A 3:30am Hike, a Permit (almost) Disaster, and the Most Perfect Wedding Day — Makenna & Drayden's BC Elopement

High school sweethearts from Dawson Creek drove all the way to the Lower Mainland to get married on a mountain at 5am. Here's exactly how it went.

Photography by Unspoken Photography.

I have planned a lot of elopement days. And I can tell you that some days just have something. A feeling in the air from the very start that tells you this one is going to matter.

Makenna and Drayden's day was one of those days.

They are high school sweethearts from Dawson Creek, BC. They met just before Grade 10 when Drayden moved to town from Mackenzie. They were best friends first. Then somewhere between Grade 10 and Grade 11, it turned into something more. By the time they came to me, they were 23 years old, owned two homes, had two cats, a dog named Kimber, and were completely, obviously, wonderfully in love.

They wanted a day that felt like their favourite things. A sunrise hike. Mountains. Their favourite people. Handwritten vows. And a special quiet that only exists at 5 in the morning on a mountain above Mission, BC.

That is what we created for them, and it was even better than we planned! (more on that below)

The Part Where Things Could Have Gone Very Wrong (But Didn't)

Here is the thing about elopement planning that nobody tells you when you start Googling "how to elope in BC." Things happen. Permits get complicated. Vendors have emergencies. Parks change their rules.

What matters is who is in your corner when that happens.

A few weeks before Makenna and Drayden's wedding, my makeup artist broke her foot. She could not do the elopement. This is the kind of thing that, without a planner, would have taken weeks to sort out. You would have had to search for a new artist you trusted, figure out who would do a midnight makeup call, send a bunch of emails, wait for replies, compare pricing, wonder if you were making the right choice — all while also trying to plan a wedding.

I solved it in about five minutes. I have a trusted network of professionals I can call on when I need to. Makenna and Drayden never even knew there was a hiccup.

That is what having a planner actually means.

Then came the permit situation.

Their second location was supposed to be Golden Ears Provincial Park. On weekends between mid May and early September, you need a day use permit to access the park — and because their date was a Saturday, we needed permits for a group of about 28 people. The permits are free and open three days before your visit. So on Thursday morning, all of us had our alarms set to grab them the moment they went live.

Only one person in our group got one.

We kept trying Thursday. We kept trying Friday. And then on Friday afternoon, I called Makenna and Drayden to talk through our Plan B options.

This is crucial. I am going to give you the cold hard truth: winging it on the morning of your wedding is not romantic. It is stressful. It brings disappointment at exactly the wrong moment. Talking it through the day before — even when it brings up some real, valid,feelings — means those feelings happen on a regular Friday, not on the morning you are supposed to be getting married.

We looked at a few alternative locations that did not require a permit. We landed on Pitt Lake. They were close by when I called, so I dropped them a pin and they drove over to check it out in person.

And they loved it!

On the day of, they told me: everything happens for a reason and that this location ended up being more beautiful than what we had originally planned. The trail, the views, the quiet of 8am on the water was exactly perfect.

Photography by Unspoken Photography.

The Night Before

We had their florals delivered the evening before the wedding. If you have never seen a Floralista bouquet, let me tell you — it is something. Makenna's bouquet was pastel and full and bright, built around mountain flower inspiration. It was completely gorgeous and it was sitting in a vase in their Langley Airbnb, ready for the morning.

12:25am — Hair & Makeup

Yes. You read that right.

Our hair and makeup team arrived at the Airbnb just after midnight. Makenna did not even sleep. She just stayed up, got her hair and makeup done, and prepared to hike a mountain and get married as the sun came up.

By 2:10am, Makenna was done and beautiful. Then our team grabbed a short nap while the rest of the morning started to unfold — because at 4:00am, they were back up to do Makenna's mom hair and makeup, followed by her sister.

Meanwhile, I had my alarm set for 2:45am.

3:45am — Mountain Lookout, Mission BC

Makenna and Drayden packed up their truck with their wedding attire, vows, rings, florals, headlamps, bear spray, water, snacks, the whole thing, and drove out to the trailhead in Mission.

When they pulled up, it was pitch dark.

Sarah and I arrived just a moment after them and our extra set of hands (Sarah’s husband) for the hike. We strapped on our headlamps, grabbed the florals, and started up the mountain.

