Ashley + Jake | Peyto Lake Elopement | Banff Elopement Photographers

If you’ve followed our work for a little while now, you know that we’re pretty big fans of Elopements and Intimate Weddings (don’t worry, we love large wedding celebrations too… just for different reasons!) Elopements were gaining popularity for a few years back and then with the pandemic restrictions, well… they really took off. Often our eloping couples choose Banff and sometimes they live far, far away. This means we are hired as their photographers, but also as their planners as we help organize elements of the day like locations, where to stay, where to eat, what to do, etc.

We met with Ashley + Jake from The Gold Coast in Australia, and they made it clear that celebrating in nature was a big priority to them. The pair are avid hikers and they didn’t shy away from a little exploring on their Elopement day. Just another reason why we absolutely adore Elopements. They allow for so much flexibility, making it easy for you to plan the day exactly how you want (whatever that may be!)

We knew the stunning scenery of the Canadian Rockies was the perfect choice for these two and so we got to work, suggesting locations, where to pickup food for a picnic and what hike would be best for portraits after their ceremony. With Banff as our backyard, it’s so rewarding getting to share with couples from all over the world. We’re truly lucky to experience this with our amazing couples.

Ashley’s Mom and Sister joined us for the ceremony at Peyto Lake (seriously hard to believe this view is real!) The contrast between the towering mountains and intimate moments during their vows, made for a truly special scene. After we had a little picnic with the local chipmunks eyeing our food, we departed for a beautiful hike back towards the ridge overlooking Bow Lake. The only thing slowing us was Ashley + Jake having impromptu snowball fights as we passed by (how can you not appreciate snow in July as an Aussie!) Every way you look on this hike, you’re rewarded with a stunning view (definitely made it hard to narrow down photos for this post)

We hiked back down to the cars just as the sun set and were greeted by Ashley’s family who waited for us as we hiked. We celebrated one last time with a little sparkler send-off in the parking lot. The whole day was just so sweet!

As we mentioned, we’ve been so lucky to help plan and photography so many elopements in the Canadian Rockies over the years, we figured we’d put together a little guide to eloping in Banff soon! We know it can be overwhelming and might as well share the knowledge :)

For now, hit play on the music below and enjoy A+J’s amazing day: