For Alli and Samarth, their legal wedding in Banff was a chance to create something smaller, simpler, and completely personal. They had already celebrated a cultural wedding in India, where the ceremonies stretched across several days and included a larger gathering. When it came time to legally marry, they wanted the experience to reflect the two of them, with the people, traditions, food, and details that mattered most.

Their July 2, 2025 elopement brought them to Bow Lake for a sunrise ceremony with Alli’s mom, brother, and their two dogs, followed by portraits at Peyto Lake and a campground celebration in Dead Man’s Flats. From meaningful jewelry and photographs of loved ones to pani puri, s’mores, and a homemade wedding cake, every part of the day carried something personal.

Elopement Photography by Camille Greco | Greco Photo Co

Alli and Samarth knew early on that a traditional wedding did not quite fit the life they wanted to create around their legal marriage. Their first wedding celebration had already given them the opportunity to honor their cultural traditions in India, including a larger celebration that was especially meaningful to their families. For this ceremony, they wanted something more intimate and focused on the two of them. They also approached the planning process with a clear sense of what mattered to them. They paid for the wedding themselves and intentionally set a budget below their means so they could protect other savings goals while finding creative ways to make the day their own.

Outdoor adventure was another important part of their decision. Alli had previously visited Banff, while Samarth had never been. Since they both enjoyed outdoor adventures and had hoped to road trip from Seattle to Banff with their dogs, the destination naturally fit the kind of experience they envisioned. They also wanted their closest family members there. Alli’s mom and brother were able to join them at Bow Lake, while photographs and personal details helped honor the parents who could not attend. The result was a legal wedding that gave them room to bring together their relationship, families, cultures, and shared love of the outdoors.

Banff gave Alli and Samarth the mountain scenery they were looking for while also offering the flexibility to build a day around their own priorities. They wanted dramatic water and mountain views, a sense of privacy, and locations where their family and dogs could be part of the experience.

Their photographers, Camille and Cody Greco of Greco Photo Co., helped narrow down the locations and timing. Together, they planned a sunrise ceremony at Bow Lake, portraits overlooking Peyto Lake, and a final stop at a campsite in Dead Man’s Flats. Choosing sunrise also had a practical purpose. Alli and Samarth hoped to avoid larger crowds and have a quieter ceremony at Bow Lake. The early start gave them the setting they wanted while keeping the focus on their small group.

Banff National Park has a ceremony permit application, and that application includes Leave No Trace guidelines for couples planning weddings within the park. For Alli and Samarth, working with photographers who were familiar with the area helped them navigate the planning process, including location selection and permits. Their photographers also recommended considering crowds, weather, lighting, and seasonal accessibility when planning the day. These factors are especially useful to keep in mind when choosing both a location and ceremony time. For Alli and Samarth, planning around sunrise helped create the quieter experience they were hoping for at Bow Lake.

If you are planning a Banff elopement, Camille recommends building flexibility into the day. Mountain weather can change, and crowds can affect how a location feels. She also recommends leaving extra time between locations so couples can actually enjoy the experience without feeling rushed. Keeping the timeline relaxed gave Alli and Samarth room to move through their day naturally.

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Alli and Samarth were very intentional about which parts of their wedding they wanted professional help with and which parts they wanted to create themselves. Their photographers became an important part of that planning process, helping with location selection, timelines, permits, vendor recommendations, crowds, weather, lighting, and seasonal accessibility.

Finding the right photographers was one of their earliest priorities. They searched through websites, spoke with several photographers, and eventually connected with Camille and Cody Greco. They were drawn to their photography style, local expertise, reviews from previous couples, and early communication. In fact, they felt confident enough in their work that they did not meet face to face until their wedding day.

The Grecos helped shape the overall location plan. They settled on sunrise at Bow Lake, portraits at Peyto Lake, and a final campsite stop with Camille helping identify a location that matched Alli’s vision for a rustic campsite reception. The photographers also provided a vendor list, which helped the couple select their officiant, Grover of Big Rev Weddings. From there, Alli and Samarth handled many of the remaining details themselves. Their approach included secondhand finds, handmade pieces, custom items, family keepsakes, and food that connected both of their cultures.

A Sunrise Ceremony at Bow Lake

The day began early, with Alli having a 3 a.m. hair and makeup appointment before the couple met their photographers at Bow Lake for their 6:30 a.m. ceremony.

As the sun came up, Alli and Samarth gathered along the lakeshore with Alli’s mom, brother, and their two dogs. The location offered the mountain and water scenery they had hoped for, while the early hour helped them avoid larger crowds.

For Alli, the drive toward Bow Lake as the sun was rising became one of the memorable parts of the day. They knew the scenery would be beautiful, but experiencing the landscape while knowing they were about to profess their love there made the morning feel surreal.

