Winter weddings in Alaska are absolutely beautiful, but they take a special couple willing to embrace the cold and shorter days! Justin and I were married in Nikiski, Alaska, in February, with temperatures around 10–15°F and sunset at 3:45 PM—and we still managed to have all of our wedding portraits outside.


Since then, we’ve had the opportunity to photograph many winter weddings throughout Alaska, giving us plenty of experience navigating the cold, limited daylight, and unique challenges that come with winter celebrations. Along the way, we’ve picked up some helpful tips and tricks to help make your winter wedding experience as beautiful and enjoyable as possible.

TIMELINE & LIGHTING


Depending on your location in Alaska, the sun may set anywhere between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM. Because daylight is limited, we recommend planning your wedding earlier in the day to ensure we have as much natural light as possible for your photos.


For couples planning a first look, an early afternoon ceremony—such as a 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM start time—can work well. Most of your couple and wedding party portraits will be completed BEFORE the ceremony while there is still plenty of daylight, leaving family portraits to be taken afterward.


If you are planning a traditional ceremony without a first look, we recommend scheduling your ceremony even earlier. This allows enough time after the ceremony to photograph the couple, wedding party, and family before the sun sets.


The ideal ceremony time will also depend on the length of your ceremony and your overall wedding-day timeline, but planning around the available daylight will help ensure the best possible lighting for your wedding photos.


Tip: Simply google your location and when the sun sets on your wedding date (I.e. “when will the sun set on January 20th, 2027 in Soldotna Alaska”).

KEEPING WARM


Hand warmers will be your best friend! Keep them in your pockets, wrap them around your bouquet, or tuck them into your boots for extra warmth. If your bridesmaids are wearing long dresses, they can easily wear warm boots underneath without them being visible in photos. During couple portraits, having the Maid of Honor nearby with the bride’s coat is ideal. There will naturally be breaks between photos, giving the bride a chance to bundle up and warm up before stepping back in front of the camera.

FLOWERS


With such cold temperatures real flowers will wilt pretty fast once exposed to such extreme temperatures. Make sure to keep the flowers in water and covered until we need them for pictures and ceremony. By the end of the night don't be surprised if your bouquet has wilted some, at times its just difficult to avoid. Some brides opt to look into fake flowers instead if they plan to have a winter wedding. There are tons of options for fake flowers nowadays that look very realistic.

PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP


We always recommend professional makeup for weddings, at least for the bride. It allows you to relax and enjoy getting ready while also helping elevate your wedding photos. For winter weddings, professional makeup can also help tone down any natural redness caused by the cold, especially during outdoor photos. If you prefer a minimal, natural look, we still recommend professional makeup—just schedule a trial beforehand. Discuss your desired look with your makeup artist and make adjustments such as softening the eyeshadow or choosing a more natural lip color. Professional makeup doesn’t have to mean heavy makeup; the goal is to look and feel like yourself, just camera-ready.

FAMILY MEMBERS


Prepare to tell all family members that pictures will be planned for outside UNLESS there are elderly members who are disabled and will have a difficult time moving outside for pictures. Lighting outside is ALWAYS better than any lighting inside any building.