Here is what my past clients have to say about eloping in the mountains! I asked several of them the same questions, and here are their answers! I hope this will help you determine – Is a mountain elopement right for you?

Clients Lys and Ben (Helicopter Elopement in Canmore):

1. Why did you choose to elope in the mountains? We choose to elope in the mountains, specifically Canmore as that is where we met! We made a lot of our early relationship memories in the mountains, and it has a very special place in our hearts. We absolutely love being in the mountains, we always have the best day and that is where we feel most whole. We wanted to feel our best for our wedding day, and we knew from the beginning that is where we would tie the knot. Also, of course the mountains make an absolute gorgeous backdrop!

2. What did you love about your elopement location? We loved how it was a new place for us to experience together, just close enough that we could hike to it again in the future! We had lots of different viewpoints and photo opportunities, it was perfect. 

3. What memory stands out the most to you from your elopement day? We loved how natural the day felt, we were on our timeline without worrying about anyone or anything. It was extremely stress free! It was another day doing what we love, exploring the mountains together, having the best time being ourselves.

4. What advice would you give for future couples who are eloping in the mountains? DO IT! It’s your special day to celebrate the love and union between the two of you and is truly what it’s all about, you two and no one else. Be selfish and plan the day exactly how you want, you will have the best day with your favorite person looking and feeling absolutely fabulous, with the mountains surrounding you. 

Luke and Jesi (Sunrise Lakeside Elopement Adventure – Spray Lakes):

1. Why did you choose to elope in the mountains? We chose to elope because, upon reflection after planning our “traditional” wedding we realized that all that mattered was being together, getting married and stripping back all the noise. We chose the mountains because there is nowhere else we feel more at home and at relaxed. The outdoors is really special place to us, and it felt natural to spend the most important day of our lives surrounded by nature. 

2. What did you love about your elopement location? Getting married lakeside was the perfect mix of mountains, water, trees and nature. It was the most beautiful backdrop and also easily accessible but allowed us to capture sunrise at the most perfect time and still incorporate a brilliant activity (canoeing) in lieu of a hike. We couldn’t believe the the variety of photos we were able to get! The Kananaskis region is truly amazing, and bar far the most beautiful place we visited in Canada, we wish we’d spent longer!

3. What memory stands out the most to you from your elopement day? Our vows. Lena and Cole made us feel so comfortable given it was just the two of us and it was such a special moment which we will cherish forever. The Champagne spray was a great way to top it off and would highly recommend!!

4. What advice would you give for future couples who are eloping in the mountains? Just embrace it! Really lean into the day, and listen to Lena! Don’t sweat the small stuff – you might think it matters, but on the day we really didn’t end up caring what we looked like, what plans we had in our head – it was all just so special that none of the preconceptions mattered. Lena really knows what she’s doing, and even if it feels awkward at the time, enjoy it, make the most of it, have a laugh, and the result will be more than you can ever imagine!

Clients Kara and Joe (Off-Road Elopement in Kananaskis):

1. Why did you choose to elope in the mountains? Because the mountains are a special place for us. We both love to hike ski and generally be outdoors. The mountains feel very private and secluded, which are perfect for an elopement. It was the perfect way to kick off the life and lifestyle we strive to achieve in our marriage.

2. What did you love about your elopement location? It was very private; we knew we could get easy access to it and the valley views were amazing.

3. What memory stands out the most to you from your elopement day? Joe says Barney…. I say having my old boss and very good friend officiate was particularly special for me and having Joe’s friend Rob fly in from Winnipeg for it.

4. What advice would you give for future couples who are eloping in the mountains? Just do it.  Worry about what to tell your family later… Our weather was touch and go for most of the ceremony and photos, but the results were absolutely amazing. 

Verena and Roy (Sunrise Hiking Elopement in Kananaskis):

1. Why did you choose to elope in the mountains? We chose to elope in the mountains after finding you on instagram and seeing your photos. We were blown away! It is a different experience than most weddings we think and we didn’t want the typical wedding. I also personally feel at home in the mountains, I love them so much, that’s where I feel at peace.

2. What did you love about your elopement location? We loved our elopement location because of the view, I love mountains and I love the meadows in the mountains! It was a good hike to get up there and the view was spectacular! we got to see some animals as well which was awesome.

3. What memory stands out the most to you from your elopement day? I don’t think there’s a specific memory but the entire morning. From driving from Canmore to meet you, to Roy having to run back to the truck to get his bear spray. It is a day him and I will never forget it is an amazing experience and completely worth getting up at 2:30 in the morning to make the sunrise hike!

