We can all agree 2020 has been WILD to say the least, and an absolute whirlwind for couples planning their wedding for this year and 2021.

Thankfully, this massive shift is creating space for people to dream up some seriously amazing celebrations. So, let’s look at what’s possible and the options you can explore together.

Vancouver Island is chock-full of incredible scenery, locations and possibilities for planning an incredible wedding experience, if you’re willing to get creative. So, where do you start?

We’ve been filming weddings for 5 years and have seen some amazing ways to celebrate. With more couples looking to get married and not worry about a big guest list, we want to share what we’ve seen work really well.

HOW TO PLAN AN ELOPEMENT

First, choose a time of year you’re drawn to: Summer is the most favoured month to get married, and with good reason! With long days, outdoor spaces and glorious sunsets, there are endless options.

Victoria BC offers a pretty striking Autumn season with the changing leaves and extended summer warmth well into September. If you choose to elope in Victoria late summer, you’re usually treated to 20 degree (celsius) weather in both September and early October.

Spring is beautiful with cherry blossoms blooming as early as March and warmer days appearing mid-April. Depending on if you’re willing to travel (and Whistler is definitely a spot we’d highly recommend exploring), snow can start as early as November.

The winter season is incredible if you’re looking to feel cozy, admire colourful sunsets and maybe even ride a chair lift up to the top of a mountain to share your vows.

Decide on 3 elements you want to focus on for your day: Are you a foodie? Are you excited to spend time with your family and friends? Do you adore hikes on new trails? Will you be over the moon if you can eat cake in your pj’s at 9pm?

Consider who you need to to have present on your wedding day. This article from Junebug Weddings gives you a few ways to include family and friends if you want to keep your guest list on the small side.

Where do you imagine sharing your vows? Sometimes, choosing the location is the toughest part, followed shortly by where you’ll have dinner and continue the celebration!

Eloping = endless possibilities. Downtown Victoria is touted for it’s romance, and if you’re after a more casual vibe, you can take a short ferry ride to elope on the Gulf Islands. You can extend your wedding to a honeymoon and cruise up to Tofino.

Choose the pace of your day: Do you want to be free from constraints of schedule? Do you want to have the space to enjoy a three-course meal? Can you imagine yourself waking up and climbing a mountain in time for sunrise?

We believe: You deserve to get married in a super fun, stress-free way. You deserve the freedom to decide how you get married, wherever in the world you want to.

EXAMPLE ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHY + VIDEO TIMELINES

—

FULL DAY ELOPEMENT TIMELINE

Location: Victoria, BC

Best suited to time of Year: Spring - Summer - Fall

12:00 pm - Getting ready and prep at your Airbnb, photographer/videographer arrives (with fresh bread!)

1:00 pm - Travel to nearby beach for a first look

2:00 pm - Meet your partner for a first look at Dallas Rd + shared vows

3:00 pm - Leave beach and head to ceremony location

4:00 pm - Get married at local vineyard with just your 2 best friends as witnesses

5:00 pm - Cheers with a flight of wine and charcuterie outdoors on the winery patio

6:00 pm - Wine + champagne toast, Facetime celebration with friends/family

7:00 pm - Catered long-table dinner indoors at your favourite local restaurant

8:30 pm - Cap off the evening with handmade local macarons and a cozy hang at your Airbnb
—

FULL DAY GULF ISLAND DESTINATION ELOPEMENT TIMELINE

Location: Salt Spring Island, BC

Best suited to time of Year: Spring - Summer - Fall

—
1:00 pm - Getting ready in your cozy Airbnb with some croissants and mimosas

2:00 pm - You meet your partner for a first look at the beach + portraits

3:00 pm -Travel to local cheese factory for a pre-ceremony snack

4:00 pm - Hit up local brewery for a pre-ceremony flight and hang

5:00 pm - Travel back at Airbnb for Ceremony at your Airbnb 

6:00 pm - Champagne toast and Facetime celebration with friends/family  

7:00 pm - Private catered dinner long-table outdoors at your cabin

8:00 pm - First dance with each other at your Airbnb deck as the sun sets

9:00 pm- Star-gazing by the wood-burning fire plus a hearty slice of chocolate cake  

—

HALF DAY ELOPEMENT TIMELINE

Tofino Elopement + Float Plane Adventure

Best suited to time of Year: Spring - Fall - Winter

2:30 pm -  Drive to float plane dock in regular clothes

3:00 pm - Arrive at Meares Island for a first look on the beach + portraits

3:30 pm - Depart by float plane, back to Tofino

4:00 pm - Arrive at Ceremony location on Mckenzie Beach + get married!

