A Quick Answer If You’re Just Getting Started
If you’re trying to figure out the best time to elope in Alaska, here’s the short answer: it really depends on what you want out of the experience.
Summer means endless daylight, wildflowers, and everything in full swing, but also the biggest crowds of the year. Winter is cold and dark, but it also means Northern Lights, dog sledding, and snowmobiles. Spring and fall are honestly our favorites because you get fewer people, moodier skies, and a version of Alaska that feels a little more raw and untouched. Keep reading for the full breakdown on the best season to elope in Alaska.
Alaska Will Stop You in Your Tracks Whatever Season You’re In
No matter when you decide to elope in Alaska, we can promise you this, it will be incredible. Every time we go back, Brian and I get a little emotional when we first land. There’s something about the scale of this state and the wildness of it all that just gets into you, and we’re completely okay with that.
If you’re still in the early stages of planning, our guide to the best places to elope in Alaska is a good place to start since where you go will actually influence when you should go.
Summer: Endless Light, Wildflowers, and Yes, the Crowds
Summer in Alaska is something else entirely. The days are endless, the wildflowers are insane, and every tour, guide, and rental is up and running. It’s easily the most popular time of year to elope in Alaska, which means more people on the trails and at the viewpoints.
The silver lining to summer crowds is that every helicopter and boat company is running at full capacity, which means you can actually get to some of the more remote locations that are harder to access other times of year and it’s one of the best ways to escape the crowds entirely. Just make sure you book those experiences well in advance because they fill up fast, especially if you have a specific date in mind.
Since the sun barely goes down in June and July, you get this extended period of dusk and twilight that creates some really beautiful colors across the sky for hours. It’s different than a traditional sunset and definitely worth witnessing at least once in your lifetime.
Spring and Fall: Our Favorite Time to Be There
We’ll just say it: we think the best time to get married in Alaska is the shoulder season.
Spring is still waking up when you arrive and there’s this quiet, unhurried feeling to everything because the crowds haven’t shown up yet and things haven’t fully opened up. Weather can be unpredictable with rain and late snowstorms always a possibility, but if you’re flexible and a little adventurous it’s a beautiful time to be there.
Fall is where our hearts really are though. Picture reds and yellows and greens as far as you can see, blueberries everywhere, low misty clouds hanging over the mountains, and towns and campgrounds that have gone almost completely quiet. The wildlife is out in full force too, which is one of those things you don’t truly anticipate until you’re standing on a mountainside and realize you’re sharing it with something else.
Our very first Alaska elopement was in September and we took a helicopter to the top of a mountain in Seward. At some point during the vows we spotted a bear pretty far off in the distance and spent the rest of the ceremony watching it slowly get closer, thinking “is this bear actually about to crash this wedding.” It didn’t, for the record, but that’s fall in Alaska for you. It’s wild in the best possible way.
For more on what to expect weather-wise by month,this Alaska seasonal guide from the National Park Service is worth bookmarking.
Winter: Dark, Cold, and Somehow Completely Unforgettable
Winter in Alaska isn’t for everyone, and that’s okay. The couples who choose it tend to be a specific kind of person who wants the adventure, the intimacy, and that quiet that settles over everything after a big snowstorm. They’re usually pretty comfortable with cold weather, though we did have a couple fly up from South Carolina once so you truly never know. What they all have in common is that they want the things only winter can give you: the snow, the stillness, the dog sledding, and most of all, the Northern Lights.
The first time Brian and I saw the aurora was February in Fairbanks. We’d traveled all day and were completely wiped out, but the forecast looked promising so we rallied and drove to an overlook that someone had recommended. It was around -25 that night and after a while of nothing happening we decided to call it and head back to our Airbnb.
On the way back, out of nowhere, these green streaks appeared in the sky that looked like vibrant green rain falling in slow motion. We pulled down a random side street, got out of the car, and just stood there watching this light show that kept changing so fast. One minute it was dancing across the whole sky and then it was just gone. We haven’t been lucky enough to photograph it during an elopement yet, but chasing that experience is reason enough to elope in Alaska in winter as far as we’re concerned.
One of our favorite places to send winter couples is Borealis Basecamp, which is built for exactly this kind of elopement with aurora viewing, cozy igloos, dogsledding, snowmobiling and a setting that feels completely removed from the rest of the world. For planning around the lights specifically, the aurora forecast tool from the Geophysical Institute is really useful.
A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Book
A couple of practical things that couples don’t always know when they start planning an Alaska elopement.
- Permits: Some locations require them and availability can be limited during peak summer months, so don’t leave this until the last minute.
- Accessibility: Certain locations are snowed in or iced out in winter and early spring, but winter also opens up things like ice caves that aren’t safe to visit in summer.
- Vendor availability: Most vendors are busiest in summer, so if you have your heart set on specific people, reach out early regardless of what season you’re planning for.
Our full guide to eloping in Alaska covers a lot of this in more detail if you want to get into the logistics side of things.
How to Figure Out Which Season Is Right for You
When couples come to us unsure about timing, the first thing we tell them is to close their eyes and picture it. Where are you standing, what does the air feel like, and what does the landscape around you look like? The answer that comes up naturally usually points pretty clearly to a season, and if that doesn’t do it these questions tend to help:
- Do you care more about long daylight hours or the chance to see the Northern Lights?
- How do you feel about sharing trailheads and viewpoints with other people? Does a crowd kill the vibe for you?
- Are you set on a specific location, or are you flexible? Some spots are only accessible certain times of year.
- What’s your honest relationship with cold? Do you romanticize it or suffer through it?
- Is budget a factor? Travel costs and vendor availability shift quite a bit depending on the season.
If you’re still on the fence after all of that, the best thing to do is just get on a call with us. We love talking through this stuff and can help you land on a season pretty quickly once we hear what you’re thinking.
