Talk about style, elegance, classic touches and a timeless feel – this large wedding was one I will remember for a long time. As an Alaska wedding photographer, the overall phenomenal aesthetics coupled with a slew of curated professional wedding vendors and a fantastic planner allowed the bride and groom to relax. This meant they could fully focus on each other and family!
THE BARN
A high-end yet cozy venue located on Fishhook road at the base of Hatcher Pass and some of Alaska’s most rugged, scenic, and accessible mountains in the Matanuska Valley. As a result, the venue is the most gorgeous backdrop for any Alaskan wedding photographer. A boujee wood cabin feel that definitely says “the last frontier” without sacrificing comfort, elegance, and charm. The Barn is a clean and beautiful highly-desired venue for any destination wedding here in the mountains. As an Alaska wedding photographer, I love capturing couples here.
A GROUP OF ALASKA’S BEST
At one of the best venues in town, why not go all out? That’s exactly what this couple did when it came to the wedding checklist and getting exactly what they wanted.
They booked a planner, Lorell of I Do Events, known for their highly detailed and perfectly executed events. After plugging in the couple’s vision, a well crafted list of Alaska’s best wedding and party vendors made the dream an exceptionally professional and well-polished reality. Notably: Wunder Bar for the drinks, Bloomsbury Blooms for the florals, and Alaska Professional Entertainment for the DJ, among many others. A truly top-notch list of incredible vendors to make this event memorable and smooth. This helped make the day as perfect and magical as any big wedding can be, with all the fixings and no stress.
WHAT PLANNING CAN DO FOR YOU
My thoughts (when budget allows) for this type of “all out” wedding, is that I get to see the planning and effort of professionals take stress away from the bride and family. Here, Teigan and Glenn were able to relax a lot more than I’ve seen other couples during an event of this size. They focused on themselves, the moment, and spent it enjoying family and friends rather than fussing over details. They chose a wonderful cast of vendors to see their vision through and trusted all of us to do so. It was gorgeous and their dream Alaskan wedding turned out as picture-perfectly as you’ll see here. Additionally, the involvement of an Alaska wedding photographer makes a huge difference in showcasing these wonderful moments.
THE COUPLE
Teigan and Glenn were awesome, so adorably in love, and absolutely chill on the day trusting all of us with our jobs so they could enjoy theirs… getting married! Teigan’s strapless gown was an instant classic with a long draping veil behind her and funky colorful shoes. She was adorned with hand beaded jewelry to match Glenn’s pocket square, an homage to Native Alaskan heritage along with various other touches incorporated in their celebration.
THOUGHTFUL AESTHETICS
After the first look we gathered family and then the bridal party together for more photos, and in contrast to the groomsmen’s synchronized in tan suits, the bridesmaids wore mis-matched colored dresses, one for each of the chromatic themes seen throughout the event – timeless blue, neutral oranges, coral and floral green. All making the flower choices and decor pop!
Like the bridesmaids dresses, the table and center pieces wowed the crowd, decorated with a classic eclectic mis-matching style with vintage crystal goblets, neutral table decorations, and leather bound napkin rings for enjoying the extravagant charcuterie snack table.
A simple, nearly naked dainty cake with a plate of brownies and sweet bites made cake cutting an easy occasion for the couple. Serving guests was a breeze.
Everything was custom for Teigan and Glenn but as polished as ever. It was a true to form traditional Alaskan barn wedding in high class.
PHOTOGRAPHY STYLE
Because there was this dance of elegance, eclectic, and fun vibes all around, my photography style was to get all of the must-have shots in a professional way, but then also lean into the request for capturing the silly moments and to use a creative take to staging and editing when possible. We used Teigan’s long veil for some sleek peaky photos and I kept to my go-to moody vibes for a portion of the edits. This worked perfectly with the Barn venue and allowed the neutrals to mellow out while the colors popped. As an Alaska wedding photographer, it’s always special to capture such warm, natural, and vintage-inspired moments for the bride and groom. The entire venue, day, and crowd all radiated a very warm and natural tone, leaving us with a vintage feel in most of the photography.
COCKTAILS
After the simply beautiful ceremony came a cocktail hour with a bar out of the back of a vintage Volkswagen van which encompassed the overall vibe of timeless meets modern, and a fun and whimsical design can be elegant when executed with precision. There was a lounge tent with low floor pillows and boho earthy decor for a getaway from the sun and a great place to have a conversation. Every detail was thought of in the planning process and I was able to capture the mingling of guests feeling truly comfortable in the space crafted for them to enjoy.
RECEPTION
The day outside was wrapped up as the barn transformed throughout the evening to a party space. Speeches and dancing ensued for the rest of the endless Alaskan night. Where Teigan and Glenn had the most elaborate floral decorated bridal table at the head of the room backed with antler laden barn doors for some of the best candid photos of the couple that evening. After cake and a maypole dance, there was an outfit change to casual velvet sweat-suits. The party amped up with everyone’s best 90’s dance moves and shotgunning seltzer for a truly memorable (or not) reception party. This put a period on this big, beautiful, and perfectly dreamy Alaskan wedding.
CHELSA JAY | ALASKA WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER
I hope this sheds light on the importance of planners and professionals so you can see how smooth and truly wonderful a big blowout wedding can be, and still have gorgeous personal touches. No need to stress, trust us and simply enjoy your big day. If you want to know more about me and what I do, click here. Above all, finding the right Alaska wedding photographer is key to preserving every special moment and memory. I cannot wait to hear from you and the ideas you have for your dream wedding and how I can photograph you as it all comes true.
