How to Include Family in Your Elopement Without Losing Intimacy
September 23, 2026
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Photos by Matlai Photography
Hatcher’s Pass, Alaska — Abby and Will live and work in Anchorage Alaska, so this intimate wedding gathering was a way to celebrate their favorite places. When Abby first moved to Alaska, she worked at the Independence Mine just outside Hatcher Pass. Naturally, a Hatcher’s Pass elopement with close family was the perfect fit for them.
Their celebration centered around the iconic Red Cabins at Hatcher Pass, a collection of rustic dry cabins tucked into the valley about an hour from Anchorage. Throughout the year, they’re a home base for people exploring Alaska through hiking, fishing, skiing, off-roading, and weekends in the mountains. For Abby and Will, whose careers are in Fish and Wildlife, spending time outdoors isn’t just a hobby. It’s part of who they are. Choosing a place that matched that connection felt like the perfect way to celebrate.
With plenty of help from family, they created a mostly DIY wedding that felt like them from beginning to end. On a beautiful July day, surrounded by the people who matter most and the mountains they call home, Abby and Will celebrated exactly the kind of wedding they had always envisioned.
See more from Matlai Photography:
• An Intimate Kauai Elopement On The North Shore
• Writing Your Wedding Vows: Expert Advice From An Adventure Elopement Officiant
See more weddings and elopement tips inside Adventure Wed Magazine!
Photography: Matlai Photography, an #AdventureExpert
Location: Hatcher’s Pass Lodge
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