As go with-the-flow as you might be, your wedding day needs some structure.

It might be an uncomfortable truth for some of us who maybe hate planning, or don’t like deadlines, but if you have anything else planned other than saying your vows, you are going to want a timeline! Especially if you have any other vendors that you are trying to include and help make your day perfect.

Why??

Your Hair and Makeup Artist will need to know when to show up to make you look your best in time for the rest of your day’s events. Your officiant/celebrant will need to know when and where to be to marry you. A caterer will need to know when to prepare a meal so that you have warm, delicious food to come to. Your photographer and videographer will want to know when to start capturing your day to cherish later, and you don’t want to only book them for 4 hours if your activities end up going all day. They’ll miss so much that you will want to look back on later!

Whatever you choose to do for your elopement (there are literally a million options), at least create a basic timeline to help you stay on track and ensure that you don’t miss out on anything that is important to you.

Whether you are having a simply eloping in Jasper National Park, planning an helicopter adventure elopement in the Canadian Rockies, having an intimate wedding in David Thompson Country, or even just saying your vows in front of your closest friends and family, you should at least have some structure to your day,

Here are three example timelines for an adventure elopement that you can tailor to however your heart desires

Example Timeline for a Sunrise Hiking Elopement

 (Disclaimer: Sunrise and sunset times change throughout the seasons and every part of the world. Remember these are only templates. Be sure to check sunrise and sunset times for your special day when making your own timeline)

2:00 AM Wake up. Begin hair, make up and getting ready for your amazing day. Have some snacks if you are hungry. Gather all of your items. Photographer and Videographer show up near the end.

4:00 AM Travel to the trailhead.

4:30 AM Grab your headlamps and start hiking! Bring any gear, vow books, bouquet, dress, and other attire that you may need. If your officiant is awesome and coming with you, they would also show up now to come up with you.

6:30 AM Reach the summit of a 4km hike. The sun is starting to rise. Change into your wedding attire (separately if you so choose), and meet each other for a first look.

7:00 AM Get officially married! Say some private vows, do all the paperwork, share your first kiss as the sun peeks over the horizon. Nothing could be more beautiful.

7:30 AM Spend some time just enjoying the view that you got up at 2:00 AM to see. Get some beautiful pictures. Embrace your love.

8:30 AM Start your way back down the hike, now in full sun, so you won’t need those headlamps anymore! Have fun and take your time, you are officially married!

10:00 AM Make it back to the trailhead. At this point you’ve been up for 8 hours, and are probably starving! Head out to a local restaurant for breakfast, or back to the hotel for breakfast in bed, and maybe go enjoy a nap. You deserve it.

1:00 PM Onward: Pick other locations you want to explore, go out on the town, plan another adventure activity such as a hot air balloon or helicopter ride, or just cozy up inside. The choice is completely yours!

 
Example Timeline for a Relaxed Intimate Wedding

8:00 AM Wake up, and have breakfast with some of your loved ones, either with or without your partner.

10:00 AM Retire to your room to start getting ready when your Hair and Makeup Artist shows up! Start getting pampered for your amazing day ahead, with any other friends or family that you chose to bring along.

12:30 PM Go out and meet your partner for a first look before the ceremony. Spend a few minutes with just the two of you, embracing the excitement of the day ahead.

1:00 PM Head to the ceremony location with your friends and family.

2:00 PM Enjoy a beautiful ceremony with friends and family around. Take part in a unity ceremony if you desire. Say I do! And have your first kiss as a married couple.

2:30 PM Family pictures and formals.

3:00 PM Take some time with just the two of you and go explore, take part in an activity such as canoeing, skating, skiing, or just a hike. Bring along your photographer. Have a picnic. Your friends and family can entertain themselves for a bit, and you can experience sunset somewhere amazing with your new wife/husband.

6:00 PM Join your friends and family for an intimate meal. Share stories (and speeches if you choose). Have some laughs, and have some fun!

8:00 PM There is no shortage of activities you can do with your friends and family. Play some yard games, sit around a camp fire, dance, or retire to bed early.

Example Timeline for a Summer Sunset Adventure Elopement

8:00 AM Wake up together, and enjoy breakfast. Take a bubble bath together, read a book, enjoy the morning.

11:00 AM Sit together while you write your vows you will say to one another. Being able to look in their face while you write your vows helps you remember everything you may want to say to them in a few hours.

12:00 PM Enjoy a light lunch, charcuterie board, or snack before you get prepared for the rest of the day.

12:30 PM Start getting ready. Depending on your adventure for the day, you may or may not want to get into your formal wear now. For this timeline, wedding attire will be put on.

2:30 PM First look (can you tell I am fan of first looks? Lol)

3:00 PM Head out on your adventure. Most adventures are at least 3 hours long, and they can be whatever you choose! Go on a sightseeing cruise, fly up to a peak in a helicopter. During the adventure, say your I do’s. There is nothing more amazing than marrying the love of your life on an amazing adventure, whether its on top of a mountain, in the middle of a lake, or in a cave. Pick your spot when you find it, or head to somewhere you already envisioned.  Plan the rest of your day around sunset. Sunset is a great time for a ceremony for beautiful colors, but it’s also just a great time to enjoy the feeling of being newlyweds.

9:00 PM Try some stargazing, and some Astro-photos, or play with lights and lanterns. It’s your night, do whatever you want to make it amazing.

I could list a hundred different timelines for a hundred different adventures, but instead, I want you to make your own adventure!

Whether you are planning to elope in Jasper National Park, are looking for a wedding photographer in Nordegg, or just want to plan an epic proposal in the Canadian Rockies, I have your back. Reach out and let’s schedule a call about how I can help you plan to make some epic memories, and capture them for you to cherish your wedding photos forever.