Kananaskis Sunrise Elopement
Trish + Justin (September 2nd 2021, Canmore Alberta)
Trish + Justin: newlyweds… but also shoe models?
On a September morning we rolled up to a small pond in Kananaskis in the darkness while the sunlight barely began hitting the mountain peaks around us. A thick fog hung over the still water as Trish + Justin began the ceremony after their first look. The early morning light hit their faces and cut through the subtle mist on the water as they exchanged vows pond-side, giving the morning some MUCH needed warmth! (I miiiight have lent my coat to Trish, and yes, I’m humblebragging about how much of a gentleman I am.)
In this blog, we cover the full day from getting ready until their last dance at sunset. At the bottom, you can find a simplified version of the itinerary/timeline that I built for them to help plan their day.
Right after the 1st kiss at Wedge Pond (Can you tell where I photoshopped the officiant out?)
The day started out around 4am as myself and my go-to videographer and close friend, Brad Bogdan left Canmore to cover the couple getting ready. We caffeinated as aggressively as possible en route, as you do. We arrived faaar before the crack of dawn at the beautiful Kananaskis Mountain Lodge as the couple got ready, with giddy nervousness and emotions thick in the air. We then made our way over to the ceremony location at Wedge Pond, still in the dark.
As the first bit of light appeared at the ceremony site, we set up Trish and Justin’s 1st look on a hilltop with the mountains in the background- complete with a butt-grab. It’s a well known piece of sage wisdom that you should NEVER leave any groombutt un-grabbed if you’re the bride.
With the ceremony all set up, Trish’s father walked her through the trees and onto rocky beach where Justin was waiting. Their best friend officiated their union with a few close family members beside them.
After the ceremony, we jumped into some quick family photos in a patch of golden larches before we made our way into the forest for first dances as the morning light beamed through the trees. With music blasting from their truck nearby and not a single other soul in sight, we had the forest to ourselves.
This low key, intimate, and adventurous but laidback day stretched from getting ready at Kananaskis Mountain Lodge all the way up to their ‘last dance’ as the sunset in my go-to hidden gem of a valley just outside of Canmore. The day was filled with giggles, brunch, butt-grabs (exclusively between the couple- as a rule of thumb I never partake in any butt-grabbin' business while on the clock as professionalism and common sense dictates), and also allowed time for Trish + Justin to take a power nap since it was such an early start to the day. Below are a few assorted moments from their day.
When Trish + Justin reached out to me a few short months before their wedding, we dove into planning immediately. After meeting them for their engagement session and chatting with them about what they’re looking for, I sent over a few ideas for locations. We decided on the cute, quiet, and easily accessible Wedge Pond, nestled in Kananaskis. We had the whole place to ourselves since we opted for a weekday. I’m a huge advocate of weekday weddings! The traffic in any mountainous area is always much more sparse, which means more intimacy and privacy although it also means a lot less ‘CONGRATS!” yelled by passersbys and hikers. I worked with them and created a full timeline/itinerary for the day. (At bottom of blog)
Trish + Justin stayed at Kananaskis Mountain Lodge, close to the ceremony site
We worked together to find a ceremony location that would be close to the lodge that they were staying at. The 10 minute drive made the day much easier!
The lodge was the perfect place for some dramatic portraits of the bride + groom.
While we mostly goofed around, we also made sure to slip some dramatic portraits of the couple in as well. Variety is the spice of life… and I LOVE a spicy life.
Congrats to this kickass couple!
Overall, an incredible and stress-free day! Below you can find the timeline/itinerary that I created to help us plan their perfect day.
Trish + Justin Elopement timeline (Thurs Sept 2nd 2021, Wedge Pond)
Sunrise time: 6:52am
Sunset time: 8:15pm
Forecast: Apx 12 degrees during the day, medium chance of rain
5:30am Photographer/videographer will arrive at Kananaskis Mountain Lodge
Getting ready coverage of bride first then 10-15 minutes with groom. Any spare time will be used for additional bridal coverage
6:20/6:30am Bride & groom depart separately from Lodge by 6:30 at the latest. Apx 10 minute drive to Wedge pond from the lodge
6:45am Arrive at Wedge pond. Photographer will coordinate with couple prior to the elopement as well as on the day off to arrange a 1st look right before the ceremony.
7am Ceremony (may slightly delay depending on sun’s location. If sun is blocked by mountain, we will kill time with photos of couple)
7:30am Celebrations/first dance
8am Group photos at Wedge followed by bride + groom photo session at Wedge (work through shot list)
9:30am (apx): Group returns to lodge for brunch
10am Brunch
-Designate nap time-
3pm (apx): Photos of bride/groom in and around the Lodge
Photographer/videographer will stick around/photograph anything that the couple wants
6:30 (6:45pm at the latest) Trish + Justin leave Lodge to meet Kalla at her home address in Canmore (- redacted -)
Apx 40-45 minute drive from Lodge to address
7:30pm Trish + Justin arrive at Canmore home
Walk down to shoot location (7 minute walk)
7:45pm-8:45pm: Sunset session
Afterwards, Kalla & Brad will depart
Notes:
-Please tell all attendees to download offline map of area (no service)
-Bring good walking shoes, headlamp/flashlight, blanket/coat
-Bring any hair/makeup products to ceremony to touch up as needed due to the chance of rain
-Bring marriage licence + pen
-This timeline is a guide, no worries about straying from estimated times after sunrise
-Please discuss with your photographer if you haven’t already to talk about any mobility issues/limitations to make sure that the location we have decided on can accommodate
-Photographer has alternative spots picked out for elopement in case of road closure or inclement weather
-Photographer will bring one umbrella for the couple. Please bring any others if desired. Communicate this to guests as well, due to chance of rain. Photographer will have extra blankets and hand warmers.
Trish + Justin’s Testimonial
“Kalla!!! Thaaaank you sooo much for everything you did for our elopement! The pictures are INCREDIBLE and truly what we were hoping for to capture our day! I cannot thank you enough for making our day so incredible and capturing the perfect moments of it!”
-Patricia
