Summary of E+M’s Elopement

It’s not an exaggeration for me to say that I am obsessed with E + M and their chemistry throughout this evening. We started off getting photos of them reaching the campsite and snuggling in the tent to then getting ready with a picnic, before their vows at the lake side. We ended off the night during blue hour on a kayak at Two Jack Lake and it was absolutely breathtaking. It had rained for a few minutes and we ended up catching a rainbow!

Insight into the Logistics

What I really appreciated about this night was the fact that we captured so many beautiful photographs within 4 hours and didn’t feel rushed at all! This is one of the reasons why my elopement packages start at 4 hours of coverage - so that there’s enough time to photograph a more complete story. You can read more about my elopement packages here.

Why elopement packages start at 4 hours of coverage

This may be a hot take, but I think having a photographer only during the elopement ceremony is a very old-school way of thinking. As a modern elopement photographer, I believe you should have photos of what you truly want to remember. The sentiment of the whole day you’re getting married to your person. For most couples, the ceremony is the formal procedure to make things official, but you’ve chosen to elope because you want an intentional day. Maybe you travelled to another location to do a elopement + honeymoon trip all in one, which is a common case for those choosing to elope in Banff National Park.

Did you plan a gondola ride? Kayak trip? What other activities are you excited about? These moments and activities are what I encourage my couples to consider when choosing how much coverage they want for their day.

An elopement ceremony may take 30 minutes, maximum. But there’s so much else to consider such as:

getting ready
ceremony
vow exchange
sight-seeing
activities such as kayaking, swimming, horseback riding, etc.
having brunch/picnic/dinner
couple portrait time
travel time

Once you take these into consideration, you can see how 2 hours is not nearly enough time to have complete photography coverage of your day.

Biggest Tip for Couples

If you’re currently planning an elopement, my biggest piece of advice is to identify what you prioritize on your day and base your photography timeline off of that. Maybe the getting ready portion isn’t too important to you, but you’re including cultural traditions into your ceremony and want to visit all the scenic locations in Banff National Park for couple photos. I would recommend a minimum of 4 hours of photography coverage to make sure you have enough time to travel. Remember your priorities - it’s YOUR day afterall!