As home to the world’s only inland temperate rainforest, Revelstoke is the perfect place to host the mountain elopement of your dreams. When you’re trying to think of ways to say see ya to tradition and incorporate adventure into your wedding day, did eloping in the mountains ever cross your mind? Or how about hiking in the alpine? If you’re a lover of the outdoors, and are especially a sucker for some breathtaking nature views, a Revelstoke elopement might be just the thing you’ve been looking for.

A bride and groom celebrates excitedly walking hand in hand on the grasslands around Upper Arrowhead lake in revelstoke, bc

Haven to wildlife and replete with gorgeous evergreens, Revelstoke has been a hot spot destination for mountaineers, hikers, and explorers alike. Combining that with the sentimental moments they had shared in the town itself, you can see why Rachel and Joe decided that this was the right place for their intimate celebration.

Originally from the US, Rachel and Joe had recently bought a house in Revelstoke during COVID. These happy lovebirds were big hikers, fans of the outdoors, and the best part - worked remotely. When dreaming up ways how to bring their visions to life, choosing where to elope was a no-brainer. What can I say? A Revelstoke elopement will never falter in delivering the magic.

This adventure couple was looking for a good hike along with a ceremony that would be in a more accessible location for their officiant. And as a Vancouver elopement photographer who knows her way around these Revelstoke mountains, I tried to give them all the helpful insight I could. Long, cold springs were common for this area and many of the hikes were inaccessible due to the snowfall as 2022 saw an especially colder spring than normal. Since alpine hikes became out of the question, we started considering alternatives. We looked into snowmobiles, helicopters - anything that screamed adventure. And who would've thought that everything would fall right into place?

R & J’s one-of-a-kind Mountain Elopement

As their big mountain elopement day came closer, the weather forecast wasn’t looking so great. This elopement was supposed to all happen on one day, but as I was driving to Revelstoke the day before, Rachel called and asked if it was possible to do the helicopter portion (to say their vows) that evening and then the rest the next day when their officiant was available. I said OF COURSE! I will do anything to make things happen for my couples. Luckily for us, they had a friend who used to work at Glacier Helicopters doing helicopter rides! Score! Now that we had just the right accommodations to get us to their perfect elopement spot, our luck now depended on the ever-changing weather and timing of it all.

While figuring out the logistics of eloping in the mountains, we decided to fly up last minute with a 7pm flight time. And do you know what time it was close to? SUNSET - we love golden hour! This usually isn’t possible to pull off because a lot of helis don’t fly that late in the evening, but it all worked out swimmingly since we were flying up with a friend! An extra bonus? They even brought up their furry pal, Dice (the cutest dog!).

We did first looks right before the helicopter ride and then landed on a mountain top not too far from Revelstoke. The sights were stunning, with top-of-the-world kind of views. After Rachel and Joe said their sweet, sweet vows, they held each other close for their first dance as husband and wife. This was the most special part. Joe wrote a song about the two of them! Seriously, is that not the best thing ever? His friend sang it while they swayed along for their first dance, but Rachel had no idea! All it took was another minute for her to realize the song was about her and then - cue the happy tears! It was all so personal and sweet, I adored every second. The mountain top was quick and definitely cold, but we were all troopers here! After the helicopter ride back to the heliport, the two newlyweds took the evening for themselves.

Once the next day rolled around, the rain was on and off. The two wondered if they should say go for it and take to the mountains for a hike like they originally wanted and guess what - I’ve never seen such luck in the timing of it all! Rachel and Joe picked a beautiful grassland area near a river they frequent with their dog and the weather opened up in divine timing.

I’d say the universe was definitely on their side that day because the rain kind of tapered off just in time for their ceremony. Mount Begbie acted as their gorgeous ceremony background and the scene was absolutely incredible! Rachel and Joe had a sweet and simple legal ceremony and had two friends as witnesses. Flowers and cake followed soon after as they ate on their car hood while enjoying some local spirits and of course, I squeezed in a couple more photos.

