Sunrise Hiking Elopement in Charlevoix

Elopement in Charlevoix, Quebec | Quebec Elopement Photographer

The mountains of Charlevoix are absolutely breathtaking and I feel like they are not a very well known region outside of Quebec which makes it a perfect place for an elopement in Charlevoix. Our first time visiting the Charlevoix Region was in 2020 and we fell in love with the area. The towering mountains that were created over 400 million years ago when a meteorite hit the earth and created one of the most unique landscapes in the province of Quebec. It is the perfect place to summit a mountain that is not as high as the Rocky Mountains and makes it much easier to do so!

Laura and Brandon had originally planned for a larger wedding with their family and friends in Ontario, but when COVID struck and large weddings were not allowed they reached out and said they wanted to elope on Thanksgiving weekend and asked if I was free! I was already going to be in Quebec for another elopement near Jacques Cartier National Park (check it out here!) so we explored all the options Quebec had to offer and landed on the Charlevoix for their elopement. Their elopement in Charlevoix was an absolutely incredible day filled with just their parents surrounding themselves in the most beautiful landscape.

Beautiful bride and groom eloping in Charlevoix Quebec on a warm fall day.

Planning an Elopement in Charlevoix & How To Plan for a Hiking Elopement

When planning a wedding in any kind of mountain range one thing you need to be prepared for is the weather can change at anytime. That is one of the most important things to be prepared for any kind of weather and conditions on your elopement day. There is no bad weather just bad planning!

Here are some of the most important things we suggest bringing along for a hiking elopement in Charlevoix or any mountain areas (or in general!):

Base Layers under your wedding clothes (merino wool is always great!) - Long underwear or leggings, long sleeve if it works under your attire, a good warm wrap or jacket that matches with your outfits
Good Quality Footwear - Wearing Heels & Dress shoes may be the first thing you think of but if you are doing a hiking elopement you certain to do want that! Choosing a shoe (or boot) with a good sole and quality tread, waterproofing is a bonus because wet feet are NO FUN!
Rain / Waterproof Jacket - Even if you are getting married in the middle of summer you want to make sure you always have a rain shell or waterproof jacket with you. Weather especially in the mountains can change in an instant and you always want to be prepared!
Gloves - Gloves are always handy to have especially as the temp often is cooler before and after the sun rises / sets and you don't want your hands to be cold!!
Snacks - No one likes getting hangry and making sure you have enough food for the amount of energy you are going to be burning and extras just in case!
Water - Water is an absolute must for any kind of day when we leave your car behind for any length of time.

To learn more about planning an elopement in Quebec and all the best places to Elope in Quebec check out the post here!

Laura & Brandon's Epic Sunrise Hiking Elopement in Charlevoix on Thanksgiving Weekend

Laura + Brandon along with my guidance planned their elopement in 25 days and everything went off without a hitch! We planned to do a sunrise hiking elopement in Charlevoix mountains with their family. Since we were bringing their parents along we opted to do a hike with that was moderate but still incredible views! We kicked off the morning at 4am and met up in the parking lot at the trail head - it was gently snowing and colder than the forecast originally planned for but the great thing was we were all prepared for the weather! We kicked off the hike in the dark quickly gaining elevation and watching the light in the sky slowly getting brighter. Hiking in the dark for a sunrise elopement is one of my favourite activities you can really feel the excitement of everyone in the group and know on a clear, cold day we are going to get one heck of a sunrise!

Sunrise hiking elopement in Charlevoix mountains Quebec.

Bride and groom hiking up a mountain for the couples Charlevoix Wedding in the mountains.

As we began to reach the summit of the mountain we were going to do their ceremony on the winds began to pick up to a dangerous speed. The difference between 5 minutes down the trail to the summit was absolutely out of this world. So we found a nice overlook that would still get us the sunrise but we were moderately protected from the winds compared to being on the summit! Once we settled on our spot Laura and Brandon quickly got changed into their wedding clothes, did their beautiful first look as the light began to change and then went right into their ceremony as their parents looked on as the sun rose over the mountains in Charlevoix.

Bride hanging her elopement dress on a tree to get ready for her Charlevoix Wedding in the mountains on thanksgiving weekend.

Bride walking towards her groom before the sunrises in Charlevoix for their first look during their elopement.

Bride and Groom seeing each other for the first time on top of a mountain in Charlevoix.

After watching the breathtaking sunrise for Laura and Brandon's Elopement in Charlevoix we decided to make a quick trip back up to the summit to try and grab a few photos and the wind literally took our breath away! So we headed back down the mountain and explored the trails around before heading to another spot down the road for some more adventuring in the mountains!