The Guide to Eloping in Banff National Park
Are you planning your Banff Adventure elopement or micro wedding? Here are my top tips below as a Banff National Park Photographer - and surrounding area! In this blog post I cover:
Welcome to Banff!
Permits
Banff - Weather, seasons, landscapes
How to get to Banff
Banff Elopement and Microwedding locations
Where to stay in Banff
Things to do for your elopement or microwedding
Windandbluemedia : Photo video duo contact
Welcome to Banff!
In case you are unfamiliar with Alberta - Here is a map! Also, there are some great elopement and micro wedding options around Banff so if you’d like to hear more about that, please reach out! As a local who is always hiking and exploring there are MANY options for your elopement or wedding. (Image from Wikipedia)
Permits
In order to tie the knot and get married in Banff, you will need to get a permit. It is a wedding registration form, and can be found here. It actually just lets the park know that you plan to have a ceremony, it does not need to be approved. The form needs to be mailed or delivered in person, so I recommend doing this early when you have your location locked in.
There are no restrictions on where you can elope in Banff, but the ceremony is limited to 20 people (this included the officiant, photographer, guests, and the two of you). Now, if your elopement or micro wedding is under 20 guests - you can get married anywhere within the Banff National Park boundary without the form!
We deeply care about our National Parks, so I have linked some helpful info HERE.
Dont forget your park pass HERE
Passes can be purchased online, at any park gate or Parks Canada visitor centre. Here are some additional tips on Parks Canada: HERE
*Parks does not provide exclusive rights to an area, and can’t be marked off for personal use.
If you are getting married more near the Town of Banff, you have the option of getting married at one of several designated locations within the town or you can explore some of the private venues available in town, such as the Mt Norquay, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff Gondola, The Rimrock Resort Hotel, and more!
Marriage License
If you are choosing to have your marriage made legal in Alberta I have linked the information here. You will need to apply for a marriage license at least one (1) month ahead of your wedding date and can be picked up once you arrive in Banff at the Banff Registry. Your wedding in Alberta will require two witnesses – myself as the photographer, and if you are us as a photo video duo you are covered! If you want a friend or family member to be your officiant/commissioner they can do so by applying here at least two weeks in advance of your wedding date! Lastly, you can also have a symbolic ceremony if you wish to have the legal process handled in your home country or province.
Banff- Seasons and Landscapes
If you’re wondering when to elope or have your micro wedding in Banff National Park, there are a few things to consider.
All seasons are beautiful in the Canadian Rockies and have their own pro’s and cons. If you were to ask me a “best season” I don’t think I could give you one. If you are trying to decide what season to elope in Banff, I would choose based on priorities and visions like :
—What activities you may want to do?
—Sunrise/sunset times,
—Weather,
—and of course how you want your images to look! (Snowy wonderland or bright blue lakes?)
How to get to Banff
To get to Banff National Park, the easiest airport is Calgary International Airport (YYC) and then driving from there. You can also fly into Edmonton, but it is a much farther drive.
Drive time from Calgary. 1:30. Drive time from Edmonton 4:00
Banff Elopement Venues/Locations
Lake Minnewanka
Tunnel Mountain Resevoir (capacity 150
Two Jack Lake
Mt Norquay
Bow River
Lake Louise
Moraine Lake
Parkway:
Peyto Lake
Bow Lake
Where to stay in Banff
Fairmont Banff Springs / Fairmont Lake Louise
The Rimrock
Buffalo Mountain Lodge
If you want to stay outside of Banff, there are some great options In Canmore aswell:
The Malcolm, Bear and Bison
Things to do on your Banff Elopement or micro wedding Day
Go for a hike
Canoe/Kayak/Paddle
Have a picnic
Go for a climb
To a food tour
Sightseeing
Gondola Tour
Bike riding
Winter: Ski, snowshoe, tubing
The options are endless! If you need some assistance in the planning - Im happy to help!
Hiring a Photographer for your Banff Wedding or Banff Elopement
Both my partner and I love Banff National Park and surrounding areas so much that we are there even on days off when we aren’t shooting weddings! Here’s what you can expect with us:
-Travel included
-Personalized advice based on 10 years of Western Canada hiking experience
-Unlimited 1:1 consultations
-Collaborative approach to crafting your dream Banff Elopement
-Photo video packages as a one stop shop experience. (However if you are looking for just one or the other, we do that too)
-Mix of candid and prompting to make your day feel like you and make you feel comfortable
-Full online digital gallery with full printing rights. Downloadable highlight film to relieve your day