GETTING MARRIED ON WHISTLER MOUNTAIN
AN EPIC MOUNTAIN WEDDING NEAR VANCOUVER (REAL COUPLE’S STORY)
Want to get married surrounded by epic views, with enormous mountains and gorgeous valley scenery, without hiking for hours or chartering a helicopter? Thought so!
Around two hours from Vancouver, Whistler is one of my favourite options for couples looking for an accessible mountain wedding in BC.
You can ride the gondola from Whistler Village into the alpine, continue by chairlift right to the tippy top of the mountain, get married surrounded by panoramic Mountain views, and then come back down for cocktails and dinner in the village. Ummmm, AMAZING!!
That’s precisely what Thomas and Thomas did… And yes, they have the same name. Even better - They both have siblings called Sam!
A DESTINATION ELOPEMENT IN WHISTLER, CANADA
The Toms are based in the UK and had been together for 11 years when they decided to fly to Canada for what was essentially the ultimate elopement-meets-honeymoon. Love that!
At home, their lives involve plenty of time being cat dads and renovating their house. For their wedding day, they wanted something completely different: mountains, jaw dropping scenery, lots of laughter and a day that felt relaxed from beginning to end. So we planned an intimate Whistler Mountain elopement with exactly that energy.
Their brief was essentially: fun, upbeat, positive vibes and lots of time to actually enjoy where we are. Excellent. No notes.
CAN YOU GET MARRIED ON WHISTLER MOUNTAIN?
If you're searching for where to get married with mountain views near Vancouver, Whistler Mountain is a pretty spectacular answer - one of its biggest advantages is accessibility.
Rather than hiking several hours into the backcountry, you can take the gondola directly from Whistler Village into the alpine. From there, a chairlift takes you even higher to Whistler Summit, where mountains and glaciers stretch out in practically every direction.
You get that enormous, properly-alpine feeling without needing to charter a helicopter.
It's a particularly great option if:
● You want huge mountain views close to Vancouver
● You don't want a strenuous hike on your wedding day
● A helicopter elopement isn't within your budget
● You simply do not fancy getting into a helicopter, thank you very much
● You'd like to combine your ceremony with restaurants, accommodation and activities in Whistler
● You're travelling to Canada and want your wedding to feel like part of an incredible vacation
For summer 2026, an adult Summer Alpine Experience sightseeing ticket is $110 per person. (Working with local vendors who already hold annual mountain access can also mean you aren't necessarily purchasing additional sightseeing tickets for your entire vendor team). This is a really approachable price point, especially compared to other local mountains - at Whistler, you don’t need a special pass or to reserve a ceremony spot, which is incredible.
TOM + TOM’S WEDDING DAY
We met in Whistler Village with photographer Leah Kathryn, one of my absolute favourites to work with.
Leah somehow manages to get the beautiful, frame-on-the-wall photographs that you obviously want from your wedding day, while simultaneously documenting all the weird little candid moments that actually make the day yours - A dream!
We hopped on the gondola and headed up Whistler Mountain together, taking in the views as we rode up, then we got a chairlift. If you've only ridden chairlifts in winter, riding one during summer feels surprisingly different. There's no fluffy blanket of snow underneath you, which certainly adds a tiny dose of adrenaline to proceedings, hehe.
But the ride is ridiculously scenic and takes you right up toward the summit of Whistler Mountain! Leah and I went first so she could get some incredible photos of our grooms on the chairlift.
At the top, you're surrounded by proper alpine scenery, with views over the Coast Mountains and toward landmarks including the unmistakable Black Tusk. In other words: a fairly decent place to get married!
A MOUNTAIN-TOP CEREMONY
From the top of the chairlift, we strolled for under 10 minutes to get to their ceremony sight - a spot with 360 degree views - you can see Black Tusk, Blackcomb Mountain AND Cheakamus Lake - it’s truly beautiful. Under BC law, you need two witnesses for your wedding ceremony. We already had photographer Leah as one, but we needed one more. I'd offered to bring someone along. The Toms, however, were quite happy with the significantly more entertaining option: Find a stranger on the mountain!
So post ceremony, I began scouting. Eventually I spotted some people wandering around in climbing harnesses and helmets and decided that if we were going to recruit a completely random human into a mountaintop wedding, a fellow mountain adventurer seemed appropriately on theme. I approached the group to ask, and one of them immediately volunteered, with a huge smile on his face - thank you Stef! This is one of those things I love about elopements. There is room for things to be a little spontaneous, a little silly and completely memorable.
INCLUDING YOUR FAMILY IN AN ELOPEMENT
The Toms chose to elope just the two of them, but that didn't mean their families weren't part of the day - and they found some incredibly sweet ways to include them.
● Preserving their florals: Each Tom wore a white rose boutonniere made by Senka Florals - but these weren't only designed for the wedding day. They planned to have the flowers preserved and framed afterward as gifts for their mums, giving each of them a physical little piece of the day to keep. Helen from Flora & Frame in Whistler, who was able to advise us beforehand about which greenery and flowers would preserve particularly well.
