Normally I don’t do hiking elopements on hikes I’ve never done before. But this couple were experienced hikers and they had their mind set on this hike! So we did Little Arethusa for their sunrise hiking elopement. And it turned out to be the most amazing, moody, beautiful morning you could imagine!

I met Les and Chloe in the wee hours of the morning deep in Kananaskis to start the hike up to the summit in the dark. It was a windy, cool morning. The best thing about hiking up in the dark is that you can’t see the destination, so you have to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. When we reached the summit of Little Arethusa, they changed into their wedding attire. One tip you could learn from Chloe, is to have a dress that’s super easy to get on so you don’t have to freeze while you’re getting changed!

Les and Chloe chose to do personal vows for their elopement, but we waited until later when we were back down in the meadow area. But as the sun started to rise, we took photos at the summit with the beautiful colours in the sky and the surrounding mountains. The dark sky was laced with threads of pink clouds as her dress blew in the wind, creating some of the most moody, amazing elopement photos I’ve ever taken ! Little Arethusa is a new favorite for sunrise hiking elopements for sure!

After we finished at the summit, we headed down to the meadow for some more photos. The wildflowers were in full bloom, all different colours scattered around the area. The mountains surrounded us. The sun was out and warmed us up, casting a golden glow across the quiet landscape. We hiked a little further down where Les and Chloe read their personal vows to each other. It was such an intimate, personal experience it almost made me cry too.

Finally, we met up with their few family and friends down by Mt Engadine Lodge for a little ceremony to wrap up the day. If you’re ready to book your sunrise hiking elopement, inquire here!

This is a great example of a perfect timeline for a hiking elopement if you want to also include guests. Do the sunrise hike and private vows first, then meet family later for a little ceremony on the ground. Have a look at these epic photos from this hiking elopement in Kananaskis!