Glacier Wedding – Juneau, Alaska
Firstly I should explain what a wedding photographer based in Greater London was doing shooting a wedding on top of a glacier in Alaska………. For nearly five years I worked as a photographer on several cruise ships. During that time I spent 4 summers cruising the ports and National Parks of Alaska. Whilst I shot hundreds of on-board wedding occasional I would be asked to accompany couples on shore-side weddings. It would always prove to be an exciting challenge as I would normally have no knowledge of the venue and in most cases I would have met the couple only briefly before the big day!
One of the more unusual, unique and coldest weddings I’ve shot.
I met Marie and Mark shore-side in Alaska’s captial, Juneau and after a short delay while we waited for the custom blue spray painted roses we were ready to go.
The adventure began with a pickup via a stretched limo in downtown Juneau. We were then shuttled Helli-pad, after a quick stop to pick up the marriage licences. The flight to the top of the glacier took us over the most breathtaking scenery that Alaska has to offer. I had previously taken flights over the ice-fields in a light aircraft, and seen the miles of frozen landscape before but this was indeed something special. Unfortuntely my request to take the short helicopter ride ‘doors off’ was denied. Once we landed we donned our crampons and walked a few yards to an open and level part of the glacier. Although it was extremely cold Marie and Mark braved it and their coats were left in the small 5 man helicopter. The same couldn’t be said for the minister, bizarrely dressed in a fleece and jeans, he looked like he was about to take us on a nature trail rather than a wedding! After a quick ceremony I had “two minutes” for pictures before we were whisked away over the ice fields once more.
I’m not sure that a glacier wedding is for everyone, and it is quite expensive for that time you actually spend on the ice itself. But if you’re looking for a completely unique and intimate exchange of vows then maybe it is worth a look.
The Gatekeepers 