Portraits at Peyto Lake

After their ceremony, the couple continued to Peyto Lake for portraits. The second location gave them another opportunity to experience the mountain scenery that had drawn them to Banff in the first place.

The decision to move between locations was part of the experience they had planned with Camille and Cody. Their photographers helped account for lighting, crowds, and the practical details of moving through the area, while the couple had enough flexibility in their plans to enjoy the morning as it unfolded.

A Campground Celebration

After Bow Lake and Peyto Lake, the day shifted into something much more personal. The couple had booked a wooded campsite in Dead Man’s Flats, where they could end their wedding day with Alli’s mom, brother, and their dogs. Alli had envisioned this part of the day as a low key and joyful outdoor celebration. She sourced secondhand pieces, vintage glassware, Coleman lanterns, fresh flowers, and other details to create the campsite setting.

Food became one of the most meaningful ways they brought their backgrounds together. Pani puri, their favorite Indian street food, had to be included. They also added cheese fondue, s’mores, and a homemade two layer wedding cake with chocolate, coconut, coffee, almond amaretto, and chai spiced buttercream. They had even transported refrigerated ingredients and cake layers from the United States in their packed car, with Alli decorating the cake at their Airbnb on the way to Banff.

Details from Two Families and Two Cultures

Personal details carried throughout the day connected the Banff celebration to the larger story of their relationship. Alli wore jewelry from their Indian wedding ceremony, while a scarf from Ahmedabad became part of the campsite table setting.

They also included photographs honoring parents who could not attend. Alli added a photo charm of her father, who passed away in 2008, to her bouquet. Samarth wore a photo charm of his mother, who was living in India and could not attend the Banff ceremony, on his boutonniere.

Other details were intentionally handmade or sourced by the couple. They ordered custom vow books, created a plaid dog tuxedo bandana, and selected a custom plaid jacket for Samarth. Alli wore an off the rack lace top and skirt set, a leafy veil sourced from Facebook Marketplace, and shoes she already owned.

For their dogs, Alli created flower crowns, while she also painted “Just” and “Married” signs for their backpacks to use in photographs.

The Campfire Finale

The campsite became the part of the day that Alli described as her favorite. After the early morning ceremony and mountain portraits, they could settle into a quieter celebration with the people and things they loved. They roasted marshmallows around the fire, ate homemade wedding cake and pani puri, and spent time together at the campsite. The celebration was intentionally simple, but the details made it distinctly theirs.

For Camille and Cody, the campground brunch was also one of their favorite parts to photograph. It brought together the couple’s family, dogs, food, cultural traditions, and DIY details in a setting that felt personal to them.

Almost every part of the day included something Alli and Samarth had chosen, sourced, painted, cooked, or brought with them. Their flowers came from Canadian company Miss Fleurs and included Alli’s bouquet, Samarth’s boutonniere, and flower crowns. Their table incorporated a scarf from their Indian wedding, foil lined bowls inspired by Indian street vendors, a wooden cutting board gifted by friends, vintage crystal glassware, fresh flowers, and vintage Coleman lanterns.

Their food also carried meaning. Pani puri represented one of their favorite Indian foods, while cheese fondue felt fitting for their mountain setting. S’mores made sense around the fire pit, and the homemade cake brought together flavors including coconut, coffee, almond amaretto, and chai. The personal details were not simply decorative. For Alli and Samarth, combining physical items and food from both cultures was a way to weave their individual stories into the beginning of their life together.

Camille described Alli and Samarth as incredibly flexible throughout the day, which made it easy to adapt as needed and keep the experience natural and authentic to them.

What stood out most was the intention behind the celebration. Their Indian wedding had already given them one way to celebrate with family and tradition. Their Banff ceremony gave them another, centered on their legal marriage, their closest family members, their dogs, the outdoors, and the details they had created themselves.

If a day that feels like you is the goal, explore our WanderSelect packages to begin planning.

Elopement Photography by Camille Greco | Greco Photo Co

Alli and Samarth’s Banff elopement gave them a different kind of wedding experience after their larger cultural celebration in India. The two celebrations could hold different purposes, with each reflecting a meaningful part of their relationship and family story.

Their Banff day moved from a quiet sunrise ceremony at Bow Lake to mountain portraits at Peyto Lake and finally to a wooded campsite filled with food, family, dogs, handmade details, and memories from home. The locations were spectacular, but the personal choices made the experience distinctly theirs.

By the time they settled around the fire with homemade cake and pani puri, the day had brought together many of the things they had intentionally prioritized from the beginning. Their cultures, families, dogs, outdoor adventures, creativity, and relationship all had a place in the celebration.

For Alli, that was ultimately what made the day feel right. They had taken the traditions that mattered to them, left room for the things that did not, and created a legal wedding that reflected the life they were beginning together.