We have several couples come to us torn because they really want to elope but also want just a few of their favorite people to be there. We say, no problem! Let’s provide you the most kick ass adventure micro wedding there is. What is a micro wedding? It is an elopement that includes up to ten of your closest friends and family. Now, some may challenge us on this. Sites like The Knot define a micro wedding as up to fifty people. Honey, that’s just called a wedding. While what size is a micro wedding may have a different number for everyone, we are going to get into what a micro wedding is when you also want it to be an adventure, and why that’s different.

An adventure micro wedding

Our beautiful beast of Glacier National Park does not want your fifty person “micro wedding.” Literally they don’t. Just check out our Wedding Ceremony Locations in Glacier National Park if you want more info about their sites and capacity. 

Adventure micro weddings can happen in a variety of ways, which we love.

1.  You and your partner having your own adventure ceremony then the wedding reception at a cool spot nearby after. It still feels adventurey to the guests but you also have your solo ceremony together.
2. You and your partner have a ceremony at an adventure style spot- lake shore, tree clearing, etc. with your guests then break out on your own for an adventure.
3. You and your partner take the whole fricken badass guest list on the adventure with you! They strap on the headlamps, they break out their hiking poles, and it is a true experience for everyone.

These are just some ideas to get you started, we love doing things your beautiful own way here.

Micro weddings are just as adventurous as elopements

A micro wedding is just as cute as an elopement, right? A micro wedding is just as smart as an elopement. People totally like a micro wedding just as much as they like an elopement. When did it become okay for one person to be the boss of everybody because that’s not what weddings are about! We should totally just STAB CAESAR!

Sorry I got carried away there. The point is don’t feel like you have to give up ANY of your adventurous dreams to have a micro wedding! One reason that micro weddings stay as adventurous as elopements is because of the unpredictability and spontaneity. Unlike a wedding which has a venue and their whole team to accommodate you. You have, well, me! And I gotchu, we are just going to have a lot more fun when things switch up on us. 

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Many Glaicer Hotel Micro Wedding

Take Madison and Josh’s Many Glacier Hotel micro wedding. We’ve photographed a loooot of Glacier National Park micro weddings through the years, but to tell you that this one got steamier than average is an understatement! These two are so madly in love! On the checklist for their Many Glacier Hotel micro wedding – two different hiking trails, a beautiful boat ride, a steamy session, and a one of a kind ceremony. Not on their checklist – 12 hours of rain! But alas, when you commit to GNP, you commit to whatever she has to throw at you. This couple EMBRACES the beauty.

As the day comes to an end, our dear couple has not yet had their ceremony for their Many Glacier Hotel micro wedding. Our original plans to have it on the grass were ixnayed because, well, soaking rain. We decide to have it there in the lodge with their ten guests as their personal small wedding venue. After they share their sweet sweet vows, the hootenanny (yes) transitions into a beautiful love song, and our bride and groom step onto the floor to have their very first dance. ROMCOM ENERGY! I SAID IT FROM THE START!

What is a Micro Wedding and The Sandwich Method?

Everyone has heard about the compliment sandwich. There is the compliment, a little note of something different, and a compliment again. This is a great way to have your adventure micro wedding. Couple + Guests, Couple Only, and Couple + Guests. Your guests feel happy that they have spent most the day with you, but you also get some alone time. Win-win!

For example, Jazzy and Ben have really close friend relationships, so they bring them all the way to Montana for their wedding day. The ceremony is so meaningful, everybody’s all dressed up and supporting them as they share their vows with each other. Ben hasn’t seen Jazzy all day until the moment she’s walking down the shore, flowers in her hair, towards him. Deep in their souls, you can just tell that they are best friends. We all got teary eyed as they exchange vows.

Part Two: What Happens After the Ceremony at a Micro Wedding

After celebrating with friends, we ditch the guests to have some adventure time with our sweet couple! As we get to know Jazzy and Ben more, we can see they just genuinely care for each other. They also just love laughing together and we can’t stop smiling from ear to ear the whole time.

We take them up the Going to the Sun Road to our favorite spots in the park. I mean, we just LOVE spoiling these two! Sunset fades and we go to the tip of Lake McDonald for some oh-so moody lantern photos. Just because the sun has gone behind the mountains, doesn’t mean we’re still not having a BLAST! Every Glacier National Park micro wedding should have these romantic lantern photos, but we’re biased.

Jazzy and Ben’s micro wedding ends with everyone together again, back at their AirBnB, the Modern Moose. Their friends set out a glorious feast! All types of delicious snacks and desserts await, but before they dive in, their friends give the most meaningful and teary-eyed toasts. What a great way to end the day as the stars come out! 

Keep your elopement dreams when you opt for a micro wedding

I beg of you, if you truly want elopement vibes with your closest people, you need to treat it like an elopement. This means, do not listen to your guests. They do not get a vote here. YOU get a vote. YOUR FIANCE gets a vote. Your wedding guests get the privilege of seeing you on the happiest day of your life. THIS MEANS – do not back down on your dreams.

