What do you do when you want to get married at a very remote area, but don’t want to hike there? Why take a helicopter of course!
This elopement is the best of both worlds with a little bit of city and then out to gorgeous mountain views for their ceremony near Pitt Lake in British Columbia.
Here are a few words from their photographer Emily about the day :
“Kelly & Jason’s relationship developed slowly over many years, but one of the dates that really stood out for them was when they found one another and went on a date while they both were visiting Vancouver. When they decided on an elopement, the mountains of BC seemed like the perfect spot. Kelly got ready in the morning in their hotel room while Jason waited down in the bar, and then we spent the afternoon exploring some of their favourite parts of the city before heading over to Sky Hangar for their ceremony. The day was raining but the two of them were beaming from ear to ear in anticipation of the flight. With the weather so foggy we couldn’t make a peak landing so our pilot landed us on a rocky strip on Pitt Lake. Their ceremony was personal and romantic, and just as their portraits finished it began to pour. We piled back into the helicopter and watched the sun set on the flight back.”
Scroll down for some Q&A from the couple and lots of gorgeous photos!
Photography : Emily Nicole Photography
Transport – Sky Helicopters
Officiant – Erika Enns at Young Hip & Married
Hotel – Trump Hotel Vancouver
How did you meet?
We met in high school, when one of us had a short-lived crush on the other, but stayed friends over the years while both of us lived and worked in various cities. Unfortunately, we lost touch for a few years as we both took opportunities to travel for school and work. A few years ago, we reconnected in Vancouver (Kelly travelled there for work, and Jason was living there at the time), spent a very memorable few hours with a bottle of wine at a cozy restaurant in Gastown, parted ways, and didn’t talk for a year. When we reconnected again in Vancouver a year later, we realized we really enjoyed each other’s company, and began sharing with each other everything from our weekend plans to our dreams and aspirations. This eventually led to an engagement in Spain, and our elopement in BC!
How did you decide to elope? What challenges did you face?
We decided to elope because we wanted a location that was a little out of the ordinary, and a special intimate moment for just the two of us to look back on many years from now. Surprisingly, this elopement was incredibly easy, as Young, Hip and Married co-ordinated everything for our wedding day and everything worked out flawlessly.
We did, however, forget to plan ahead for flowers, so that ended up being a last minute scramble for Jason while Kelly was getting ready for the wedding. With the Vancouver weather being unpredictable, we were concerned about rain or cloud cover that would prevent the helicopter from taking off. Despite our worries, the clouds cleared up for a short period to allow us to have a dream wedding in the middle of Pitt Lake with amazing photos by our photographer, Emily Nicole.
Luckily, our loved ones were also supportive of our decision (especially after we told them we would have another wedding closer to home at a vineyard in Niagara-on-the-Lake). Unfortunately, the pandemic forced us to cancel our plans for our vineyard wedding, which is why we feel extremely fortunate to have been able to have our intimate BC wedding.
How did you decide on the location?
A friend had a helicopter wedding on a mountaintop in BC, and that was what inspired us to look into Young, Hip and Married, which helped us plan our elopement.
We originally wanted to get to the top of a snow peaked mountain, but weren’t able to due to the cloud cover. The pilot suggested that he could fly around the lake until he found a good spot for us to land, which gave us an opportunity to fly around and take in the views of the lake and surrounding mountains. We eventually found a spot that had breathtaking views to tie the knot.
What was your favorite part of the day?
The surprisingly awesome view at the base of the lake which was a magical start to the rest of our lives together.
Do you have any advice for couples planning their elopements?
Seize the day, and don’t let opportunities pass you by – the two most important people in your wedding are yourselves. Also, make sure you have fun (even if it rains).
