatplane kissing under the wing.
A bride and groom stand on the side of a floatplane that is on a lake in Alaska on their floatplane elopement day.
A bride and groom stand on the float of a floatplane that is docked in the water holding hands and looking at each other.
A bride looks down at her dress as she stands next to her groom on the side of her wearing sunglasses and staring at the camera.
A bride and groom stand on the float of a floatplane smiling at each other as the groom leans his arm on the plane.
A bride and groom stand on either side of a float plane on the float as the plane is docked in a lake and there are mountains and a rainbow behind them.
A bride wearing a white dress stands on one side of a floatplane that is in the middle of a lake and her groom wearing a plaid shirt stands on the other.
A groom wearing sunglasses, leans against the side of a floatplane as it is docked in the middle of a lake
A black and white photo of a man wearing sunglasses, leaning against a floatplane that is docked on a lake.
A black and white photo of a bride and groom sitting side by side in a floatplane and both are wearing headsets.
A bride and groom pose with their floatplane pilot on a dock next to the floatplane after their floatplane elopement adventure.

Floatplane Elopement Photographers

Vicki and Ben’s floatplane elopement day was one we’ll be talking about for years to come. There’s no better feeling as elopement photographers than having you (the couple) trust us when it comes to your big day. 

If you’re planning your own floatplane elopement, we would love to help you figure out all of the details. Brian and I have so much fun hearing your ideas and dreams and making them come to life. Head over to our Alaska Elopement page to learn more about our process and how things work, or click the button below to get in touch now!

Get in Touch Today!

Hi, we're Becky & Brian

We’re the duo behind Scenic Vows. We’re your elopement photographers, planners, and guides, helping couples craft intentional experiences in wild places. We live on the road in our Sprinter van and spend our days hiking trails, scouting locations, and telling love stories through photos and words.

If you’re dreaming up a day that’s anything but traditional, you’re in the right place.

We’re the duo behind Scenic Vows. We’re your elopement photographers, planners, and guides, helping couples craft intentional experiences in wild places. We live on the road in our Sprinter van and spend our days hiking trails, scouting locations, and telling love stories through photos and words. If you’re dreaming up a day that’s anything but traditional, you’re in the right place.

Ready to talk about your own adventure?

Whether you’re just starting to explore ideas or already dreaming up details, we’re here to help you figure out what’s possible. Every elopement we plan is fully personalized, just like the ones you’ve seen here.


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