Where to Get Married In Canmore? The Complete Canmore Wedding and Elopement Guide
Getting married in Canmore is a dream! This beautiful town, nestled in the heart of the Canadian Rockies has everything you need to craft your perfect celebration. When couples start thinking about getting married in the mountains, there’s always so many questions and a feeling of “where do I start?”, especially for couples that are making the trip from out of town.
Questions like this may feel all too familiar:
“How do I get married in Canmore?”
“Do I need a permit to get married in Canmore?”
“Where’s the best mountain views for my outdoor ceremony?”
“Where are the best locations for wedding photos?”
Of course there’s no right or wrong way to go about designing your dream day and we’re simply here to lay out some useful information to get the ball rolling and spark some ideas for you on what’s possible. Whilst this is a good start, it is by no means all of the information you could find but we’ve kept things very specific to Canmore. There’s lots of other popular options if you’d like to explore the mountains of Banff, Yoho, Jasper and Waterton National Parks and Kananaskis Country too.
How to legally get married in Canmore
To legally marry in Canmore, you will need to apply for a marriage license within 3 months of your actual wedding date. You can pick up your marriage license from the Canmore Registry office upon your arrival in town. You and your partner will be required to provide your personal info, your parents info and if either of the couple have previously divorced, you will need a copy of the divorce certificate. You can find all the details from the Canmore Registry. On the day of your wedding, just don’t forget to bring it along with you for your wedding commissioner!
Outdoor Weddings at the Town of Canmore Wedding Venues (Municipal Locations)
Canmore offers spectacular mountain scenery for couples looking to have an outdoor wedding ceremony. There are 3 outdoor wedding venues that are considered municipal locations and can be booked through the Town of Canmore. In no particular order, here they are:
Quarry Lake
Quarry Lake offers outstanding mountain views in a natural setting and can accommodate up to 170 guests. Only a short walk from the car park, the pathway and ceremony site are unmaintained. There are pit toilet washrooms located nearby.
Rundleview Parkette
This venue can accommodate for up to 50 guests and is located on the east side of Rundleview Drive, approximately 120 meters from the intersection of Spray Lakes Road and Rundleview Drive. The grassed area is not maintained and there are no public washrooms onsite.
Riverside Park
Offering beautiful views of the river and of the Three Sisters, this venue can accommodate up to 50 guests. This site offers a maintained grassed area and easily accessible from the downtown core. There are onsite washrooms and parking is very limited.
Wedding and Elopement Venues & Locations in Canmore
In addition to the popular municipal venues, Canmore literally something for all wedding and elopement shapes and sizes, even for every season! You can find something to suit all budgets, both indoor and outdoor. This list is by no means absolutely every venue on offer, but it will show you the variety on offer and shine a light on lots of options for different sized celebrations too. These are listed in no particular order:
Stewart Creek Golf Resort
The facilities at Stewart Creek are perfect for intimate weddings year round. Offering boutique style weddings that can accommodate up to 80 of your closest friends and family to help you celebrate your marriage in the mountains. Evening receptions are hosted in our main dining room where the natural lighting, rustic wood-burning fireplace and large patio offer the perfect ambiance for your special day. The outdoor ceremony space has tent coverage so you and your guests are comfortable all year round.
Silvertip Resort
Trust Silvertip to provide an extraordinary wedding experience in the Canadian Rockies. Offering breathtaking scenery accompanied by an unmatched service team, Silvertip can accommodate up to 180 guests. Be it an elegant all out affair or a quiet intimate event, Silvertip’s have got you covered.
A Bear & Bison Inn
With a wide range of options for all types of celebrations, this quaint venue specializes in intimate weddings for up to 65 people. The food is outstanding, the location is ideal with quick access to highway 1 and you feel like you are in your own little slice of paradise!
Canmore Golf & Curling Club
This golf course has it all…the views, the food, the location! Just a short walk from downtown Canmore, this venue has incredible views of the Rundle Range with indoor and outdoors options to suit all. In our eyes, this is one of the hidden gems for weddings in the Bow Valley.
Mount Engadine Lodge
Cozy, rustic and intimate are all words that come to mind with this incredible venue. With amazing views over the meadows out towards Mt. Commonwealth, you’ll have the feeling of being in the backcountry without the physical input. The food is amazing and it is conveniently located to many hiking trails for the more adventure minded celebrations.
