Consider having your Wedding at Glacier National Park!
What a great place! Consider having your Wedding at Glacier National Park!
Getting married is no casual undertaking. Getting married at Glacier National Park introduces a whole additional layer of logistical considerations!
THREE important things you should know when considering getting married at Glacier National Park:
You need a permit to have a ceremony in the park! You can learn more about that on their website. It’s a simple process with clear instructions but can be a hassle and as demand is high, the turnaround is long and slow. I fully trust that the park officials are doing their absolute best to serve the public on many fronts. You and your permit are only one of them.
It is a public park and so even though you have a permit you will be in a public space and other people may be nearby and have every right to be so. As an inclusive wedding officiant my suggested approach is to announce your plans to any folks in the near vicinity and invite them to either move along or join as witness in the celebration. People are curious creatures and love to witness drama and excitement. Weddings are the epitome of drama and excitement, so including these gathering strangers may be in your best interest. They tend to move along quickly once they realize it’s a private ceremony about to happen.
Bear spray works on bears and people too. Just kidding! While it's good to have bear spray, it is not okay to use it on people, even if you want your ceremony to be private in the public park. As a wedding officiant in Northwest Montana, I will have bear spray on hand and I pledge to only use it, when needed, on bears.
Three things I bring to elopements in the wild: Ceremony script, change of shoes, bear spray!
All kidding aside - Glacier National Park has stunning mountain views, serene lake views, epic hikes, vast wilderness, truly wild wildlife, and loads of amazing photo opportunities.
There are also loads of other amazing venues - secret outdoor locations the local vendors will share once you contract with them, and many private venues that are designed to cater to all levels of wedding and elopement needs.
Planning a simple ceremony outside of the park and following that with a day full of photos in the park (which don’t require a permit) is a great way to have your literal wedding cake and eat it too (as some permitted sites restrict food). Let me know if you want to learn more!
