If you’re recently engaged and at the start of your wedding planning journey, let the team at Elope in Banff express how happy we are for you! Congratulations on beginning a wonderful new chapter in your love story together and starting the incredible journey of planning one of the most memorable days of your lives. If you’re like many modern couples, you may be beginning to discover that the idea of hosting a large-scale affair seems a tad impersonal, if not extremely stressful, when you consider the many, many details that come with big weddings. For those who prefer to put intimacy at the centre of their wedding day, elopements are a welcome change of pace. Whether you’re considering a “true” elopement (involving just the wedding couple, or a more “micro-wedding” style elopement with a wedding party of up to 10 or 20 guests, getting married in Banff National Park is the perfect way to escape from all the normal stress that accompanies traditional wedding planning and ensure that your little big day focuses on what matters most: your love story and your eternal commitment to one another.
At Elope in Banff (EIB), we love love, and what we love even more is helping couples plan their dream elopement. If you’re beginning to plan an elopement, below we’ll cover some of the most important things to consider, right from the very start. Read on to learn more!
First Things First: Celebrate this Exciting Time!
Before we get into elopement planning, it’s worth mentioning that couples should give themselves at least a few moments to relax and enjoy engaged life. There is often so much pressure to move ahead with wedding planning that couples have barely any time to enjoy this new chapter in their lives and end up feeling overwhelmed and disenchanted by wedding planning. Allow yourself to breathe, celebrate with those closest to you, and then move on to wedding planning!
Choose Your Destination
Most couples that choose to elope take advantage of their smaller wedding party size (more on that in a moment) and opt for a destination ceremony. The Rocky Mountains are a popular choice for Albertan couples, as well as international lovebirds, and for good reason. This magical location offers breathtaking views, beautiful indoor and outdoor venues, and a magical atmosphere that adds extra romance to your special day. When looking at a ceremony in Banff National Park, you’ll want to consider if you want your ceremony to take place in Canmore (just outside of the park), at an iconic location in the Town of Banff, such as the Banff Springs Hotel, or at other popular spots like Lake Louise or Moraine Lake. You’ll also want to decide upon a time of year to be able to move forward in the planning process as quickly as possible.
Indoor vs. Outdoor Weddings
One of the best parts of getting married in Alberta’s Rockies is that there’s no shortage of beautiful locations to consider for your elopement. If you’re considering an outdoor elopement, you’ll also want to consider key factors like accessibility, weather, and other details to be as prepared as possible. No matter what location you have in mind, the EIB team will work with you to create an elopement that’s perfectly suited to you.
How Many People Are You Inviting?
Elopements are smaller affairs by nature. In many cases, couples opt to exchange vows by themselves, while others prefer to have a small group of their closest friends and family members accompany them. At Elope in Banff, our packages are suitable for wedding parties of up to 10 or 20 guests and, of course, include options for those who wish for their wedding day to be as intimate as possible and only include the wedding couple.
Accommodations
A destination elopement means that you’ll want to find suitable accommodations for yourself, as well as for your guests. While many elements of an elopement can be planned quite quickly, it’s important to remember that Banff and Canmore are popular destinations all year round. This means that you’ll want to secure accommodations early on to avoid disappointment and to ensure everyone is as comfortable as possible.
It is also crucial to note that there is a sizeable commute between certain locales, and you’ll want to consider this when booking your accommodations to avoid the potential for additional travel costs and complications. We recommend staying close to your ceremony site wherever possible (for example, staying in Canmore if your venue is in Canmore, in Banff if your venue is in Banff, etc) to make things easier for all parties involved, and to allow yourself as much time to relax before and after your ceremony!
Wedding Day LogisticsThe best part of partnering with an experienced elopement team like Elope in Banff is there’s very little wedding planning details for couples to tackle. In fact, many of our happily wedded couples remark that all they had to do was “show up and get married!”. To help remove any extra stress and confusion, Elope in Banff handles key details like:
- Securing your venue
- Providing transportation for the wedding couple
- Booking professional hair styling (with the option to add professional makeup application for an extra fee) to be done from the comfort of your hotel room
- Day of wedding coordination
- Photography
- Posy bouquet and boutonnier
- For those wishing to be legally wed, all the important paperwork and filing!
All you need to do is choose your attire, accommodations, reception meal and get ready to celebrate!
Build in Time to Unwind
Even though elopements are typically far less stressful than larger weddings, it’s worth taking some extra time to unwind once your big day is finished. Extending your stay in the Rockies by an extra day or two (or more!) allows you to enjoy your first moments as a married couple, explore the region, and make the most of this incredible new chapter in life.
Rocky Mountain Elopements with Elope in Banff
With over 4000 weddings under our belt, Elope in Banff is here to help you plan your dream Rocky Mountain elopement. View our packages here, and start booking your wedding by contacting us today!