REAL WEDDING: Peyto Lake Intimate wedding

The Couple: Kim & Dan

The Season: Summer

The Location: Peyto Lake & random spots along Icefields Parkway in Banff National Park

A Snippet About the Day: We hadn’t originally planned for a Peyto Lake Intimate wedding for Kim & Dan’s mountain wedding. At first we were going to do their ceremony at Lake Louise then head to Moraine Lake. We got to talking about other options & we decided on moving the ceremony to a new spot to get even more striking views. Since they just had a few guests & every one was up for a little hike, Kim & Dan opted for a Peyto Lake Intimate wedding ceremony on the far Viewpoint high above the blue waters of Peyto Lake surrounded by mountains. We got the most amazing cloud cover (I always hope for bright cloudy skies, that’s my favourite… blue skies make me unhappy!) & the clouds made the whole backdrop look so dramatic! After a quick after the Peyto Lake Intimate Wedding ceremony the champagne was popped & the group enjoyed a celebratory drink together before we started portraits. We worked our way around the rocky Viewpoint before hiking back out the trail to hit some spots along Icefields Parkway. With last summer being so rainy, the wildflowers were plentiful & still in full bloom in August. I had spotted this one location driving along the highway to their after the Peyto Lake Intimate Wedding ceremony that I wanted to go shoot in on our way back out. There was a small creek running through & I had visions of a few shots with a killer reflection. I set Kim & Dan up, then headed into the frigid mountain stream up to my knees to get the angle I wanted. Luckily the thick muck lining the bottom of the creek helped keep my feet warm, but it was bloody cold wading in that water! Was it worth it? Abso-frickin-lutely! Those are some of my favourite photos from the past year! After that we made a quick stop at Bow Lake before parting ways for the night. Enjoy perusing Kim & Dan’s Peyto Lake intimate wedding!

A Few Tips for planning a Peyto Lake Intimate Wedding or Elopement: Currently Peyto Lake is closed for the 2020 season for much needed renovations to the parking lot & lower viewing area, but should be open again for spring 2021! Parking is limited at Peyto Lake, so consider hiring a private shuttle to make getting around easier & avoid the whole parking debacle. Peyto Lake has no cell service, so make all plans clear to anyone attending beforehand, there is no way to get in contact once you are there. The best views are a bit of a hike from the upper parking lot, so pack some shoes that you can hike in! This is also an area that can still see fresh snow in June & it can start to snow again in September, so be prepared for any weather here!

WEDDING VENDORS:
Marriage Commissioner: Patrick Smiley
Hair & Make-up: The Pretty Haus
Flowers: Forget Me Not Flowers (Banff Flowers)

Looking for more Peyto Lake Intimate Wedding Inspiration? Check out my very first elopement at Peyto Lake! Check out this adventure wedding with a stop at Peyto Lake. How about this Icefields Parkway elopement with a stop at Peyto Lake? Maybe try this Peyto Lake Adventure session! Take a peek at this Peyto Lake formal engagement! Exploring Icefields Parkway, this is an elopement you don’t want to miss!

Thinking about planning an epic mountain elopement of your own? You need to see my 5 Tips for Planning your Dream Mountain Elopement! Also see my Guide to Eloping in the Canadian Rockies to help figure out the best place for you to get married!