Canmore Wedding Photographers

The ultimate guide to start planning your day from two Canmore wedding photographers who’ve seen it all

With mountain views and scenic lakes, Canmore wedding photographers know that the Canadian Rockies are the ideal place to get married. Canmore is often overlooked by Banff for planning a wedding in the Rockies, but shouldn’t be! Canmore is a unique town with a much more local feel than Banff, and the wedding venues are often less expensive with better views! Check out our full guide to getting married in Canmore below, written by local Canmore wedding photographers who know the area best.

Kickstart your research with our ultimate guide to start planning your Canmore wedding below.

Canmore wedding photographers with the Three Sisters mountains

planning a wedding in the Canadian Rockies

Knowing where to start planning a wedding in Canmore can be difficult, especially if you’re not from the area. If you’re having a wedding with more than 20 guests, we recommend researching and booking a Canmore wedding venue first. If you’re planning an elopement or microwedding with only a handful of guests, we recommend hiring a Canmore wedding photographer first. Your wedding photographer can then guide you through the best places to get married in Canmore and the best photo locations, as well as being able to recommend the best vendors in the area, too.

places to get married in Canmore and the best wedding venues

There are a ton of Canmore wedding venues to choose from, and at first it may seem a little daunting to decide which one may be the best for you. Generally, if you’re having more than 50 guests we recommend booking a dedicated “one-stop shop” wedding venue that can help you take care of music entertainment, day-of coordination and setup, and catering all in one place. If you’re having an intimate wedding with less than 50 guests, we recommend taking advantage of the scenic public spaces available in Canmore for your wedding ceremony, then celebrating at one of the many restaurants in town afterwards. As your Canmore wedding photographers we can help you find the perfect ceremony spot.

Below are some of the best Canmore wedding venues and places to get married in the Bow Valley:

Cornerstone Theatre Canmore wedding

Cornerstone Theatre is the best wedding venue in Canmore! Cornerstone Theatre offers everything from catering to DJ entertainment and outdoor ceremony locations, making it a great option if you’re planning a Canmore wedding from abroad. We’ve photographed everything from cozy 40-person weddings at Cornerstone Theatre to full weddings with over 100 guests.

Check out this springtime Cornerstone Theatre wedding to see how gorgeous this Canmore wedding venue is.

Cornerstone Theatre Canmore wedding photography

Quarry Lake Park wedding

A Quarry Lake Park wedding is a great option for couples planning an intimate wedding but who don’t need all the bells and whistles like Cornerstone Theatre. You can use Quarry Lake Park for wedding ceremonies by booking it with the town of Canmore here.

If you’d like to have outdoor seating for guests, we recommend hiring a rental company to come set up your ceremony spot at Quarry Lake for you.

Want to see what a wedding ceremony looks like at Quarry Lake Park? Take a look at this Quarry Lake Park elopement we shot as Canmore wedding photographers on our blog, or this Murrieta’s Canmore wedding with a ceremony at Quarry Lake!

Quarry Lake Park wedding ceremony location for Canmore photographers

Canmore Nordic Centre wedding

The Canmore Nordic Centre wedding venue is run by the same company as Cornerstone Theatre, so you can expect the same high-quality service and reassurance knowing your day is in good hands.

The Nordic Centre is located on the edge of town, so it makes the perfect base for getting the most epic mountain photos in the nearby provincial parks for Canmore wedding photographers.

Canmore Nordic Centre wedding with Three Sisters in view

Canmore elopement

We specialize in intimate weddings and adventurous elopements, and you can’t go wrong eloping in Canmore! Since this area is more low-key than Banff, you can expect more privacy for your elopement ceremony. Plus, with Kananaskis Country starting right on the outskirts of town, you can get great off-the-beaten-path ceremony and photo locations with us helping you as your Canmore wedding photographers.

Adventurous elopement ideas

Need some inspiration to start planning your Canmore elopement? Check out our elopement blog to see what other adventurous couples have done, or take a look at this Canmore hiking elopement for location ideas.

Canmore elopement photographers capturing hiking wedding photos

Canmore wedding photographers at a winter wedding in the Canadian Rockies

Other things to keep in mind when planning your trip

Getting married in Canmore is an amazing experience and you get some of the best views in the world with your Canmore wedding photographers! If you’re planning to get married or elope in Canmore, there’s a few things you should keep in mind below.

