Many couples don’t consider their elopement date to be that significant of a thing to worry about. Some couples want to get married on their dating anniversary, or the anniversary of their first kiss, their favorite holiday, or a long weekend. However, even if it is not sentimental to you in any way, here are a few things to consider when choosing your elopement date.

How Weather Plays a Role in Choosing Your Elopement Date

When you are thinking of eloping in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta or BC, the weather can have a significant impact on what date you choose for your wedding or elopement. Here are some things to consider when eloping in the different seasons in Alberta:

• November to April can be very snowy and cold. They may also not be as snowy as you expected. If you want to do a winter elopement, they are incredibly beautiful. Just make sure you are fully prepared for the very cold winds and freezing temperatures. You can wear fleece lined leggings under your wedding dress, have a long sleeved dress that doesn’t leave skin exposed, and wear a fur shawl. Grooms can wear long johns under their dress pants, and a merino wool long sleeved under their button up shirt. Remember it’s ok to take lots of warm of breaks and throw on a parka. Have hand warmers in your bag to pull out and keep the fingers warm! Choosing a winter date for your elopement is great if you’re prepared!
• April to June are the months that start to warm up, but there can also be a lot of avalanche danger in the mountains as the snow starts to melt. Be aware of this, especially if you are planning a hiking elopement. The weather is also very unpredictable in the early spring, and it could be a beautiful day or a frigid day. So be prepared as well. A lot of hikes will be losing their snow at this point, but some further back will be too deep still. If you’re wanting to do a specific hike, make sure it lines up with the season.
• June to August are usually the hottest months. If you get married at sunrise or sunset, you can avoid the heat somewhat. Plan to bring a lot of water, face wipes, and other items to keep you cool and hydrated. Bring lots of snacks if you’re doing a hiking or helicopter elopement. These are also the peak tourist months, so keep that in mind. Avoid getting married on a weekend if possible. Keep in mind that many wedding vendors will also be more expensive in peak season. Accommodations are also pricier at this time of year. July and August can also be known to be the smokey months. If there is a bad forest fire season, those are the 2 months that usually have the most smoke. However, this entirely depends on the year.
• September to November are cooler months with beautiful fall colours. Tourists can still be swarming if you are anywhere near hikes or locations that have larch trees. So if you’re wanting peace and quiet for your elopement in the fall, maybe choose a location that doesn’t have so many larch trees. There are also some less well known locations that are super beautiful.

Choosing a Date Based on Time of Day You Want to Elope

If you are planning to do a sunrise elopement, June and July will have the earliest sunrise times. This means for doing a hike, you will need to start the hike in the very wee hours of the morning. Additionally, sunset at this time of year is very late, so plan to be finishing up between 10pm and midnight if you’re doing a hiking elopement.

However, spring and fall have much later sunrises, and earlier sunsets. So if you’re not a late night or early morning person, those might be the better options for you!

Vendor Availability When Choosing Your Elopement Date

If you have some specific vendors in mind, such as an officiant, photographer, or videographer, you may want to choose your date based on their availability. Many vendors have more availability during weekdays. Off seasons, such as November to March can also offer more availability for vendors in the Canadian Rockies. If you’re not too concerned about the date or time of year, you can choose a date for. your elopement based on a vendor you can’t go without!

Check Your Vacation Time with Work

Make sure you don’t forget to check that you can get time off of work when you’re thinking about your elopement date. Many couples choose to get married on a weekend, because thats when they are already off of work. However, this is the busiest time of the week, especially in the summer. So if you’re trying to avoid crowds, plan to elope on a weekday.

If you feel overwhelmed about choosing a date, don’t worry! I will help you plan your elopement if you hire me as your photographer! We can start that process if you click right here.