Top 10 Best Places Where to Elope in Québec

What comes to mind when I say “elopement locations”?

Unlike a typical big wedding with 200+ guests, having an intimate wedding or elopement gives you many more options as to where you can celebrate your wedding.

You don’t have to do it in a church, a reception hall, or a designated wedding venue anymore.

Choosing to have an intimate wedding or elopement is about going back to basics and asking yourself what’s really important to both of you to redefine how you want to spend your wedding day.

And choosing where you want to do this is the first step towards one of the most beautiful experiences of your life!

However, being able to do this anywhere (or almost anywhere) can easily become intimidating when faced with the astronomical number of locations you can have your wedding.

I’ve put my years of expertise as an elopement and intimate wedding photographer in Québec to help you find the best areas in the province where to have your dream elopement!

How to choose where to elope in Québec?

Before sharing with you the best regions of Quebec where to have your intimate wedding I also wanted to equip you with the best criteria to keep in mind to allow you to make the best possible decision for you and your significant other.

The landscapes

First and foremost, landscapes. I think you saw this one coming, but taking a moment with your partner to talk about your vision and the kind of landscape that inspires you the most will help you narrow down the best elopement locations.

Do you want mountains, lakes, rivers, rocky cliffs, a beach, a forest, an island, or a waterfall? Quebec is full of different spectacular landscapes, it’s up to you to see what kind of natural elements you want to incorporate into your day.

The most important thing here is to completely disregard what you see on social media, Pinterest mood boards, and – most importantly – what others think you should pick to really think about what YOU really want.

What kind of landscape makes you excited and leaves you completely speechless? What kind of landscape calms you down and makes you enjoy the moment?

The season/time of year

There is no denying it, in Québec, we are lucky enough to have extremely different seasons from one another.

Whether it’s spring with trees in bloom all over the province, summer with its long hot days, fall with its colorful forests as far as the eye can see, and winter with its snowy landscapes and icy lakes.

When choosing the perfect area for your intimate wedding, consider what kind of location would best showcase the seasonal elements. Some areas of Quebec may also be closed or inaccessible during certain times of the year or very busy during others.

How far are you willing to travel and how much time do you have available?

I find that these two questions go hand in hand since it is essential to know what your limits and constraints are to know how far you can venture into Quebec.

As a general rule, the further away from the big cities like Montreal and Quebec City you are willing to venture, the more likely you are to find beautiful, intimate, and not-too-crowded ceremony locations.

Also, think about what you want to do the days before and after your elopement. Most of my couples usually rent a cottage or Airbnb in the area and spend several days (usually 1 week) there together as a sort of ‘honeymoon’.

While you’re there take the time to explore the beautiful area!

Where is it possible to legally elope in Québec?

In Quebec, it is possible to get married at any place that has a mailing address, which means that you can get married in a national park, a rented cottage, in the comfort of your own home, or any other place that is meaningful to both of you that has a mailing address.

Best elopement and intimate wedding locations in Québec

Without further ado, here are 10 of the most beautiful areas for an intimate wedding or elopement in Quebec.

Laurentides (Laurentians)

We can not deny it, the Laurentians are beautiful all year round! Whether it’s summer with its many lakes and rivers, fall with its colorful mountains as far as the eye can see, or winter with its many log cabins ideal for an après-ski.

The Laurentians are full of beautiful locations for intimate weddings or elopements. The towns of Mont-Tremblant and St. Donat are obviously must-sees in the region, but if you’re looking for a little more privacy for an elopement ceremony, there are plenty of other great spots far less crowded.

Cantons de l’Est (Eastern Townships)

To be completely honest with you, I find the Eastern Townships to be one of the most underrated areas for intimate weddings and elopements, but I am going to change that right now.

With its many touristic routes and breathtaking mountains, the Eastern Townships is much more than just fields.

This region of Quebec is home to some of the most beautiful mountains in Quebec, including Mont-Orford and its national park, the Bromont region, Sutton, and the impressive Parc National du Mont Mégantic.

As much as the Eastern Townships are ideal for adventurous trips to the top of the mountains, it is also the ideal destination for couples who want to celebrate their intimate wedding with their loved ones over good food, wine and microbrewery beer.

