Eloping in the Canadian Rockies by helicopter is the epitome of exhilaration and romance intertwined. Picture yourself and your beloved, nestled in the helicopter’s cabin, as you ascend towards the heavens. The landscape unfolds below, revealing a panorama of breathtaking beauty – towering peaks, pristine alpine lakes, and emerald forests that stretch to the horizon. The excitement of this moment is palpable. Emotions heightened by the anticipation of what lies ahead. You’re not just exchanging vows; you’re doing so in the company of the Canadian Rockies grandeur. This unique experience is an adrenaline rush that bonds you and your partner in an unforgettable way. With each thump of the rotor blades, your hearts beat in rhythm with the natural world, creating an indelible memory of love in the Canadian Rockies.
“Sounds fantastic! How does this all work?”
In this guide, we will break down everything you need to know, from available tour operators to locations, weather considerations and even what to wear on your big day up in the alpine.
Locations – “What are my options?”
Here in the Canadian Rockies, there are two key players in the helicopter tour space. Here we will go over both and touch on the benefits, considerations, pricing, as well as what to expect for both helicopter tour operators.
Alpine Helicopters
Alpine Helicopters is based out of beautiful Canmore, Alberta (just 10min south of the Banff national park boundary). They have a large operation ongoing with several helicopters and run a high volume of sightseeing tours during the summer months (but are open year round). One of the nice things about Alpine is that they are located just 1hr 20mins away from the Calgary international airport. There are also a wide variety of options for accommodation and restaurants nearby within Canmore.
The Marvel Pass Tour & Mt.Charles Stewart – Due to the close proximity and landing restrictions within provincial and national parks in the surrounding area. Alpine helicopters only offers 2 options for Heli elopements.
Marvel Pass – The 60 minute Marvel pass tour takes you through some of the most stunning scenery in the Canadian Rockies (and the world!) along the way you will fly right next to the famous three sisters mountains, across lakes and alpine tarns & meadows with hundreds of peaks visible along the way. One of the highlights of this tour (aside from getting married!) is that you will have the opportunity to gaze upon Mt.Assiniboine, which is highly considered to be one of the most remarkable peaks in all of the Canadian Rockies. The helicopter will approach within close proximity of the mountain (weather permitting) where you can see sweeping vistas of the sapphire blue Marvel & Gloria lakes along with the Gloria glacier! You will then double back around and touch down nearby at Marvel pass. This stunning location is set within a lovely sub-alpine meadow, and boasts incredible views of several peaks over 10,000 feet. Here you will have 60 minutes to conduct your ceremony and complete your bride & groom photo/video portraits. You will then return to the Canmore heliport via a slightly different route with equally incredible scenery!
The Mt.Charles Stewart – This tour departs from the Canmore heliport and heads northeast. This incredible, short & sweet 5 minute flight will then touch down on a stunning alpine meadow surrounded by beautiful rocky mountain summits. This tour is only offered via 3rd party wedding planners (contact alpine for more information).
How many people can I bring on the helicopter? The maximum occupancy for Alpine’s Jet Ranger helicopters is 6 including the pilot. Typically an elopement will include the couple, a photographer, the officiant and more increasingly these days, a videographer. There are limitations in terms of total weight that need to be considered (see Alpine for official information). With all of this in mind, it is also possible to charter additional helicopter(s) to help bring loved ones along for the adventure!
Pricing – This is based upon the total weight of the group (see Alpine for more information) Get average pricing from RMWE.
Rockies Heli
Rockies Heli is located within the David Thompson Country region which is between 2-2.5hrs drive from Canmore & Banff or 3.5hrs from Calgary. The drive out to the base, boasts absolutely incredible scenery along the icefields parkway (when approached from BC, Banff, Jasper or Lake Louise). One of the benefits of this region is that it is located within public land. Therefore, there are unlimited possibilities in terms of options for where to land and have your ceremony & portraits taken. With this in mind, weight and weather are major considerations that determine where we are able to land. Typically, your pilot will throw out some suggestions that work for the group and weather for the day. As we do a high volume of Heli Elopements at Rockies Heli, sometimes we will just head up and make these decisions on the fly based upon our observations from the air (as a videographer, we are always looking for the best lighting!). Rest assured, this entire area is absolutely stunning and wither you are hoping for glacial views, waterfalls or stunning valleys etc. They will surely find something you will be happy with. Upon touching down at whatever location is decided upon, (usually 6+ minute flights) couples will get a full hour to execute their ceremony and bride & groom portraits (this is almost always a perfect amount of time). When it is time to leave, you will almost certainly return the same way you came in.
How many people can I bring in the Helicopter – Rockies Heli uses A-Star helicopters that hold a total of 6 passengers (this includes the pilot). That being said, it is always possible to arrange for a 2nd helicopter (or multiple trips) in order to get friends/family to your location.
