Alberta has the amazing advantage of having many natural areas designated for public use, with over 11,000 square kilometres in 19 different areas to roam. Many of these (at the moment) are not controlled as strictly as provincial parks, or national parks, which makes getting married in one quite simple!

Some popular areas with Public Land Use Zones in Alberta:

-       Kananaskis

-       Brule Lake

-       David Thompson Country

 Since it is public land, it basically means you can travel freely within it, finding your ideal spot for an elopement! From mountain top elopements, to hanging out in the sand dunes, you have more backdrops than you can imagine.

However, due to their increasing popularity, finding a private and secluded area can be a bit more difficult, but here are some tips for finding the perfect location to elope:

-       Find a general location that you would like. Are you looking for mountains? Forests? Open landscapes? Rivers? Lakes? Alberta has it all (just don’t be looking for an ocean).

-       Based on the landscape you would like, start searching PLUZ’s. Alberta has a great resource for looking at maps of the boundaries of different land use zones. You can find that here https://www.alberta.ca/public-land-use-zones.aspx

-       Check what activities are allowed in each PLUZ, and ensure that the activities that you are hoping to partake in your elopement are allowed in the zones you are considering.

-       Go out for a drive! Honestly, PLUZ’s have so much to discover, and without going to check for yourself, you might miss out on so much. Make a date of it, grab your vehicle (recommended high clearance for many of these roads, and 4x4 is also recommended), bring some snacks, and just go for a road trip. You just might find a spot that speaks to you.

Please remember, if you do choose you to use PLUZ’s for any reason (recreationally or to get married, you follow these rules to ensure that the land remains for others to access:

1.     Follow all signs and posted notices

2.     Obey instructions of a forest officer

3.     Leave the land in a clean and tidy condition. This includes: not destroying vegetation, packing out what you bring in, not altering the landscape.

There are many other considerations when staying in a PLUZ. Please refer to the Alberta website https://www.alberta.ca/about-public-land-use-zones-regulations.aspx

Keep in mind some PLUZ’s do require some permits to use the land, such as Kananaskis, or a permit to random camp in most PLUZ’s on the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains. These permits are fairly affordable, and go back into help conserving the areas.

Once you’ve picked your location(or at least a rough one), the next steps are easy!

1.     Hire the perfect photographer to capture your amazing day (hi!)

2.     Hire an officiant, or designate someone you know (it’s easy to officiate a wedding for a day in Alberta now, click here to find out how https://www.alberta.ca/temporary-marriage-commissioner.aspx )

3.     Vendors! Florists, wedding dress, suits, stationery, wedding cake… Whatever you want to have with you on your wedding day, now is the time to find local vendors.

4.     Get your marriage licence. Find info for this here https://www.alberta.ca/get-marriage-licence.aspx

5.     Have 2 adult witnesses at your ceremony

6.     Get married!

Find these tips helpful? Check out other posts on my blog for more helpful elopement tips!