Happy Wedding Wednesday!

Troy and I got married in Canmore, Alberta last June so I am trying to get as many wedding posts up this month as I can! See our wedding video HERE.

A lot of you have been asking for Banff recommendations, so this post will be all about Banff AND Canmore (the two towns are about 15 miles from each other.) We stayed at an Airbnb in Canmore. We like Canmore more because it is less touristy! You can’t go wrong with either though.

If you have never been to Banff/Canmore make sure to put it on our list ASAP. One of the very top destinations in North America in my opinion! The scenery you will see there is like no other. You will literally feel like you have been photoshopped into the photo because it is all too unbelievable. You can also get a pretty cheap flight and there are so many great Airbnbs you can stay at in both towns.

*Professional photos from our wedding week from Adria Lea

What to do in Banff

Besides get married obviously..

1.Walk around both towns. Walk into all of the cute shops! You can get some yummy fudge and come great keepsakes around each town. Canmore has much more of a local vibe and Banff is definitely more touristy.

2. Take the Banff gondola up Sulphur Mountain. You can take some amazing photos on the viewing deck and there is a stunning restaurant at the top with floor to ceiling windows that give you amazing views of the town. SKIP the caves (not worth it!)

3. Eat at as many places as you can in Canmore. We loved every restaurant we went to. Didn’t keep up with a list, but just use yelp when you are walking around to find a place! It also gets kind of busy in town so make sure to make a reservation if you have a big group! All the food there is just so amazing!

4. Walk around the Fairmont Banff Springs in Banff. It is stunning and definitely a sight to see! There is a trail in the back that you can take into town as well along a creek.

5. Hike to Bow Falls in Banff. You can take a long hike or you can park down right by the waterfall and walk right out to it!

6. Play golf (if you or your husband likes golf!) We got married at Silvertip Resort in Canmore and they have a beautiful course!

7. See BOTH Lake Moraine and Lake Louise. They get VERY BUSY so go as early as you can in the morning so that you can get parking! If parking is full you will have to park far away and pay for a shuttle to the lake and by then the crowds will be pretty big! We got lucky and got there early enough that it wasn’t crowded at all and we got right on a canoe. WHICH IS A MUST ON BOTH LAKES. Seeing them from the view of the canoe made the list of top 5 things I have done in my life. The glacier water is turquoise and something out of a fairy tale.

8.Book the Banff Glacier Skywalk. This skywalk will offer some amazing views!

9. Do the Glacier Adventure Tour. You will take a buggy up the mountain and you will get to walk on a glacier, drink from the glacier, and throw some snowballs while you are up there! Troy and I didn’t have time to do this but some of our guests did and couldn’t stop talking about how incredible it was.

10. If you have time, drive around Banff National Park. There is much to see and many hiking trails to try!

Other things to do:

Fly Fishin (Take a lesson!)

Hiking (Definitely do as much hiking as you can!)

Horseback Riding (Emmy loved this!)

Rafting (For adventure junkies!)

on the gondola

restaurant on top of gondola

Lake Moraine

Wedding Day

Dinner in Canmore

Emmy at Rehearsal Dinner

*Photos from our iPhones during our Wedding Week

When To Travel to Banff/Canmore

We went at the end of June (June 23-June 28) and feel like it was the VERY BEST time to be there.

-The lakes don’t melt until the end of June. If you go any earlier you will miss the turquoise water.

-It was chilly in the morning and evening, which we loved because we could snuggle up by the far and leave the windows cracked for the mountain air. During the day it was actually warm enough for a tank and shorts!

-It wasn’t as crowded. The crowds typically come in July and August so we felt like we almost had the place to ourselves!

-Airfare and hotels weren’t as expensive as they would have been later in the summer.

Photos by Adria Lea