Lakeside Elopement • Lisa & Kevin

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The Magic of Eloping Lakeside

There’s something undeniably intimate about saying your “I DO’s” near the waters edge. With the sound of waves lapping on the shore and birds chirping, it really allows you to sink into each and every perfect moment. That’s the magic of eloping lakeside at Brannen Lake Estates in Nanaimo, BC. It’s not just a location. It’s a feeling — a kind of quiet, natural spell that wraps around your day and makes it unforgettable.

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Lisa and Kevin inquired with me and booked almost immediately. They had never been to the island, as they live in Austria, but found it online and immediately knew they needed a Canadian adventure. Once they were booked in, we came to the portion of narrowing down locations. As we are on an island, most people are drawn to the water on either the rugged side of the island, or the sprawling beaches of Tofino. These two requested a lake which definitely made me giggle. I went through many different options of a lake that is central enough for vendors and air bnb’s and finally we settled on Brannen Lake Estate in Nananimo, BC.

Lisa and Kevin decided to prolong the magic of their day and their elopement experience by writing vows to each other before their ceremony and with a longer portrait session to get to enjoy all the parts of Brannen Lake Estates. From the lakeside, to the fields with tall grass, all the way up to the rock wall, which is handsdown my most favorite spot to photograph, there’s a reason so many love stories unfold on this property.

Lisa and Kevin’s lakeside elopement reminded me of why I created Vancouver Island Elopement. To provide a space for the couples that say ‘screw it’ to tradition and ‘NO’ to months of prep and stress over a guest list or seating plan. I love creating experiences for couples to just be themselves, to elope without putting on a performance or veering from what is true to their hearts. Cheers to the couples like Lisa and Kevin for choosing presence over performance, saying yes to slowing down and to letting their day unfold organically. That’s what makes it feel like magic — because it truly is.

Elopement Vendors

Planning: Vancouver Island Elopement

Photography: Elyse Anna Photography

Makeup: Remy Martin

Celebrant: Celebrations by Sherri

Best locations to elope in Tofino, BC

Tofino British Columbia • Located on the rugged and always magical west coast of Vancouver Island- is the perfect destination for your dream elopement. With its wild and untamed beauty, Tofino offers an array of breathtaking natural setting for your intimate celebration. Here are our top picks for the best Tofino elopement ceremony spots: 

1. Crystal Cove - nestled on Mackenzie Beach, Crystal Cove offers no shortage of coastal backdrops to add to your elopement ceremony. 

2. Cox Bay offers an oceanfront oasis to all those that visit.  It is the perfect spot to throw your shoes off and say your I Do’s barefoot in the sand, while the waves crash up over the rocks. When the tide is low, Cox Bay is so incredibly intimate and beautiful… not to mention, a photographers dream with the symmetry of the rocks.

3. Tonquin Beach - This intimate cove offers a sense of majestic seclusion. Located on one of the more private beaches, exchanging vows on the sandy shore or atop the mini rocky cliffs offers our adventurous couples everything could hope for in a true west coast elopement day. 

4. Pettinger Point - A short boardwalk trail through the forest leads you straight to Pettinger Point and some of the most spectacular sunset views in all of Tofino. It has multiple different locations that make it seem as though you’re in five different locations. It is a little slice of magic.

5. Pettinger Point #2- aka The actual point) - A short and beautiful boardwalk trail through the forest leads you straight to Pettinger Point. If you go a little further and climb the bluff, you get to experience some of the most spectacular sunset views in all of Tofino.