A Pemberton elopement means exploring mountaintops, getting married on glaciers, and taking a paddle around a lake to celebrate. At least that’s the adventure Olivia & Mitch chose for their elopement day in the gorgeous Pemberton Valley.

A bride and groom walk hand in hand in a field in front of mount currie in pemberton bc on their wedding day

The road to this Pemberton elopement all started a decade ago. Olivia and Mitch met at a music festival in the UK, where they’re from. Three years ago, their journey brought them to Canada where they worked together at a ski resort at Lake Louise. Not a bad place to be, right?! Especially for these two mountain lovers.

Adventure has always been a part of their story. From moving to another country together right down to the proposal in the mountains near Lillooet while mountain biking. It only made sense to have an adventure for their wedding day as well. And that’s exactly what we did! At the time, all of their family was in the UK, unable to travel to Canada. So Olivia and Mitch decided to have a super intimate elopement, just the two of them, doing what they love most - exploring the mountains.

Pemberton is a great spot for a mountain elopement if you are looking to stay away from super touristy places. Unlike Whistler and even Squamish these days, Pemberton is quiet and remote. While it’s mostly farmland, there are incredible views to be found all over the valley. I was excited to explore the area a bit, so I rolled into town a bit early on the day of their wedding.

As I did, I got a call from Mitch who had run into town to get ice and along the way, the brakes on his car completely went out. Thank goodness he was fine, but it left them without a ride. Remember how I said Pemberton was small and rural? They said they called the cab service and their only cab had left for Vancouver. Yes, just one cab in town HAHA! I was headed to their lodge for the first look and getting ready photos already, so I offered to be their ride for the day. Photographing adventure elopements also means often being a chauffeur and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t absolutely love it!

After photos at the The Ivey Lake Lodge, we headed to the airport. Their day started with a helicopter flight by the fabulous Blackcomb Helicopters up to Ipsoot Glacier, one of my personal favourite elopement spots. It was a warm day, but the weather up on the glacier was incredible. There were wildflowers blooming on the shore, making it somehow even more picturesque than normal.

We were joined on the adventure by Steve from Whistler Elopements! He beautifully officiated the ceremony with stunning mountains and turquoise waters glistening in the sun. Steve, who is also a photographer, was great to work with as he knew exactly what was helpful for me and made the ceremony so seamless.

After the ceremony and some seriously epic photos, we headed back to the helicopter to make a very important phone call! They rang their parents back in the UK to share the news. Little did they know that their families (who don't know each other well) got together to celebrate their wedding day! How sweet is that?! To add more love from afar, Olivia’s bouquet was handmade by a friend and shipped all the way from the UK. A mixture of dried flowers and fake flowers, though you’d never know it, made for such a sweet addition to their sentimental details. Even though their friends and family were so far away, they found ways to be a part of their day. It made for such special moments for them.

Being the outdoorsy, adventure-seeking newlyweds they are, Olivia and Mitch wasted no time sliding into the next experience. In full wedding attire, they hopped onto paddle boards for a quick trip around Ivey Lake. The juxtaposition of their wedding outfits and the boards, along with the sweeping mountain views made for some fun photos.

Back on land, without a drop of water on their clothes might I add, the new bride and groom sipped some specialty drinks and snacked on a very tasty charcuterie board. But the adventure wasn’t over still.

Steve, the incredible officiant I mentioned earlier, shared a beautiful secret spot on a ridge in Pemberton. Unable to resist a chance for gorgeous golden hour photos, we headed out once again. And holy moly, I’m so glad we did! The sun did its thing and gave us the most incredible light that evening.

Once again we found ourselves back at the lodge, where I left them to celebrate their new marriage. They laughed as they said they planned to relax and enjoy their night, but when morning came, they had car problems to sort out. Their laid-back, kind personalities made the entire experience a joy to be a part of.

Make sure to scroll through their Pemberton elopement gallery! From Ipsoot Glacier to paddle boarding to the golden hour portraits, there is plenty of elopement inspiration in these images. Plus, see if you can find the photos featuring three unexpected wedding crashers!! A black fly which made its presence known during their ceremony, a small frog, and a black bear!!

And as always, I’ve got some helpful details if you’d like to elope in the Pemberton Valley. If you’re thinking about planning your own, head over to my contact page and I’d love to help you plan your day!

Tips for a Pemberton elopement:

Pemberton is an excellent option for gorgeous mountain views without the crowds of tourists. But keep in mind that less touristy also means less accommodation, less places to eat and so on. It’s beautiful, but rural. Think more farmland and less ski resort like neighboring towns.
Looking for a wedding venue in the area? I’d recommend North Arm Farm! It’s an organic farm first and foremost, but has become a great venue location with stunning views and rustic, chic barn vibes!
Summer is probably the most popular time of year for a Pemberton elopement or wedding, but it’s accessible year round. So a winter wedding is definitely an option!
Consider logistics and plan ahead! Like I mentioned before, accommodation is limited in the valley. If this concerns you or you are looking for something a little more upscale, you could always stay in Whistler and elope in Pemberton!

I’m not the only one who loved this summer elopement! It has been featured on Wandering Weddings so head over there after to get even more info on helicopter elopements in Pemberton & Whistler.