Adventurous Alaska Elopement: Adventure Elopement with Friends

As an adventure and intimate wedding photographer, I love seeing the locations that my couples choose for their wedding and getting to experience both new and familiar locations with them. This Alaska elopement with Gabby and Nels was not only an epic elopement but also a fun-filled adventure getting to explore their beautiful state. 

Gabby and Nels planned a 3-day adventure elopement in Nels’s hometown of Kodiak, Alaska, and invited me to come along and photograph this special time in their lives. They showed me around their home state and we explored many of the beautiful locations Alaska has to offer! This was such an incredible experience and because of all the adventures we planned and went on together, there are a TON of photos, so their adventurous elopement in Alaska will be split into two blog posts, starting with their pre-wedding scouting day and their official wedding day.

How Gabby & Nels Met & Decided on an Adventurous Elopement in Alaska

Gabby and Nels met in a small fishing village in rural Alaska during the summer of 2018. Both of their families are fishers by trade so that immediately became a shared interest for them both. They started dating and, just two weeks into their relationship, said goodbye to each other to go sockeye salmon fishing in Bristol Bay. At the end of summer, they reunited and started traveling the world together. Having now visited 30+ countries, Gabby and Nels are true adventurers and have created a lifestyle that is truly their own. 

Gabby and Nels were engaged in November 2019 and, like many couples, wanted to plan an elopement overseas. Due to Covid, they had to reevaluate and decided to elope in Nels’s hometown Kodiak, Alaska instead. I just love the fact that even though they’ve seen so many countries, and while eloping to another country was an option, they still decided on eloping at home as it is a special place for them. And, luckily enough, Alaska also happens to be an insanely beautiful location so we were able to get amazing photos without traveling far.

A Full Day of Location Scouting with Nels & Gabby

Nels and Gabby’s vision for their elopement day was simple - they wanted an intimate wedding with very limited guests and they envisioned the ocean and mountains as their backdrop. Thankfully, there is plenty of that in Kodiak so we didn’t have to look far for their ideal setting. 

Both Nels & Gabby love showing the island to people who visit and I immediately felt that when we met. That first day we all hung out around the town and Airbnb getting to know each other more.

Later that evening we all went out scouting to find the perfect location for their first look photos. From the beginning, Gabby and Nels knew they wanted to do a first look and we wanted the location to be just right so we took some extra time to location scout ahead of time which really helped us get prepared for their wedding the next day. And it was a good thing we did because just that morning a snowstorm had hit the area and our location was snowed in. This made for a lot of fun exploring the area and we made sure to snap these photos along the way to remember this whole experience.

Nels & Gabby’s Beautiful Alaska Elopement Day

On the morning of their wedding, Nels and Gabby got ready at their Airbnb before their special first look moment. Getting ready in the same Airbnb is always interesting because there’s a lot of moving around and making sure they don’t see each other before their first look. But with the right communication, planning, and understanding of what’s going on (as well as the technical help of two separate cars and some walkie-talkie action) - everything went according to plan and we managed to pull it off.

After their first look, we drove an hour to their remote ceremony location on the opposite side of the Island and the views just kept on getting better and better. Once we arrived at their ceremony location, and with everyone’s help, we set up the ceremony site to where Gabby and Nels walked arm in arm down the aisle together to start their marriage. This was honestly one of the sweetest ceremonies that I’ve ever witnessed for how intentional everything was leading up to this point in their relationship. They exchanged vows in front of their closest friends with the sound of waves in the background and even though it was extremely cold, and the frost-filled winds kept pushing us sideways, Gabby & Nels embraced every second of it with the biggest smiles on their faces knowing that this was all part of this Alaskan experience. After the ceremony was over, we took cover in their car to warm up a bit, had some delicious smoked Sockeye Salmon, and waited a bit to get out, brave the cold once again, and take more photos on the beach. 

At sunset, we decide to go to another location to explore a bit more of the higher elevations of the island, where we had to so some snow off-roading, and reach an area with incredible views to finish off their ceremony day by popping champagne with the beautiful snowcapped mountains as their backdrop. 