Alyssa & Tyler, our lovely couple, want an “off-the-beaten-path” spot for their wedding day and we find them just the perfect spot. On the southern coast of Crete, Greece is the small, isolated village of Loutro. Loutro is only accessible by a boat or a hike across the hill. It screams Mamma Mia vibes and adventure all wrapped into one! Not only do A&T seek a meaningful, adventurous wedding day, but hiking is so important to them. So, they decide on booking a 2nd day hike at Imbros Gorge.

For their Greece elopement, close family was invited to attend. While not everyone could make the long journey, a couple members did and it was very special. We say “FUCK YES!” to this couple who could have changed the location based on not all guests coming and did not. They stayed true to what they wanted and it made our hearts so proud!

What is a Micro Wedding – the best of both worlds

As soon as we spoke with Samantha and Nick over the phone, we just KNEW they were our kind of people. The jokes and laughter were going and there was no stopping it. They had such an amazing vision for their Many Glacier Micro wedding and we knew we would do anything to make that happen. It wasn’t exactly an elopement, but it definitely wasn’t just a regular wedding either, and that’s why Glacier National Park was the perfect place for their micro wedding. How many people do you invite to a micro wedding? In their case – eight! They pulled in such sweet wedding traditions and made their micro wedding so special. They also opted for a two day adventure with us was something they’ll never forget!

On the first day of their 2 Day Many Glacier Micro Wedding, they got ready at the amazing Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier. The small group traveled to the ceremony spot at Lake Josephine up in Many Glacier. The things you can do with small guest lists! Samantha and Nick couldn’t have picked a more magical place to be married. While the clouds settled in and we got sprinkled on a bit, these two love birds said “I Do” (after a comical pause from Samantha). The mountains around Lake Josephine made for the most lovely backdrop. They spent the evening in true wedding tradition of dancing and celebrating back at Glacier Park Lodge.

What is a Micro Wedding on Day Two

On the second day we woke up for a sunrise adventure session at Logan Pass! You can totally ask Samantha, but I bet she would tell you it was 100% worth hiking up there in her wedding dress. What we love about this micro wedding is that the couple got everything they wanted from a big wedding – matching bridesmaid dresses and groomsmen suits, cake cutting, dancing, a guest book, and a getaway car. They also took everything they wanted from an elopement – a ceremony on the shore of lake Josephine, a sunrise hike, a boat ride, a multi location wedding! 

All together now!

There is the option to have the micro wedding just as you would an elopement, only the guests are with you every step of the way, literally. Vance calls his love story with Lindsey “non traditional”. They do what they want and enjoy having each other. This made the decision to have a micro wedding pretty easy. While they had their sights set learning how to have a Holland Lake Falls Hiking Elopement, Vance explains they had never been to Glacier before and wanted to see all the lesser known but equally gorgeous areas. Cue us, your location matchmakers! We love all things Glacier and knew just the spot Vance was envisioning!!

Bringing us back to the headlamps and a one hell of a fun hike! We were up at 1:45 AM, chugging our coffee, and getting geared up. Literally. Headlamps are a must if you’re hiking in the dark before sunrise or after sunset (gotta get those epic shots and enjoy the views!!). We met at the getting ready spot at 3AM. Lindsey looked fabulous. Her hair down, slightly pinned back, with the biggest grin on her face. Her #1, Vance, had on a cozy flannel, a trimmed beard, and a grin matching hers. Both look so in love and ready for their Holland Lake Falls hiking elopement. The rest of the intimate group was a little sleepier, but so excited to watch Lindsey and Vance say “I Do”!

A Micro Wedding Sunrise Ceremony

These sunrise warriors were not disappointed. As the group hiked with flashlights and headlamps to where the trail overlooked the lake, the sun started to creep up. The group laughed the whole way on the 3.5 mile round trip hike. We approached Holland Falls, overlooking Holland Lake, with Mission Mountains in the background. Alpenglow was happening so the mountains were getting really pink. A cotton candy paradise. We reached the top right before the sun crested the hill. MAGIC! Their ceremony spot was nestled at the top with a mountain lookout

The ceremony was short and soooo sweet. Vance’s friend officiated just as Vance had officiated for his friend prior. Their family and friends watched as the pair united with a passionate kiss. Proving that you can have an intimate celebration overlooking your dream travel location, checking off your bucket list, AND marrying your honey! Then POP! Goes the champagne!

Let’s plan your micro wedding!

If you read all that and start daydreaming about your own micro wedding, contact us! We love to be your micro wedding photographer and are excited for you to have your wedding, your way. Especially if you are looking for a one of a kind adventure! If you want to learn more about why our couples choose a micro wedding, check it out! Can’t wait to start planning your best day ever!