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!
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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