First off, what is a helicopter elopement? This is an insanely magical elopement where you take a helicopter to a super secluded and beautiful place – top of a mountain, overlooking glaciers, near wildflowers and curious critters, etc. Then you and your honey commit your life together and the helicopter takes you back and we pop the champagne and go to the next adventure of your day! While it may seem totally crazy, YOU can have a helicopter elopement!!

We love elopements because they are 1- with your favorite person ever 2- doing something/going somewhere that is on your bucket list. The best way to kick off your marriage is by having a fucking amazing adventure IMO.

How to have a helicopter elopement and plan for back ups

If you are planning a helicopter elopement you need a Plan A, B, and C. Just like any elopement, shit happens. A helicopter elopement is just as susceptible to something happening out of the plan than any other adventure elopement. Weather is a bitch whether you’re on the ground or in the sky. 

For helicopters, they plan everything they possibly can before you go up in the air. They know your weight, the weight of your luggage, everything. Weather and wind are the wild cards. While it’s totally a factor, the pilot is uppppp to date on the current weather and is experienced in their own plan Bs and Cs. They will bring you to different locations or cut trips short for safety. It’s a good rule of thumb to always check with the helicopter company you are using to see if they offer refunds for trip cancellations due to weather.

Even if the sun is out it may not stay shining forever! During our last helicopter ride, a storm was approaching and so we had to get outta there and head back to Bozeman. The pilot was on his shit and stuck the landing. But then we mighttttt have found some more adventuring outside! We had the best time with our couple before it literally starts to POUR rain! Buckets! The pilot (and Jake) saw it coming from 30 minutes away, buuuut ya girl wanted to soak in all the gorgeousness so of COURSE we get caught in it! We take cover, and get ready for dinner. Your adventure elopement doesn’t end when the helicopter touches down! We gotta get you the celebratory dinner of a lifetime!

Where to have a helicopter elopement 

How to have a destination elopement- start with where you want to go and then find a helicopter from there! The great thing about helicopters – they can fly! Odds are we can find ya a helicopter after you choose your ceremony spot. We do have some faves listed below to get you started. 

Canadian Helicopter Experiences 

Some popular choices for a helicopter elopement are in Canada. One option is Whistler, British Columbia. During a Whistler Helicopter Tour you’ll fly deep into the pristine and rugged landscape of the Coast Mountains. The helicopter will take you over knife-sharp peaks, ancient glaciers, hidden lakes and valleys and stunning ice formations. If you’re feeling EVEN more adventurous can even choose heli-hiking or ice-cave explorations!

A second option is Banff national park. You know we are allll about the glory of national parks! During this epic helicopter experience you’ll gaze down at jagged peaks, icy turquoise lakes, and dense pine forests. Banff heli-sightseeing experiences last for up to 45 minutes and will take you soaring above some of the most spectacular sights of Banff National Park. I can’t even with how much fun it is!

How to have a helicopter elopement in Alaska

Alaska has been on our bucket list since 2009 when the badass Sandra Bullock and Blake Lively’s husband starred in The Proposal. An Alaskan helicopter is actually not the most uncommon thing you can think of. AK Helicopter Tours has a whole list of packages just for your nuptials! With their flexible helicopter rentals for elopements, you can get married right on a glacier and have one of the most unique and memorable experiences with nature that only Alaska can provide. Or, choose one of their high alpine locations for a grand view of the glaciers from above. Can you get married in a helicopter? Not in necessarily, but these Alaskan pilots are ordained and can perform the ceremony at either landing location!

Montana Helicopter Elopement

I will always vouch for my own backyard. Montana is incredibly special and has amazing places to soak in. Flying in a helicopter is actually pretty frickin’ smooth and literally has the BEST views! In Montana, we saw antelope, buffalo and deer on our way to the mountain. When we went, we arrived in between weather fronts, so it started out sunny and beautiful. The Gallatin River cuts through the canyon and there’s so many wildflowers. There’s just some MAGIC about traveling… we took off in one place and landed in a completely other place. Every new destination offers an awakening and a chance to collect pearls for the ultimate necklace of life experiences. 

Catalina Island Helicopter Elopement

Another option for how to have a helicopter elopement is to take Maverick Helicopters from Long Beach, California to Avalon, Catalina. This 15 minute flight is the best way to get to Catalina for your wedding of a lifetime. The island, most famous for its Catalina wine mixer, is the go to place for any kind of adventurer! There are great hikes, gorgeous waters for snorkeling, and an assortment of hotels, air BnBs, and camping. Take the helicopter back to Long Beach after your wedding weekend, or you can pop back on a boat to San Pedro, Long Beach or Dana Point.

Contact Kelsey to Start Planning

What you need to be aware of when you have a helicopter elopement

My challenge during our last helicopter elopement was making sure my sweet husband and kick ass photography partner, Jake, thought it was safe. Kobe is always on our minds, ya dig? Soooo I asked the pilot specific things about the helicopter that would help him overcome his fear. The pilot, Aaron, told me: 

• Helicopters fly 500 ft off the ground, so emergency landings (super rare) can happen pretty easily.
• The weight is distributed throughout the plane, that’s why they need your weight and weight of your camera gear for every flight!

For next time, as a photographer, I would bring a wide angle (think gopro 16mm) lens for the back of the helicopter fun AND a recorder for the audio! MY COUPLE WAS SO FUCKIN STOKED! So for our next couple, we definitely want to capture all that excitement on audio!

The best thing about this helicopter elopement is that it had been a dream of theirs (and mine TBH!) for a long ass time and I was over the rainbow that it was happening for them!! All of my sweet couples deserve the biggest, baddest, beautifulest, wedding of their dreaaaaamsssss! Cue ugly crying. 

The Experience of a Helicopter Wedding

Wherever you go in the world for your helicopter elopement, you are getting a secluded ceremony that is absolutely stunning and 100% authentically what you want. You’ll laugh, cry, and get fuckin MARRIED to your best friend, your way!! 

We talk allottttt about a two day elopement as there is so much adventuring to be had!! With Kelsey and RJ’s Helicopter Wedding in Montana – with 2nd day hike! They got to adventure to sooooo many places! My holy shit immediate recap thoughts were – coolest day ever!! A limo, a helicopter, gorgeous views, ice cream aaaand the 2nd day hike in Bozeman, Montana! 

Overall if you are going to have a helicopter elopement, you need to know that it’s perfect for couples who love new places, great views, and experiencing new things. Also for those who want to get married without all the fuss! Having a helicopter wedding really is a DREAM! You’ll feel that moving through the clouds, with you and your love. 

Let’s get to planning your best day ever!

If you are ready to take to the skies, climb mountains, blast around lakes, or any other super fucking amazing adventure, I’m your gal! Fill out this nifty little questionnaire so I can get to know YOU and YOUR LOVE and we’ll go from there!