The birds were singing. Frogs were croaking. Stars were still out. It was already around 19 degrees and the air smelled like summer. It took us just about an hour to reach the top, and every minute of that hike felt like the new chapter was right around the corner! 

I had the map pre-loaded to my garmin watch so we were never lost. This spot is one of those spots that has been on my radar for years. Only 350 metres of elevation gain and about 7km round trip! It is genuinely accessible, and the payoff at the top is one of the best views in the Fraser Valley. I had been saving it, waiting for the right couple.

These two were the right couple.

Photography by Unspoken Photography.

5:04am — Sunrise

We reached the top just before sunrise. I stepped back and let Makenna and Drayden take in the view for a moment. No agenda, no prompts. Just the two of them standing at the top of a mountain as the sky started to turn.

Then we got to work.

I took Makenna back down the trail a little way and hung her dress in a tree. Sarah stayed with Drayden to help him get into his suit. Makenna's dress was from Mikaella Bridal, with beautiful lace sleeves, and she had paired it with her western boots. Once she was dressed, I handed her her bouquet, made sure everything was perfect, and we pinned Drayden's boutonniere.

I also did a quick cleanup of the summit before the first look — someone had recently had a fire there, and I tossed the burned logs over the cliff to clear the spot. You are not paying for something less than the best version of your morning.

Then I tucked Makenna around the corner, out of sight.

Drayden was looking out at the view, and Makenna walked up behind him and asked him to turn around.

He took her alllllll in.

Sarah caught every second of it.

After the first look, Makenna gave Drayden his surprise. She had done a boudoir shoot earlier that year and had all the photos printed into a book for him — and she handed it to him right there on the mountain top, just as the sun came over the ridge. He was completely blown away.

There were also two small details that made me tear up a little. Drayden had a custom MD pin on his lapel. And Makenna's bouquet had a silver M pin tucked into it — her grandmother's, gifted to her by her mother that very morning. A family heirloom on the wedding day. That is the kind of detail that lives in photos forever.

We spent the rest of that hour doing couple portraits on the summit. They climbed on rocks. They did twirls and spins. And then the sun came fully over the mountain and it genuinely took our breath away.

These two were so in love it was such a treat to watch. In the best way.

8:00am — Pitt Lake, First Look with Dad

After hiking back down and a quick drive over, we arrived at Pitt Lake to meet the rest of their people.

Twenty-eight guests, all dressed in black.

I love a colour-drenched wedding! The whole group in black against the green of the valley and the grey of the water was absolutely STUNNING.

Makenna changed her necklace to a set of pearls which was a gift her dad had given her mom on their own wedding day. Then Makenna did a first look with her dad.

She also had a gift for him. I am not going to say too much about what it was, because that moment belongs to them. But I will tell you that there was not a dry eye in the group.

Photography by Unspoken Photography.

The Ceremony

There was no music for the ceremony. Makenna and Drayden had talked about it and decided they just wanted the sounds of nature. And at 8am on a quiet trail at Pitt Lake, it was perfectly silent in all the right ways.

We organized the group into a soft horseshoe shape along the path. Sarah their photographer, Angela their officiant, and the guests moved down first. Then we held back Makenna with her dad, Drayden with his mom, and their maid of honour and best man.

Drayden walked in first, with his mom. Then their MOH and BM together. Then Makenna, on her dad's arm.

He gave her away to Drayden.

They exchanged rings. They read their handwritten vows out loud. I always recommend handwritten vows — not because it is expected, but because reading something you actually wrote to the person you actually love brings out a level of emotion that nothing else does. It is raw and real something you remember forever.

After the signing of the marriage licence, Angela said her goodbyes. I had sparkling juice and glasses ready to go. We did a toast with the whole group, then moved into family photos.

Twenty-eight people. Multiple family combinations. We moved through it smoothly and then Sarah and I said our goodbyes — the family was on off for the rest of the day.

The Rest of the Day (That We Planned For Them)

The group made their way back toward Langley for a brunch reservation at Beatniks Bistro in Fort Langley. Beatniks does not normally take reservations — I had a conversation with the owner directly, and she worked with me to create space for their group of 29. That kind of thing does not just happen. You have to ask, and you have to ask the right way.

