centreSPREAD - Couples get Creative

Couples get creative

FEBRUARY 2007 — VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2

Marriage, that most traditional of institutions, is increasingly taking place in some very untraditional places.

Tropical getaway weddings are trendy, but a ski resort-based wedding can offer more daring fare. From a dogsled-led “I do” to getting hitched right on the mountain, Sun Peaks is top choice for many adventurous couples.

For those who love outdoor sport, an on-slope ceremony is a unique way to celebrate the big day. It’s probably not for “bridezillas”—those infamously high-maintenance half bride-half monsters—but for couples with a bit of edge (no pun intended) and a sense of fun, it can be a truly exhilarating experience.

Ashley Tait, director of communications for Tourism Sun Peaks has helped plan what’s become an annual tradition at Sun Peaks—complementary wedding packages on opening day of the winter season.

“Sun Peaks is a very special place to get married,” says Tait, “Everyone gets a mini-holiday at the resort and people feel like they’re part of something really special.”

One of Sun Peaks’ greatest wedding assets is the on-mountain, non-denominational chapel tucked away at the top of the Sunburst chairlift. Decorated with painted murals and fitted with quaint wooden pews, it’s rife with tradition in a very untraditional setting. The fact that it lacks electricity makes it even more exceptional, as ceremonies are conducted by candlelight and guests are snuggled into warm winter gear.

“Even though the chapel’s located just off the ski runs,” says Tait, “it’s got this peacefulness and sense of quiet. It’s really quite a romantic setting.”

Guests upload on the chairlift for the ceremony and either download on the chair afterward or slide down on skis or a snowboard. It’s both mildly alarming and pleasantly surprising to see a bride and groom on skis or boards en route down the hill—manoeuvring that fabulous white dress is tricky in any situation, never mind on a surface dictated by the whims of gravity.

Capturing those moments is a key part of the resort wedding. Local photographer Matt Crossman has been shooting weddings in Sun Peaks for four years and takes pride in capturing the fun and excitement of an on-slope ceremony.

The trick, he says, is to capture the couple being themselves. Because of the unusual setting, he likes to avoid too much traditional posing and aims instead to capture spontaneous moments. A flip through his wedding-photo portfolio reveals brides who look excited and carefree, sliding down a run in a gown or sluicing through the resort on a horse-drawn sleigh.

What’s neat about Sun Peaks, says Crossman, is that the bride and groom can easily feel very special on their wedding day. The resort is tight-knit by nature and wedding parties are apt to attract attention.

“I think Sun Peaks is very intimate that way,” he explains. “As a bride on your big day, you don’t get upstaged by anything, whereas at a huge resort like Whistler, that might not be the case. All you hear at Sun Peaks is congratulations and best wishes from the guests and locals. The whole experience is very personal.”

Andree McKenzie, proprietor of the Pinnacle Lodge and Spa, agrees. The Pinnacle Lodge and Spa is one of Sun Peaks’ most popular places for wedding parties for that very reason. Its boutique size means wedding parties can book the whole lodge for the weekend and remove any worries about drinking and driving or having to ensure that grandparents, or new parents with small children, are well taken care of.

Asked what her favourite part about hosting weddings is, McKenzie admits there’s no single answer to that question—she loves everything about it.

“They’re all really nice,” McKenzie says. “It’s always exciting. The staff always make fun of me because I get so excited. For the couple, it’s something totally different than a banquet hall or a community centre. It’s really “wow”. No matter whether it’s winter or summer, it’s a bit edgier and unusual. I don’t really have a favourite wedding or memory—the weddings are all really special in their own way.”

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