Nicola + JamesÂ
Jasper, AB
Jasper Elopement PhotographerÂ
I am so excited to share this beautiful Elopement with you all. I had been planning and chatting with Nicola and James since early November of 2018 which seems like forever ago and I can hardly believe that their elopement has come and gone! March 1st will forever hold a really special place in my heart because I was one of three other people aside from the lovely couple that knew about this and I had the important job of documenting the day so that their family and friends could relive the moments along with them!
The setting for their Elopement was in the beautiful mountains of Jasper National Park. The pair love to hike and spend their time outdoors so it was only fitting that they get married in an environment that reflected who they are. I was really excited to partake in the day and even more so because I had never been to the Fairmont at the Jasper Park Lodge which was the hotel they picked to stay at. When I drove up to the hotel with the sun shinning and the crisp mountain air filling my body I took a deep inhale and knew that this was going to be the most perfect day.
Aside from email communications and a FaceTime chat I had never met the couple in person but when I came up to their hotel room it honestly felt like we were old friends. We hugged, laughed and the buzz in the room just felt so electric and alive; now that the photographer has shown up, it’s happening!!
I thought it was really sweet because Nicola and James gifted me with a box of bath bombs and a book called “ Unplug – a simple guide to meditation” Nicola unable to officially follow me on Instagram in fear of giving away their secret watched my stories a lot and knew this book was meant for me. *insert crying face* (actually I had to hold back tears because it was so extremely thoughtful that my heart swelled up as much as my eye balls)
A really unique touch to their day was a gift from James mum, she has a beautiful flower garden back home in England and she sent over a few bags of dried flowers for them. Their parents didn’t know the date but they knew the two were planning to wed sometime in March. So at the ceremony after they were announced hubby + wife, James tossed the dried petals in the air and in that moment, their family was right there with them. It was so sweet!
K, so I do have to mention one thing here…the weather! Although it was sunny and beautiful… it was cold and when I say cold, I mean it was -34 with windchill cold (for my folks in the USA that’s about -29.2 Fahrenheit) BUT THIS DID NOT STOP THESE TWO. Their ceremony was held outside of the JPL on a little dock overlooking the frozen lake and although it was cold, the love that was shared between them was just enough to make you stop and forget about it. This was also a big first for me because I, Carissa Marie, got to sign as their witness which was super exciting! After the ceremony we went back to their room to warm up and they were happily surprised with a bottle of champagne and some desserts by the hotel (how sweet) after taking sometime to chill out we geared up and went for a little adventure!
We decided it was best to stick to locations that provided quick breaks from the cold and the comfort of my warm car, so we went to a little overlook in the city of Jasper. Nicola was a CHAMP guys, this woman took her coat off and smiled and hugged her new hubby and powered through the photos. I mean, I was in multiple layers and there was points I couldn’t feel my fingers haha but she just smiled and did it. Both of them! Once the sun snuck behind the mountains and the day drifted away, we made our way back to the hotel so they could enjoy the rest of the evening together. It was a bittersweet goodbye because although I was so happy for them and that their elopement went so perfectly. I was sad that it was over!
Thanks so much for allowing me to be such a big part of your day, for trusting in me and allowing me to be me. I felt really blessed to bring my energy and my excitement to your day and to spend your elopement with you two. I hope you love these photos and that you cherish them for years to come; seeing all the love and emotion that was with us throughout the day!
Be the first to comment