Wedding Permit Application

If you are interested in getting married in Glacier National Park, the following information will be helpful in making your plans. To be married within Glacier National Park, a Special Use Permit is required. To better accommodate your request, we ask that you complete the attached application. Upon receipt of your completed application and approval, a Special Use Permit will be sent to you for your review and signature. A $50.00 non-refundable processing fee will be required at that time along with the return of the signed Special Use Permit.

There are several locations where wedding ceremonies are held in Glacier National Park. The more popular locations are the Apgar and Fish Creek Amphitheaters, and the Fish Creek picnic area during weekdays. The Fish Creek Amphitheater is seldom available before June 10 and closes in early September. Additional factors you must consider for the ceremony are:

1. There is always the possibility, due to unforeseen circumstances, such as rain, a snowstorm, or other emergency, that the ceremony would have to be canceled or moved to another location. Weather conditions in the Park are not always favorable for weddings. The most favorable months are usually July and August.

2. Please limit the number of vehicles in your party to 10 (no more than six vehicles is preferable), as space is limited. You may wish to transport some of your guests by bus, which would be permissible. Also, the time for weddings is limited to two hours. However, in some locations the time allowed for special activities such as weddings is limited to thirty minutes.

3. A special activity, such as a wedding, cannot interfere with normal visitor use of the Park; therefore, areas of the Park will not be closed to visitor use to accommodate special uses, such as weddings.

4. Park personnel will not be available to offer special assistance for traffic, parking, or other logistical needs associated with your wedding.

5. We request that you and members of your wedding party adhere to all Park regulations, especially those regarding the storage and handling of food and garbage and that the area used for your ceremony is left in a clean and orderly manner. The use of rice or birdseed is not acceptable. Basically, we ask that the area be left in exactly the same condition as it was prior to your activity.

6. There is to be no amplification of sound before, during, or after the ceremony.

7. Animals are to be kept on a leash at all times and under physical control and pets, other than dogs used to assist the needs of humans, such as guide dogs, etc., are prohibited in the backcountry.

8. National Park Service guidelines require that we issue a Special Use Permit for each wedding held inside the Park. The fee for permit preparation and administration is $50.00 and is non-refundable. The permit provides an avenue for communicating any special concerns or conditions we have for your use of the area that you have selected. The permit also provides both of us written documentation of our agreement and of the conditions under which the special use of the Park will be accomplished.

9. Entrance fees must be paid by all members of the wedding party, except for those 16 and under and those 62 and older who have a valid Golden Age Passport.

10. Dr. David Kauffman, P.O. Box 1837, Whitefish, Montana 59937, telephone (406) 862-3961; Rev. Lois Lyford, 126 West Nicklaus Drive, Kalispell, Montana 59901, telephone (406) 752-4298, email: loislyf@aol.com; and Rev. Christa Bourne, 475 8th Avenue E.N., Kalispell, Montana 59901, telephone 406-257-4282; Rev. Lois Lyford winter telephone (January - March) (619) 938-9446 have agreed to perform such ceremonies. They will be able to help with marriage requirements in the State of Montana.

For information regarding the use of facilities and accommodations operated by the lodging concessioner, Glacier Park, Incorporated, call 406/892-1115 in Columbia Falls, Montana.