Tayler & Tanner | A Snowy Lake McDonald Session in Glacier National Park
Glacier National Park · Winter
Tayler & Tanner at Lake McDonald
A December session in Glacier, with fresh snow and zero complaints
Some sessions start with a wedding inquiry. This one started with a haircut. When my barber moved salons, I went hunting for someone new and landed in Tayler's chair. By the end of that first appointment we were basically friends, and by the second one we were already talking about Glacier.
So once she and Tanner tied the knot, we did not wait for summer. We picked a December day, watched the forecast turn properly cold, and drove into the park anyway. Fresh snow, an empty shoreline, and two people who genuinely did not care about the temperature. Here is how it went.
Location
Lake McDonald & Apgar
Season
December, deep winter
Session
Post-wedding portraits
Conditions
Overcast, fresh snow
No. 01
The barber chair introduction
I owe this whole session to a haircut. Tayler is the person who saved me when my barber moved away, and somewhere between the first trim and the next one, we stopped being client and stylist and just became friends. Appointments turned into catch-ups. Catch-ups turned into plans.
She and Tanner had their wedding coming up, so we made a deal: once the big day was behind them, we would take the dress and the suit up to Glacier and give them a second round. No timeline, no guest list, no schedule. Just the two of them, a quiet park, and me with a camera and an embarrassing number of layers.
No. 02
A December day at Apgar and Lake McDonald
We started at Apgar Village, right where the lake opens up and the mountains stack behind the water. In summer this spot is a parade. In December it is yours. The docks were empty, the famous painted pebbles were sitting under glass-clear water, and the reflections were doing that thing Lake McDonald does when there is no wind and no crowd to ripple it.
The weather tried us a couple of times. Snow moved through, the light dropped, my fingers filed a complaint. We kept shooting. Tayler and Tanner treated the whole thing like a snow day instead of an obstacle, and every time a squall passed, the lake handed us something better than what we had before it.
the lake was showing off that day
They embraced the frosty weather like it was part of the plan, and by the end of the day it felt like it was.
No. 03
In defense of overcast days
People apologize to me about cloudy forecasts all the time, and I want it on the record: overcast is a gift. The light goes soft and even, colors get rich instead of blown out, and nobody spends the session squinting into the sun. December in Glacier leans moody anyway, and the clouds only turn that up.
Full credit where it is due, though. I was wearing five layers and still shivering. Tayler was in a dress. Tanner was in a suit. Neither of them said a single word about the cold all day, which is either love or stubbornness, and honestly in Montana those are close cousins.
No. 04
Planning your own winter day in Glacier
If this session has you thinking about a snowy day of your own, a few honest notes. The west entrance stays open all year, so Apgar and the Lake McDonald shoreline are reachable even when the alpine sections of Going-to-the-Sun Road are buried. The park is quiet, the light is soft for most of the day, and golden hour basically starts after lunch.
Dress like you mean it: real boots, layers you can shed for a few frames, and hand warmers in every pocket. I bring extras. And if you want an actual ceremony rather than portraits, Glacier still requires a Special Use Permit in winter, which I walk every couple through. For the full rundown on locations, timing, and permits, start with my guide to eloping in Glacier in 2026, then check what is changing on Going-to-the-Sun Road this year.
Local note: on a December weekday you can have the Apgar dock completely to yourselves. Summer cannot say that.
Winter session questions
The things couples usually ask before saying yes to snow.
Yes. Winter elopements in Glacier are quieter, snowier, and honestly some of my favorite days of the year. Every ceremony in the park still requires a Special Use Permit from the National Park Service, even in the off season, and I help every couple navigate that process from application to permit in hand.
Yes. The west entrance at Apgar stays open year-round, so Lake McDonald, the Apgar docks, and the lower stretch of Going-to-the-Sun Road are reachable all winter. The alpine section of the road closes with the snow, so higher spots like Logan Pass wait for summer.
Layers you can peel off for a few frames, real winter boots for walking between spots, and hand warmers everywhere you can hide them. I bring extras, plus a blanket for the in-between moments. You only need to look cold-proof for seconds at a time, and I time those seconds carefully.
Every year, on purpose. Winter is the quiet season in the Flathead Valley, which means an empty park, soft light all day, and dates that are much easier to book than July. If a snowy session or a winter elopement sounds like you two, reach out and we will watch the forecast together.
Two hearts, one snowy story
Dreaming about a quiet winter day in Glacier?
If fresh snow, an empty park, and soft December light sound like your kind of day, I would love to hear what you two are picturing.
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