Planning an elopement in Alaska in March, we knew that the weather was going to be something that we were going to have to deal with, but honestly, with how wild everything was, Gabby & Nels summed it up best by saying, “it’s hard to plan according to weather on this island, but what’s most important is being with each other and our love on this day.” 

One of my favorite things about Nels and Gabby was that they have a tradition where they take an “iconic” selfie everywhere they go. On their wedding day, I knew I had to incorporate that somehow so at one point I handed them my camera to take their "wedding selfie" so it's part of their collection. It was a sweet moment and they just looked so happy!!

Before we knew it, the sky was getting dark and it was time to head back home. Despite being out all day, we were all surprised at how quickly the time went by but that’s what happens when you’re having so much fun on your elopement day! When we arrived back at the Airbnb we were met with a surprise dinner party thrown by their friends! It was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture that was truly the perfect end to this perfect elopement day! 

The day after their elopement was a rest and travel day back to Anchorage before waking up the following morning to go on a helicopter tour, but I’ll save that for another blog post! 

How Nels & Gabby Planned Their Adventurous Elopement in Alaska

Nels and Gabby went big with their elopement plans. Rather than just plan a single day for their elopement, they planned a 3-day celebration over the course of the week. That is one of the things I love the most about elopements. They can be as long or as short as you like. Heck, they can even be multiple days if you want. It all comes down to the experience you and your partner want to have and the adventures you want to experience on your day.

Planning Nels and Gabby’s Alaska elopement, especially from afar, provided some difficulties such as remote planning and location scouting. To help accommodate we added a day before their elopement day to scout together to make sure that we found locations that would bring their vision to life. We also created a few backup plans just in case their original locations didn’t work out. This is something I recommend to all my couples as it’s always great to have a plan B and C. You never know when plans may change so it’s best to be prepared with multiple options so you can go with the flow rather than having to figure out everything on the spot.

Because Nels and Gabby’s elopement took place at the end of Alaska’s coldest time of year, it was also very important to try to stay warm and fed, especially on the wedding day. We know that temperatures could easily drip below 15dF, so we made sure to be prepared with lots of food, water, hand warmers, gloves, windbreakers, and all the needed supplies to keep everyone in good spirits while dealing with the weather. 

In the end, Nels and Gabby’s day couldn’t have been any more perfect and they had a blast as everything went according to plan. These two are some of the most genuine people I have met and their love for each other is so strong. Thank you Gabby & Nels for showing us your home, and for all your trust in us to help you plan and capture this incredible time for both of you. What a memorable Alaskan Adventure! 

Kind Words from Gabby & Nels

"After discussing with my wife, we've decided apart from our small ceremony that hiring Will had to be the best choice we made for our wedding. He traveled from California to Alaska and was able to adapt his style to the challenges of snow, rain, and frozen gusts in the sun-- all while still making us look fantastic. He was very kind and helpful in planning. Even when we hit roadblocks or weren't sure of the next steps, Will was always throwing out collaborative ideas that matched our vision for the day. He took the time to make sure what we wanted was executed. His personality is a great presence on your wedding day. He is calm, positive, and if things change, adaptable. The photos were amazing, and that is an understatement. Although we originally hired him as a photographer, by the end of the wedding we felt we should have invited him as a friend instead. Nothing but positive things to say about our experience with Will. If you have the opportunity to hire him, you will not regret it.”

Are You Ready to Start Planning Your Alaska Adventure Elopement?

Alaska Elopement Vendors

Elopement Vendors

Photography | Will Khoury Photography

Coordinator/Planning | Will Khoury

Cufflinks | Tunngat Trade

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For Photographers

Editing:

This elopement was edited using WKpresets from start to finish. WKpresets are designed to work in every lighting situation you can think of so that you don’t have to go back and forth between different looks, lots of options to edit from, and mainly, to finish your editing as quickly as possible.

If you enjoy the look of these photos and would like to have the same tones and editing style on your photos, check out WKpresets

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Photography Gear:

Scouting day photographed on Fuji X100v
Elopement Day Photographed on Canon 5d mark 3 & 4 using Canon 24mm, 35mm, 50mm & 85mm
Check out my full gear list here