Frequently Asked Questions about Alaska, Our Wedding, and our dog
Q: What's the weather going to be like?
A: Check out the Alaska Facts & Figures section for averages (scroll way down to get to the climate section), but temperatures might be in the teens or might be in the 40s. It might snow, it might rain, it might be sunny. Best way to prepare is check NOAA for Anchorage and Girdwood close to your departure date and see what's being predicted. Please note, weather forecasts here are not as reliable because of quickly shifting weather patterns. Bring cold weather gear, a shell or rain jacket, some good boots and you'll be fine!
Q: Is it going to be, like, pitch black the entire time I'll be visiting?!
A: Good grief, no. Again, check the Alaska Facts & Figures section for averages for Anchorage, but we're only at 61 degrees North. That means we're still well below the Arctic Circle and even on the shortest day of the year (Winter Solstice, on December 21st) we get about five and a half hours of daylight. But in April we're past the Equinox, so we have about fourteen hours of daylight and gain almost six minutes each day.
Q: Why did you choose Girdwood for all your wedding events?
A: We live here and wanted to feature our community in our celebrations. We chose to move to Girdwood because of great access to all sorts of outdoor activities (skiing, biking, hiking, the list goes on) and because it's a small town but within easy access to Anchorage - we hope you get to see why we love this town and area so much while you're here! Also, our dog finds the vole hunting to be particularly good in this area.
Q: So what are voles?
A: Google it!
Q: What should we wear for the events?
A: We'd like you to look spiffy (because it's a celebration, and why not dress up a little?), but definitely make sure you'll be comfortable and warm. For the ceremony, jackets would be nice for men (but not required) and women, make sure to bring a coat or jacket with you. You might have to stand outside for a few minutes waiting for the tram and you'll have to go outside (under a covered walkway) to get to the bathroom at Glacier Express, so we recommend layers. It may be icy in spots around the chapel and hotel, so keep that in mind when picking footwear.
Q: Where are you registered?
A: We are so excited that you are either coming to Alaska to celebrate our wedding with us, or will be thinking of us on our day if you cannot attend. We most appreciate your thoughts and presence – that is gift enough!
Q: Could you just answer the question, please?
A: We are registered at Williams-Sonoma and Amazon.
Q: What is the wedding invite envelope made out of?
A: As you might know, we are kind of obsessed with maps! Any map, old or new, always seems to pique our attention, so we wanted to feature them in our celebration. The envelope for the invitation were made out of USGS topographical maps (which we use for land navigation) of Girdwood and the surrounding area.
Q: We RSVPed on the website, but got an RSVP card with our wedding invitation. Do we need to RSVP again?
A: Nope! No need to RSVP twice (although you are certainly welcome to!), we just wanted to make sure it was easy for everyone to let us know their plans, as some prefer one method over the other. In any case, we would like to hear back from you by February 28th so we properly prepare for your arrival!
Q: Did you take engagement photos?
A: Why yes, we did! Check out our photographer's blog for some of the images here!
Q: Why did you move to Alaska?
A: Short answer - because it's awesome! Long answer - we had both always wanted to come and explore Alaska. When Ryan was backpacking in Patagonia many of the people he met said that the Andean landscape was beautiful, but no match for Alaska. We started plotting out our trip and came for over two weeks during New Years 2012. We had a great time and explored much of the area we have listed on our Visiting Girdwood and Visiting Alaska pages. Many of the locals we met said that the winter is good, but the summers are even better. We couldn't see how that was possible because we were having so much fun, so we figured the only way to really see all that Alaska has to offer was to move up here! We came back from our trip, figured out a plan, and within six months we were on the road headed north.
Q: How did you move yourselves and your stuff up there?
A: In six weeks during the summer of 2012 we drove almost 10,000 miles from Boston to Anchorage in our trusty Subaru. We did a great job keeping track of our journey on our Tumblr blog - check it out for a day-by-day account of our journey to Alaska.