I honestly think that the Eastern Townships have a little something for everyone!

Charlevoix

Charlevoix, Charlevoix, Charlevoix… Sometimes I wonder what we did to be so lucky as to have this little paradise on earth in the heart of our beautiful province.

The Charlevoix region is one of my favorite destinations for intimate fall weddings thanks to the Parc National des Grands-Jardins and the thousands of leafy trees that cover the mountains everywhere.

What I particularly like about this region is the mix of the mountains and the St. Lawrence River. You don’t have to choose between the two here, you can have a ceremony on top of the mountains and end the day with your feet in the water in the Baie-Saint-Paul area. The best of both worlds!

Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

Have you ever thought about getting married in Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean?

Chances are, when you think of an adventurous elopement or an intimate romantic wedding, this beautiful region of Québec is one of the last places you’d think where to do it.

However, having seen it in person during many summer road trips, I can confirm that Saguenay is one of the most well-hidden natural treasures in Quebec.

If you dream of breathtaking cliffs, endless mountain ranges, and meeting seals on a kayaking trip, then Saguenay is for you!

On one side, you have the Parc National du Fjord du Saguenay with its gigantic cliffs and the longest Via Ferrata route in the province. On the other side, you have the Parc National des Monts-Valin with its forest hikes that lead to breathtaking 360-degree views. And right in the middle, you have the Saguenay Fjord itself which is the perfect place for a kayaking or zodiac escapade.

Seriously, the Saguenay is a larger-than-life place and the perfect destination for outdoor enthusiasts who want to get off the beaten path.

Lanaudière

Looking for a more intimate getaway away from the beaten path and the large tourist crowds? The Lanaudière region is the perfect place for an intimate wedding or elopement. This region is also ideal if you’re looking into doing any motorized activity on your elopement day such as a 4×4, snowmobile, or hydro-plane ride.

Mauricie

Looking for a complete wilderness wedding experience away from civilization? With its hundreds of lakes, Mauricie National Park is the ideal playground for couples wishing to live a canoe-camping experience to celebrate their union.

Bas-Saint-Laurent

Looking for Iceland-like scenery for your wedding? The Bas-Saint-Laurent is the ideal destination!

With its magnificent Parc National du Bic not far from Rimouski, you can’t really go wrong by choosing to elope here.

In addition, all the places you can see in these pictures are accessible in less than 1-hour walk so it is ideal for couples who do not want to make a long hike to get to their ceremony location.

Lac-Beauport

You might think that you have to get away from the big cities to have breathtaking scenery for your intimate wedding, but the Québec City area proves the opposite.

In fact, there are many beautiful places in nature outside the national capital that are accessible in less than 1 hour by car such as the Stoneham region with the Jacques-Cartier National Park and Lac-Beauport and its luxurious cottages perfect for an intimate wedding celebration in nature.

Gaspésie

The Gaspé Peninsula is not just for summer road trips with friends on a whim.

Gaspésie is also a region of Quebec that is full of places that will make you reconnect with nature like never before.

Whether you want to have your intimate wedding ceremony by the sea in Forillon National Park or on top of the mountains in the Gaspésie National Park, you can’t go wrong with this beautiful region.

Îles-de-la-madeleine (Magdalen Islands)

Yes, those breathtaking landscapes are right here in Québec! You don’t have to go to Scotland to find heavenly islands to explore on your wedding day.

The Magdalen Islands are filled with breathtaking locations where you can read your wedding vows in privacy. All you have to do is choose where you want to do it. On the waterfront or on top of the cliffs?

Anticosti National Park

Do you dream of living a completely wild experience in a paradisiacal place far from the beaten track?

Anticosti National Park is the perfect place!

Located in the middle of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, this immense wild island is entirely protected by the Québec National Park services and one of the only ways to access it is by plane from Mont-Joli, Quebec, or Montreal.

Several packages are available on the Sépaq website and include 5 nights of lodging, 3 meals a day, and the possibility of renting a 4×4 vehicle to explore the island at your leisure.

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