Vancouver, British Columbia Guide | Honeymoon & Wedding Destination

Oh Vancouver, you have stolen my heart! I’ve never been to a city quite like it. I went to Vancouver this January for an epic photo shoot with the Raleigh-based company Celtic Complexion to promote their new cosmetics line. The owner of the company, Jennifer, and I flew in together, and as we drove downtown from the airport, I just instantly fell in love with this city. Its giant glass covered buildings peer out from every angle. Vancouver was so much more metropolitan than I ever would have imagined. We drank and dined at some of the most fabulous restaurants overlooking the bay and just absorbed the stunning scenery surrounding us. And the beauty of this place is that you really only need to go about 5-10 minutes to feel away from it all. One day I rented a bike and rode all along the bay in Stanley Park. The trees here are gigantic and covered in moss, but you would hardly know that on the other side of these trees are skyscrapers. I rode all over, stopping along beaches made of blue oyster shells, and even saw a sea otter pop out on a rock right in front of me! Out in the bay, all kinds of sailboats and freight ships float along. And the water is so serene it just takes my breath away.

It rained most of the time that I explored the city on my own, but I still managed to get some good hiking in. Lynn Canyon Park was barely outside of the city, but it felt so rugged. There was a suspension bridge that crossed over a wild river and wispy moss covered trees lining the trail the whole way. It was so lovely I really didn’t even mind that I got completely soaked as I explored. But I did love those seat heaters when I was done! Then, of course, there is that view of the city you see as you come back and cross the harbor. All that rain I had to hike through gave way to a fog that covered just the tippy tops of the buildings. This place is just so enchanting!

Vancouver, I hope to be able to come back to you soon! If anyone out there is looking for a wedding photographer, you know who to call. I am just dying to visit again. ~ Shelley Hartman, Vancouver Destination Wedding Photographer

To check out more of our travel photos, check out our travel blog at https://www.hartmanoutdoorphotography.com/blog/travel/