Canmore Murrieta’s
An exceptional dining experience awaits at Murrieta’s. Located downtown Canmore, you’ll have the bustling downtown vibe during the busy months to add to your celebration and the views from this first floor restaurant are amazing.
Creekside Villa
Another “all in” venue to explore in Canmore. Perfect for more intimate weddings, with options to host and sleep up to 40 guests in-house. If a bigger wedding is your style, then they can accommodate for up to 70 guests for your plans too. The location is great, just off highway 1 with an easy walk to local convenience stores and Summit cafe.
Coast Canmore Hotel & Conference Centre
Looking for a venue that can help you plan big? Well, the team at the Coast Hotel can accommodate for up to 350 so they have you covered! Conveniently located just off highway 1 with easy access to everything you need and a short walk to downtown Canmore.
Malcolm Hotel
This venue has an luxurious vibe and a modern edge to the hotel that isn’t always on offer in the Rockies. With incredible dining options and an intimate and romantic backdrop for their ceremonies, this would be a wonderful option for celebrations of all sizes.
Iron Goat
Well know for their south facing patio, they have views to die for! Not to mention amazing food and drink options, this could be the one for you. With a rustic interior with huge windows and a beautiful fireplace, this really is a special place to celebrate. This venue is best suited for smaller to medium sized cewlebrations.
Canmore Creekside Hall
A more budget friendly option in Canmore with a do it yourself approach. With the hall rented the rest is up to you! DIY the while shebang, or lean on the expertise of Canmore’s incredible wedding vendors to help shape your plans - they even have a whole list of vendors to send to you. From caterers to decor and everything in between. With a prime location downtown, it is within easy walking distance of many hotels and accommodation too.
Canmore Miner’s Hall Union
This unique and historic building can accommodate for up to 100 seated, or 150 standing guests for dining or a standing reception. Located downtown, central to many shops and hotels.
Canmore Opera House
There’s quite a story to this one! Whilst the current build is a replica from the band hall in 1898, the logs were cut from the slopes of Ha Ling so it has kept it’s local appeal. Nicely located in Spring Creek, it has a slightly quieter vibe compared to the bustling downtown but still only a short walk to everything you might need.
Sensori
A beautiful venue with a first floor restaurant for all your reception needs. Modern is definitely the vibe and with floor to ceiling windows on 3 sides, you’ll have great views and natural light until the sun dips. The food is amazing and the location is great too.
Georgetown Inn
With options to accommodate up to 35 guests, this venue is great for intimate weddings. The setting has a Canadian Rockies version of an English pub so it is steeped in history and has a nostalgic feel for an expats who remember their local from back home. Great location and tasty food make this a solid choice for a more unique and intimate venue.
Grande Rockies Resort
With their own landscaped courtyard, they can host everything from your ceremony to reception all in one place. Great for celebrations wanting to keep travel to a minimum! Lots of accommodation options make this a really good option for families and friends travelling from out of town and they have a great reputation for quality dining too.
Cross Zee Ranch
A lesser known venue to host your outdoor ceremony. Located off highway 1 on the north side of town, this horse ranch is wonderful place to celebrate!
Cornerstone Weddings
Cornerstone weddings has an amazing menu of options for all sizes and styles of celebrations that come to Canmore! With location options, amazing food and a solid network of local vendors to work with too, it really is a one stop shop in terms of being supported through your planning. If you have heard of Cornerstone Theatre, Canmore Ranch, the Nordic Centre and Tree Island then it is all a part of this incredible team!
Solara Resort & Spa
Flexible options to suit a guestlist of up to 120 people, Solara really does have it all. From amazing accommodation to great hotel facilties like a pool, fitness centre and cinema screen, it can keep everyone happy! With a great location just off highway 1 on the east end of town, they have a dedicated events team that can help you shape your dream day.
The Best time of year to get married in Canmore
This will depend on and should reflect your relationship, your travel and holiday plans, the type and size of celebration you are having and ultimately what you want to do! Whilst it’s easy for us to say there’s no bad time of year, there’s definitely some pros and cons to each season. You’ll notice we’ve “adjusted” the dates a little to suit what is more likely to happen here in the Rockies. At the end of the day, if you can’t decide when to get married or elope, if you can talk us through what you picture your celebration feeling and looking like then we can give you a good idea of a date range to aim for!
