Lake O'Hara Lodge Elopement in Yoho National Park

Lake O’Hara Lodge Elopement

Whilst it’s thought that there is no “quiet” time to get married in the mountains, these two proved everyone otherwise in spectacular fashion! By focusing on the earliest time of Summer to arrive into the Rockies, literally for the first few days of camping reservations becoming available, they opened themselves up to a truly unique experience. Danielle and Beau had chosen the picturesque Lake O’Hara for their location of choice and booked themselves into the incredible Lake O’Hara Lodge.

Banff elopement photographers at lake o’hara elopement

Being avid explorers of all things new, during their stay in Canada, it was a high priority for them to get some hiking in and see the sights. They hit the ground running and with no time wasted had clocked up some “warm up” hikes in Kananaskis and surrounds to find their feet before heading out of cell service for a few nights and their special day.

Camping wedding photographers in Yoho National Park

The key piece of the puzzle for us was to get some long hours of weather forecast study in before we left cell reception for a few days to make sure we had everything mapped out to make the most of what is arguably one of few remaining quiet “well known” areas of our National Parks systems in the Rockies. We had planned to set up camp for 2 nights and spend our days with Danielle and Beau exploring the area and witnessing their intimate elopement. These two really had everything mapped out, with their legalities already taken care of, they were able to relax and enjoy a truly private ceremony and exchange of vows.

All Seasons Wedding in the Canadian Rockies

On the morning of the big day, we hiked from camp to greet Beau at their cabin and hang out in the glorious sunshine whilst he was getting ready. Meanwhile, Danielle was heading out from Lake Louise having had her bridal hair and make up done by Lilies & Lace Beauty Co. When her shuttle arrived at the lodge, we were there to greet her and sneakily walk her one way to the cabin, whilst ushering Beau out and into the main lodge whilst she got into her dress and ready to go!

With all the final touches in place and Danielle tucked away in the cabin, we walked Beau out to a perfect lakeside perch as the clouds began to swirl. Cue the bluetooth speaker with bride-chosen background music and one of the best “walk down the aisles” we’ve ever seen. Just as Danielle stepped foot out of the cabin, snow flurries began to fall, creating the most dream-like scene. With heavy restrictions on visitation numbers to this area of natural beauty we hazard to guess that there aren’t many people on the planet who have exchanged vows in the presence of these peaks; Wiwaxy, Yukness Mountain, Mount Schaffer...just amazing!

After their ceremony, we hung out by the lake enjoying the views and sharing stories of the many adventures we’d collectively been on. As day turned to dusk we took the chance for a quick trip back to camp for some fuel before closing out the evening with a quick canoe on the lake and a couple of creative night shots with the thick snow storm that was setting in.

Adventurous Couple’s photo session at Lake O’Hara

The following morning we woke to a decent blanket of fresh snow and got set up for a long, relaxing day of hiking in the area. Even with the fresh snow we were able to enjoy the trails around the lakes for some more photos but high on the wishlist was the incredible view from the plateau, down over the lakes. We took our time and hiked up to the plateau with a second show-stopper of a dress that Danielle brought with her. The weather was crazy with snow squalls drifting around the valley, creating some incredible conditions to photograph in. Having enjoyed the views and walked a little further on the plateau we descended back to the lodge to wind down for the day. We left Danielle and Beau to enjoy a late lunch and some peace and quiet together, with the plan to regroup in the morning.

We took an early start for our final morning together, braved some passing showers and showed this amazing couple around the North side of the lake and some of the lesser seen views in the area. As we neared the end of our part of the trip, we said our goodbyes and left Danielle and Beau with some recommendations for where to hike next as they spent a couple more days out there together before returning to Lake Louise and the next stages of their trip.

The magic behind this trip was knowing that Danielle and Beau had left their unsuspecting families and friends back home and were planning the big reveal on their return home with our photos as the “gift” to back it all up! Such an amazing trip with these two adventurers and we’re looking forward to catching up again, this time on their home turf.

If you want to see what this special place looks like in full Summer mode then take a look at this incredible adventurous hiking engagement session at Lake O’Hara.

Thinking of celebrating your love for each other somewhere adventurous? Not sure where to start, or even if you’ve picked out your favorite backcountry camping spot then get in touch so we can get planning.

Kahli & Leo

Wild Alpine Image Co.