When first deciding to elope, it’s important to brainstorm ideas on how you actually want to get married, because unlike a traditional wedding, where the layout and format is pretty cookie cutter, you can literally do pretty much anything you want when eloping.

Why not fly in a helicopter?

 Helicopters provide almost endless opportunities for where you can say your vows (and very accessibly, too). Instead of hiking six hours to the summit of a mountain, why not fly for 20 minutes and see the beautiful views?

While they might sound amazing, as with all adventures and elopement ideas, there are pros and cons to consider:  

-       Provides access to many locations that are difficult (and sometimes impossible) to get to by foot or vehicle.

-       Can provide an exhilarating way of getting to your ceremony/photo location

-       Is a unique and fun experience

-       Don’t have to worry about packing everything personally to the location (let the helicopter do all the heavy lifting)

-       Can be considered a more expensive touch to your wedding

-       If you would like for more guests to attend, you will need to hire a seat on the helicopter for them as well

-       Dependent on decent weather

 Do the pros outweigh the cons for you? Let’s get to planning!

Step 1: Pick a General Location

While it’s not necessary at this moment to know exactly where you want to go, the best starting point is picking a general location for your helicopter elopement. Do you want to fly deep into the Canadian Rockies starting in Jasper or Banff? Feeling like more of a British Columbian Location? Or maybe you want to elope overseas, take a helicopter up into the Swiss Alps, or somewhere in Hawaii? If you need to, start big by picking a country/province/state, then start doing a little more research into the areas and options within it. Unfortunately, there may not be a helicopter tour option every place you may think would be amazing for one, so that is also something to keep in mind!

 Step 2: Research and Plan for the Time of Year

As awesome as it would be to not be limited and restricted to various times of year, and plan to have perfect weather every month, it’s just generally not feasible.

While some heli companies do offer tours year-round, whether they can fly or not is highly weather dependent, and, after all, do you want to fly to the top of a snow-capped mountain when its minus 40 degrees Celsius anyway? Highly unlikely!

For that reason, helicopter elopements are much more popular in Alberta between June – September. But each region and country has their own weather patterns, so it’s best to research and even reach out to potential heli-tour companies in that area to see if the dates you are considering are even feasible for a helicopter elopement.

Then once you have a general timeframe and region, it’s time to narrow down the details!

 Step 3: Research Heli-Tour Companies in the Region that offer Private Charter

While significantly more expensive, a private charter is the best route for a helicopter elopement for several reasons:

-       It’s the only option that allows flexibility for stopping at different locations, taking time for your ceremony, and photos.

-       You likely wouldn’t want to share the helicopter with strangers on one of the most special and intimate days of your lives.

-       If you are having a ceremony, you will also need to fly out your officiant and photographer/videographer, which pretty much fills the seats.

Some helicopter companies offer specific wedding packages, you can also look into these as an option, but for the most customization and making everything perfect, I suggest planning the details yourself. When picking a photographer, look for those who specialize in elopements, and can help you plan the details! Then you can decide exactly where you might want to fly and land, how long you want to be in the air for, and other options you might want to include.

 Step 4: Reach out to Vendors

 It’s always better to reach out sooner than later, especially if you have time to plan in advance. While many helicopter tour companies allow bookings a couple days in advance, it’s better to be prepared. Even if they don’t allow you to book if it’s too far in advance, they can help give you an idea of what is possible for landings, weather, etc., and help you be ready for when you can secure that booking.

You also want to reach out to other vendors that you will need/want to include, such as an officiant who is willing to come in the helicopter, photographer/videographer, florist etc.

 Step 5: Secure the Rest of the Details

 Unless you live nearby to where you plan to get married, it’s highly likely you will require accommodation, possible flights, car rental etc. Also consider how you want to spend the rest of your elopement day? Do you want to get ready together? Do you want to go for a sunset hike after? Have a private chef make you a meal? While the helicopter part is super exciting, it doesn’t have to be all of your day!

What else needs to be said? The hard part is complete, now just to say I do!

 Commonly Asked Questions about Helicopter Elopements

 Q: How much does it cost?

 Every helicopter touring company has its own packaging and pricing. The cost will depend on how long the tour will be, where and how many times you will be landing, and if you have other options included (pre-planned wedding package etc). Expect to spend at least $2,000 for just the flight. Also remember, that not only will you be paying for you and your partner to board the flight, but you will likely also have to pay for the seat for any vendors/people you will be bringing up with you (photographer and officiant). While it may seem like a lot, just think of the amazing memories that will be made!

Q: How much photography coverage do I need for a helicopter elopement?

While you could go for the bare minimum, and choose just enough photography coverage to cover the flight, remember that your entire day is special, and should be remembered as well! So while it is a complete personal preference, the bare minimum should be 2 hours coverage, and if you want to have the getting ready portion of your day, and any special activities you might have planned for after (hiking, exploring, private meal etc), you could extend this coverage anywhere from 4 hours to 2 days. Talk to your photographer about the vision for your day and they will be able to help you decide on how much coverage you need.  

Q: Where are the best places for a Helicopter Elopement in the Canadian Rockies?

 There are so many amazing options!

Here are some of the best to consider in a few different areas:

 Best Helicopter Tour Company Near Nordegg and the Columbia Glacier: Rockies Heli https://www.rockiesheli.com/

Best Helicopter Tour Company Near Banff and Canmore: Alpine Helicopters https://alpinehelicopter.com/service/heli-weddings/

Best Helicopter Tour Company Near Jasper: Jasper-Hinton Air https://jasperhelicoptertours.com

Ready to book your Helicopter Elopement?

I love capturing love stories and the adventures that go with them, and I also love to help plan!

If a helicopter session, or elopement, is on your to do list, I would love to capture it for you.