Introduction
So you’re considering eloping on the Sunshine Coast in BC. Congratulations, because you’re looking at one of the most amazing places in the world. Snow capped mountains, helicopters, boat rides and the pacific ocean. It might actually be easier to wright a blog post on what the Sunshine Coast doesn’t have.
We are going to go through a few locations on the Sunshine Coast, but before we get to them. We are going to talk about transport and legalities for the region in general.
How to get to the Sunshine Coast
The best way to get to the Sunshine Coast is by ferry, this way you can bring your car with you to get around. Which is difficult without a car. The ferry terminals with services to the Sunshine Coast are:
Horseshoe Bay (West Vancouver) to Langdale (Gibsons)
Earls Cove to Saltery Bay
Westview (Powell River) to Blubber Bay (Texada Island)
Westview (Powell River) to Little River (Comox)
The crossing most couples will be interested in is the first one from the Horseshoe Bay. This is the crossing you’ll take if you are coming from the mainland (Vancouver). The Horseshoe Bay is accessible either by car or taxi, or you can take the Horseshoe Express Bus.
On all of these ferry routes you can always walk on should you choose to take a cab or the bus. Fares on the ferry with a standard car usually run at around $70 each way. There’s more info on the ferry and bookings here.
There is an option to get to the Sunshine Coast by air, this is a great option if you want to have the most amazing views possible on your trip over. Flights are from the south terminal at Vancouver International Airport (YVR). The flight is to Sechelt and takes around an hour and 10 minutes. You can find more info and book your flights here.
Bonniebrook Lodge in Gibsons Harbour
If you want an elopement on the water with all the comforts of a hotel within walking distance. You really can’t go wrong here, the ceremony location right down on the water is absolutely stunning. Id recommend coming here for a summer elopement. You have a few options for your rooms to stay in at the lodge that will make for some stunning getting ready photos on your big day!
Right next to the lodge is the historic townsite district, which makes for some really vintage and amazing photos and videos. All by the stunning coastline with ships coming and going. Another great activity around here is boat rentals. This is something that really makes your elopement stand out. And this way you can have multiple different background locations for your images.
Smuggler Cove Marine Provincial Park
Smuggler Cove is what I picture when I imagine a Canadian lake, being in this place makes me feel like i’m in the film Free Willy. Loads of wooden lodges on lakes. We’d recommend taking the Smuggler Cove trail and walking all the way down to the waterfront for your actual ceremony, it’s absolutely beautiful down there. The whole trail is 4.5km to complete, so not too long, about an hour and 30 minutes to complete.
For anyone wanting to bring their dogs along to their elopement, this trail is dog friendly, though they do need to be on a leash. Because we are on the pacific coast, temperatures in the winter are also quite mild. Which makes this adventure elopement destination doable for anyone wanting a magical winter elopement. Smuggler Cove is 37 km from the Gibsons ferry terminal, around 37 minutes without traffic.
As for accomodation in the area, we have a couple of recommendations for different styles and budgets. Our first pick is a luxury property in Halfmoon, this place is absolutely amazing and would offer some great lighting for your getting ready pics, and could equally serve as a ceremony location. Serving each other an amazing breakfast surprise in this place would be a dream come true.
Our second choice for accommodation is a full cottage in the Halfmoon Bay area is this Airbnb listing. It comes with a hot tub and is in a secluded area on the Sunshine Coast. This place is truly special and one of the most perfect ways to wake up on your wedding day. We are both really into nature, hiking and being out in the woods. This is all literally on your doorstep here. In most cases, we prefer private self catering Airbnb’s over hotels. Mainly because we prefer to do our own thing, eat our or cook ourselves. There are some hotels in the region but they’re a little further out from all the main hiking spots.
Cliff Gilker Park
We absolutely love this spot. The amazing rainforest, the waterfall and all the trails. Cliff Gilker Park is such an amazing place to elope! The park is also really accessible from Sechelt and Gibsons. We’ve got a couple of options for places to stay that are absolutely amazing.. Before that though, we’d recommend taking a helicopter ride with Airspan Helicopters. This is a great way to get an aerial view of the Sunshine Coast and looks amazing for your photo and film. Their offices are in downtown Sechelt and so really convenient for couples looking to get married in Cliff Gilker Park.
For your ceremony, we’d recommend heading down to the waterfall for your ceremony, which you can see in the video below. You can get married right next to the waterfall, with the sun beaming in from above, this is truly one of the most magical places to get married, and its right here in our backyard!
For places to stay. Our first choice has views of the water, mountains and forrest and is truly magical. Close to downtown and a unique place to stay for your wedding. This is an Airbnb and is where we’d recommend to stay for your elopement in Cliff Gilker Park, you can book the cabin here.
If you do want somewhere that’s right on the sea, then this cottage actually has its own private beach. So this is great if you want to be right on the the water, what an amazing way to wake up on your wedding day. Having breakfast right next to the mountains and the waves. The cottage is also right next to the park for easy access in the morning. Plus you have all the activities and restaurants in nearby Sechelt.
We’re Tom and Emily. Your photo & Video elopement team! We encourage, help, explain and guide you through this whole process. We absolutely love travel and unique experiences!
Tin Hat Mountain
Out of all of our picks, Tin Hat Mountain is definitely the most reward for the most effort, the entire trail officially is 17km, but from our experience its more like 24km. So it might be a good idea to either camp, or stay in our recommended accommodation, which we will get to!
This place is best visited in summer for your elopement, you’ll want to get married at the top, this isn’t for everyone, you need to be moderately good at hiking, which is also required for everyone else at your elopement, such as your officiant, photographer and videographer. But its all well worth it, the views at the top are simply incredible. The secret sauce to this location is to get married either at sunrise or golden hour. Out of all our picks on here, this is the one we really recommend for the absolute best photos and videos.
There are toilets at the top of the trail. But they don’t have toilet paper, so make sure you have some with you. You do have the option to stay in the Tin Hat Hut. But note that its a first come first serve basis, its also absolutely free, however a $5 donation is recommended.
So… Can you get married on Tin Hat Mountain? Absolutely. As long as you can get up there then your legs are the only thing standing between you and the most amazing elopement location in British Columbia.
Princess Louisa Inlet
If you thought Tin Hat Mountain was great, let us blow you away again with suggesting you elope at Princess Louisa Inlet. This spot offers an impressive view of the water and the mountains, and is an absolute must for anyone wanting to get married on the Sunshine Coast in Fall. This location offers so many options for your couples photos and ceremony locations, with rainforest surrounding each section of the inlet. There are waterfalls around here that could honestly pass for Bali. But in Canada!
However, great effort equals great reward for this one. The Inlet is the most in accessible option on this list. You could use our recommended boat tour to get to and from. Or you can wrap up both your transport to the Inlet and your accomodation in one here. We promise though the extra effort is totally worth it.
The way you get here is by taking the road past Schelt and up to Earls Cove, where most of the boating trips depart, or for the specific lodge we’ve suggested. You continue on to Egmont. This is around 82 km or about an hour and 30 minutes from Gibsons.
Something we would highly recommend for this location however, is doing a seaplane adventure elopement to Princess Louisa Inlet. This is the best way to get the best views of the fjord and enjoy the views of not just the Inlet. But the coastal mountains as well!
Conclusion
Getting married or eloping on the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia (BC) is one of the most amazing decisions. You won’t regret it! (We promise!). If you’re not sure on where you’re at with your planning or you’re looking to get some advice, or maybe even some awesome photos and films of your amazing adventure elopement. You can reach out to us below, we are always happy to chat to couples and talk about their plans for their big day!