● Letter exchanges: Instead of exchanging traditional personal vows, the Toms asked their parents and sibling to write letters. They brought the handwritten letters along, and asked me to read words from the people who knew them best while we stood together on top of Whistler Mountain.
● Sharing a glass: After the ceremony, we found a quiet spot, pulled out the bubbles and FaceTimed their mums back in the UK. But the Toms had planned one extra detail. Their families had the same sparkling wine waiting at home. So despite being thousands of kilometres apart, everyone could pop the same bottle and toast the newlyweds together. If you're wondering how to include family in an elopement abroad, steal this idea immediately.
MOUNTAIN WEDDING PHOTOS WITHOUT A HUGE HIKE
After the ceremony, we slowly made our way back toward the lodge with Leah.
One of the nice things about getting married on Whistler Mountain is that the ceremony location isn't the only place you get photographs.
The walk back gives you different perspectives, rocky alpine terrain, enormous mountain backdrops and plenty of places to stop without turning your wedding into an eight-hour hiking expedition.
TURNING YOUR WHISTLER WEDDING INTO AN ELOPEMENT-HONEYMOON
Eventually Leah and I headed back down to Whistler Village while the Toms stayed up the mountain. Their immediate post-wedding plans saw them enjoy a celebratory drink overlooking the mountains followed by the PEAK 2 PEAK Gondola, which connects Whistler and Blackcomb mountains.
Because they'd travelled all the way from the UK, I also sent them a list of recommendations for the rest of their Canadian adventure. My pre-wedding life involved working as a Canadian tour guide, so this is one part of planning destination elopements that I particularly love.
Your wedding doesn't have to exist in a tiny one-day bubble. If you're travelling to Canada to get married, we can build it into an incredible trip through Whistler, Squamish, Vancouver and the rest of BC.
WHAT THE TOMS SAID AFTERWARDS
I asked the Toms for feedback after their wedding. Their response was:
“A massive thank you from both of us. You said in your email that you played a small role in the day, but honestly, you made the day. You made everything feel effortless, relaxed and completely special from start to finish. We could just be present, enjoy every second and take in what was happening around us. You did an absolutely perfect job, and the whole day will stay with us forever.
And carrying our bags around the mountain as well — I know you said you were in training, but that was still an epic effort 😄
You asked for feedback, and we genuinely can’t think of anything we’d have changed. Our only complaint is that you didn’t bring a fourth champagne glass for yourself!”
Lesson learned - future elopements: pack additional champagne glass! (Haha, I grabbed one for the photographer that day, but foolishly thought “Jude, you can’t sip bubbles at EVERY elopement ever”)
PLANNING AN INCLUSIVE WHISTLER ELOPEMENT
One thing that's particularly important to me when putting together a vendor team is making sure every couple feels completely safe, celebrated and able to be themselves. That means I don't consider writing the word “inclusive” on a website enough.
I only work with photographers and other wedding professionals who are genuinely affirming of LGBTQ+ couples and who actively support the community. You should never have to wonder whether the person photographing your wedding, making your flowers or standing beside you during your ceremony is genuinely excited to celebrate your relationship.
FAQ’s
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Yes. Whistler Mountain can be an incredible location for an intimate wedding or elopement, particularly during the summer sightseeing season when the gondolas and alpine areas are accessible.
Exactly where you hold your ceremony matters, though. Mountain operations, access, weather, group size and photography requirements can all affect the plan, so I recommend figuring out the logistics before choosing your exact ceremony spot. AKA EMAIL ME!
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At the time of writing in summer 2026, an adult Summer Alpine Experience day ticket costs $110 CAD. Prices, operating dates and lift access can change each season, so always check the current Whistler Blackcomb information when planning your wedding. NOTE: They don’t take cash nor tap, so make sure you bring a card and remember your PIN.
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Yes. A legal wedding ceremony in British Columbia requires two witnesses. If you're travelling alone, don't panic. Your photographer can usually be one, and we can arrange another witness - be it your videographer, make up artist, my partner or a friend,… Or, apparently, we can find someone wearing a climbing helmet on top of Whistler Mountain.
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Yes, although this is only appropriate for smaller celebrations - larger weddings should be booked as such. I particularly love Whistler Mountain for smaller weddings and elopements. If you're dreaming about having a larger group, I can recommend mountain-view wedding locations that make more sense for your guest count.
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Welcome to getting married in the mountains - Weather is one of the biggest considerations for any alpine wedding. Cloud, rain, wind and lift operations can change your plans, which is why I always recommend having flexibility and a backup option. And sometimes the moodiest mountain weather makes the coolest photographs anyway.
All Photos by the lovely Leah Kathryn Photo
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I’m Jude! 👋 - the elopement planner behind ELOPE Squamish - and I’m also an officiant, so I make your marriage legal with a ceremony that feels like YOU.
I plan intimate weddings and elopements throughout Whistler, Squamish and the Sea to Sky, including gondola, hiking, helicopter and grounded mountain locations. I'll help you figure out where to go, build your vendor team, navigate the logistics and create a day that feels more like an incredible day on vacation than a wedding production… Preferably with enough champagne glasses for everyone ;)