Canadian Rockies Heli Elopement in Banff National Park

Getting ready for a first look at Paradise Lodge

Banff and Lake Louise is, for good reason, an amazing place to share your love for each other for any occasion. N & L just happened to be here to share their elopement in the heart of the Canadian Rockies and what a day it turned out to be! We met these two to capture some getting ready moments at Paradise Lodge at Lake Louise before their intimate first look in the private grounds of the lodge. Having not seen each other all morning, their first look was beautiful.

Heli-elopement with Rockies Heli

Happier in each other’s company, we headed back to the lodge so they could cut their cake together and enjoy a bite or two before setting off on one of the best drives in the Rockies…the Icefields Parkway. We toured the parkway, making our way to Rockies Heli to prepare for their heli-elopement and mountain top ceremony. We met with their officiant, Cole, at the heli base and were all set to fly. We were super excited for this flight in particular as neither L or N had flown in a helicopter before and flight conditions were perfect.

We took to the skies with Ralph and enjoyed the scenic flight to Lake of the Falls. Once we had touched down, N & L picked their ceremony spot and Cole set things up for their private, mountain top elopement ceremony in the Canadian Rockies. After the ceremony, we enjoyed some time to capture some more photos together before returning to base.

Summer wedding photos at Bow Lake with Banff elopement photographers

With the buzz of excitement still hanging in the air, we could tell this flight experience was a hit for these two and what a memorable way to exchange vows! We made the return journey back towards Lake Louise, taking in the sights once again. With prearranged plans to stop at Bow Lake for some more wedding photos, we were there in no time and out exploring the shoreline together. We love Bow Lake as a location as there’s a lot to enjoy photographically which really helps create a unique collection of photos for our couples. N & L soaked up the scenery and we had some fun moving around for a few different takes on this beautiful location.

We couldn’t resist some final, intimate photos with the wildflowers in bloom which happen to match the groom's favourite colour perfectly…a lovely touch to some memorable photos.

Heli-elopements are a lot of fun and a unique way to celebrate together. If you would like some more info and unbiased pros and cons of what’s involved then reach out. We know multiple flight operators, each with their own pros and cons with regard to the overall experience (landing locations, flight times etc) which we’re happy to share with couples going through their planning stages.

For all the couples out there who really want to take a heli flight but aren’t sure how it fits into their timeline, get in touch and we can shine a light on this. We’ve photographed weddings with heli-flights included on the day of, and even celebrations where couples take their heli-flight a day or two before or after their wedding day. Anything is possible with the right planning and a team that can help you with some clear, objective information to help you make some solid decisions for your special day.

Kahli & Leo

Wild Alpine Image Co.

Officiant: Married by Cole

Venue: Paradise Lodge & Bungalows

Makeup: Sam Marvell

Hair: Hair by Nat

Cake: Kake by Darci

Helicopter: Rockies Heli

Dress: Kitty Chen

Suit: Z Zenga

Groom’s Wedding Band: Bleu Royale

Bride’s Ring: Tacori

Bride’s Shoes: Steve Madden

Veil: A Bride’s Secret