Saskatchewan couple marries on Mt. Kilimanjaro after Everest Base Camp engagement

Instead of walking down the aisle, a Regina couple chose to climb up thousands of feet to say their vows.

Kelsey Bone and Scot Pominville got married on Mount Kilimanjaro earlier this month after a six-day hike to the 19,300-foot summit.

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“It’s not a super glamorous thing,” Pominville laughed. “We didn’t get to shower for a week.”

The couple ventured up the highest mountain in Africa along with two guides, five porters, the maid of honour and the best man, who also acted as the officiant for the ceremony.

The wedding party ascends Mount Kilimanjaro. (Kelsey Bone/Submitted)

Pominville placed a 150-year-old ring belonging to Bone’s family on the top of the summit.

“It’s very surreal, because you are oxygen deprived, so everything feels different,” Bone said. “It was just so special having our guiding group with us, because they were singing and dancing for us. It was a really magical moment up there.”

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The bride and groom were both determined to dress properly for the occasion, with a suit jacket, white dress and veil.

On the final day of the climb to the summit, Bone put on the secondhand white dress she had purchased and tucked it into her rain pants.

The maid of honour helps Bone put in her veil while the best man prepares his notes for the ceremony. (Kesley Bone/Submitted)

“I knew it would be way too cold to put my wedding dress on at the top,” she said. “I actually hiked the entire seven hours up in my wedding dress.”

Pominville donned his suit jacket, but ultimately decided against putting on his collared shirt with -15 C temperatures dipping even lower due to the 70 km/h winds on the summit.

After getting engaged on a Mount Everest Base Camp trek last September, many friends and family members questioned how the couple could top such an extraordinary event.

Scot Pominville and Kelsey Bone stand next to the sign at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. (Kesley Bone/Submitted)

“I thought, ‘Yeah, you know what? We are going to top it,” said Prominville.

The couple said they’re not yet sure how they will beat their wedding on the top of the famous mountain, but Bone said they may “honeymoon on the moon.”

An Everest engagement

It was always on Pominville’s bucket list to get to Everest Base Camp in Nepal.

“I just thought it’d be a really good spot,” he said, speaking about his decision to propose there.

“I don’t know if we’ll be anywhere cooler for a while. Should be pretty memorable.”

The trek to Everest Base Camp took the pair 10 days. (Kesley Bone/Submitted)

While the wedding was not a surprise, the engagement was.

Worried Bone would find the ring in his backpack, Pominville said he hid the ring in a Ziploc bag while they climbed.

Pominville popped the question on the Everest Base Camp rock, after hiking for 10 days through the Himalayas.

“It really shocked me in the moment,” Bone said.

The couple poses for a photo at Everest Base Camp. (Kesley Bone/Submitted)

After hiking 17,600 feet, Bone said she felt lost in the moment.

“I completely forgot what you even do,” she said. “I was like ‘What hand do I put it on? What finger do I put it on?’ It was obviously a ‘Yes’ – that was the easy part.”

Pominville said he purchased two separate rings for the proposal.

“It was a fake ring,” he laughed. “I bought her a nice one when we got home. That one took up there, I got from Amazon for $28. It served its purpose.”