Seasons and weather

What time of year you visit Canmore will greatly determine what your wedding photos will look like and what activities you can do while here. Generally summer will offer the best weather for your wedding day, but don’t be surprised if it snows in June too! Spring and fall are shoulder seasons in Canmore, meaning you can find cheaper accommodations, and tourist attractions like Moraine Lake will be less busy. Winter is cold, but with three ski hills nearby and an abundance of snowshoe and cross-country ski trails you’ll never run out of things to do while here! In fact, some of our favourite images captured as Canmore wedding photographers were taken after a fresh snowfall.

Getting legally married in Alberta and Canada

If you’re travelling from abroad for your Canmore wedding and you plan to get legally married in Canada, you’ll need to hire an officiant appointed by the Government of Alberta and have two witnesses to sign the marriage license. If you’re eloping and don’t have two witnesses with you, that’s not a problem! We work as a Canmore wedding photographer team for every elopement we photograph and can sign as your two witnesses! We’re happy to recommend our favourite officiants to you as part of our unlimited consultation we offer as well.

Where to stay in Canmore

Canmore has an abundance of accommodation options for you and your guests. You’ll find a lot of chain hotel names in the area, as well as local hotels like the Malcolm Hotel. AirBnBs are limited in Canmore because only commercially-designated accommodations can list their places on AirBnB in Canmore, but if you get a chance we recommend checking out this cute cabin-inspired BnB listed there.

Canmore wedding photographer captures sunrise hiking photos

Canmore wedding packages

canmore wedding photography starting at $4500 CAD

We’re a wife and husband team of Canmore wedding photographers who live right here in the heart of the Rockies, so there’s no extra travel costs or hidden fees in any of our Canmore wedding packages. Each Canmore wedding package includes:

Afton + Liam photographing your day (two photographers!)
flexible coverage from 4 hours and up
unlimited planning assistance on timelines, photo locations, vendor recommendations + more
online gallery of fully edited high-resolution images with personal printing rights
all pricing in Canadian dollars
no extra travel fees!

Get more pricing info here

other Canmore wedding venues

There are a lot of Canmore wedding venues in the Canadian Rockies, all offering a unique experience for every size of wedding. Here’s a few more options for couples planning a Canmore wedding with guests:

Canmore Golf and Curling Club wedding venue photography

Silvertip Resort wedding in Canmore photography

Malcolm Hotel Wedding in Canmore

Canmore Golf & Curling Club wedding

Silvertip Resort wedding

The Malcolm Hotel recently opened in Canmore, making it one of the newest Canmore wedding venues in this guide! It’s located right along the Spring Creek boardwalk, making a Malcolm hotel wedding the perfect venue for Canmore wedding photographers and guests alike.

The Canmore Golf and Curling Club wedding venue offers great views of Ha Ling mountain and the Rundle mountain range. Their outdoor ceremonies are held beside a pond, making it quite a scenic ceremony location overall.

A Silvertip Resort Canmore wedding is one of our favourites in the Rockies! Their cute gazebo makes the perfect backdrop for wedding ceremonies, and the viewpoint overlooks the town of Canmore and the entire Bow Valley.

Murrieta's Canmore wedding photographers

Iron Goat Canmore wedding

Murrieta’s Canmore wedding

Creekside Villa Canmore wedding

Having an Iron Goat Canmore wedding is unique because this restaurant makes the perfect intimate reception spot to celebrate after! The food lives up to expectations.

Murrieta’s is a restaurant in downtown Canmore, making it a great reception option for couples who hold their ceremonies at Quarry Lake Park. Spring Creek boardwalk is just down the street to sneak away for sunset photos during your reception too 😉

Creekside villa offers an intimate rustic setting for your Canmore wedding reception on the quieter side of town. With guest rooms all included in your wedding package, a Creekside Villa Canmore wedding is the easiest option for couples planning to only invite a handful of guests.

see more Canmore wedding photography on our blog

British Columbia Canmore Videography Weddings

We can’t wait to help plan + document your adventure of a lifetime!

or email us directly at hello@filmandforestphoto.com