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Rocky Mountain Weddings Written by Rick Kunelius - Marriage Commissioner Unconventional marriages and unique opportunities for romance in the Rockies Romance knows no bounds in the Rocky Mountains. Winter weddings (and other magic moments between lovers) do not always occur indoors beside a roaring fireplace. Marriages are often held outdoors in the snow, regardless of weather. To be married in Alberta, you need only purchase a marriage license, hire a marriage commissioner to perform the ceremony and register the event, and find two witnesses. It can all be done in a day—which turns the rest of your holiday into a honeymoon. No awkward guest lists, blood tests and cooling off periods. Couples can marry anywhere they put themselves. Venues can be in conjunction with activities such as horse drawn sleigh rides, dog sledding, cross-country skiing, ice walks, snowshoeing, ice fishing, visits to remote mountain ski lodges, and helicopter rides to uninhabited wilds. As a Banff-based marriage commissioner, I have been witness to unconventional situations—signing life's most serious social contract does not need to be a sombre event. One morning a Yellowknife couple tracked me down at the gym. They had their marriage license and were spending the day at the spa. It was noisy by the indoor waterfall, but soon they were squeaky clean, refreshed and married. One way to warm up for a wedding is to ski a few runs with your marriage commissioner. The romantic scenery enhances the mood. Seal the vows with a kiss, sign the papers and celebrate with champagne— followed by a few more runs. Instead of buying a wedding dress to wear once, you purchase a ski suit for the entire season. Scotsmen can wear their kilt, but I recommend warm socks that roll well up above the knee. After one mountain-top ski wedding the best man was heard to say: “It’s all downhill from here.” At helicopter weddings the bridal party can take a spectacular sightseeing flight, touch down in otherwise inaccessible wilderness for the ceremony, and make angels in the snow at 7000 feet. Most fly back for a reception in a warmer location. The most surreal wedding I performed was under a full moon on the ice of Lake Minnewanka, with wolves howling. One cold wedding was at the end of Lake Louise. The Zhivago-style sleigh ride with blankets and fur coats was fun and comfortable, but during the ceremony a cold wind poured down Victoria glacier and the champagne froze to the side of the glass. I married National Ski Team members Thomas Grandi and Sara Renner after skiing to Wonder Pass in the rain. The groom’s mom quoted an old Italian expression: “Sposa bagnata, sposa fortunata”—a wet bride is a lucky bride! One South Carolina couple at a sleigh ride wedding had never seen snow before. The groom had a Colonel Saunders-style white tuxedo and the bride had a white wedding dress with a white fur trimmed cape. Neither owned winter boots—they only took blankets off their feet for the photo shoot. But as she said: “I’ve got my love to keep me warm”. Since then I’ve learned that winter footwear can be rented. I’ve also learned that wearing white against a snow background presents a real challenge for the photographer. During outdoor winter weddings I recommend keeping the body core warm. With adequate layers underneath, tuxedos and long velvet gowns work well (although not as good as ski suits). Such occasions are a good excuse to wear that inherited fur coat and hat. Marriage commissioners, marriage license issuing offices, photographers, florists, jewellers, chocolate and wine shops, and other services to help you capture the romantic moment are all available in Canmore, Banff and Jasper. Most winter weddings do take place indoors—landmark hotels, unassuming alpine lodges, rustic backcountry cabins and restaurants of all descriptions host five to five hundred guests. Modest weddings (license and ceremony) cost $300 to $500, ski area marriages can be under $700 (including lift passes), and sky’s-the-limit for fancy affairs at luxury hotels. Alberta Marriage Commissioner Rick Kunelius (403-762-3852) has performed 1000 Rockies weddings. www.kunelius.com This feature article is from a past issue of WHERE magazine. www.where.ca/canadianrockies | ||||||||||
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Rick and couple A Banff Wedding by Bow Falls | ||||||||||
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