Stormy Elopement in Banff National Park

Banff Elopement Photographers

Sara & Kelly

Stormy Elopement in Banff National Park

To photograph this stormy elopement in Banff National Park was a true honour. These memories in the mountains will forever stay with us: Waiting out the rain as dark clouds passed, hiking through the forest to find their perfect ceremony lakeside location and spending the afternoon with Sara, Kelly and their growing baby boy in tow.

Their original wedding plans looked a lot different to this. These two were hoping to celebrate with all of their family and friends on this date. With most of Kelly’s family based in New Zealand, travelling across the world wasn’t possible. They decided to postpone their party and elope instead on their chosen date. With Sara’s sister and her partner as their witnesses, they found a quiet place in the mountains to make it official and share private vows while exploring this magical place in their backyard.

Making the Most of Wild Mountain Weather

In the mountains, we are used to wild weather. The spring is especially known for its temperamental rain and snowstorms. There is a well known saying in Alberta: If you don’t like the weather, just wait 5 minutes. On this day we really put that into practice. When we rolled up to their ceremony location, we saw dark storm clouds rolling in. We all decided to wait it out in our cars for 10 as it blew over. By the time we started hiking out to their ceremony location, the sun was shining down on us.

This pattern continued throughout the afternoon and we made the most of the moody skies and changing light. It really is our favourite conditions to photograph in and I’m sure you can see why in the photos.

After their beautiful lakeside ceremony, we all celebrated with tea and yummy pies. We bid farewell to their guests and just as it started to snow we ducked into the trees where Sara and Kelly shared private words to one another. These two really have a special kind of bond and their baby boy sure is coming into a family full of love. Thank you Sara and Kelly for trusting us to create these special memories of this beautiful moment in your lives.