Drumheller’s Little Church, located on North Dinosaur Trail, west of the Royal Tyrrell Museum, is often a site for visitors to stop and see.
However, the six-seater church has also been a popular site for many countless wedding ceremonies and vow renewals.
“I’ve married eight to ten couples out at the Little Church in the seven years I’ve been a marriage commissioner,” said Marina Flater, who is a marriage commissioner in Drumheller.
When discussing the chosen location with the couples, Flater said many of them chose the Little Church because of the beautiful landscape.
“It’s this adorable, little tiny church in a beautiful setting, and most of the couples I’ve married out there have been from out of town,” said Flatcher.
Becky Kowalchuk, another marriage commissioner in town, said in the last two years she has been a commissioner, has married one couple at the Little Church.
“The bride had a grandmother here in Drumheller. She spent many summers in the valley and fondly remembered the Little Church. Her groom and her had travelled from Ontario to be married here,” said Kowalchuck.
Built by local contractor Trygve Seland, in co-operation with the Ministerial Association, the Little Church was designed to be a place of worship and meditation - not just a tourist attraction. The tiny structure is maintained by the Drumheller & District Chamber of Commerce. Over the years, the Little Church has survived many acts of vandalism. The sign outside the Little Church says it was built in 1968 and rebuilt by inmates at the Drumheller Institution in 1991. There has been a few discrepancies regarding these dates.
“It’s kind of fun when there’s tourists there [during a ceremony] because they just can’t believe there’s a real wedding taking place,” said Flater.
“Ceremonies held at the Little Church are definitely small, due to limited space, but it provides a very intimate atmosphere.”
Anyone who has known, or knows someone who said “I do” at the Little Church, feel free to share your memories with The Drumheller Mail/inSide Drumheller by sending a wedding photo of the happy couple, along with their names and wedding date to news@drumhellermail.com