As a Montana wedding officiant I have done ceremonies in all types of weather. 98% of them have been outdoors!!!

This early summer wedding at the end of June on the easternmost side of Glacier National Park at Sun Point provided epic conditions for a stunning Montana elopement. The wind was not only strong, it was blustery, gale force, whirlwind magic. The energy was high, the laughter came quickly and we had to literally bend our knees and brace against the forces of nature that were accentuating every word we spoke. The wind picked up even more around the time of the vow exchange, which delighted the couple, creating squeals and peals. This upbeat and playful tone continued throughout the ceremony and on into their gorgeous posed photos and license signing time. From the look of it, the rest of their park session with photographer Dina just extended the joy. The day was a true delight for all.

Bride and groom in the wind on the rocks at the lake in the mountains. — Photo: Dina Remi

Like so many of the couples I work with, Nikki , a nurse (who couldn’t get away from her work and had to visit the ER as soon as she landed in MT!) and Will, a teacher, (and as described by Nikki a “hunky lumberjack/ nerdy bookworm”) matched on Bumble.

HUnky lumberjack reads vows to bride with officiant on the rocks by the lake. — Photo: Dina Remi

Nikki and Will , traveling from Florida, chose to work with a destination elopement planner based here in Kalispell, Montana. They found Katie Jimenez, who owns two different wedding planning businesses: An Epic Elopement, and also Big Day Productions. I first met Katie for coffee and a croissant as a new officiant in town and after almost 2 hours of wedding talk and bonding, she reached out to see if I was available for two different July weddings this current summer. I was delighted to partner then with Nikki and Will, in crafting the short and sweet ceremony of their dreams.

Bride and Groom kiss and hold elopement sign at the lake with mountains. — Photo: Dina Remi

Because the setting for this wedding was so majestic and grand and the wedding gathering was so intimate and discrete (the couple, myself, the photographer and the elopement coordinator), it felt important to begin the ceremony with a physically grounding practice . To anchor ourselves in space and not be overwhelmed by the vast sky, strong winds, looming mountains, and stretching water, I created a series of reflections in which the couple turned their gaze to each of these elements while I guided them in movement and thought to consider each other as support. Standing side-by-side, back-to-back, and finally, facing, with hands clasped, they navigated the symbolic terrain of navigating the chaos of our world. This laid an emotional foundation to return to daily life as a newly bonded and united team.

Bride and groom stand back- to- back at lake and mountains with officiant. — Photo: Dina Remi

Nikki and Will had some interest in echoing the Irish heritage of family in their wedding but had primarily mournful experiences of ceremony relating to those traditions. I introduced the idea of a Celtic ritual known as hand tying as a fun and meaningful idea to tangibly “tie the knot”. They explored the idea, researched and found a handcrafted beautiful cord on Etsy and with limited practice, we executed a lovely hand tying on the top of the rocks at Sun Point.

Celebrant places handfasting cord on bride and groom at ceremony in the mountains by the lake. — Photo: Dina Remi

What felt most magical is the resulting knots had three points, which I thought correlated beautifully to the two of them and Will’s young son, representing all parts of the newly forming family.

Learn more about a Hand tying ceremony here

Wide mouthed bride laughs at triple knot in handfasting cord at lake in the mountains — Photo: Dina Remi

Just after the ceremony there was a bit of a scramble as Will was eager to place a call back to Florida to share his happy news of being married to Nikki with his young son. Due to our remote location, cell coverage was limited, spotty, to none, so that special sharing moment with family had to be delayed. Will gracefully rolled with the challenge and continued to collect more memories to savor and share later that evening when back in range.

Bride and groom, hands high with bouquet, at lake in the mountains! — Photo: Dina Remi

A delightful punctuation to this day was the sighting of a bald eagle flying overhead with a fresh fish capture, just moments after we completed the ceremony! Soon after, on the drive back out through the park, we sighted a young moose in the marsh, adding more excitement and thrill to our already full hearts.