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Kayla and Justin recently tied the knot in a memorable hiking wedding ceremony at the alpine lake near Pemberton. We helped them create and capture their ideal hiking wedding among the landscape they love!
Adventurous Bride and Groom
Kayla and Justin are high school sweethearts who started dating in grade 12 and never looked back. The day after their tenth anniversary, Justin got down on one knee. The pair were ski touring at Red Heather Meadows, Elfin Lakes, and as they were preparing to descend, Justin surprised Kayla and proposed in the snowy landscape.
Kayla and Justin love the outdoors and spend their time hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking together. They are an incredibly adventurous couple and have gone backpacking through Europe, hiked the Inca trail and the West Coast Trail, and undertaken rock climbing in Southern France. When it came time to get married, these two were bound to make it another adventure.
The idea of a Hiking Wedding
Due to the pandemic, Kayla and Justin had to scrap their original plan of getting married in Oregon and instead chose to elope in British Columbia. It seemed only fitting that this outdoorsy couple opts for a hiking elopement. Kayla loves the contrast between the stunning wedding gown with a backpack and bouquet with the beautiful BC mountains in the background. It was almost full-circle – Justin proposed on the gorgeous hiking trails of BC, so it was the perfect setting to say, “I do.”
Planning of a Hiking Elopement
The planning of a hiking wedding typically starts with choosing the perfect location for the ceremony. Kayla and Justin made it easy – their familiarity with the British Columbia gems meant they already had some trails in mind. They ultimately settled on the stunning alpine lake near Pemberton.
The next step was helping Kayla and Justin choose their vendors. Hiking elopements can be easy and at the same time challenging to navigate. So we prepared a guide that holds a lot of valuable information to help couples plan their perfect hiking elopement. It contains everything from tips about vendors, apparel, the planning process, potential timeline considerations, and thoughts on personalizing your elopement.
After the vendors were secured, we helped Kayla and Justin draft up a timeline to budget their time for everything they needed. It’s beneficial to plan for time so that no one feels rushed and there’s time for the couple to enjoy the day.
Would you like to get more tips for planning a mountain wedding?
Check out our hiking elopement guide!
Incorporating Families into Hiking Weddings
Hiking elopements can have as many or as few guests as you want! Your adventurous friends and families can all come and enjoy your day with you. Kayla and Justin brought 11 family members and friends along to be a part of the magical moment. All the guests brought their formal wear in their packs, and everyone changed out of their hiking clothes once they reached the ceremony destination. It was a special day with lots of tears shed by everyone. It couldn’t have gone better!
There are some things to consider when inviting your family with you to a hiking wedding. The most crucial factor to think about is the guests’ hiking abilities and skill levels. If you have your heart set on your guest list, it’s important that everyone can navigate the trail comfortably.
The Day of an Adventurous Mountain Wedding
We met Kayla and Justin in the early morning of their wedding day at the Greenwater Resort in Pemberton, where the pair and their guests were staying. Once everyone packed their backpacks, we drove to the trailhead to start the hike. It was an easy trail, and we managed to get to the perfect spot for the ceremony with all thirteen people in just over an hour!
Getting ready for the ceremony was just like any wedding! The girls all got together to do their hair and makeup while the boys were putting on their suits and making sure their ties were straight. Once the group was ready, the ceremony began!
Kayla and Justin had their wedding officiated by a close friend by the alpine lake. It was one of the most intimate events we’ve seen. Everything about it was so thoughtful, and the vows were heartwarming. Everyone had tears in their eyes. Following the ceremony, there was a champagne toast, and everyone ate some cake. Kayla and Justin managed to bring cute, individual cakes in glass jars that they could easily transport in their packs.
After that, it was time for the photos. There was an endless amount of stunning scenery to act as a backdrop to the bride and groom. We took time to explore the area and take pictures in several surrounding locations while the guests enjoyed champagne by the lake.
Mountain Elopement Legal Ceremony
Once the ceremony was complete, and the photos were taken, we hiked back to the Greenwater Resort, where Kayla and Justin signed their legal documents and pronounced husband and wife.
When getting married in the mountains, you have a few options. You can choose to spend the whole day out in nature, say your vows, exchange rings on the mountaintop, and deal with the legalities before or after the hike. You can even sign the paperwork the day before or after if you choose.
Kayla and Justin had an incredibly powerful and emotional wedding! It was an honour to be a part of Kayla and Justin’s wedding day and capture their adventurous hiking wedding.
