Couple: Esther & Jared
Wedding Date: May 29, 2026
Wedding Venue: Tunnel Mountain Reservoir
Wedding City / Country: Banff, Alberta, Canada
Ceremony Dress: Sloane
Esther & Jared's Intimate Wedding in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff, Alberta
A Scenic Wedding Surrounded by Rocky Mountain Peaks at Tunnel Mountain Reservoir, Banff, Alberta, Canada
Share with us about your love story! How did you meet and where?
On July 23, 2022, we met on the steepest part of Sarrail Ridge, a local hike in Kananaskis, AB.
We were complete strangers whose friend groups just so happened to pick this hike, on the same day, at the same time. Jared and I were the stragglers in our groups.
On the last 500m to the summit, I turned around during a break to take in the view, and I saw Jared also taking a break. In true Canadian fashion, we exchanged words of encouragement and made it to the top.
Being the only two groups on the ridge, we took each other's group photos. I then used this group photo on Hinge. I didn't recognise him on the app and thought he was cute, so I liked one of his hiking photos. Jared then saw the photo he helped take of my group at the top of Sarrail Ridge and sent me a message saying how we had met that day and hiked together.
This is how we reconnected, and the rest is history!
Our first year of dating was filled with hikes in Kananaskis, Canmore, and Banff. Now, we choose to fill our free time with long walks with Penny, our dog, and rarely go into the mountains like we used to.
We naturally decided to have our intimate wedding ceremony in the place where we met in nature, and in the mountains.
What do you love most about your partner and what made you fall in love with your partner?
Jared about Esther: I love how caring and compassionate Esther is, and how we always seem to be on the same wavelength. We say the same thing at the same time a lot!
Esther about Jared: I love how Jared anticipates and takes care of my needs before I even voice them. His thoughtfulness, caring, and goofy nature are what made me fall in love with him.
Jared had also never owned a dog in his life, and so when we began dating, seeing his growing bond with Penny and his willingness to learn how to be a good dog dad over the years won my heart over!
How did your partner propose? Share with us your proposal story!
Jared had planned to propose to me in front of the Seattle Asian Art Museum, where Noguchi's Black Sun sculpture was. He had sent his sister and her photographer friend to the site earlier.
It was on our way to the sculpture that they texted him to change the proposal site. There was heavy construction in front of the sculpture, with masses of school buses and children around.
At this point, Jared and I had already passed a greenhouse conservatory on the way to the museum, which was clearly closed. The open sign was not lit, the time was 9:44 AM, and the sign on the door said it opens at 10:00 AM. Because our schedule had said "Tour Seattle Asian Art Museum 10:00 AM," I didn't feel any compulsion to visit the conservatory beforehand and besides, it wasn't open yet!
However, Jared kept trying to convince me to go back and peek through the windows because it was "really cool." Well, it wasn't "really cool" – the windowed corner he pulled me into had no lights on, no plants, just concrete flooring.
At this point, I was annoyed because I could tell he was clearly stalling. But since it was just him and I, with no other noticeable tourists around, I didn't understand why he wanted to stay.
Turns out, he was stalling because he was waiting for the go-ahead from his sister and photographer, who were face down on the ground – hiding inside a large pine tree just a few feet away from us.
Once he got the OK, he knelt on one knee and asked the question. Of course I said yes!
It was only after the ring was on that his sister and photographer appeared from the trees, and then it all clicked. We joke about this day often!
How did you decide on your wedding date and venue?
Since there are many weddings we're attending in June, we chose May 29, close enough to June to feel like a June wedding. Because it snows late into April in Alberta, late May was also a safe choice for a snow-free day and green grass.
And since we chose the end of May in Banff, the weather wasn't too cold or too hot. It was perfect. All we needed was a light jacket.
We chose Tunnel Mountain Reservoir in Banff National Park as it was a public space that could be reserved, we didn't want to risk running into tourists or other events if we picked a random spot in the mountains.
Since we met in the mountains, it was clear to us that we wanted our ceremony to pay homage to our origins and the views that we love. But we wanted the ceremony to be simple and didn't go hard on decor, as the mountain views did all the work.
Our wedding day was everything we hoped and planned it would be. Luckily, we didn't get rained on!
However, since the venue is in a valley, we experienced a lot of wind. This didn't dampen our day though the sun was still shining brightly and we got to marry each other!
What were some of your biggest challenges you faced during your wedding planning?
One of the biggest challenges we faced was managing (sometimes last-minute) parental expectations, especially because I am a people pleaser and Jared is not.
We ran into some situations where it was easier for me to blame a decision on Jared's stubbornness. He had voiced that this wasn't fair, since these were decisions we made together. I had to learn how to advocate for both of us in front of our parents, especially when we decided against things they wanted.
Another challenge was planning the seating chart. Our parents' interfamily dynamics and desire to fill seats made this harder and more stressful than we had anticipated, especially when we also had last-minute RSVP cancellations.
We made sure to run multiple drafts by them and compromise where needed. While accommodating their requests, we were still intentional about planning a wedding that we wanted.
It was hard at first, but it paid off. We are extremely happy with how the day went!
What made you choose our B&G gown and what did you like the most about it?
What drew me to the Sloane gown was how timeless and elegant it looked. And it had all the features I had loved when trying on dresses at boutiques:
- Off-the-shoulder sleeves
- Waist detailing
- An A-line shape
- A satin material
It looked and felt the most like "me" in a wedding dress.
How did your friends or family react when they first saw you in your wedding gown?
They were so excited and kept complimenting me on it!
While it had been the opposite of what some of my friends and family had guessed my dress would look like, they all agreed that Sloane suited me very well.
What was the most memorable part of your wedding that you love up till today? How did you feel throughout the day?
Other than marrying my best friend, we loved getting to celebrate with our friends and family and seeing all the joy and happiness everyone had for us.
We felt so supported and loved!
Share one or two pieces of advice you would pass on to upcoming brides.
Something I would pass on to upcoming brides is to enjoy the day!
All the planning and stress over small details won't even cross your mind on the day of, so try to be present and soak up all the love!
Wedding Vendors
- Wedding Dress: Sloane - Bone and Grey
- Wedding Planner / Coordinator: @everlasting_impressions_
- Photographer: @sotnik_ph
- Makeup & Hair: @cassandramariasanta / @jliaoo.hair
- Florist: @Fleurishflowershop / @floralsbyjan
-
Food / Catering: @ryuko.yyc