Getting married in the mountains doesn’t get more epic than a helicopter elopement in the Canadian Rockies of Alberta. In just minutes, you’ll be flying high above the valley, past snowy peaks, and landing at the perfect secluded and unique spot to say ‘I do’.
Why decide on a helicopter elopement?
- Avoid crowds
- Banff has become more and more popular over the years because/thanks to social medias (amongst all). With its turquoise glacier lakes and sharp mountains, Banff is offering so much beauty every time you look somewhere. With popularity comes crowds and Banff has seen peaks of crowds like no other last year. Traffic jam in the middle of nowhere at 3am, shuttles and campsite full… Crowds really have become a thing.
- Reach higher altitudes without hiking
- If being sweaty for your elopement ceremony is not something you want but you do want the views, a helicopter elopement might be just what you need! In just about 20 minutes you can reach spots that would take you days to reach (sometimes you can’t even go there by foot)! You also get stunning views from the helicopter by flying over glaciers and peaks.
- A unique and bonding experience
- Helicopters can be scary. Fear of flying (even planes) is a thing! We all heard all of the bad when something happens but no one really hears about all of the other times. And let me tell you: not everyone gets to fly a helicopter! It is a bonding experience between you and your partner and you will remember it for the rest of your lives. Why not make it even more special by saying your vows up top??!
Choosing a helicopter elopement will allow you to elope and get married in a place where it is guaranteed to be just the two of you (and your closed ones if you choose so), the pilot, the officiant and your photographer. It is also a way to see more than the “classic” sceneries in Banff. You will go to a place way less travelled. And you can also choose your own adventure! Being dropped and hike to a waterfall is something you can do if you want! PS: a helicopter elopement might be cheaper than you thought but it still has a price.
What helicopter company to choose in Banff?
There are a few different companies that will offer heli-wedding or heli-elopement packages around Banff. I will sort them out by my recommended options first!
Nordegg
Rockies Heli Canada – https://www.rockiesheli.com/
Located near Nordegg on the shores of Abraham Lake, Rockies Heli Canada provides helicopter services for weddings and elopements.
Having flown with them a lot, they are the best – and safest – team out there for helicopter rides. The team knows what they are doing and are so nice.
They also cover a part of the Rockies that is more secluded than Banff or Canmore. Which means, you won’t see 100 helicopters around you and you will see unique peaks and sceneries. Abraham Lake is an underrated lake in the Canadian Rockies and this is the perfect time to explore more of it!
You can do a helicopter tour + a hike or just a tour + a landing or even a tour + hike to a waterfall with a picnic. You can even bring your dog with Rockies Heli!
Pricing (depending on the package): about 500$/person + price of photographer + price of officiant
Canmore
Alpine Helicopter – https://alpinehelicopter.com/
They do tours in Kananaskis, Canmore, Assiniboine (my favourite!) and Banff.
This is a more common option but still a decent one. Their stop for the wedding is at a place called Marvel Pass which is in Mount Assiniboine Park. This place is truly special and stunning. You can choose to stay 15 minutes or up to 1h depending on the package you choose
There is also an option to actually stay at Assiniboine. Assiniboine is a backcountry hike (between 3 to 5 days) where you can also helicopter in, out, both or helicopter just your equipment as well. There is a lodge at the top as well as a campsite. It is a once in a lifetime experience. There is only a handful of people there at a time because of its remoteness and a limit on the number of sleeping spots. If you would like to know more about it, send me a message (I have done the hike and I can’t stop talking about it!!).
Pricing range: from $1520 for up to 5 people to $3350 for 5 people (pricing varies) + photographer price + officiant price
Getting married at the Lake of the Falls
M&N started their day at a free campsite around Abraham Lake. They drove to the Rockies Heli Canada basecamp in the midst of the sunrise. This is where we met them for their big day.
They wanted a simple symbolic ceremony that doesn’t require an officiant nor witnesses (if you do want a legal ceremony, the pilot and myself – the photographer, we can be witnesses). They got ready at the location, putting on their wedding attire in a back room before heading towards the helicopters.
After security instructions, we all headed in the helicopter and flew towards the Lake of the Falls. Lake of the Falls is located in Clearwater County between Banff and Nordegg. You can reach the lake hiking but it would be a very long hike.
The pilot drop us off at a higher ground spot where M&N had a view over the lake and in the middle of a valley for saying their vows. After the ceremony, we took a few pictures around with the time we had left up there.
The majestic glaciers and silence were surrounding us.
After getting back to the heli base, we headed back to the campsite for a cake cutting and some more photo fun!
If you want to know more about how to plan or how to decide on a helicopter elopement, you can always reach out to me by email!
PS: There is tons of locations where you could do a helicopter elopement, including Alaska (on a glacier), New Zealand (near Roy’s peak), Iceland (glacier)… and so much more!
