I absolutely adore this Bride and her stylish yet spunky wedding. Why you ask? Because she gave tradition a good ol’ twist and made it her very own, with her only rule being that she wanted to make sure it was fun. One peek at the images from Tegan McMartin Photography and it’s easy to see that she succeeded. From her florals by West Van Florist to the chic urban setting, this little shindig is a winner for sure. See it all here.

From the Bride… We really wanted a small and more intimate wedding. We wanted to keep our guest list limited to our closest friends and family. Despite having a small wedding, we wanted to have a real party atmosphere. We decided to hold the wedding on New Years Eve because it was a way to give a big event feel to a small gathering.

We looked at a few venues before we decided on the Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier. We chose this location for its stunning views and convenient location. We have lived on the North Shore for most of our lives, so why not get married here. Picking an already beautiful location cuts down on decor costs as well. We made a lot of the decorations ourselves which made them very personal. The wood rounds were taken from Squamish where we often camp; the pine cones were collected from Naramata where many vacations with family and friends took place; and the flower vases on guest tables were tequila bottles that we collected from all our cross-border adventures.

When planning and budgeting our wedding, we tried to focus on what was most important to us. A small guest list and local wedding definitely kept costs lower. Holding the ceremony and reception in one place not only helped to lower costs, but made the night flow much smoother. For us, photography was really important. We knew our wedding day would fly by and the pictures are what take you back to that exciting day. Tegan did such an amazing job documenting the day; even the way she arranged our photo gallery really told the story of our wedding day. Us being a little untraditional, Tegan suggested us doing first look photos before the ceremony. This allowed us to have an intimate moment before the ceremony and more time with our guests. The night was seamless.

It’s really easy to get caught up in wedding traditions and what people think a wedding should be like. It doesn’t need to be over the top with elaborate decor or themes; it should be about celebrating the couple and the friends and family that have been influential to them. One of the most important things to remember when planning a wedding is that you can make it whatever you want to be. There really aren’t any rules except to have fun!

 

Wedding Photography: Tegan McMartin Photography | Second Photographer: Kristina Belkina | Officiant: John Humphreys | Wedding Venue: Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier in North Vancouver, Canada | Floral Design: West Van Florist | Event Design: the Couple | DJ + MC Services: Rob Steel from Steel Productions | Candy Bar: Bulk Candy Store | Wedding Dress: Mikaella Bridal via Isabelle’s Bridal | Jewelry: Elsa Corsi | Bride’s Shoes: Badgely Mischka | Groom’s Shoes: Cole Haan | Hair + Makeup: Jayna Marie Makeup & Hair

Badgley Mischka and Elsa Corsi are members of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.

There is a word that we use to describe couples like this sweet Toronto duo and that word is “adorable.”  I mean, how else could we characterize two people who mistakenly met online (she friend requested the wrong “Joel”), spent days (+ hours) corresponding and then promptly fell in love?  And then there is their e-session captured perfectly by Olive Photography, which is literally one heart-warming moment after another, complete with oh-so-chic outfits (hello, red bow tie) and smiles from ear to ear.  Sooo adorable. Click here for more.

From the Groom… We started communicating through Facebook two years ago in June. At first, Chantelle sent me a friend request, thinking I was someone she knew from her Church. Then she realized, I was a different “Joel.” After that, we spoke, going back and forth for hours, day after day. After a couple of weeks we began to become more anxious in anticipation for each other’s response. Since she lived in Edmonton, Alberta and I lived in Brampton, Ontario, I never really expected to meet with her, so I simply enjoyed her conversation. When July came, she unexpectedly came back to Toronto where she originally lived to go back to school. Two days after she came back, we had our first date and over time, through spending more time with each other, we just knew that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives with each other. In December 2012 we got engaged and now we’re getting married!

From the Bride… The results of our engagement photos surpassed our expectations. Anastasia’s photography skills are amazing, and her light heart allows anyone to feel comfortable enough to be themselves around her; which helps when capturing real moments. When we mentioned what angles we personally preferred she was able to quickly adapt to our request, and carried herself with great humility. She made the experience more than just a photo shoot; probing us to remember how we fell in love. She is amazing!

Photography: Olive Photography

The bride knew she would wed her true love at Rowena’s Inn on the River before she had met him. Luckily for all of us, she met her man, and he was down with the plan to get married at this gorgeous spot, because the resulting wedding was as stunning as the mountains in the background. Captured by the talented Mikaela Ruth Photography, this wedding is one for the books.

From the Bride… We planned a two week vacation in May 2011 to Europe. The highlight for me was the three days we were to spend in Paris, where I had dreamed of visiting since setting my eyes on the Eiffel Tower in a textbook in grade school. Marcus knew it was my dream. Our first full day in Paris had a lovely start with espresso and chocolate raspberry croissants at café on the Champs-Elysees. We then explored the Eiffel Tower and the surrounding neighborhood. We stopped to take in our surroundings on a bench in the park below the Eiffel Tower. With the tower in our backdrop, Marcus proposed!

We chose to be married at Rowena’s Inn on the River in Harrison Mills, British Columbia because when I was in my early 20’s I came across some photos of a wedding that took place on that property. I was immediately in love with the romantic and vintage whimsy of the old estate and grounds right on the Harrison River. At that point in time I didn’t even know my husband, but I knew one day I would get married there. Rowena’s is also significant to my family. When my father was very young, his family rented property on the Rowena’s estate and managed the farmland. It was very special for my family to see us begin our married life on a piece of family history!

Our vision/style for our wedding was Vintage Romance with a color palette of soft blush pinks, greens, cream, grey and silver. For flowers, we used peonies, Old English roses, mini-roses, Avalanche roses, Hypericum, Wax Flowers, and Snapdragons.

My husband and I are both very simplistic. We like to get straight to the point. Many of our guests would probably say that our ceremony was the shortest one they had ever witnessed. Which is exactly how we wanted it. Short and sweet. Although it may sound cliché, the few moments my Dad and I had before we walked down the aisle were so very special.

The reception was the part of our day that my husband and I were most excited about. We love to celebrate, and we were so looking forward to celebrating one of the biggest days of our lives. This might explain why our ceremony was so short – so we could get to the party! From the food, to the candy bar, to the lawn games, to the cocktails, and to the music, the part of our reception that our guests (and the bride and groom!) most enjoyed was the photo booth. CheddarBooth entertained and created memories for our guests. The vintage props and gold sequined backdrop definitely put our wedding photo booth over the top.

Wedding Photography: Mikaela Ruth Photography | Ceremony + Reception Venue: Rowena’s Inn on the River | Event Planning + Design: Bride + Bride’s Mother | Floral Design: Family friend | Wedding Cake: Christine’s Creative Cakes | Invitations: Staci J Designs & Images | Wedding Dress: Mikaella Bridal | Bridesmaids’ Dresses: White by Vera Wang via David’s Bridal | Bride’s Shoes: Lulu Townsend Bow Wedge | Birdcage Veil: Carmen West Creative | Martina Liana Swarovski Crystal Sash + Garters: Luxe Bridal Couture | Earrings: J.Crew |  Makeup: Ashley of  Wedded Bliss | Groom’s Attire: Indochino | Photo Booth: CheddarBooth

Indochino Custom Apparel and J.Crew are members of our Look Book. For more information on how members are chosen, click here.