Six years from their first date, this duo (along with their adorable baby) planned the ultimate party. Eschewing the tradition of a formal wedding, they opted for a colorfully romantic evening that had style for days. From the Bride’s floral crown to her tips of her Louboutin heels, we’ve got every detail captured by Meghan Hemstra Photography waiting to be celebrated in THE VAULT!
From Meghan Hemstra Photography…This colourful and romantic Yaletown wedding was truly a pleasure to photograph. Wonderfully stylish and naturally romantic, SooJin and Sean’s wedding was full of love, humour, and personality. What more could a photographer ask for? Here is SooJin and Sean’s story:
After 4.5 years of living in NYC SooJin moved to Vancouver. She’d had dreams of making it huge in the fashion industry and living the ‘Sex and the City’ life and shortly upon her arrival to Vancouver SooJin went out for drinks with friends to soothe her broken heart. It didn’t take long for her to become great friends with their awesome Cactus Club server, who decided that she had the perfect guy to set SooJin up on a blind date with. Being new to the city SooJin agreed, and two weeks later she and Sean went on their first date! Having spent so much time in New York, SooJin was impressed that Sean offered to pick her up, but when he arrived at her doorstep her first thought was ‘Oh no, this guy is going to be way too nice for me’. She was used to brash and over confident New York men. Sean’s first thought was ‘Oh WOW, She is REALLY short’. Not only was Sean incredibly kind, but he also had a wicked sense of humour, which is truly the way to SooJin’s heart. They spent the entire evening laughing, and they have been inseparable ever since. In SooJin’s words “I feel so lucky that Sean picked me to spend the rest of his life with. His heart is my home and he makes me feel centred, loved, and safe. He continues to make me laugh all the time. And words cannot even do justice for how incredible of a father he is to our one year old boy. Our hearts are truly overflowing and we feel so lucky to have found each other within the maelstrom of life. Fast forward six years [from our first date], one adorable baby boy, and countless adventures later, and I would say our first impressions [were] a bit off (well actually, I am really short). Oh and that server from Cactus Club is now my sister-in-law and my dearest friend.”
From The Bride…I wanted my wedding to feel like a big party without the formalities of a traditional ceremony and reception. I also wanted to keep it casual and whimsical but with a classic and elegant touch. Our Colour palette was “bright and eclectic”. I didn’t stick to one particular theme of colours but rather wanted an assorted mix of bold colours.My style vision could be described as great gatsby, bohemian chic. I loved the “great gatsby” era of dresses and so my dress tried to reflect that. My floral headpiece channeled the bohemian feel, while my gold studded louboutins perfectly covered the chic status. I tried to personalize our wedding with a few unique touches. I had a banner made that said “ginger Asian love” as my husband is a red head and I am Asian.I also had cheeky cupcake toppers made with silly adjectives such as “sassy”, “trophy wife” and “hunk”. My friends has great fun posing for pictures with the toppers.
Lastly, I had a long time and very special friend of mine sing me down the aisle to “Sail Away” by David Gray. And one of my parent’s best friend (and someone I have known since I was three years old), Judge Tom Smith officiated our wedding. It felt so intimate and special having two such cherished people directly involved in our ceremony.My favourite moment was my first look. I still can feel my heart beating and palms getting sweaty while hiding behind a huge tree. I didn’t think I would feel that nervous but the excitement of seeing my fiancée and the anxiety that perhaps he wouldn’t like my dress, makeup, hair… was rattling. But as soon as I saw him I felt giddy and at ease. Our flowers were simple yet bright and eclectic. Each bouquet was different and placed in a mason jar with the quote “live, love, laugh”. It was the perfect combination of brightness, beauty and mismatch. My gown was just how I envisioned it and, no one may believe this, it was truly the very first and only gown I tried on. I was with my four month old son at the time and decided to just casually have a look at some gowns at holt renfrew. I already knew that I did not want a traditional dress. As soon as I saw this dress, I loved it, they had it in my size, and the cost wouldn’t bankrupt us! Only slight sizing alterations needed to be done and then I decided to lower the back to make it a bit more fun. Eschewing the traditions of a formal wedding we opted out of a cake and instead had cupcakes that were deliciously made by “cupcakes bakery”. My one piece of advice is to relax and enjoy the process. The planning and actual day all fly by and, in the end, no one will notice if your exact flowers were on the table at the precise requested angle. Of course, planning is necessary but just don’t sweat it. In the end, everything will work out.
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Photography: Meghan Hemstra Photography | Event Planning: Down The Aisle Wedding Coordination | Floral Design: Balconi | Wedding Dress: Aidan Mattox | Invitations: Papyrus | Bride's Shoes: Christian Louboutin | Rings: Vancouver Diamonds | Bridesmaids' Dresses: Forever New | Hair And Makeup: Jayne Marie | DJ: Girls On Wax | Groom's Attire: Canali | Groom's Attire: Harry Rosen | Hotel: Opus Hotel | Venue: Brix Restaurant | Bridal Boutique: Hold Renfrew | Groom's Shoes: Prada