Helicopter elopement in Squamish: Florence + Evan

December 6, 2018

Today, I’m excited to share another helicopter elopement with you. Florence and Evan organized an intimate wedding ceremony on an epic Squamish mountain top. When I say intimate, I do mean very small scale. Our group counted 6 people: the happy couple, the officant, the pilot, Jelger and I.

First, let’s talk about the planning part of this Squamish helicopter elopement. Florence and Evan had literally planned everything themselves. From the exact timing of the wedding (they chose to get married in the morning, because of the more flattering light for photos), to finding the right helicopter company, to creating their beautiful bouquet. Florence told me they’d handpicked flowers that looked pretty and assembled them herself! Impressive!!

Planning the location for a helicopter elopement

Next was planning a suitable location for the helicopter elopement. For helicopter flights, there are two important factors to keep in mind. First, there’s the weather. Whether and where a helicopter can fly, is fully up to the weather. Wind, rain, fog, you name it, and it can cause a flight cancellation. Second, there’s geography. Geography directly impacts the weather. For instance, in this case, the intimate elopement would be on a mountain top. And mountains can change the weather pattern with the flick of a switch. One moment it’s sunny and warm, the next it turns to a freezing fog. So when you’re planning a helicopter elopement, plan ahead. Pick several locations that vary in altitude (in case the helicopter can’t fly higher) as well as one for the event of cancellation. Which is exactly what Florence and Eva had done.

The couple’s ideal scenario, was to get married on top of a mountain in Squamish. However, as a secondary option, they lodged at the Tantalus View Retreat. Which could host the ceremony if needed. Luckily the weather cooperated, and the backup remained unnecessary. But I’m sure they enjoyed cabin life with a hot tub. I’ve added it to my vacation wish list! But I digress. 😉

The helicopter elopement on a mountain top

On the morning of the wedding, the weather couldn’t be more picture-perfect! There we were, on top of a mountain, looking at a clear blue sky! And the best thing about helicopter elopements, is that we get to pick the ceremony spot. In this case, of course we went for the epic Serratus glacier as a backdrop! 😀

What’s more, thanks to her gorgeous outfit, Florence stood out perfectly against the ice and rocks! If that sounds weird to you, think about it! What if she’d be wearing an ice white wedding dress in an ice white environment! Right? 😉 Instead, the deep purple draws your eyes right to her!

Once the I do’s were finished, Jelger and I enjoyed taking photos with the married couple. Since they wore hiking boots, climbing on rocks and exploring the impressive environment went smoothly!

Florence gave me another great tip for your helicopter elopement. Wear warm leggings underneath your skirt or dress! Especially if you’re getting married in a cold place. It’ll make all the difference in your comfort 😉

Finally, we returned to the helicopter base. But the elopement wasn’t over just yet. The officiant completed the marriage certificate. Jelger and I felt honoured to sign as the official witnesses.

I loved seeing the travel photos from their honeymoon in China (got to love Instagram!!!). So glad we crossed paths, guys. And thanks so much for trusting us with documenting your elopement!