Ashley + Matt | Peyto Lake Elopement | Banff Wedding Photographer

Peyto Lake elopements are pretty common, you’ll see why as you keep scrolling. But man, let me tell ya, no other wedding story is as unique as Ashley + Matt’s! These two met on Instagram of all places! Ashley will probably kill me for sharing this, but she has always had a thing for redheads and when she saw Matt’s photo featured on a page made especially for that she knew she had to message him! They started a long distance relationship, Ashley in Pennsylvania and Matt stationed in Northern Italy. Their time together was spent exploring Europe whenever Matt got leave, meeting each other’s families in the States, and lots of Starbucks dates via skype. Matt proposed on the Cliffs of Moher and soon after they reached out to me! They knew they wanted to be married in the mountains somewhere, and planned to have their siblings and parents along for the ride!

Oh, the trust these two put in me! They gave me complete control over their ceremony and portrait locations, and it was so special to see their eyes light up when the lake started to show it’s beauty between the pine trees. Once I hiked with Matt + their family to the ceremony location, I ran back to the road where Ashley’s mom + step mom were helping her into her dress, beside their decked out camper-van from Karma Campervans. Ashley carried a bouquet of dried flowers from Westerwisp and wore converse sneakers customized with her new name! Her dad met her along the trail before walking her down the ‘aisle’ their families formed. Nothing will ever compare the look on Matt’s face when he saw Ashley for the first time while standing on a cliff overlooking the most blue lake in the Rockies. Ashley’s dad performed the ceremony and we were so thankful to be given 10 minutes of privacy while the other hikers waited down the trail. We didn’t ask or expect this, but I know we were all so appreciative and a little mind blown by their kindness.

Soon after the bubbly was popped, the family headed back to their AirBnb to make dinner, and Matt + Ashley explored the Icefields Parkway in their campervan! I came along for the ride, capturing jawdropping views over the cliffs, silliness along the lake as they tried to warm each other up, and lots of cuddles in the back of their honeymoon-mobile!