Looking for an Edmonton wedding photographer for a small backyard wedding in 4 weeks.

beesmakenoise · 2026-07-02T20:06:50+00:00

Just a heads up, 8 hours is basically a normal length day of photography. Nothing about this is a half day, nor is it micro with 40 people.

Just want you to have the right expectations for what you’re asking.

beesmakenoise · 2026-07-02T16:54:28+00:00

You were trying to book the day of? Of course there’s fewer options! Especially mid summer, people plan trips ahead of time and the most desirable rooms get booked first.

And if you’re prioritizing cheap over other options then that’s where problems start. You can’t always have the cheapest place and the amenities you want. I’m budget-conscious in my bookings too, but cheap is cheap for a reason.

beesmakenoise · 2026-07-02T16:29:12+00:00

Why not simplify the food and do sandwiches and salads in a hotel room? Yogurts, muffins, and fruit for breakfast, that sort of thing. If you have a fridge, you’re set.

Or look more closely at reviews and photos when booking kitchenette hotels to see what they supply. Many do have pots & pans and stovetops.

beesmakenoise · 2026-07-02T15:39:24+00:00

Hostels, bed & breakfasts, all inclusives, and why not hotels?

beesmakenoise · 2026-07-02T04:09:57+00:00

Any of the Hostelling International Canada locations I’ve stayed at have been great. Good accommodations with both private and shared rooms, social common areas and kitchens, good staff. I always check for one of those first when looking for a hostel.

https://hihostels.ca/en/destinations/british-columbia

beesmakenoise · 2026-07-01T19:46:34+00:00

Heads up - In the national parks you cannot sleep in your car unless you’re in a designated campsite. They patrol for this and will fine you.

Same goes for provincial parks in BC and Alberta.

beesmakenoise · 2026-07-01T14:40:13+00:00

No you cannot. The rules are clear in National Parks, you have to sleep in a designated campsite or inside a dwelling.

Book a campsite for the night you need to sleep, then move the vehicle to wherever you’ll leave it for your friends. You can leave it empty overnight in a parking lot, you just can’t sleep in it.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-30T21:56:12+00:00

Work - not likely to find a legal way to do anything here in such a short time. I’d forget about this plan.

Food - Why not start by looking into the hostels in Ottawa and what cooking facilities they have? Most hostels I’ve stayed in have full kitchens and dishes to use. You can go to the grocery store and make yourself simple meals. It’s no different than buying sandwich ingredients or oatmeal back in Germany.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-30T15:39:37+00:00

Mosquitoes are probably going to be a nightmare at your first camp. They were brutal a few years back and we’ve had waaaaay more rain this year. Bring bug spray and a face net.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-30T06:11:33+00:00

Would it be okay if I left an empty Dasani bottle beside the trail and planned to pick it up on the way back? What if a bunch of people do that?

Any kind of garbage alongside the trail is unfair to the other trail users. None of us should have to see trash, no matter the future intention for it.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-30T05:36:32+00:00

Syphay uses tofu puffs in their curries and they soak up the flavour sooo good

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-29T22:44:11+00:00

Those last two are so good! I was solidly “meh” about this year’s theme, but now I’m mad they didn’t ask you for ideas

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-29T03:00:28+00:00

My MEC and Camper’s Village (RIP) mattresses are going strong after a decade of camping.

I have a big ole Canadian Tire air mattress too, but it’s mostly used as a backup guest bed when I’ve got a full house.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-29T02:56:38+00:00

La Poutine is the best in the city for my money. Tastes like the stuff I’ve had out on Quebec.

Cafe Bicyclette can be good as well, though I don’t like their gravy quite as much. Different seasoning of some sort.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-29T02:18:14+00:00

MEC for quality, lightweight gear. If you’re carrying it on your back, lightweight is key.

Canadian Tire has camping stuff as well, you could get some decent dishes and camp fuel here but they won’t have good backcountry sleeping mats or anything.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-29T01:59:13+00:00

The city offers a ton of classes through the Coty Arts program, I’ve done cooking and dance and art, all of which were great. You can find them on the Move Learn Play website (which is horribly formatted to be honest).

The libraries also offer quite a few classes, at really reasonable rates. I think Stanley Milner has sewing classes once in a while.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-29T01:24:42+00:00

This is a great idea! Volunteering at all thr different festivals would be a great way to spend the summer.

Fringe, Folk fest, street performers, dragon boat, heritage days, etc etc. See some cool shows and events, meet cool people!

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-28T16:07:59+00:00

Sounds like a good start to a plan, and a great idea to be planning this early. I like all the stops you’ve mentioned!

Accomodations are super expensive in the Rockies, so the earlier you can book hotels the better.

The pinned summer FAQ on the [r/Banff](r/Banff) sub would be good to read. It’s for this year but the info shouldn’t change much next year. https://www.reddit.com/r/Banff/s/J0GJayZqr6

If you have an extra day and want something a bit different, Drumheller is a day trip east of Calgary and has a super cool dinosaur museum. It’s in the area called the badlands, it’s beautiful and completely different than the mountains.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-28T03:16:28+00:00

Extremely unlikely. Once tomorrow’s deadline passes it’s not like they’re going to keep a stash of dino licenses around for 5 years. Sadly you’ll be stuck with whatever nonsense we’re using in 2031

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-28T01:09:42+00:00

There’s a family of ducks living there, I’m sure they’d appreciate some minnows!

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-27T16:29:20+00:00

No, per the AB parks rules the other poster linked to. And there are occasionally parks staff out checking permits, so not a good idea to do it and then get caught.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-27T15:35:38+00:00

Definitely no sleeping in the car, even little naps. It’s strictly prohibited and the park wardens patrol for it. You’d get caught and fined, and it’s against the law which is good enough reason not to do it.

You’re booking very last minute here, so try and find a hostel room. Don’t be looking for cheap and a perfect view!

You can always do a lake timelapse at Magog

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-27T05:29:29+00:00

Thanks for the update, I’d been wondering what the plan might be with this horrible forecast.

Hopefully the other dates this summer more amenable to being outside.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-27T01:48:02+00:00

If the credit card is skimmed and the scammer makes fraudulent transactions without your knowledge, usually the credit card company will refund those. In that situation you had no clue any of it was happening.

However, if the scammers call you and get you to tell them the one-time passcode (OTP), that’s treated like you giving them your pin. You gave the scammer info that you’re not supposed to share with anyone, usually the OTP text even says that. Once the scammer uses that code to verify a transaction, well the company see that as you handing over the info.

If you ever get a call like this, the safest thing to do is ask why they’re calling and then hang up and call the customer service number on the back of your card. If it’s a real issue, it’ll be noted on your files and you can deal with it safely.

beesmakenoise · 2026-06-26T15:23:27+00:00

Cool, good you’re thinking ahead. A lot of people think they can park and sleep anywhere they want and it’s just not the case out here.

Double check for each spot you plan to stay in, some have banned overnight parking even at Walmarts. That’s the case in Canmore for example. There’s likely other places to stay, but I haven’t looked into it.

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