In the afternoon, they explored Fort Langley Village and stopped for drinks at Trading Post Brewing. Then it was back to the Airbnb to freshen up before heading to Sinocan Winery in Langley for their dinner reception — speeches, cake, dancing, the whole evening.

The next morning, Makenna and Drayden dropped her bouquet off for preservation before heading up to Whistler for their honeymoon.

And I kept thinking about what they said on the day: everything happens for a reason.

Photography by Unspoken Photography.

What This Day Was Really About

Makenna and Drayden did not want a big wedding. They wanted something that felt like them — outdoors, intimate, full of the people they love most, and completely free from the noise and performance of a traditional wedding day.

They got exactly that, and then some.

They got a mountain sunrise that not one in a hundred people ever gets to see on their wedding day. They got handwritten vows that meant something. They got heirlooms and surprises and a dad walking his daughter across a quiet trail toward the person she has loved since she was 15.

They also got a makeup emergency, a permit crisis, and a location change — none of which they ever had to think about, because that is what having a planner is for.

This is what I do. Not just the timeline and the vendor list. The problem solving. The network. The Friday afternoon phone call that turns disappointment into a new plan, and the new plan into the best day of your life.

FAQ: Eloping in BC with a Small Guest Group

Can you elope in BC with guests?

Yes, absolutely. Elopements with guests are one of my favourite things to plan. Makenna and Drayden had about 28 people there and it still felt completely intimate. The key is smart location choice and a clear ceremony structure — so guests know what to do and the couple still gets to be the centre of their own day.

Do you need a permit to elope in BC provincial parks?

It depends on the park, the day, and the time of year. Golden Ears Provincial Park requires day use vehicle permits on weekends, and they go fast — sometimes within minutes of becoming available. Not having a permit is not a disaster if you have a planner with a backup plan. Without one, it is a very stressful wedding morning.

What is Pitt Lake?

Pitt Lake is a beautiful, accessible spot in the Pitt Meadows area with wide open views of the lake and the mountains behind it. There is free roadside parking and the trail to the viewpoint is easy enough for most guests, including those with limited mobility. It is a great ceremony location for groups.

Can I elope in BC with a 3am start time?

Yes, and honestly — the couples who start their days before sunrise almost always say it was their favourite part. There is something about the dark, the quiet, the anticipation of watching the sun come up that is completely different from anything else. It takes some planning (headlamps, safety gear, hair and makeup team who will work at midnight), and having a planner to coordinate all of it is what makes it work.

What should I wear to a BC mountain elopement?

Whatever feels like you. Makenna wore a lace-sleeve gown from Mikaella Bridal and paired it with western boots. Drayden wore a suit from Edwards with a custom lapel pin. You do not need to sacrifice your personal style to get married outdoors in BC. You just need a planner who thinks about things like where to hang your dress on the trail, how to get you both changed at the top of a mountain, and how to keep your hem out of the dirt.

Do I need a planner for a BC elopement?

You do not need one the same way you need a marriage licence. But here is what having a planner actually means: when your makeup artist breaks her foot two weeks before your wedding, you find out in five minutes that a replacement has been booked. When the park permits run out, you get a Friday afternoon phone call with three new options. When the morning of your wedding arrives, you do not have to hold any of the logistics in your head. You just get to be the person getting married. That is what it means.

Is Sinocan Winery in Langley good for an elopement dinner?

Yes. Sinocan Winery is a beautiful venue in Langley, BC, perfect for a small dinner reception after your ceremony. They can accommodate groups, and the setting has a warm, celebratory feel without being stuffy. We had speeches, cake, and dancing — and it was the perfect way to end a very full, very beautiful day.

What BC elopement locations are good for a group of 20-30 guests?

This depends a lot on accessibility, the time of year, and what kind of experience you want. Pitt Lake worked beautifully for Makenna and Drayden. Other great options include accessible lake shores, dyke trails, and select provincial park day-use areas. A planner can help you identify locations that work for your specific group size and any mobility needs your guests may have.

Where is the best place to elope near Vancouver, BC?

The Vancouver area has so many good options — Pitt Lake, Golden Ears Park, the North Shore mountains, Pitt Meadows dykes, and more. The best location depends on your vibe, your guest list (if you have one), and the time of year. I always suggest working with a planner who knows the area personally and can match you to a spot that actually fits your relationship — not just one that photographs well.