Couples marrying in Rockies bond to landscape

Why couples marry in Canada’s Rocky Mountains national parks was the subject of ground-breaking research recently completed by Dr. Elizabeth Halpenny. 

“The wedding industry is massive and there is certainly lots of popular literature out there about destination weddings, but nothing overly scholarly,” says Halpenny.

“It is definitely unique research that provided valuable information for Parks Canada staff about why people are getting married in Canadian mountain parks,” she says.

“Banff and Jasper are unique among Canada’s national parks in that each has a well-developed infrastructure to service wedding tourism.”

The research project was one of three commissioned by Parks Canada in 2007 to explore the role of special events and people’s attachment to the parks as a result – a field in which Halpenny is a recognized expert. Special events were defined as those occurring in protected areas but which had little or no direct connection to the cultural or natural heritage that the parks are managed to protect. 

Parks Canada wanted Halpenny to look specifically at wedding tourism because it’s seen as a very personal and family-oriented event. The research sought to answer questions about why people get married in the mountains, their satisfaction and dissatisfaction with the experience and the couple’s relationship with the Rocky Mountains.

After interviewing people in the wedding industry, Halpenny identified 10 couples who were able to speak in-depth about their experience.

“Half of the couples got married in Jasper on their own without family because they really wanted a simple experience. Many already had a deep connection to the mountains before they got married through recreation and use of the parks, and wanted to commemorate that with a significant moment in their lives,” says Halpenny. “Some people simply wanted to avoid the stress of family squabbles and complications that can happen when planning a wedding at home.”

Couples were asked about their relationship with nature, the mountains and the park as well as marking key locations on a map where important events related to their destination wedding experience happened.

“The constraints of getting married in a high-profile park like Banff are something that most of the couples accepted as part of their decision,” says Halpenny, listing issues such as tourist crowds at popular scenic sites, not being able to play music in backcountry settings and restrictions on party size.

“I think the important message that comes out of this research for Parks Canada is that people who get married in a national park create a life-long connection to that place, and they will go back to for anniversaries, take their kids there and continue to visit,” she says.

The sentiments expressed by a Colorado couple who took part in Halpenny’s research, summed up those of many couples interviewed: “A big part of the spiritual aspect of the ceremony itself was for us to commit ourselves to the state of marriedness and the rootedness of being married in this particular place on the land,” said the new bride.

Halpenny says destination weddings have significant income-generating potential for towns like Jasper and Banff, provided they are able to provide personalized experiences and can cater to the unique needs of people who choose this option.

“The flexibility and the availability of resources in these mountain towns that allow people to get married at, say, 7a.m. if they want to, is very appealing,” says Halpenny.

Halpenny has presented her research findings at a number of conferences recently, including the Canadian Congress on Leisure Research.