Tunnel Mountain Reservoir

Wedding Day

Reception

Ceremony

Dinner at Park Distillery

Save the Date RSVP

Fall

Our Wedding

How Zach and Sara Met

In 2020, we met by swiping right on each other on Tinder. We had texted for a while and went on our first date on December 26th, 2020.

The Start of Our Relationship

Some persistent phone calls on New Years Eve led to two months of nightly calls. Which is when we decided we wanted to see each other in person again. In Febraury of 2021, Zach flew Sara out to Washington State for a second date! This is where things became official and where we first said "I love you".

Our First Year Together

In our first year together we went on a lot of adventures. We drove A LOT to see each other. We spent time in Superior, Stevens Point, Rio, Missouri, Wilmot, and Milwaukee. For our six month anniversary and Zach's birthday, we went to Alaska. Sara went skiing for the first time with Zach's family for a family Christmas trip. We spent our One Year Anniversary in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

Our Second Year Together

We spent a lot of our second year experiencing life together. We went to concerts, played some golf, spent time with both of our families, and traveled to see each other even more.
The summer of 2022 Sara moved in with Zach's parents and started her clinical rotation in Madison. Zach spent a lot of time driving back to Wisconsin, wherever he was for work, to spend as much time as possible with Sara.

Our Third Year Together

In April of 2023 Zach bought his first house. Zach and Sara moved in together.We had a lot of firsts this year! Some included our first rodeo together, first PGA tournament, and first time out of the country together.In September of 2023 Zach and Sara took an amazing trip to Ireland. This is where Zach asked Sara to be his forever and she very happily said yes!!! (We promise the tears in the pictures are happy tears)

After the Engagement

In November of 2023, we adopted a dachshund named Diesel. He is the best little man!We started some home renovations and have continued with those.

Our Story

Photos

Wedding Party

There is no airport directly in Banff. Flights land in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.It is a 1.5 hour drive from the Calgary Airport to Banff.Flights range from around 200 USD and up depending on dates, times, airlines and airports.There are shuttles from the airport to Banff if you do not want to rent a car. Otherwise, there are plenty of people renting cars that may be able to help out!This is a good website for shuttle options.https://www.banfflakelouise.com/getting-here

Calgary International Airport

Driving to Banff from Madison, WI is a 24 hour drive and roughly 1,530 miles.

Driving

Camping

There are plenty of campgrounds in and around Banff. All of the National Parks surrounding Banff have campgrounds as well.

Accommodation

There's a very wide range of places to stay while in Banff.Hotels vary in price from around $100 a night to upwards of $500 a night. There are a good amount of AirBnB's. There are cabins that are available to stay in. Zach and Sara are staying in an AirBnB in Canmore. Others are staying in Canmore and a few in Banff. Message Sara if you would like specific recommendations or help finding a place!

Travel

Park passes are 11.00 CAD per adult, or 22.00 CAD per vehicle with up to 7 people.There is a parking fee for Lake Louise Lakeshore.There are shuttles that run daily from Banff to different sights like Lake Moraine and Lake Louise.

Banff National Park

Just a 45 minute drive from Banff is this beautiful National Park.Daily admission is the same as Banff National Park.There is a guided hike to see Burgess Shale fossils.Yoho National Park is home to Canada's 2nd largest waterfall, which is about 1,000 feet tall.

Yoho National Park Of Canada

A 30 minute to 1 hour drive is yet another gorgeous National Park.You can take a guided tour to see Burgess Shales at this National Park as well.This park has Radium Hot Springs (17.50 CAD per adult single entry).

Kootenay National Park

Take the Gondolas to the summit of Sulphur Mountain and enjoy the views of six mountain ranges.Admission is around 50 CAD per adult depending on the day.

Banff Gondola

Hiking

There are thousands of trails that you can hike in the area. We recommend downloading the app AllTrails. This app shows you hikes, how difficult they are, elevation gain, distance, and you can also track your hikes. If you want to see fall colors you can go on Larch hikes! Larch trees turn bright yellow at the end of September and beginning of October. Here are some Larch hikes to look into:-Healy Pass-Sentinel Pass-Paradise Valley-Saddleback Pass-Arnica Lake-Taylor Lake-Skoki Lakes A really good App to find hikes is AllTrails. You can see elevation, distance, route and so much more! You can also use it to track your hike and use it as your map when you go.

This parkway has so many cool sights along it. There are plenty of waterfalls, lakes, and glaciers. The website attached has a ton of information on things to do!

Icefields Parkway

You can take guided tours through a cave system in Canmore. Canmore is about 20 minutes from Banff.

Canmore Cave Tours

Another cave option is Cave and Basin National Historic Site. This spot is closer as it is in Banff, and you don't have to hike, climb or crawl anywhere.

Cave and Basin National Historic Site

More Things to Look Into

There are a million more things to do in and around Banff. Some things are horseback riding, art galleries, fishing charters, spas, golf, waterfalls, and so many trails!

Things to Do

This is where you can find Zach and Sara's Updated Plans

We will include things that we have planned and would love for people to join us for!We will also include things that may be helpful for others to plan around as well.

Arrival and Departure

Zach and Sara will arrive in Banff on Tuesday, September 30th and will be leaving Canada on Tuesday, October 7th.

When you arrive in Canada, please text or message Zach or Sara to let them know! We will have a little welcome package for everyone. It will include an optional itinerary, a little gift, and other things! We want to make sure everyone gets one as soon as possible.

Friday October 3rd

Friday October 3rd, Zach and Sara have reserved shuttle seats for everyone to go to Lake Louise and Lake Moraine. These are two of the most popular spots to visit when people are in Banff. We would love everyone to spend the day with us and experience these lakes!

Plans!

The prices we have listed are in CAD (except flights). Remember this when booking and budgeting. The exchange rate seems to sit around .73 CAD per 1 USD. If you are booking online and using a card, your card may charge an international fee.

Wildlife in October is pretty active. It is toward the end of Elk mating season. Bull elk can be more aggressive. Bears are also active until November. If you plan on going hiking you should carry bear spray!

You will need a passport to get into Canada. If you are driving you can use a passport card. You may need to do some research.

There are some roads and businesses that close for the off season in Banff. October 4th is near the start of the off season. Some roads close October 10th, but if there is snow they may close earlier.

If you have been arrested, charged with or convicted of a DUI in the last 10 years, you may not be able to enter Canada. You may need to do your own research if this applies.

Zachary & Sara

Zachary & Sara

Z&S

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Dinner at Park Distillery

Save the Date RSVP