Q: What kind of dog do you have?
A: She's an Alaskan Husky.
Q: What's that?
A: Alaskan Huskies are not a specific, registered breed, but a type of dog that has been bred for their speed, stamina, endurance, and drive to pull things. Sled dogs have been a very important transportation tool in Alaska for many centuries and are still used today, mostly in the form of racing (the Iditarod being the most famous).
Q: Where did you get your dog?
A: We adopted her from Alaska Dog and Puppy Rescue. She was originally adopted as a puppy, but was given back to the program at the age of three and a half years. She went into a foster home for about three weeks, and that's where we met her. She was shy and skittish, but we saw how great a dog she could be in the right home. We adopted her in November 2012 and since then she's really come into her own. We're really proud to have her as a member of our family.
Q: Will your dog growl at me? Should I be scared if she does?
A: Not at all. Huskies are really chatty dogs, and people refer to the sound as either "Husky Talk" or "Woo-ing". Yeah, it kind of sounds like a growl, but once you know the difference Huskies can articulate their needs quite well. She has a different woo for when we're getting ready to take her for a walk than for when one of us comes home. It's pretty cool.
Q: Where were the website background photos taken?
A: Both photos were taken in April 2013 on our iPhones. The home page photo is of Turnagain Arm, and we snapped it while driving from Anchorage to Girdwood to look at the house we ended up buying. The photo used on all the other pages was taken at Hatcher Pass when we went backcountry skiing (just a few days before Ryan proposed!).
Q: What are some book recommendations to prepare me for my trip to Alaska?
A: Last New Land is a wonderful anthology, covering everything from Native Alaskan creation myths to poetry to biographies to crime novels. It's the best way to experience the breadth of Alaskan writing and find what interests you. If you have a lot of time on your hands (or can't sleep on the plane ride up here), check out James Michener's Alaska. It's a tome that weaves history and science into historical fiction narratives, starting eons ago and ending in the 1980s after the oil boom. And of course, there's always Call of the Wild and White Fang, Jack London classics.
Q: What about some movie/tv show recommendations?
A: The obvious one here is the TV series Northern Exposure. It's a pretty accurate and honest portrayal of the quirky people and communities you find up north. For being over 20 years old (!), it still rings true. Interested in dogsledding? The Discovery Channel did a mini-series following the 2008 Iditarod called Toughest Race on Earth, and it is a gripping look at the 1,000 mile race through Bush Alaska. It will change any preconceived notions you have about the sport.
Q: What are good gifts to take back home to friends and family?
A: We're biased toward Alaska Artisanal, a company that finds the best small-batch, specialty food producers from around the state and packages them into different themed gift baskets/tasting boxes. Best part about it is that they ship free to your (or your friend's or family's) doorstep, so you don't even have to bother cramming it into your suitcase. [Great concept, right? Full disclosure: Ryan owns Alaska Artisanal!] Another option is to pick up a scarf made of qiviut (pronounced kiv-ee-ute), the underwool of the musk ox. It's super warm, not scratchy, and very light. Or how about alcohol? Once you get through security at Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage, Silver Gulch Brewery has a store that sells a wide variety of Alaskan-made beer, mead, fruit wines, and liquor. They will even fill growlers of their own beer, and since you're through security you can take any of your purchases with you on the plane.
Q: Who are all the awesome people making your events super special?
A: Great question! We are very fortunate to have found amazing vendors to help create a wedding weekend to treasure for a lifetime. Here's the run-down: Wedding Planner - Rebecca of La Boum Events; Photographer - Erica Rose; Videographer - Courtney of Love + Brain Films; Flowers - Dallas of Bloomsbury Blooms; DJ - Spencer Lee; Photo Booth - Anchorage Photo Booth Rentals; Invitations and other printed materials - The Victory Special Press [full disclosure - Emily owns the business]; Catering - Kinley's; Venues - Our Lady of the Snows, Alyeska Resort, and Jack Sprat.