Krystal Shuhyta

Dec 16, 20213 min read

A Dreamy Helicopter Wedding in Canmore

As an elopement photographer for almost ten years now, I have to admit, this was a bucket list wedding for me. I've been dreaming of photographing a helicopter wedding (that wasn't a styled shoot) since I started venturing in our beautiful Rocky Mountains. Seeing Erica and Patrick's wedding day come to life was a true dream for me, and I am forever grateful for our strong partner relationships that made Mo Events confident to refer me for this incredible opportunity.

bride and groom in Canmore pose next to Helicopter

Canmore Wedding Photos

We started the day taking photos around Canmore and had a dreamy first look "on ground". Erica and Patrick rented a Rolls Royce to be there "get around"car for the day and it was absolutely perfect. Erica decided at the last minute that she wanted a handwritten memory of her vows and bought a postcard from a local store in Canmore. Surprisingly, the photo on the postcard was one of the photos the lovely officiant has framed in her home. I can't begin to explain the synchronicity of their wedding day - there were so many instances when it was so clear this is exactly the way things were meant to be.

A Smoky Wedding Day in Canmore on July 30, 2021

With the BC fires, we couldn't help but feel worried that the smoke in the air would end up affecting the quality of photos. As professional wedding photographers, we like to believe that we are prepared for ANYTHING but there are always certain things outside of our control that we need to make the best out of.

Fortunately, when the amazing officiant helped Erica and Patrick choose their mountaintop elopement location (on the morning of the wedding), they chose St. Charles Mountain, which had one of the highest peaks. Once we arrived at the peak, we were all relieved to see the smoke cleared quite a bit at the top, and the surrounding mountains looked almost as though they were out of a painting.

One personal highlight for me, was their grandfather who attended, who was the absolute sweetest ever. He kept saying "I will never forget this" and talking about how it was the most incredible thing.

An Intimate Wedding Ceremony on the Mountaintop

On top of the mountain, Erica and Patrick held the most heartfelt ceremony. Trust me when I say, there wasn't a dry eye on the mountain. They wrote their own vows and everything was just so incredibly personal. Even the choice to have their wedding ceremony on a mountaintop had meaning, Patrick had proposed on a mountain during their trip to Machu Picchu. In interest of synchronicity, their officiant has also guided tours on Machu Picchu. It truly aligned to be the most incredible and personal day. After the wedding ceremony, we had a celebratory toast and then took some family photos on the mountain.

At Fly Free Photography, we were so so grateful to be apart of this incredible day! If you are looking for your own mountaintop elopement photographer, we would love for you to get in touch here.