Just us: Julia and David go remote for Alaskan elopement

Julia Pawlik and David Shapiro’s wedding was all about intimacy … and epic wedding photos.

So much so, they travelled in a plane to the top of an untouched glacier in Alaska to marry. “The mayor of this town is a cat named Stubbs,” laughs Julia.

The couple, aged 27 and 33 respectively, wanted their wedding to be “just us”. “Weddings are a lot of pressure and everyone has expectations and traditions they believe need to be upheld,” explains Julia. “We both believe that weddings have become a lot about everyone else and ultimately it is about us and our love.” So, on August 16, 2016 at their Alaskan elopement, they were joined by just their officiant, a photographer and a pilot.

And it would seem this cool couple were always meant to be, because their photographer, a mutual friend, had predicted months before they even met they would end up together. “About six months before we finally met, she had had a dream about us being together and getting married and being perfect for each other,” says Julia. “This is despite neither of us ever anticipating getting married.”

Photos courtesy of Ashley Osborn Photography.

As Julia says, the wedding had no theme: “Just cool, figuratively and literally.”

“I found an old ball dress I loved, and spent about 40 hours sewing sequins onto it,” says the bride of her gown.

“We took our wedding to a place rarely touched by humans; a remote glacier,” says Julia.

Julia’s hot tip for brides? “Don’t stress about the dying flowers in your hair … you’re in Alaska and wildflowers are everywhere for you to swap the dying ones out,” she laughs.