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July 21, 2022

Epic Juneau Alaska Glacier Wedding | Shawn and Jessica

FILED IN: Alaska, Elopements

epic juneau alaska glacier wedding

Shawn and Jessica travelled all the way from Oklahoma for their Alaska Glacier wedding and brought their best friends and Jessica’s parents with them. They travelled up to Alaska on a cruise ship with the intention of eloping on a glacier and taking a sweet vacation at the same time.

The day was absolutely perfect with blue skies above, blue ice below, and blue mountain views everywhere in between. It was a warm 70 degrees in town, and a cool 60 degrees on the glacier. Luckily for the couple and their wedding party, they had all packed their sunglasses because it was a BRIGHT sunny day.

Helicopter Ride with Coastal Helicopters.

Before the Helicopter Ride

We started the day at Coastal Helicopters, one of the best helicopter charter companies in Juneau. What a lot of my clients don’t realize is that before you can step foot on the glacier, you needed to be fitted with glacier boots that go over your shoes. So everybody strapped themselves into their glacier boots, watched the safety briefing video, and loaded into the helicopter.

During the Helicopter Ride

Every time I ride with Coastal Helicopters I am blown away by just how smooth the ride is. During our flight, the pilot flew over Juneau and the surrounding area, pointing out landmarks and making sure to give us incredible views. To top it off, the officiant, Tom Stewart of Alaska Weddings, added to the commentary with very interesting bits of knowledge and history of the area.

groom putting on glacier ice boots for alaska glacier wedding
groom wearing glacier ice books for alaska glacier wedding
bride and groom kissing in front of alaska airlines plane and helicopters
bride and groom kiss as alaska airlines plan flies overhead
bride and groom in helicopter
bride and groom wearing sunglasses in helicopter
juneau alaska aerial view
Juneau Alaska aerial view
juneau alaska gastineau channel aerial view
Gastineau channel aerial view
juneau alaska mendenhall glacier and mendenhall lake aerial view
Mendenhall glacier and mendenhall lake from above
juneau icefield mountain ridge
Alaska mountain ridge

The Herbert Glacier

The Herbert Glacier is 8 miles long and sits at a 2851 ft elevation. The Herbert Glacier is just one of 38 glaciers in the Juneau Icefield, which is estimated to be about 3000 years old. The Mendenhall Glacier is the most popular glacier in the Juneau vicinity for Alaska glacier weddings and sightseeing. However, the Herbert Glacier is more remote and therefore more private, so you are less likely to have other helicopters land near you during your ceremony. And frankly, the views are better too.

herbert glacier aerial view
herbert glacier from above
herbert glacier ice field from above
Herbert glacier ice field
herbert blacier ice ridges from above
Herbert glacier ice field
landing on the herbert glacier
landing on the herbert glacier
view of gastineau channel from the herbert glacier
views from the herbert glacier
bride coming out of helicopter on glacier
bride exiting helicopter on glacier
bride and groom kissing in front of yellow helicopter on glacier
bride and groom kissing on glacier as helicopter flies away

A Beautiful Glacier Wedding Ceremony

Shawn and Jessica’s ceremony was just your regular wedding ceremony with handwritten vows and a ring exhange. Except for the part where they were wearing ice boots and fur coats and standing on an ancient glacier with views of snow-capped Alaskan mountains. Present were Jessica’s mother and father, as well as their best friends Jamie and Danny, all from Oklahoma.

herbert glacier wedding ceremony
bride groom and officiant on herbert glacier
bride reading vows on glacier
bride reading vows during alaska glacier wedding
bride smiling at groom during alaska glacier wedding
groom reading vows during alaska glacier wedding
grooms vow book during alaska glacier wedding
grooms vows and fur coat
groom smiling during alaska glacier ceremony
emotional bride during alaska glacier ceremony
emotional bride during alaska glacier wedding
bride smiling at glacier wedding
bride and groom about to kiss during alaska glacier wedding
alaska glacier wedding ring exchange
first kiss as married couple on herbert glacier wedding
first kiss as man and wife during herbert glacier wedding
bride and groom's first kiss during alaska glacier wedding
bride and groom on herbert glacier
happy groom during herbert glacier wedding
happy bride and groom during herbert glacier wedding
happy couple during alaska glacier wedding

An Epic Alaska Glacier Wedding Reception

Have you ever drank champagne chilled in glacier ice? If not, you’re missing out! For Shawn and Jessica’s reception, they toasted with ice cold champagne. Then, they drank water scooped directly from a glacier stream. Finally, they cut the cake and explored the area, soaking up the gorgeous of the Gastineau Channel.

champagne on glacier
cake cutting on glacier
bride and groom grabbing butts on glacier
bride and groom touching butts on glacier
bride and groom butt squeeze on glacier
bride hugging mom on glacier
father of bride toast on glacier
champagne toast on alaska glacier

champagne toast on juneau glacier
mother and father of bride on juneau glacier
wedding party on herbert glacier
groom and best man getting glacier water
bride and groom collecting glacier water from glacier stream
bride and groom collecting water from glacier stream
groom collecting water from a glacier stream
bride and groom drinking water from glacier stream
bride and groom toasting with glacier water
bride and groom glacier water toast

Shawn and Jessica’s Story

How They Met

Shawn and Jessica met 2011 at his oldest daughter’s 16th birthday. The theme was Cirque du Freak. He was trying to hang a disco ball, but he fell and bloodied up his lip (and still has the scar to prove it). When they started talking, there was obvious chemistry, however Jessica was in a relationship and Shawn was fresh out of a divorce. Fast forward 11 years, Jessica had just started working at a title company and did the closing title work on his house. This time, Jessica was single, so she asked him on a date. In Jessica’s words “I knew shortly after that first date that he was the one, he was always the one.” The rest was history.

How They Ended up on a Glacier

Shawn had once told Jessica that going to Alaska and drinking glacier water was on the top of his bucket list. So, they booked an Alaskan cruise. Shortly after, Shawn proposed to Jessica on a gold course in Florida and she jokingly suggested getting married on the glacier. His eyes lit up like a kid in a candy store and she didn’t have the heart to tell him she was kidding. So, they drug Jessica’s parents and their best friends along for their wild ride and got married on Herbert Glacier in Juneau, Alaska.

bride and groom walking on glacier with gorgeous background
bride and groom walking on herbert glacier with beautiful background
bride and groom walking on juneau glacier with epic background
bride and groom dancing on glacier with gorgeous background
bride and groom dancing on herbert glacier with beautiful background
bride and groom dancing on juneau glacier with epic background
bride and groom holding hands walking on glacier with gorgeous background
bride and groom hugging on alaska glacier with beautiful background
bride and groom hugging on herbert glacier with epic background
bride and groom hugging on juneau glacier with gorgeous background
bride and groom kissing on juneau glacier with beautiful background
bride and groom on glacier
bride and groom on alaska glacier
bride and groom on juneau glacier
bride and groom on herbert glacier
groom kissing brides neck on glacier
groom kissing brides neck and bride smiling on glacier
close up of wedding rings on alaska glacier
bride and groom holding hands duing alaska glacier wedding with background in focus
view of glacier and mountains from helicopter
view of water and mountains in alaska from helicopter
bride and groom in helicopter smiling after their alaska glacier wedding

Vendors

Officiant and Elopement Planner: Alaska Weddings

Helicopter Charter: Coastal Helicopters

Sources

Alaska Guide Co.

Travel Juneau

Ready to Plan Your Alaska Glacier Wedding?

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