Mt Norquay

There are mountain weddings, and then there are weddings where the mountains seem to rise around the aisle.

Mt Norquay sits above Banff in the Canadian Rockies, giving couples a celebration where the landscape is not simply somewhere to disappear for photographs afterwards. It is part of the wedding from the very beginning.

During the warmer months, vows can happen outside beneath enormous Alberta skies, surrounded by peaks and the kind of scenery that makes decorations feel almost unnecessary.

Then everyone moves into Cascade Lodge.

The timber-frame mountain lodge brings warmth to the celebration, with panoramic windows keeping the alpine landscape close even once dinner begins.

Couples can choose between reception spaces suited to different celebrations, from Kika's for gatherings of up to 120 to Lone Pine for weddings reaching 220 guests.

Inside, timber and mountain architecture create the feeling of a true Rocky Mountain lodge. Outside, patios and alpine scenery give guests somewhere to step back into Banff between dinner and dancing.

The culinary team carries the celebration through the evening with plated dinners or generous buffets, while the practical pieces, including furnishings, tableware, linens, staffing and a portable dance floor, are already part of the wedding setup.

And if the weather decides the outdoor ceremony is not happening, Cascade Lodge provides an indoor alternative without taking the mountains out of the day.

Eventually the sun drops behind the peaks.

The windows darken.

Dinner becomes speeches, speeches become music and the quiet mountain lodge becomes a wedding party.

Tomorrow, Banff will belong to hikers, skiers and travellers again.

Tonight, one little piece of the mountain belongs to the two of you.