Pricing – $399/ Person + fees & taxes (at the time of writing this blog post, prices are subject to change)
Cancellations – In 3 years since we started shooting at Rockies heli, we have never once had a cancellation. We have had to delay flights, once in a blue moon, however, typically we will successfully find a break in the weather somewhere.
Additional considerations – If you are planning to camp in the area before or after the elopement. Please ensure you purchase an Alberta random camping pass. It is $20 for 3 days per person or $30 for an annual pass.
Cool cool, so now that you have a general idea of how things typically work at both Rockies and Alpine, we will now touch on several other key considerations you need to think about before booking in your Canadian Rockies Heli Elopement.
Weather / Season & Time of Day
In the days or weeks leading up to the big day, you may find yourself scouring the web reading several different weather forecasts in hopes of finding the most promising result. It is important to understand, that the weather out in these mountains is prone to being rather unpredictable and in the alpine (above treeline), it can rain, snow, sleet, hail any time of year and without much warning. It is generally not a good idea to look at the forecast with any real sense of confidence for more than 3 days before your date. Meteoblue & Environment Canada both have solid weather forecasts that I have found to be the most reliable.
Inclement weather – In the event of a windy day at Rockies Heli we will typically recommend one of our locations that has either trees or rocks close by in order to help cut down the wind. With Alpine at Marvel pass & Mt.Charles Stewart, there is unfortunately not much we can do. In the event of a rainy day at Rockies, we will check out the weather radars in order to see if there are any areas we can fly to without precipitation (again not possible with Alpine). In any case, if there is an inclement weather event scheduled during your elopement time, there is always a possibility of bumping up or delaying your flights (see Alpine or Rockies for more info on that). Alternatively, we will pack umbrellas and work with what we got. We fully understand inclement weather is not ideal however, I will admit that it is often when we capture our best content as the lighting during rainy days is often phenomenal and generally makes for beautiful & moody looks, feels to your photo/video content.
Season – Both Alpine & Rockies Heli are operational all year round. Also all year round, and especially up high in the alpine it can quite cold. So it is important to dress accordingly! (more on this in the what to wear section) In the winter months, snowshoes will be provided by Rockies Heli (if necessary as they are not always needed due to winds blowing snow off of the peaks). At Alpine, snowshoes are not provided however, they can be rented at GearUp here in Canmore.
Time of Day – Pro tip, we recommend booking either the first or last flight of the day in order to optimize the lighting conditions for best photo/video results.
Bugs – from late June onward towards the end of August is when the bugs will be out and about in the Canadian Rockies. While It is usually manageable, if your date falls within this period of time, we recommend planning accordingly and packing bug spray.
Smoke – From about Mid-July to late August, there is always a chance of having to contend with wildfire smoke on the day of your elopement. Try not to allow this to put a damper on your excitement. It is rare that the smoke is bad enough to entirely inhibit the mountain views and we can always manage to still get great results no matter the conditions. The smoke situation can also change day by day and even hour by hour.
What To Wear & What To Pack
Summer – We recommend packing a bag with a warm layer or two (i.e down or synthetic jacket) as well as a rain jacket just incase). This may sound a bit extreme for summer however, trust us on this one as it can be cold up high no matter what time of year it is. Some light gloves and a hat, may also be a good idea (keep in mind, this bag will just sit in the helicopter if you don’t need it and staff will load/unload it for you.) In terms of footwear, we highly recommend bringing a pair of either hiking boots/trail shoes or at least, a sturdy pair of runners of some kind. Keep in mind, we will be moving around a bit (less so at marvel pass) and heels or dress shoes may lead to some sore feet or worse. Heels are always a no go, some grooms manage just fine in dress shoes (at certain locations). So again, good idea to just pack them wither you end up using them or not.
Winter & Shoulder Seasons – During these times of year, it is paramount that you take considerable care in packing as temperatures can dip well below zero in the alpine. Warm gloves, beanies, a warm down filled or synthetic filled jacket, a windproof shell, warm socks and perhaps some warm boots (especially for the colder months of the year) should be in your bag. Synthetic (or ideally wool) long johns are also a great idea as they can be worn under a dress, suit pants and will remain invisibile while keeping you warm. As previously mentioned, it is always a good idea to pack a bag containing all of your additional layers & footwear.
We understand that you want to look your best and couples will often try to “brave the cold” in order to get the best photo/video content possible however, it is important to know when enough is enough as we don’t want anyone getting frostbitten or shaking uncontrollably due to the cold. Keep in mind, it is not uncommon for us to take a few minutes to re-warm up before continuing on with bride and groom portraits and can take as many breaks as needed along the way (warming up in the Heli is also always an option for those really cold days).
In Summary
We hope this guide has provided you with an in-depth understanding of the ins and outs of how Heli elopements work out here in the Rockies. If you have any further questions, or if you are considering a video for your Heli elopement, please do not hesitate to drop us a line! I have gone ahead and attached one of our favorite Heli elopement videos below for you to get an even better sense of what a Heli elopement with us looks like!