5:00 pm - Champagne toast and frolic on the beach

6:30 pm - Dinner at Wolf in the Fog for two!

—

Your official to-do’s before the I do’s:

1. Research the type of ceremony you’d like to have. Are you looking for something easy or personalized. Explore a celebrant or secure an officiant to make your ceremony official. If you’re considering a wedding out of country, you can also become legally wed before or after your elopement day. Follow this link for more info on civil ceremonies.

2. Secure a wedding license. In BC, marriage licenses are valid for 90 days and can be found at London Drugs and cost ~ $100 CAD.

3. You’ll want to secure a few witnesses to legitimize your marriage. Fun fact: these can be your friends/family or even your photographer and/or videographer.

An elopement is your wedding day, inclusive of everything you want — you can make it your legal ceremony or an adventurous one, or both! Your day can include a hike, a dip in a river capped off with a fancy dinner. However you can imagine yourself celebrating the fact that you just got married, make it happen!

You can snowshoe to a hut in the middle of the woods and drink wine out of your pack. You’ll be able to indulge in sea, surf and sand — potentially all in one day if you’re up for the challenge.

Keep your heart and mind open: We know it can feel discouraging if you’ve dreamed of a big wedding your entire life, but there’s always the possibility of having a celebratory reception in the future. And, it’s safe to say when that happens, people are going to be pretty excited about it!

Deciding WHERE to get married is one of the hardest decisions you’ll make, closely followed by choosing how many people you’ll have join you on your wedding day. Grant yourself permission to explore ideas you’re drawn to. Everyone interprets weddings and what they mean, differently.

If you’re wondering what to do next and you’re in the planning phase of your elopement or intimate wedding, we’d love to help! Email us or watch our films and we’d be happy to share more ideas for ways to make your elopement day a stress-free, fun-filled and happy experience.

Welcome friend! Congratulations on getting engaged. Seriously!!

Perhaps you’re already in talks of making things official and are opting out of the surprise proposal. If you’re brainstorming, delving into and planning what your wedding is going to look like, we’ve got some ideas to share!

Choosing to have a small celebration takes the nature of getting married and gives it room to breathe. It totally deletes the pomp + production often assigned to ‘big’ weddings so you can focus on what is most important — getting married to the love of your life!

So, what to do when you’re overwhelmed with planning?

Tackle one thing at a time. Start with choosing a place you feel drawn to. Depending on the time of year, this might mean getting married in your family’s backyard, an island getaway or hosting your favourite people at a restaurant you love.

How to choose a location for your wedding 

Finding the place you’ll get married tends to be the sum of a few things. Indoors or outdoors? What season? How many people can you picture joining? The place you choose sets the tone for the rest of your wedding experience.

It’s essential to get really clear on what matters most to you. When you imagine your wedding day, what do you picture?

An unreal ceremony location? A rocking party? Incredible food? Opportunities for adventure? Cool locations for photos? A helicopter ride? Hiking to an epic waterfall? Cozy hangouts? Cocktails and cheese?!?

Some planning challenges include:

Logistics — how will you get everyone in one place and where will they stay if from out of town?

Lodging   — finding a place your guests will feel comfortable and looked after

Cost — how much are you diverting away from other things you care about (ie. honeymoon, buying your first home, getting a dog, etc.)?

Travel Time — do you want to go to a few different locations for photos on your wedding day?

How do you decide if you’re going to elope? Look within! Not every single person is comfortable sharing their deeply personal vows in front of an audience.

Yes, this may be your family or your close friends, but for some it’s just too overwhelming. Eloping and keeping the guest count under 20 people lends itself to an intimate, deeply personal and inclusive experience. 

This has become one of the few options for celebrating in the midst of a pandemic, but what it does is allow you to really soak in being with every single person, which is a really amazing feeling!

An elopement doesn’t have to be sneaky or secretive. It is simply about being intentional with the kind of experience you want and then making it happen.

If you don’t know where to start, send us a message with a rough idea of what you’re looking for. We’ll offer suggestions for making your elopement or small wedding as awesome as can be!