Talkeetna, Alaska
I have somehow always done things against the grain. As a kid, weddings never really meant anything to me. As I got older, when the subject of dream weddings came up, I would just nod with feigned interest. I never lost time fantasizing about an overpriced dress I would maybe never wear or flower arrangements that would attempt to represent my personal style. The only detail I ever considered was my footwear. All I wanted was to get married in a pair of Vans.
When I met Dave we became instantly bonded over the unconventional lifestyles we lead and our constant need for adventure. Within weeks we just knew; In those early days we discussed eloping and made plans not to make plans. All we wanted was to share the experiences of a new destination together. An adventure to start our adventure together.
So that’s how we ended up in Talkeetna, Alaska- A quaint, picturesque little town whose mayor is a cat named Stubbs.
Our day started a couple hours south of Talkeetna in a log cabin nestled in the woods at the crook of the Turnagain Arm just outside of Anchorage. The Turnagain Bed and Breakfast is what dreams are made of, every morning at 8am our host and owner Arlene serves up freshly baked goods using local ingredients including wild berries found on the property and fresh vegetables and eggs that her husband Roger brings uphill on his unicycle from their garden.
After many cups of home brewed coffee and redoing my eyeliner about 7 times, Dave helped me with the finishing touches by exploring the surrounding forest and foraging for wild flowers for me. As I pinned the flowers that my soon to be husband had collected for me into my hair, I couldn’t help but feel complete love for this sweet and beautiful human. Coupled with the endless and mesmerizing natural beauty of Alaska, some of which was now in my hair, it was hard not to feel completely captivated.
As always a last minute planner, I figured that maybe I should have a bouquet, since I never know what to do with my hands in photos. Of course I thought about this less than a week before the wedding. Luckily for me I found Simplepetal, a local florist (and 11th hour savior) for whom I am eternally grateful. I gave no specifications and with only a couple of days’ notice, she created a masterpiece of wildflowers, berries and other majestic native flora.
With the bouquet in hand, we suited up. After some gallivanting around the surrounding forest and gardens we headed to downtown Anchorage to collect our marriage license. With out license in hand we headed north to Talkeetna. A breathtaking drive mixed with epic sun streaked clouds and heavy rain- on our wedding day, how ironic. For the first time in ten years, Dave turned his phone off, so no one other than me could bother him. All suited up, he snored heavy in the back seat.
I should introduce to you our wedding party: Two beyond amazing humans who joined us on our adventure to the last frontier. Ashley Osborn is not only an insanely talented photographer and a close friend to both of us; She is also the matchmaker. If it wasn’t for her dream about us dating months before Dave and I met, who knows where we would be... probably not running off to Alaska to elope. If you haven’t heard the serendipitous story, be sure to ask Dave- it’s his favourite story to tell. Eric tobin, a man that needs no introduction, ran away with us to officiant the ceremony. Ladies, he is perfect and single.
Arriving in Talkeetna, we swapped out our vehicle for one with high wings, mounted landing ski’s and a shiny red finish. Lucky for us, Dave has a good friend who works as a pilot for K2 Aviation, doing flightseeing tours of Denali national park out of Talkeetna. A welcomed addition to our wedding party, Patrick Dugan, pilot/professional badass/witness.
The weather has a tendency to change very quickly up there and we were warned before we stepped foot into our winged wedding chariot, to have a backup plan as the chances of landing on the glacier were slim. How could we have a backup plan if we didn’t even have a plan?
Within minutes of being in the air we experienced all four seasons. The scenery swiftly turned from lush forest, to waterfalls of glacier meltwater feeding into dense marshland which slowly dissipated as the ends of the glaciers appeared. There are honestly no words to perfectly describe the fierce and breathtaking beauty of Denali National Park, so without adieu… a thousand words.
As the altitude of the land increased and the distance between us and the land decreased, Patrick pointed out blue ice peering out of giant crevasses that cut hundreds of feet down into the glacier and told us to look down into them as we were about to land. “Hey look down at those giant gaping cracks in the ice that span hundreds of feet down”- That’s definitely the last thing you want to hear when you’re about to land. Less than 40 pilots can fly this route- so, in essence, Patrick is a complete badass and I understand why him and Dave are such good friends.
How does a plane land on a glacier? With ski’s mounted to the wheels. Not terrifying at all. The landing was bumpy, as expected but Patrick safely landed us. And there we were, standing atop a layer of fresh powdered snow on Kahiltna Glacier.
The ever changing conditions on the glacier meant, that for everyone’s safety, we had to cut right to the chase. As with everything he does, Eric’s ceremony was flawless. I was so overwhelmed with joy over the landscape, the snow in my vans and holding this incredible man’s hand that I was speechless. Figuratively and literally. As I stumbled over my words, Ashley stumbled over the snow- simultaneously falling, crying and taking photos. I managed to get my words in order and I put a ring on it. Everyone was teary eyed, and in that moment I became the luckiest human.
So we did it. We did a thing on a virtually untouched part of Kahiltna glacier. It was exactly what we both wanted and it was perfect.
To our surprise the weather took an unexpected, advantageous turn. Leaving behind a trail of sequins in the fresh snow, we headed towards Mt. Denali in hopes of getting a glimpse of the highest mountain peak in north America that looms over Denali national park. Cloud cover is almost always obscuring the peak, so chances of seeing it, even partially, are less than 30%.
With a break in the clouds, there she was. For a few minutes we got to breathe her in. Then before we knew it she was gone.
Once our feet touched down, we found ourselves yet again without a plan. We headed into town and the day ended how most days’ end for us; I chased around a puppy whilst Dave was knee deep in ice cream. As the sun set, around midnight, we made our way back; Officially as Shapiros.
So my dress. My dress was the result of countless nights spent lost in the dark corners of the interwebs. I personally cannot justify the price tag that comes along with anything that has the word wedding in it, especially a dress I am going to wear once. As peculiar as it sounds, the dress found me. It was on one of those fake looking websites with too good to be true prices. It was the last one, that just happened to be in my size by a designer that no longer existed. So I bit the $400 bullet and patiently waited the 4 day estimated delivery. Three weeks later, seven unanswered emails and many attempts to unsuccessfully live chat to customer service, my dress arrived. And it was almost perfect.
I bought the dress knowing I wanted to slightly change it and embellish it further. I assumed this would be a quick job but, as it turns out, hand sewing sequins individually took me approximately 50 hours and of course I decided to do start this project less than two weeks before the wedding. It was totally worth every pin prick I endured.
To us, our elopement was perfect and what we wanted. We both have friends and family staggered all around the world and as much as we wanted people we cherished to be there, it was too much to ask for. Your time is more valuable to us than your attendance. So if you are a close friend or family member: The next time we are in the same place at the same time, a good hang would be more than either of us could ever ask for.
Momma, although you weren’t there and there was no aisle, you were walking me out of the plane, through the fresh snow in spirit. Jordan, my right hand man, you were with me as always.
A huge, huge thank you to everyone who reached out with well wishes, support, generous gifts and advice. The Shapiro, Tresser and Pawlik families thank you for being there for us both with open arms, always. Ashley, Eric and Patrick; I simply do not have enough ways to express my gratitude; Thank you to infinity and beyond. And of course, my beautiful husband, thank you for existing and I love you way more.