Is your hubby dying for a mountain getaway, while you long for a wedding weekend full of resort style pampering? We’ve got the low down on a place that just might keep you from having to choose: Vancouver Island.
Vancouver Island, BC, is one of North America’s best kept secrets for destination weddings. With a relatively mild climate, miles of beaches, rainforest (that’s right RAINforests), snowy peak mountains, and breathtaking resorts, Vancouver Island is the ideal spot for couples seeking a wilderness wedding.
Before deciding that Vancouver Island is the place for you, here are a couple of things to consider:
When will your wedding be? Vancouver Island can be quite wet and stormy during the winter months, though the island rarely sees snow in its lower elevations. The flip side of the wet winter months, of course, is the short-sleeve weather that the island boasts during the spring, summer and fall.
Where will everyone stay? The myriad of festivals in the summer months may make finding accommodations a challenge, if you are short on time or looking to rent out a large number of rooms in a specific location, but provided you give yourself enough time Vancouver Island has a wide array of accommodations for your perusal.
International Travel? If you are from the US, asking your guests to cross the border can be another aspect to consider before giving Vancouver Island the nod; do your guests have passports, or time to procure one? Will anyone important to you be unable to attend due to financial reasons brought on by a long trip?
Making it Legal? Make sure to research the requirements for getting a marriage license in your chosen location. These requirements are subject to change, so definitely double check what you need to take in the way of birth certificates, drivers license, passports, divorce papers, etc. so you don’t end up high and dry the day before your ceremony. Make sure to find the location of a Marriage License Issuer, and plan transportation to get there in the allotted time before you say “I do”.
Another drawback is that if you take your guests to a place where they can ski in the morning, lunch on the beach, shop in the afternoon and play golf in the evening… they may never come home. But we’re betting that your guests would be more than happy to take the risk.
If you are searching for Vancouver Island wedding venue ideas, we have a few breathtaking morsels on tap for you:
The West Coast Wilderness Lodge
Photo Two: Sakura Photography: Photo Three: Jessica Turale; Photo Four: The Nickersons
