INTIMATE WEDDING IN THE SEA TO SKY
A SQUAMISH ADVENTURE WEDDING (REAL WEDDING STORY)
Couples often come to me wanting to elope, but also wanting an intimate dinner with the people they love, and it can feel like you have to pick a lane: Do we elope? Do we invite our favourite people? Do we keep it small? Do we make a whole weekend of it?
I was lucky enough to have Tatiana and Andrew reach out to plan their Sea to Sky elopement, and the answer was simple: why choose?
Their Squamish wedding brought together the intimacy and adventure of an elopement, the joy of celebrating with close friends and family, AND a second day of adventure. I love that we live in a region called ‘sea to sky’ and their sailboat-and–helicopter adventure wedding meant they literally went from the SEA to the SKY, in the truest sense.
THE LOVE STORY
Some background on our lovers: Tatiana and Andrew first met on Hinge, with their first date at a bar in Vancouver. They fell in love (but you already knew that) and life took them on plenty of adventures: through South Africa, Brazil, the Balkans and lots of fun closer to home. So a wedding involving helicopters, sailboats on the Howe Sound, mountains, good food, their favourite people all felt like them. I had the absolute pleasure of bringing it all together and their elopement planner!
THE MORNING OF: GETTING READY IN SQUAMISH
It was mid-July in Squamish, and Tatiana and Andrew began their wedding day at Executive Suites Hotel. They grabbed brunch at Fergie's - a Squamish staple - before heading back to get ready, where Helen Hamilton took care of Tatiana's hair and makeup.
I stopped by with her flowers from The Wild Florists - After months of planning together over video calls, this was our first time meeting in person, and I was a ball of excitement as I got the elevator up: it felt like reconnecting with an old friend. After hugging my new-old-friends, it was time to go celebrate them - off to the heliport!
A MOUNTAINTOP FIRST LOOK
Yep, you read that right - A lot of couples doing helicopter elopements choose to have their first look before they fly, but Tatiana and Andrew are soo romantic, we had another idea.
We arranged TWO helicopters with Black Tusk Helicopter. Tatiana headed up first with their photographer, Hennygraphy, and videographer, Beka Lin Productions. Andrew and I followed in the second helicopter.
Beyond the sheer beauty of having a ‘first look’ literally on top of the world, surrounded by peaks and glaciers, there was another major perk to this arrangement. Because their mountain landing time officially began when the second helicopter arrived, Tatiana had time for bridal portraits before Andrew even reached the mountain.
A typical helicopter elopement in the Sea to Sky comes with about 45 minutes of landing time - and, with experienced vendors who know exactly how the day flows, 45 minutes can work! But Tatiana and Andrew’s way saw them spend closer to 2 hours up there, on the mountain. This extended timing meant no rushing through photos - and extra space to really enjoy where they were.
A TRUE ‘SEA TO SKY’ FIRST LOOK + WEDDING CEREMONY
After months of planning, anticipation and somehow managing not to accidentally cross paths that afternoon, they finally saw each other on top of a mountain.
There were hugs, and tears (mostly mine)
Once they’d had their moment to soak up the love, we walked to a rocky outcrop that felt like a natural stage, looking out over the majesty of the Tantalus Range, and got these two married. They exchanged vows and rings, said their I dos, signed their marriage licence, and became legally married on an actual mountain peak.
After the ceremony, they had their first dance as husband and wife, surrounded by the alpine landscape, before popping champagne and celebrating the fact that this was, in fact, their real life!! Our faces hurt from smiling.
PRIVATE DINING FOR A SMALL WEDDING
After flying back down, the wedding shifted into celebration mode! I headed over to House of Lager, where I had decorated the space the night before, and around two dozen of Tatiana and Andrew’s closest friends and family were waiting with drinks and canapés.
When the newlyweds arrived, they had a second ‘first dance’, this time surrounded by their people, followed by group photos and dinner catered by House of Lager. It was the perfect combination: they still got the private mountaintop ceremony they wanted, while also getting to come back down and celebrate with the people they love most. You really do not have to choose between an elopement and having your people there!
DAY TWO: FROM THE MOUNTAINS TO THE WATER
The next morning, Tatiana and Andrew woke up MARRIED and headed out for another adventure: a day on the water with Squamish Watersports. Mountains one day. Ocean the next - does it get any more ‘Sea to Sky’ than that?!
The weather ended up cooperating beautifully throughout their wedding, but as with any outdoor wedding in the Sea to Sky, we had backup plans ready if it decided not to.
PLANNING YOUR OWN SEA TO SKY ELOPEMENT?
Your wedding does not have to fit neatly into one format - you can have the private mountaintop ceremony and dinner with your family! In fact, local restaurants have even offered couples a lil discount when they work directly with me.
So - you can elope and still invite your favourite people. You can spend one day in the mountains and the next on the ocean. And your wedding does not have to be squeezed into six or eight hours simply because that is what weddings traditionally look like.
My all-inclusive Squamish and Sea to Sky elopement packages are built around the couple rather than forcing every couple into the same itinerary - If that means helicopters, dinner with your people, sailing the next morning, or something completely different, we can build it.
Because the best elopements should feel a lot less like choosing a package and a lot more like planning one hell of a few days together :)
All Photos by the lovely Hennygraphy
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, I’m Jude! 👋 I’m the founder of ELOPE Squamish, a local wedding officiant and elopement planner specialising in intimate weddings and adventure elopements throughout Squamish, Whistler and the Sea to Sky.
I’ve been planning weddings in the region since 2021, and I LOVE helping couples think outside the traditional wedding box. From helicopter ceremonies in the Tantalus Range to private dinners and sailing adventures on Howe Sound, I bring together my local knowledge, brilliant wedding vendors and a love of a good logistical challenge to create celebrations that feel like you.
Think of me as your local expert, planner and new friend in the mountains, here to help you dream up something wonderful and bring all the moving parts together.