Many people who come to the Rockies to get married envision their wedding photos taking place in a dramatic mountain vista, and for those people; having wedding photos taken with the stunning backdrop of Medicine Lake in Jasper National Park is a dream come true. As you will see from these wedding and engagement photos in this post, it can be an incredibly beautiful photo location; especially in the morning and evening.

Medicine Lake is about a 20 minute drive from either the Jasper townsite or the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, up the Maligne Lake Road. The road can be slow going at times in the summer, especially when there are lots of bear-jams! But Parks Canada does regularly maintain the road all the way up, and the Wildlife Guardians do their best to clear up traffic. For weddings and wedding parties who don’t want to drive themselves, Sundog tours and Open Top tours have escorted more than a few wedding parties up to Medicine Lake in Jasper.

Medicine Lake is a great wedding and portrait photography location for a few reasons. One, the mountain vista is stunning, as the impressive cliffs come right down to the lakeshore. Two, the lake is always changing throughout the year, making the engagement or wedding photos taken there always unique and different. Three, it is only a short, scenic drive from town that offers you and your wedding party wildlife viewing opportunities, and a dramatic high mountain scene for your photos.

We’ve compiled a few Medicine Lake wedding and engagement photos in this blog for you to enjoy and - hopefully - be inspired by! These were taken over the last couple of years here in Jasper, and you will notice the lake looks so different in the spring, summer, and autumn. If you want to see it in winter, check out this blog post!

Brittany & Chris

Brittany & Chris not only had their engagement photos at Medicine Lake, but they actually got engaged there! Chris proposed along the eastern shore at the start of the session.

a surprise wedding proposal at Medicine Lake in Jasper, a man bends down on one knee with evening sun shining through the clouds

Geoffrey & Antonietta

Geoffrey also proposed at Medicine Lake to Antonietta, who of course said yes!

Medicine Lake Wedding and Portrait Photo Tips

Bring an extra layer and good shoes! It is a short walk down to the photo area from the parking lot, but weather can change quickly and it can be cool at these elevations at any time of year. Have a warm layer for in between photos so you don’t catch a chill.
Be sure to pack everything you might need for a few hours our; layers, drinks, snacks, water, etc (Check out our essential day-trip packing list here)
Sunscreen!! We have seen plenty of brides, grooms, and wedding party folks end up with sunburns - at any time of year!
Don’t be afraid of a little rain: We’ve had some really beautiful and dramatic photos from rainy days or surprise showers; we’ve even seen double rainbows over Medicine Lake during an engagement session! A little bad weather can sometimes make even better photos.
Don’t tough it out: If you are too cold, too hot, too many bugs, don’t feel comfortable perched on a rock, or anything else during your wedding photos, say so! It is always better to stop and shift gears than to push through something that you either aren’t comfortable with or aren’t enjoying anymore.
Have a backup plan: Sometimes the weather can change quickly, and it may not be possible to do photos at the Lake. If you have a local photographer who knows the area they can can help you coordinate a backup plan so that you still get incredible wedding photos.
Things to remember
In order to get the best photos at Medicine Lake in the winter time, it is necessary to walk a few minutes down to the lakeshore from the parking area. Then it is best to walk around a little bit to the places that are most suitable at that time. The lake is always changing in the summer and winter, but there are always great photo opportunities. Because of the time it takes just getting between photo spots, let alone taking the photos, it’s important to wear a good warm jacket and be prepared to be out in the cold for a little while.
Be warned! It’s a long drive up to Medicine Lake, and we’ve seen more than a couple of groomsmen have more than a couple of drinks on the way! If you suspect that will be your group, we recommend getting wedding party photos out of the way first so that there are some sober faces in a few of the photos ;)

Ruth & Kathleen

Ruth and Kathleen had a beautiful calm summer day with deep blue water. The whole wedding party and their daughter came down to the side of the lake for photos with them!

Chris & Renee

Chris and Renee also took their whole wedding party down to the lakeshore, and so plenty of laughs were had! This was a beautiful September day, and the water levels of Medicine Lake were just starting to drop, as they do every autumn as the lake drains underground.

Engagement Photos at Medicine Lake

Medicine Lake is one of our favourite spots for engagement photos; especially in the late summer and fall. As the lake drains each year throughout the fall, the Maligne River braids it’s way through the mud flats, making some really beautiful scenes. As well, the aspens and poplars along the lakeshore turn bright yellow, and the evenings get beautiful, horizontal light casting through the narrow valley. But no matter what time of year or what time of day, Medicine Lake is always there with plenty of magic to explore.