Elopement in Banff on Snowy October Day

Snowy October elopement in the Banff National Park

Normally, when couples ask me about getting married in Banff in early October, I ooh and ahh about how beautiful it is at that time of year. The foliage is near perfect, the crowds have died down, the weather is sunny, dry and cool, and if you are lucky there will be a trace of snow on the mountain tops to complement the carnival of color on display in the trees of the valley. In short, perfection.

This autumn, old man winter came early, reeking havoc with the elopement and wedding plans of many.

After a summer of wildfires, it felt like we went directly from smoke to snow. I’ve never experienced such a cold and stormy September. I had to tell Robin and Chris as much, to their dismay, as they called me to inquire about the weather for their wedding day. They had reserved the meadow at the Tunnel Mountain Reservoir for their intimate ceremony and had no back up plan for moving the ceremony inside. “Make sure your guest dress warmly”, was all I could offer.

Dress warmly they did, but with haute couture in mind. Beautiful full-length coats were donned with sensible Sorel boots. That’s how we do it in Canada! Two gorgeous fall themed floral arrangements designed by the WillowFlower Company adorned wooden pedestals to mark the spot for the bride and groom with the magnificent Mt. Rundle towering in the background. Simple. Elegant. Majestic.

Despite all our fears, the fresh snow was the perfect accent. Really, we couldn’t have planned it better. The day was mild, the snow festive and the ceremony was heart-warming. And that is the beauty and magic of a wedding day. Sometimes what actually happens turns out even better than what you had planned.