Banff Elopement at Bow Lake + Planning Tips
Bow Lake is such an incredible destination for your Banff elopement - with a short easy trail leading to a small pebble beach on the beautiful glacier-blue lake with incredible mountain vistas in all directions. Bow Lake is the perfect mountain lake for your elopement if you are looking for a spot that's easy to access with minimal hiking with epic views - or if you are more adventurously inclined there are several stunning hikes from the lake for the truly awe-inspiring views! Bow Glacier Falls, Helen Lake, and Cirque Peak are all incredible hikes, ranging in length and difficulty, or you could make the trip to the Bow Hut!
documented on 35 mm film + digital
How to plan your Bow Lake Elopement
1. Explore Ceremony Location Options
The Bow Lake shoreline pictured in this post is just a short walk from the car park on a well groomed trail, and it is such a stunning spot for your Bow Lake elopement! However, there are so many other options around the lake if you'd like to explore deeper into the mountains - here are a few of my favourites!
Lakeshore Trail
length: 8.4 km loop (best views only 100 m)
elevation gain: 335 m
Follows the lakeshore around Bow Lake. Note that the best views (see photo) are only about 100 m from the parking lot, but there is plenty more to explore around the lake!
Helen Lake Trail
length: 12.1 km (epic views commence at 2km)
elevation gain: 550 m
Trail starts in the forest and opens up onto stunning alpine meadows with gorgeous mountain views
image sourced from google
Cirque Peak Trail
length: 17.1 km
elevation gain: 1139 m
Follows the Helen Lake Trail and then continues up along the ridgeline for incredible views over the surrounding lakes and glaciers
image sourced from google
2. Book Your Banff Elopement Photographer
Photographers are one of the first wedding vendors to book up, so as soon as you know you want to elope in Banff, start your search!
As a Banff elopement photographer and planner, I help each of my couples plan their whole elopement adventure from start to finish, with custom location guides to help you choose the perfect spot, trusted local vendor recommendations, timeline planning calls, and unlimited access to my local knowledge and 13 years experience as an elopement photographer to make your experience so stress-free, custom and meaningful to you as a couple.
Hey, I'm Heather, the Banff Elopement photographer and planner behind Wildflower Elopement Co! I would love to help you plan your best adventure yet - reach out to learn more about how I can help!
3. The Logistics: Marriage License + Park Permit
The boring part - logistics. It's okay though, I'm here to help guide you through as smoothly as possible so you can get back to the more fun adventure prep! There are 3 steps to follow:
Book Your Marriage Commissioner
This is the person who performs the ceremony for you on your elopement day, and they need to be booked in advance. As your Banff elopement photographer + planner, I can help you find the perfect officiant who gets your vibe and will follow you to the top of a mountain!
Register Your Elopement with Parks Canada + Know their Rules
To elope in Banff National Park, you need to fill out and submit their marriage registration, which you can find here. Other regulations include keeping the event to under 20 people (including yourselves and vendors), and making sure yourselves and everyone attending has a valid park pass! Easy peasy.
Obtain Your Marriage License
The good news: obtaining a marriage license in Alberta is super easy for folks travelling here to get married! You can get married the same day as you apply for the license - there is no wait. Once you obtain the license, you have 90 days (three months) to have your ceremony.
Both of you will need to apply in-person to a registry agent - the two closest to Bow Lake are in the town of Banff and Canmore. Simply bring the license to your ceremony and give it directly to your officiant!
