Going to the Sun Road Adventure Session | Brooke & Steven

As Montana elopement photographers we get stoked when couples come to us wanting all that Montana offers: BIG views, guest friendly & stellar ceremony locations, and unique adventures for couples!  Brooke and Steven came to us searching for just that, and with this their September elopement day after adventure was born!

That’s right–Brooke & Steven chose to have a 2 day wedding experience!  They brought along guests, but didn’t want to compromise that quality time with each other so they opted for a single day dedicated to their ceremony & guests with a day after adventure planned as well!

What did they do with their ceremony day?

Brooke & Steven planned their elopement day towards the end of September!  It included staying in Whitefish, having an intimate ceremony in West Glacier, getting some unique portraits, and celebrating with everyone afterwards at a restaurant in Whitefish.

Check out their West Glacier Montana elopement here!

But in the meantime, keep scrolling to see the wild weather, gorgeous fall colors, and romantic lakeside sunset Brooke & Steven saw on their day 2!

Related: Eloping in Montana | The Ultimate How-to and Location Guide

A chilly mix of rain, sleet, and epic fall color

We met up with Brooke & Steven for their September elopement day after adventure in the tiny town of Coram!  We then drove them up the Going to the Sun Road towards Logan Pass!

When we met up with them they were excited for the day even though we had no idea the fun that awaited us!  The longer we drove up the Going to the Sun Road, the colder it got.  We drove through clouds and actually didn’t see many mountains for a while–we only saw fog and cloud clover.

We, however, couldn’t waste the light we had so we walkied Brooke & Steven to ask if they’d like to attempt some photos in the brutally cold temperatures since we weren’t sure what else we’d get during the day.  

They decided yes!  So we got parked and adventured along the road as long as Brooke & Steven could take it.  It sleeted on the newlyweds, and we ducked in and out from under the tunnel until the two were so soaked they needed an extended break!

While we had a blast at this location and created some magic–Brooke & Steven were excited to get a break while driving before hitting our next planned stop along the Going to the Sun Road!

Related: Glacier National Park Wedding Ceremony Locations

“Des and Dan were amazing and very personable. From our very first consultation call, I knew we had made the right choice on our elopement photographer. They were extremely helpful in all the planning and it was clear they were no amateurs! They were super accommodating and managed to work in everything that we wanted in our special day.” -R+R

Overlooking an overcast Glacier National Park

Brooke & Steven were from Washington so they weren’t afraid of a little cloud cover!  Once they were adequately warmed up, we hopped out of the car at one of our favorite locations on the Going to the Sun Road!

Brooke & Steven took blankets, ponchos, handwarmers, umbrellas, you name it on their tiny walk up the viewpoint!  We even were blessed to see a bald eagle right as we began the hike!

Brooke & Steven walked out onto the viewpoint with jaws dropped!  The clouds had slowly shifted, and we could finally see the peaks were snow-capped thanks to the snow storm from the night before.  Clouds still danced atop the peaks while Brooke & Steven took in the sights from just about every boulder possible!  It was windy, rainy, and so so cold–so we made sure to give them breaks in the trees as often as they wanted.

We continued along the road to make our way back towards Lake McDonald to catch our canoe ride when the weather took a dramatic turn.

As soon as we got a few miles from Logan Pass the weather took a dangerous turn.  Sleet began to rain down, and the temperature dropped making the earlier rain turn to black ice.  We walkied Brooke & Steven to check how they were feeling driving in the conditions, and they were comfortable with proceeding.  We drove slowly down the Going to the Sun Road and took advantage of some gorgeous vantage points looking back towards Logan Pass where we just experienced the wild weather.

We saw the storm from below as well as the wild fall colors Glacier National Park was showing off for Brooke & Steven!

“Des was so so so helpful! She provided us with so much information and made the experience & planning so effortless for us. Des is so much more than a photographer and planner, she is a friend. She makes you feel so comfortable and like you have known her for years.” -J+J

Romantic blue hour canoe ride on Lake McDonald

We arrived safely at Lake McDonald and had some quick car picnics before Brooke & Steven adventured around the shore!  We took them to a fun little area to hop rocks while we waited on their romantic canoe to arrive.

The clouds sat on the distant peaks of Lake McDonald, and Brooke & Steven enjoyed another infamous sunset at Lake McDonald from inside their canoe!  They wanted to canoe after dark so we made sure to bring lanterns so they could adventure past sundown.  We made sure to get those epic photos from afar, but we also brought them in to the shoreline to get cozy portraits inside the boat.  We made sure to document their friendship bracelets they made for each other as well as other meaningful details.  

The darker it got the more we could see distant rain and sleet while we stayed comfortably dry at the south end of the lake.  They giggled and cuddled until they were content.  When they were ready we helped them take their final walk away from the lake.

Honestly–saying goodbye to Brooke & Steven was difficult.  We continued to stand in the parking lot and talk until they had to go to rest up for their adventures on the next day.  Check out their romantic canoe ride below to relive it!

Related: Montana Destination Wedding Guide with help finding locations, venues, and things to do

One mo time!

Here’s what eloping folks are saying about hiring us:

Hands down, an AMAZING experience! Love the Des & Dan husband and wife team working together to get the most perfect photos of us.  During our elopement adventure, the weather was rainy, windy, and cold; of course out of everyone’s control. But, from the photos we received, you would have never guessed we all went through all those weather conditions! Des & Dan gave us advice, kept it fun and motivated us, and the results of our photos are STUNNING! I’m so proud of our unique wedding, and it created so many wonderful memories for my new hubby & I. We will always cherish these photos and our adventurous wedding! Des & Dan are very knowledgeable, honest, kind, and are easy to work with. Their creativity and talents are remarkable. Thank you both so much!

– Brooke & Steven

Yo.  You need a hiking wedding guide and photographer.

Imma be so honest.  We love hiking weddings, and we love helping couples plan their elopement days to be full of meaning and intention.  Kick that tradition crap outta here, and let’s plan something magical together!

You deserve for your wedding day to bring you peace in the great outdoors, and this is only a taste of how we help our couples.

All of our elopement packages come with professional elopement photography, two photographers, and unlimited planning assistance.  We think this is the best way to serve eloping couples, and we can’t wait to chat!

Contact us about photographing your elopement!