Planning your Day
Imagine waking up to the warm rays of the sun spilling over the horizon, coming through your tent. You wake up knowing that today is the day you get to marry your best friend, the person that enhances your life and is there through thick and thin.
You wake up knowing that all you need to do that day is relax and spend it with the one you love. First thing’s first: Coffee (or tea!) is ready for you, along with a delicious breakfast. You get to sit by the fire and start your day off right.
After that, it’s whatever floats your boat… literally! Whether that is a pontoon boat rental and spending the day on the water, sight-seeing, dancing, and eating, or going on an adventure on land. Whatever your dream is, we make it happen!
Somewhere along the way you find a spot that feels right and GET MARRIED! We’ve got you covered on the location, officiant, and music. After that we find a spectacular spot for sunset photos and an evening picnic.
Best part about all of this? All you have to do is show up ready to have a good time and everything else is planned for you!
Location
Alexandria Bay and the Thousand Islands are situated right on the US, Canadian border in Upstate New York. They make up a part of the St. Lawrence River, right before it hits Lake Ontario. As the name suggests, this area is an archipelago of 1,864 islands scattered between the Canadian and US border.
Getting there from the US:
The closest airport is Watertown International Airport (ART), and is a 40 minute drive. This isn’t a major airport, however, and may be hard to find flights into. You may be better off flying into either Syracuse (SYR) or Rochester (ROC). Syracuse is about an hour and a half drive, while Rochester is about a 3 hour drive. Albany (ALB) is the furthest at about 3.5 hours away, but may have better flight options
Getting there from Canada:
If you are coming from the Canadian side, there are 3 airports you can fly into. The most popular, but furthest away is Toronto International Airport (YYZ). That is a 3.5 hour drive, but often has the cheapest flights! Montreal (YUL) is just under a 2.5 hour drive, and Ottawa (YOW) is a 1 hour and 45 minute drive away.
You can also take your boat, spending on where you are coming from.
Lodging
For camping, we set up the camping spot, decorate, cook, and bring all the necessities. This means the part we all hate most about camping (packing, setting-up, and tearing down, am I right!?) are done for you, so you get to just enjoy what you love.
Camping not exactly your vibe!? No Problem! Between the many Airbnbs (some on their own islands!), hotels, and cabins, there is a place to stay that fits your style! Just let us know what it is, and we will find the right spot for you.
Activities
For the activities, there are SO MANY activities open to you in the Thousand Islands! Here is just a quick list of activities open to you:
-Boating
-Jetskiing
-Horseback Riding
-Hiking
-Fishing
-Hot air balloon ride
And for views… well there are too many to count, and most are super easily accessible. The Thousand Islands is a seriously stunning location, especially if you love the water.
Our favorite spot for photography is Keewaydin State Park. It is beautiful, has easy access (great for camping too!), and is stunning at sunset.
A few Quick Notes:
Alexandria Bay hosts a Pirate Weekend the 2nd weekend in August every year. We have personally gone up almost every year for Pirates weekend and absolutely love it. However if crowded streets and boats with pirates is not your vibe, I would avoid eloping that weekend!
I would also highly recommend checking this calendar for all the happenings in the area when planning your date! 1000 Islands is a popular vacation spot, and avoiding weekends will help make your elopement a bit more private. However no matter what day you choose, we will make you photos EPIC!
Do you love Boldt Castle, but don’t want to pay to get married in the castle itself, get married on a boat in front of it! The castle is stunning and provides a gorgeous backdrop from the water!
Tips for your Thousand Island Elopement:
If you can, go on the water! Thousand islands are beautiful from land, but have a totally different vibe from the water. You can see all the islands and the cliffy and stone edges. Your photos and experience will really pop from the boat!
Late summer and Fall are the times of year to go! Nothing beats upstate NY during autumn, when all the leaves are changing colors and just adding to an already beautiful backdrop. Late summer is better if you plan on getting in the water! This is the time the water is the warmest 🙂
Wear a flowy dress! Not only will it make it easier for you to move around (imagine balancing on a boat in a mermaid dress!), but the whimsical photos you get with the wind blowing your flowy dress are just so worth it.
Wear non-slip shoes, or go barefoot! The last thing you want to do is slip on the boat or on some wet rocks. Good shoes are so-so important.
In Conclusion:
Alexandria Bay and the Thousand Islands make a stunning backdrop for your micro-wedding or elopement, and are perfect for camping couples! It is also the place to get married if you own a boat, or love being on the water (we take care of the rental and are licensed to drive the boat!).
Thousand Islands is within a 3 hour driving distance from most of the major cities (and airports!) making it an easy place to get to!
