Banff Weddings

I just returned from spending several days in beautiful Banff, Alberta, Canada. The mountains were awe inspiring and we even had a dusting of snow one night, adding to the beauty. Banff has grown into a bustling resort town since my last visit about 16 years ago. Hundreds of tourists filled the streets from early morning until late at night.

On a Friday we visited the historic Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, situated on a knoll overlooking the Bow River valley. The staff was setting up for two weddings, a wedding reception, and a rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Only one wedding was planned for Saturday; the other events were all occurring on Friday. Guests were arriving for all the events, keeping the front desk and the porters busy figuring out who was with which group. To add to the mayhem, Banff was blanketed in smoke from over 300 fires burning in British Columbia. Events planned for the terraces overlooking the river had to be moved inside, necessitating the closure of dining rooms to the general public and resulting in some unhappiness on the part of brides, grooms, and parents, who had paid extra for the outdoor locations. 

It was interesting to be an observer and see how weddings occur in a major resort community. I applaude the hotel staff, who do this nearly every weekend.