9 Top Tips to Choose Your Elopement Location
How to choose a location to elope?
Where do we begin? Let’s recognise that we’re all different and without rhyme or reason, certain things will resonate with us deeply and draw us in. This is the kind of internal feeling you should be looking for when considering your location. Let’s get into it and in no particular order, explore our 9 tips for choosing your elopement location.
Safety first
Is it really worth it? From spending as much time outdoors as we do, this is an ongoing conversation we have between ourselves, and it never stops. Essentially you’re asking what you’re willing to lose to reach a location. It’s a brutal reality of mountain life but many people die every year taking on adventures that they just aren’t up to. We’re very realistic about our own capabilities and even more careful with the capabilities of others. “You’ll be fine” just doesn’t cut it in our world. We’re here to make sure that you don’t over do things and your dream location is both realistic and achievable. Remember, this is your day, not your photographers.
Enjoy the journey
This is something that lies at the heart of our lives. If you put your experience first, the rest will fall into place. Everyone’s version of fun is different so take the time to make sure all the elements at your location complement you as a couple. Don’t take on something out of your comfort zone and as always with our wild weather systems, be prepared that anything could happen. It’s clichéd to say it, but expecting the unexpected is a great mindset and accepting that you can’t control all the moving parts is key. For those who are unfamiliar with our mountain environments, we specialize in taking away any apprehension and take care of the logistics so you can really focus on each other as your celebration unfolds.
Somewhere meaningful or new for you both
This may sound obvious but we think it’s one of the most important elements of your location. If only one of you has been there before it changes the dynamic and somehow it feels less special. If you’ve both been before and it’s so good that you just have to go back then there’s a shared love for the area, often with some fond memories. If, like us, you love exploring new areas then you should absolutely take the chance to go somewhere you’ve never been. This is the chance to attach new memories to somewhere incredible, together.
Breathtaking views
No adventure is complete without an amazing view to simply kick back together and enjoy. It’s not hard to find amazing views, all you need to do is decide what you love most. Snowy peaks or rocky pinnacles, massive lakes or alpine tarns, lush green forests or flower filled meadows, summit views or meandering valleys...the choice is yours. Seriously though, there’s a whole lot of wild places out there so think about what you enjoy most together and go from there.
Accessibility
This is a fairly critical decision to make. When you are putting your plans together there’s a couple of things to think about on a more personal level, and then some considerations for others too. Firstly, for yourselves, you’ll need to think about the physical effort required to get to your desired location. Do you want to hike, bike, canoe, drive, heli-in, snowshoe, ice-skate, snowboard? You get the idea, there’s a lot of things that are possible. On top of that, how far are you prepared to go? And no, you really don’t need to be a mountain goat to get the best views, trust us. A lot of those epic views you’ve seen from the Canadian Rockies are well publicised for that very reason...you can simply hop out the car and walk a few minutes to an incredible view.
Secondly for yourselves, as it comes up a lot, if you want your 4 legged friend with you, you’ll have to be considerate of trail restrictions that may be in place. Most National and Provincial Parks have certain trails where dogs are prohibited so if having your dog there is a must then this may narrow your possibilities. That said, there are a bunch of dog friendly locations with breathtaking views.
Your decision surrounding others usually boils down to your officiant. Basically, between you, you need to determine how far your officiant is able to, and willing to travel. This isn’t a deal breaker though. As we’ve mentioned in our 7 steps to eloping, you can always sort your official paperwork out shortly before or after and simply enjoy your vows and time with each other at your location.
Seasons change a place
Choosing a season is like having a menu with 4 of your favorite dishes. You really can’t go wrong. One way to start deciding on your season is to understand if your desired location is accessible year round. For example, due to snow pack accumulation, winter will restrict your access to summits so if you like to be up high in the mountains consider Summer instead (or a helicopter). Along with this, each season brings its own colours, tones and feel. If you’re looking for some more highlights for each season check out our individual Season In Focus blogs for Winter, Summer, Spring and Autumn. Make no mistake, all seasons have their beauty, you’ll need to choose what resonates with you most.
Crowd pleaser or secluded haven
Do you want to try and find your own little slice of paradise? Or are you quite happy to be in a more popular area and a little more on display? As the amount of people visiting our mountain towns is forever on the rise, don’t panic if you still want a secluded experience. With so many outdoor spaces available and many people not prepared to go more than a couple of kilometres from the car we’ll help you find something special. We’ve seen an unbelievable rise in visitors in recent years and so we spend hours immersed in topo maps and then exploring lesser known areas. If seclusion is your thing, start looking at mid-week options or, chat with us to find out how, and where to escape the crowds at peak times.
Go against the trend
This isn’t necessarily for everyone but getting stuck in the online vortex of instagram and pinterest for a specific location can become a little overwhelming. With so many viewpoints in our mountains receiving the “insta treatment” it’s no surprise that the natural beauty, stillness and sense of awe have been somewhat altered. Use our local knowledge and expertise to show you the real gems that will take your breath away.
Spoilt for choice
Anyone heard of overchoice? We can’t tell you how many times we’ve fallen into this trap and ended up in what we’ve dubbed our “rut”. When faced with too many options it’s easy to overload the decision process and end up overwhelmed. If you find you’re starting to struggle then maybe it’s time to step away, get some fresh air then re-enter the decision making ring and choose 1 general area. From there you can draft in the experts (that’s us), tell us a little more about yourselves, paint us a picture of your vision and we can hand pick a location, maybe two for your final selection.
At the end of the day, there’s no right or wrong place to elope. If your decision making skills fail you, go with your gut instinct and let your feel for a place move you to choose.
Kahli & Leo
Wild Alpine Image Co.