Ashley and Matt looked at the idea of a traditional wedding the way a beaver looks at running water. They thought… Absolutely not.
Giant extended families, seating charts, a whole production for people who already know you love each other, neither of them wanted any part of it. They had already been working so much that year that they’d barely had any quality time together. Ashley isn’t one for being the center of attention. Matt isn’t a planner. They’re both low-key, practical, and fully aware that weddings can eat an entire year of your life if you let them. So they didn’t let them.
Ashley had lived in Auke Bay for eight years. She knew exactly where she wanted to go. Matt had never been to Alaska, and she was about to change that.
Why Juneau?
Matt had never been to Alaska. Ashley wanted to show him the place that shaped her; the fireweed fields, the grey-blue water, the way the mountains just appear out of nowhere when the clouds lift. She chose Skater’s Cabin on the shore of Mendenhall Lake for their ceremony. Quiet, tucked in, with the glacier sitting right there in the background like it has been waiting.
They kept the whole thing almost completely secret. Ashley’s dad, who turned 85 that year and had been dealing with some health issues, was the only one who knew. Seeing his daughter get married was on his bucket list. One guest. The rest of the family found out afterward. That detail has stayed with me as someone who has lost my dad. That one quiet, deliberate choice to include him felt incredibly meaningful.
The Dive Bar
They woke up in their Airbnb near Auke Lake, grabbed coffee, and scrambled out the door to pick up flowers and cake from Frenchie’s Floral. Viktor had been given Ashley’s dress photos and total creative control over the florals. Viktor delivers.
Ashley got her hair and makeup done by Ashley at Charisma, and then the two of them got ready in separate rooms of the same Airbnb before heading out for their first look. But not before a stop at Squire’s.
Ashley is an accountant who moonlights as a bartender. That’s how they met: she was tending bar, he worked up the nerve to ask her out, and the rest unraveled from there. So before anything else happened on their wedding day, they walked into a Juneau dive bar and did a shot together. A nod to where it all started. I love this for them.
The First Look
From Squire’s, we drove to Juneau’s famous fireweed field for Ashley’s first look with her dad. The fireweed wasn’t blooming just yet, and the glacier view was too foggy to see, but it was still beautiful.
What I didn’t know until that morning was that he’d spent the night before in the hospital. He’d given them quite a scare. But there he was, standing in the rain, waiting to see his daughter in her Flora and Lane gown and Xtra Tufs (because this is Juneau, and that’s just what you wear when it rains in July, even on your wedding day).
I could tell their love and respect for each other ran deep, father and daughter both. It was one of those moments that doesn’t need embellishment, that you know is going to mean so much later in life.
Her dad went back to the shelter of his car, but Ashley and Matt were still warm from their first shot, so we took a few photos in the rain before heading to their ceremony. Ashley wore her Xtra Tufs to represent her Alaskan roots, and as a true Midwest boy, Matt wore his Huk boots.
The Ceremony at Skater’s Cabin
Skater’s Cabin sits at the edge of Mendenhall Lake, looking out toward the Mendenhall glacier. Built in 1936 by the Civilian Conservation Corps from natural stone, it’s the kind of place that feels like it belongs to the landscape rather than sitting on top of it. Linda Wendeborn of I Do Alaska Weddings was their officiant. Linda has been marrying people in Juneau for decades, and she’s great at what she does. During the ceremony, she read a passage from Carl Sagan’s 1994 book Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space.
The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff. Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious… In a hundred billion galaxies, you will not find another. For small creatures such as we the vastness is bearable only through love.
— Carl Sagan, Pale Blue Dot, 1994
The Picnic
Melissa McCormick of Alaska Weddings and Events had set up a beautifully arranged picnic at the cabin. Pizza arrived from Forno Rosso Woodfire Pizza Truck. Cupcakes and food came from Zarelda’s Bistro. Inside Skater’s cabin, they lit a fire in the old woodstove and ate pizza, cupcakes, and Wisconsin cheese (of course) by candlelight.
Eagle Beach
Once they’d had their fill, we drove out to Eagle Beach.
Eagle Beach is wide, scattered with driftwood, facing Lynn Canal with the Chilkat Range across the water. At low tide, you can walk further out than you’d expect and turn around to find the sweeping landscapes in every direction.
Ashley had mentioned before the day that neither of them really knew how to pose. She said that they “might be two of the most spatially unaware people on the planet”. This was so not true. They are two people who are completely comfortable in their own skin, who kept making each other laugh in a way that had nothing to do with me being there or posing them. We took a few posed photos, but mostly they just walked the beach at low tide and were their goofy selves.
The day after their wedding, they went halibut fishing and whale watching.
Vendor Credits
Florals: Viktor at Frenchie’s Floral
Hair & Makeup: Ashley at Charisma, Juneau
Officiant: Linda Wendeborn — I Do Alaska Weddings
Picnic Setup: Melissa McCormick — Alaska Weddings and Events
Pizza: Forno Rosso Woodfire Pizza Truck, Juneau
Cupcakes & Food: Zarelda’s Bistro (permanently closed)
Gown: Flora and Lane
Bride’s Boots: Xtra-Tuf
Groom’s Boots: Huk
Jewelry: Hello Adorn (Eau Claire, WI) and Pooka Queen (Ann Arbor, MI)
Venue: Skater’s Cabin, Mendenhall Lake — reserved through Recreation.gov
Thinking About a Juneau Elopement?
Skater’s Cabin is one of my favorite ceremony spots in the area, and I’m a local, so I’ve got opinions. I can help you figure out the right location for your day, the timing that makes the light work, and the version of the day that actually sounds like you. Let’s start planning →
Read the full guide: Where to Elope in Juneau, Alaska →
Frequently Asked Questions
For an elopement, no. Groups of 75 or more need an additional Special Use permit through the Juneau Ranger District, but that’s probably not your situation. When in doubt, call the ranger district at (907) 586-8800 to confirm.
You can reserve it through Recreation.gov for $10-20/hour (depending on the season) with a two-hour minimum. It’s open 6 am to 10 pm, and it books up fast in summer, so reserve early. Even if you’re planning to use the beach, get the cabin reservation. It’s worth making sure nobody else is having an event there at the same time.
Skater’s cabin is about 13 miles and an easy 20-25 minute drive from downtown Juneau. First, you turn off Mendenhall Loop Road onto Montana Creek Road. Then you follow it until you get to a small parking lot near the Mendenhall Campground entrance.
Absolutely. With a covered porch, picnic tables, a fire pit, and a woodstove inside for heat, Skater’s cabin is a very rustic, but she cleans up nicely.
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That cabin looks like such a chill spot for an elopement. Did you guys face any crazy weather during the shoot?
It is a great spot! It was pretty rainy that day but nothing too crazy. Skaters is usually pretty protected from the wind.