Montana Backpacking Wedding

When Sam and Kyle said they wanted to be adventurous for their elopement vow renewal, we all knew a Montana backpacking wedding was in order!  Ya see, these two have been married for 10 years and never got that adventurous wedding day they’ve grown to dream about, so we decided we would take them to one of our favorite backpacking spots prepared to explore during their Montana backpacking wedding!

The week before their Montana backpacking wedding, these two opted to do the ultimate Montana road trip to explore and meet new hiking friends.  Sam and Kyle adventured from Bozeman through Missoula, up to Kalispell (that’s right, they visited Glacier National Park), and over to this beauty Montana backpacking route over in the Kootenai National Forest.  Their time on this trail was spent doing some nice scrambling, crossing water falls, holding hands, and ending up at this glorious lake which still had icebergs in June!

Kyle and Sam are very much paired together perfectly.  It’s no wonder these two have been married for 10 years!  As I was stoked to adventure alongside them, I couldn’t help but notice how they challenged each other, yet always wanted the other to be comfortable and feel safe.  These two are definitely adventurous souls (did I mention they RV full time), and I can’t wait for you to check out the rest of their epic backpacking wedding!

Our first night at the lake

Sam and Kyle decided they wanted to hike up, set up tents, pop some champagne, and snuggle up for some twilight pics.  The two had packed their hiking wedding attire in their packs (along with all their Montana backpacking supplies), so they need to hang them up to dewrinkle.  This was epic and such a fun way to see traditional wedding gear!

Oh, did I mention all this was after Kyle jumped into the frozen lake while Sam stood by with something to dry him with?!  Like I said–adventurous souls!!

We took a few minutes to snap some chilly vibe shots in front of the icebergs this Montana lake is known for, and the two celebrated their week long Montana backpacking adventure by sipping champagne taking in the views.

Montana Backpacking Sunrise Adventure

Since Sam and Kyle had experienced the lake at sunset, we wanted to be sure we got up early enough to catch sunrise and get that dreamy lighting for some epic Montana backpacking wedding photos!  Sam and Kyle got ready under soft dawn light with gorgeous pinks showing up behind the mountain.  As the morning progressed, the two would find themselves hopping boulders, spotting mountain goats, and laughing hysterically at the amount of fun they were having at their elopement vow renewal!

Pro tip for backpacking weddings:  Sam found some drief florals she was obsessed with, and these are great for a Montana backpacking wedding!  They are durable, gorgeous, and very Leave No Trace friendly as they don’t introduce any new species into the high alpine areas.  You can find our favorite dried bouquets here!

Montana Backpacking Wedding Ceremony

Once their adventure was done, Sam and Kyle felt the sun popping through the mountains to beautifully light up a boulder on the edge of the lake.  They decided to have their ceremony there with the sun warming their skin between the views of gorgeous evergreens, icebergs, and tents.

Once of the most memorable moments from their ceremony was right after their vows.  I walked up and asked them, “How are we going to celebrate?” 

Kyle looked around somewhat frantically when his eyes lit up.  He went to the water’s edge and pulled out a chunk of ice.  Sam looked confused, but Kyle took a big bite and offered her some of the ice chunk to eat!  This was Kyle’s awesome version of a Montana backpacking wedding cake, and it was genius!  We are certainly all going to remember this epic (and hilariously confusing) moment from their Montana backpacking wedding!

We celebrated a bit more by shouting in the solitude of the mountains so the grizzlies knew we were there and to stay far away, and then we packed up to hike back out.  Sam and Kyle wanted some awesome photos of them hiking out in their wedding gear, and I was stoked to oblige.  

Their Montana backpacking wedding was coming to a close, but the two couldn’t wipe the smiles off their faces.

Additional Resources:

We love taking couples like Sam and Kyle (and you too) into the glorious backcountry of Montana!  Check out these resources to help you plan your Montana elopement!

Eloping in Montana | The Ultimate Guide to Eloping in Montana

Glacier National Park Elopement Guide | In case you’re looking for a gorgeous front-country view to elope in 

Best Places to Elope in the US | Because Montana isn’t the only goreous place to have your elopement adventure!