Spring (Mid April - Mid June)
✓ Generally considered a quieter time to visit Banff National Park
✓ Sunrise and sunset times are more manageable (until June!)
✓ Potential for snowy peaks above greenery as we move into June
✓ The best time to view the galactic core of the Milky Way in our skies
✗ Most popular hiking trails are still closed, waiting for snow to melt
✗ If winter was long and cold with lots of snow then expect most popular locations to look like Winter still
✗ If you want to visit Moraine Lake, it doesn’t usually open until late May, early June and the lake is still usually partially frozen.
Summer (Mid June - Early September)
✓ Hiking trails and popular areas are generally open
✓ Backcountry locations are accessible
✓ Wildflowers (generally best in July and early August)
✗ Sunrise and sunset times are very early and late respectively
✗ Wildfires, smoke and wildlife can cause unexpected closures to hiking trails, roads and places you want to be
✗ It is busy…very busy. As in, parking fills up and you have to go elsewhere.
✗ Short night time hours so stargazers have to lose a lot of sleep…a lot!
Autumn/Fall (Mid September - Early October)
✓ Deciduous trees turn hues of yellow and orange
✓ Sunrise and sunset times are starting to feel more normal again
✓ We might get snow!
✗ Wildflowers are past their best and usually fried by the sun
✗ We might get snow!
✗ It is still crazy busy and hiking trails explode with popularity to see “Golden Larches” - the trees that turn orange.
Early Winter (Early October - Mid December)
✓ Your best chance for open water/thawed lakes surrounded by snow
✓ Longer night time hours to help with stargazing and the Aurora (if it shows up!)
✓ Generally a quieter time to visit
✗ Lots of hiking options and trailheads now closing or inaccessible
✗ Not guaranteed to look like a “winter wonderland” in the event that we get a slow start to the winter snowfall
Winter (Mid-December - Mid April)
✓ Your window for fully frozen, snow covered, winter wonderland feels!
✓ Long night time hours to help with stargazing and the Aurora (if it shows up!)
✓ Enjoy skiing and snowboarding at the local resorts
✗ Lots of hiking options and trailheads now closing or inaccessible
✗ It is cold. We can’t guarantee how cold, but don’t say we didn’t warn you that it can reach -40 below and that’s in degrees Celsius!
Heli-Weddings in Canmore
If you are choosing to celebrate with a helicopter in Canmore then your only option is Alpine Heli. They provide flights for heli-weddings and elopements to a couple of locations and are conveniently located in town, close to many hotels so you don’t have to drive far! It’s a convenient way to steal away for some pre or post weddings photos, or to host your intimate heli-elopement with a few guests. If you want to, you can of course still get married in Canmore and plan a longer drive to a separate heli location either before or after your wedding to get some elevated photos in the mountains. Just reach out and ask us for more info as heli celebrations is definitely an area of our expertise.
Best wedding Photo Spots in Canmore
Probably one of the questions we get asked the most! Where should we go for photos? Well, as usual, this all begins with you. We need to know a little more about you and help you understand what to expect with each location. Imagine asking us to order something from a restaurant menu for you without even knowing what you like to eat! Sounds crazy but this is the way we feel and approach these questions. There’s so many places that you might love, but what if you don’t? We also like to explore your accessibility requirements for these locations and how much your are prepared to drive around too. If you really want to avoid driving around then why not pick out a location that has a ceremony area on site, or a ceremony site that has some amazing views suitable for some family photos too.
LOCAL VENDOR LISTINGS
These are the teams that work in the mountains often and come highly recommended for their craft.
Wedding Cakes & Desserts
Commissioners
Decor & Rentals
Wedding Florists
Hair & Make up Artists
Canmore & Banff Makeup Artistry
Music & DJ Services
Planning & Coordination Services
Registry
Limo & Transportation
Videography
So there you have it, our complete guide to getting married or eloping in Canmore. Whilst this feels like a lot to digest in one go, it’s all here for you and we’re always looking to update and refresh our resources as new vendors open up in town, venues change hands and new photography considerations pop up. As we mentioned, this is by no means all of the available information but hopefully you find the answer to some of your questions and are able to move forward with your planning.
As you move through your planning stages, you may find you have more questions that you need help with so feel free to get in touch with us if you want to pick our brains and lean on our local knowledge.
Kahli & Leo
Wild Alpine Image Co.