Adventure Elopement | Jill and Haydn | Whistler Elopements

Without telling their family or friends what they had planned, Jill and Haydn travelled from Ontario for their BC adventure elopement. We started the day while they were still in bed in their hotel room, drank mimosas, found a random gold miner to witness their ceremony, hiked to a waterfall, went skinny dipping, and drank beer while watching the sunset. The whole day was private, focused on their love, and unique to them. Check out their day as it unfolded below!

Jill and I went to school together at the University of Toronto Mississauga where we graduated in 2008. After moving away from the city, we lost touch for a few years, until Jill reached out last winter. She explained to me that she and Haydn had recently gotten engaged and wanted to plan an adventure elopement in BC. She was open to any suggestions and only had a few requirements. One was that it had to be unique and fun. Two, that I had to capture it and number three was that we kept all of the photos private until they could use them to surprise their guests at a reception 6 weeks later.

With wildfire smoke covering a lot of BC, we decided to move their adventure elopement to Vancouver Island where there was a better chance we would have clear skies. That didn’t quite pan out, but the smoke did make for a killer sunset to finish their day. I had pitched the idea to Jill and Haydn that we tell the story of their day from the very beginning to the end, so they trusted me to start their day while they were still in bed together in the hotel. After a quick cuddle sesh, we drank mimosas and started prepping for the day. Haydn borrowed a bike from the hotel to go for a ride, while Jill walked to a local salon to have her hair and make-up done. After a quick lunch, we went back to the hotel where Jill and Haydn assisted each other donning their wedding attire and packing up for our adventure.

We drove to a trail that Tara and I had scouted the weak before, and met with Brian from Young, Hip and Married who was going to perform the ceremony. With almost everything we needed for the day, we headed into the woods towards the waterfall. The one important piece of the wedding that we were missing was a second witness. I was able to sign as one witness, and we were fortunate enough to come across a man panning for gold in the river. He promptly obliged our request to witness the ceremony, and we found a nice secluded spot in the river bed for Jill and Haydn to say their vows. After their first kiss, Brian and our mystery witness signed the paperwork, made everything official and then left the three of us to explore the rest of the day. After continuing on down the trail we found the waterfall and shared another bottle of bubbly and a picnic charcuterie board. With the afternoon sun warming everything up, Jill and Haydn decided to cool off “au naturel” in the icy cold spring water before we headed back to the car.

By the time we back on the road, we were racing against time to find a place to watch the sunset. With only a quick stop to buy beer and snacks, we made it to a lake with a stony beach and the perfect west-facing sunset view. As the sun dropped on their adventure elopement, Jill and Haydn shared a couple of beers, danced in the edge of the water, and enjoyed a quiet moment to themselves.

Check out a review of Jill’s words and the link to the other vendors below the photos from their day!

Big thanks to Jill and Haydn for trusting me with this special day!

“Haydn and I chose to elope out of province so our day could be about just the two of us. We had an idea in mind of how the day would go- but were really planning on taking it as it came and not trying to incorporate too much planning. Steve facilitated our casual elopement perfectly, guiding us to a strikingly beautiful and completely secluded location in the beautiful ethereal island forest! Steve’s easygoing nature made being in front of the camera for an all day adventure elopement, naturally seamless and blissfully unforgettable. From morning, until sunset, Haydn and I hiked and with the help from Steve, found the perfect spot for our ceremony. We were able to enjoy each others company to the fullest surrounded by the peaceful and full filling sites and sounds of the spectacular nature around us. It was exactly how a wedding should be- thrilling, peaceful, fulfilling, enthralling and memorable.” – Jill

Vendors

Photography | Tara Lilly Photography of Whistler Elopements
Officiant | Brian – Young, Hip and Married
Salon | Boutique by Kiyo
Florals | Pettel and Ketal
Hotel | The Beach Club Resort

There are so many options for adventure elopements in BC. Check out this helicopter elopement also on the blog!