Winter Elopement at Montana Treehouse | Jacqueline + James

As seen in Montana Bride magazine 2021, this stunning winter elopement is jam-packed with gorgeous details and design, featuring several incredible Montana Bride vendors. Photography by Montana Bride Vendor Elsa Eileen Photography. #magazinemonday

“I was born in California, and thirteen days later, on the opposite coast (Florida), James was born. Fast forward to 2015 when we were both living in Saint Petersburg, Florida. I was studying for the bar exam, and James was getting ready to start his dental residency. As luck had it, we both swiped right on Tinder and a match was made.

While our Tinder match was instant, our meeting was not. I had a bar exam to study for and had no time to spend dating. Once the exam was over, I left quickly on a trip to Thailand and South Korea for three weeks. James messaged me while I was gone, but I was having too much fun to respond (even when I got home, oops). He messaged me one last time in the hopes that we would finally meet, and I agreed.

We met at a local brewery where we quickly realized we had mutual interests. Good conversation led to dinner and finally a goodbye kiss (it is still under debate who kissed who). We spent the next two years adventuring and laughing. Our adventures took us to the forests and national parks of Washington State, where we rode nearly 300 miles on mountain bikes over five days.

Once his residency ended in the summer of 2017, we packed up and headed north, and we settled into the beginnings of a blissful happily ever after.”

MONTANA BOUND

“Being an adventurous couple, we wanted to do something different. Originally, we had a 250-person wedding planned at a traditional venue in our hometown of Jacksonville, Florida. Once Covid hit, we didn’t want to risk our families’ and friends’ safety, so we hopped online and started googling elopement destinations. From there, we found Glacier National Park and our elopement photographer, Elsa, and everything clicked. We were so lucky to find such a wonderful person to document our elopement and couldn’t have asked for a better day!”

What stands out as the best part of your day?

“The magical landscape. Being from Florida, mountains and snow are foreign to us. Saying ‘I do’ at the Crown of the Continent, with just the two of us laughing and smiling, was truly a magical experience.”

What advice would you give to other brides planning a Montana elopement?

“Find a local photographer! You can’t do it without someone who is familiar with the area and knows what vendors to hook you up with.” – Jacqueline, the bride