4. What advice would you give for future couples who are eloping in the mountains? My advice, would be let loose, relax and just do it. Don’t worry about the hike and how you are going to look at the top after the hard work you put in to make it up there. The photos are stunning! My hubby and I haven’t hiked in ages and we aren’t in our prime shape but we made it and it was so so worth it. Also, maybe make a check list and look it over the night before. I forgot my pack and Roy had to shove everything in his haha he was my pack mule.

Jessika and Andrew (Jasper Meadow Elopement):

1. Why did you choose to elope in the mountains? Jasper has always been a place that feels like home to us. Any chance we had, we spent in the mountains. Every friend or family member that visited us we took there. We take them to all our favorite spots, except one of the locations we had our photos taken. That specific spot is a place we always go. Just us and our dogs. And now we can’t wait to share our secret spot with our daughter. 

2. What did you love about your elopement location? Initially we had plans for a hike elopement, but when we decided to invite our parents and siblings, we needed to scale that back. Our spot was incredibly private and beautiful.

3. What memory stands out the most to you from your elopement day? I don’t have one specific memory that stands out because everything was amazing, but I remember feeling a huge sense of calmness. Nothing was rushed and with an elopement wedding i didn’t have the feeling of being the centre of attention. We got to enjoy the few people around us and that was really special.

4. What advice would you give for future couples who are eloping in the mountains? Do it. You get to make one of the biggest days of your life your own. You feel like it’s just the two of you and the world around and below you. It’s magic.

Frank and Danika (Banff Lakeside Elopement):

1. Why did you choose to elope in the mountains? We chose to elope but wanted our elopement to be a really meaningful ceremony of our love to each other. I feel a lot of people think ‘City Hall’ or ‘Vegas’ when elopement comes to mind (and those are certainly great options, too!), but we wanted something a bit more scenic and intimate. Deciding to elope in the mountains was based off of our love for the Banff-area, the scenic views, the remote location and how beautiful we saw the elopement photos of others turn out to be. 

2. What did you love about your elopement location? We loved that we were the only people there! That was largely due to luck, potentially combined with the time of year (we chose May) and time of day (7am). We eloped at Two Jack Lake beside the water and we just had Lena (our terrific photographer!) our officiant and our witness in sight. We loved having the combination of mountains and water as part of our ceremony and our photos. I think the idea of adventure elopements/helicopter/hiking up a mountain is SO cool, but just wasn’t our vibe. We were still able to feel that connection to nature without anything extravagant or intense. Our location made it easy to travel to various other lakes and viewpoints for us to get an array of photographs without being physically taxing. Mountain elopements, when I searched for them, often included the big hikes, the mountain tops, etc., and I’d love for people to know it is a-ok to choose a quiet, scenic space on the ground and still get phenomenal photos with breathtaking views out of it!

3. What memory stands out the most to you from your elopement day? I think the best memory for me was that I was 100% focused solely on my husband and the commitment we were making to each other. It was such a great experience to be fully present from start-to-finish. I wasn’t worried about how I looked to my guests, if everything was going well, if I made a mistake with my vows and embarrassed myself. I didn’t carry worries into our ceremony regarding caterers or flowers or venue and the impact it had on guests. I was able to just place my attention solely, and simply, on the love shared between my husband and I, and how excited we were to be sharing this space and getting married. 

4. What advice would you give for future couples who are eloping in the mountains? If you are not wanting to have anyone you know at your elopement, make a post in the community Facebook group in the area you are eloping noting you are searching for a witness(es)! 

We had our photographer as a witness but required a second person. We simply couldn’t choose between our friends and family one single person to attend, and once you open the door to one then it’s hard to say no to others. We wanted to maintain fairness and have no one we knew in attendance. We posted to the community Facebook page in Banff sharing we were looking for a witness, the details of what we needed (date, time, length of time commitment) and offered to compensate someone for their time.

We received SO many heartfelt messages of people willing to come join our ceremony and bear witness to our marriage. It was super cool to have that response when we worried we wouldn’t have any takers! If you are feeling stuck with finding a witness, we would totally recommend going that route. Our witness was phenomenal and so incredibly sweet, we loved having her at our ceremony and it didn’t make us feel like we had to pick just one friend or family member to join. I was nervous at first of the concept of having an entire stranger randomly selected from Facebook as our witness, but I would do it all over again the exact same if I could. 

Do those things help you decide if a mountain elopement is right for you? I hope so!