Saying bye to their friends, we then took a few more portraits before it started to rain. We took a short hike close to town and by the time we got there, there were no clouds in the sky and it stayed that way all evening! As sunny and stunning as it was, we used this to our advantage and got more photos of Mount Begbie as it peaked over town. At that moment, you could see how special it was to them. And the cherry on top? They pretty much had this spot to themselves. This mountain elopement was easily squeezing its way into my favourites.

When starting their planning, Rachel really wanted alpine and Joe wanted a hike. With the helicopter and hike, we got a little bit of both! It was such an awesome and uniquely special celebration to be a part of and I felt so connected to these two. It was a whirlwind of events in the best way and it all unravelled perfectly.

Three reasons why a Revelstoke elopement is the way to go:

I may be a tad biased, but as a Vancouver elopement photographer who's gotten to witness just how remarkable eloping in BC can be, I’m here to tell you why Revelstoke is the perfect place to elope.

1. It’s absolutely beautiful!

The mountains here are SO close and there are several national parks within an hour's drive. We have Mount Revelstoke, Glacier National Park, and tons of gorgeous hikes to embark on! And if skiing is more your speed, we have a ski resort close by too!

2. It’s not too crowded over here.

Revelstoke tends to be a through-town where people tend to fill up on gas and then go on their merry way to Banff. If you’re one who tends to take the road less travelled, Revelstoke definitely gives off small-town vibes. This city is full of rich history and has so much to offer, but not many people tend to stick around. Even better for choosing an elopement location! The pictures will be killer.

3. A lot of the locations are easily accessible.

Here’s a fun tip: In the summer, go up to the Meadows in the Sky Parkway in Mount Revelstoke. It’s right beside the town up a paved road so you don’t have to hike a whole lot to reach the alpine! Glacier Helicopters is also right there and the ski lifts can help take you up to the mountains! If you want to soak up the breathtaking mountain scenery without the hike, you have a lot of fun options to take you there!

Tips for a Revelstoke Mountain Elopement:

One big lesson we can take away from Rachel and Joe’s mountain elopement is to choose a date somewhere in July, August, and September onwards if you want to helicopter, hike, or be in the alpine. It’ll be a tad too snowy in June to hike in the alpine, so choose your month wisely!

Have a backup plan and try to be flexible! When you’re eloping in BC, there’s definitely a lot of adventure to be had, so don’t fret too much if your first choice doesn’t go according to plan.

If a helicopter is in the books, there’s always the possibility that it won’t work out. The weather is unpredictable and can cause last-minute cancellations, so make sure to have a plan B!

Check out Meadows in the Sky Parkway. The alpine meadows are GORGEOUS here and so easy to get to!

Get married on a weekday! While Revelstoke doesn’t get too crowded anyway, eloping on the weekday will do well for your pictures because there will be fewer people for me to edit out! And, fewer strangers means more intimacy. Vendors might be more available too!

Want to find the perfect spot in stunning Revelstoke for your adventure elopement? Or did you need some more ideas to finally bring your elopement Pinterest board to life? You can also check out Pitt Meadows, Whistler, or Manning Park to throw out more options for ya!

No matter what you choose, it’s bound to be stunning and I’m so excited to capture it all right there with you! Send me a love note and let’s see this thing through! True love doesn’t come around often, so let’s make sure you start your forever love with a bang! See ya on the mountain tops!

BONUS! Here is a video that summarized their adventure!

@candicemariephoto We didn’t plan for this to be a two day elopement, but the weather was so much better the day before they were supposed to get married, that we spontaneously decided to do their vows the evening before with a sunset helicopter ride, complete with their dog Dice ☺️ #elopement #revelstoke #bcwedding #elopementphotographer #weddingphotographer #revelstokewedding #weddingtiktok #weddingvibes #helicopter #sunset #heliwedding #helielopement #bcelopement #westcoast #hellobc #weddingdog #firstdance ♬ Simply The Best by Billianne - Billianne