Sierra and Jed travelled all the way from Ontario to celebrate their wedding in the Canadian Rockies. Since they live outside Alberta, we didn’t have an opportunity to photograph their engagement session before they arrived in Banff. Instead, we met at Lake Minnewanka the day before their wedding for a relaxed engagement session and a chance to finally spend some time together in person.
This is not something I encourage doing since your wedding day is just few hours away but if we don't have other opportunity we might as well do it. And it was so worth it.
Engagement Photos at Lake Minnewanka, Banff
Lake Minnewanka is one of my favourite locations for engagement photography in Banff. The combination of turquoise mountain water, dramatic peaks, rocky shoreline and wide open views creates a beautiful backdrop without needing to travel far from the Town of Banff.
For Sierra and Jed, this session wasn't about creating anything overly formal. It was about walking around the lake, laughing, getting comfortable in front of my camera and enjoying one of their first evenings in the Canadian Rockies before becoming husband and wife.
Their session felt relaxed, playful and romantic. Which is exactly what I want an engagement session to feel like.
More importantly, by the time their wedding day arrived the following day, they already knew exactly what it was like to work with me.
A Complimentary 45-Minute Session for My Wedding Couples
This is one of the reasons I offer every couple who books me as their wedding photographer a complimentary 45-minute "Let's Get to Know Each Other" session.
Think of it as more than an engagement session.
It gives us an opportunity to meet before your wedding, get comfortable with one another and figure out what feels natural to you in front of the camera. You'll experience how I direct and pose, I'll learn how the two of you interact naturally, and we'll have a chance to create some beautiful photographs without the timeline and excitement of the wedding day around us.
If you're travelling to Alberta for a destination wedding or elopement in Banff, Canmore or Kananaskis, we can also schedule this session shortly before your wedding.
You don't have to live in Alberta to take advantage of it.
From Lake Minnewanka to Their Tunnel Mountain Wedding
The next day, it was time for the real celebration.
Sierra and Jed exchanged their vows at Tunnel Mountain in Banff, surrounded by the Canadian Rockies.
Tunnel Mountain is such a beautiful choice for couples dreaming about an intimate Banff wedding or elopement. You get spectacular mountain scenery while remaining incredibly close to the Town of Banff, making it especially convenient for couples bringing family and friends from outside Alberta.
Their wedding celebrations also incorporated the beautiful mountain atmosphere that Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts (CRMR) is known for in Banff.
For couples looking for a wedding venue close to Tunnel Mountain, Buffalo Mountain Lodge by CRMR is one of the area's most recognizable mountain wedding venues. Its rustic Rocky Mountain setting works beautifully for couples who want their wedding weekend to feel intimate, warm and unmistakably Banff.
Pairing a Tunnel Mountain ceremony with portraits around Banff also gives us so many possibilities. Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, Vermilion Lakes and other mountain locations are all within reach, allowing us to create a wedding gallery that really captures what it felt like to get married in the Canadian Rockies.
Planning an Elopement in Banff?
If you are dreaming about an elopement in Banff, you don't necessarily need a huge venue or an elaborate wedding day.
Some of the most meaningful celebrations I've photographed have been intimate ceremonies surrounded by mountains, followed by a few hours exploring Banff together.
Depending on your vision, we can plan your photographs around locations such as Tunnel Mountain, Lake Minnewanka, Two Jack Lake, Vermilion Lakes, Lake Louise, Moraine Lake or Peyto Lake.
Your elopement can be quiet and simple, adventurous, elegant or a combination of all three.
As a Banff wedding and elopement photographer, I also help my couples plan their photography timeline and choose locations based on the season, lighting, accessibility and the type of scenery they want in their photographs.
Looking for a Banff Elopement or Wedding Photographer?
If you're planning a Banff elopement, Tunnel Mountain wedding, Lake Minnewanka engagement session, Canmore wedding or intimate celebration anywhere in the Canadian Rockies, I would love to hear what you're dreaming about.
My wedding couples receive a complimentary 45-minute Let's Get to Know Each Other session, which we can schedule before your wedding—even if you're travelling from another province or country.
Whether you envision exchanging vows surrounded by the mountains at Tunnel Mountain, celebrating at a beautiful Banff venue such as CRMR's Buffalo Mountain Lodge, or spending your wedding day exploring several locations throughout Banff National Park, I would love to help you create a photography experience that feels natural, relaxed and completely yours.
Maia Sokolic Photography | Banff Wedding & Elopement Photographer
Serving Banff, Lake Minnewanka, Lake Louise, Canmore, Kananaskis and the Canadian Rockies.
