Harry and I started dating in 2012 and we got engaged on December 22nd, 2019. I was never someone who grew up thinking about my wedding and all the details that would go into it, but I was excited to plan a celebration! I initially wanted to elope with a small group at a villa in Italy, however, the life of living in a global pandemic hit us only a few months after getting engaged.
My now sister-in-law came across an Instagram giveaway that a Vancouver wedding planner had put together and it included 17 vendors! After Harry’s 2020 Olympics were postponed, I was determined to win and tagged everyone I could think of! In early September of 2020 we found out we won (this was the same day that we had a break and enter at our house and were robbed! The robber also stole Harry’s grandfather’s wedding band that had been passed down to him…the universe works in mysterious ways).
Picking The Date
After winning the Instagram giveaway we set the date of our wedding to be on November 20th, 2020. Sadly, it was cancelled two weeks before due to covid restrictions. We decided to set a new date on September 10th, 2021 in hopes that life with Covid would be better at that point!
Colour Palette
Since our initial wedding was set for November 20th, I had chosen warm/fall colours such as rust, gold and terracotta. When our wedding was moved to September we lightened the palette by bringing in a lighter floral arrangement with tones of blush pink and champagne.
Wedding Planner
I am so glad we had our wedding planner Katie Ley! She is the one who created the wedding giveaway and she helped make the day happen. She was always optimistic whenever we found out there were new regulations in place and she was super organized when keeping all the vendors up to date. She even found us a new venue within 24 hours after having ours cancel on us! She was a lifesaver and I don’t know how anyone plans a wedding without one. She is the reason why we were able to have this wedding and we are so thankful for her!
– Bride, Krista
Venue
We had our wedding ceremony at the Vancouver Club! We initially won a different venue, however, they cancelled on us 11 days before the wedding. Thankfully, our wedding planner is unbelievably well connected and had a great relationship with the Vancouver Club. They welcomed us with open arms! We were so thankful to have it there, they went above and beyond to accommodate us, the staff were so friendly and the space is so elegant and also warm at the same time.
Guest Count
We started with 18 guests and we were able to end up with 50! Thankfully there were less restrictions around September and it was nice that we were able to add guests versus take them away as many of our friends have had to do that over the years. We loved having a smaller intimate wedding as it allowed us, and our guests to mingle and converse with everyone.
Getting Ready
First Look
We did have a first look and we are both so happy we did! It helped us to get the nerves out and to enjoy some time together before the ceremony. We also wanted to get our bridal party photos done before the ceremony so that we could spend more time with our guests during cocktail hour.
Bridal Party
Portraits
Ceremony
My dad walked me down the aisle and Harry’s mom walked him down. We used an officiant from Young, Hip & Married instead of a priest and he did such an amazing job! So many of our guests mentioned how much they loved our officiant, Shawn, and how his words allowed for the night to be focused on love, and celebration.
Advice
Don’t forget why you are getting married in the first place! The day goes by so fast, so soak in every moment!
Bride + Groom
Reception
Afterparty
We had such a blast at our afterparty! We were told two weeks before our wedding that we weren’t going to be able to dance inside, so we brainstormed ways that we could end the night with a big celebration! One of Harry’s childhood best friend’s parents ended up hosting our afterparty in their backyard in West Vancouver. Tiare, Frog (nickname), and Britt were a massive help in setting up a tent for outdoor dancing, beautiful lights and florals, and so much more! We used our limo voucher (something we won in the giveaway) to book a party limo which took us there after the reception. Our friend and DJ (DJ Jojo circus) set the tone for the night with great music and we stocked the fridges with 33-acre beers, vodka sodas, wine, and Bacchus group champagne. We also had Edge Catering for snacks and desserts!
Honeymoon
We went on a mini-honeymoon to Middle Beach Lodge in Tofino! We spent five days relaxing, eating great food (the Wolf in the Fog restaurant is our favourite spot) and spending time outside hiking and surfing. We would love to go to Europe once things have settled down and we have plans on going to Italy this summer (fingers crossed!).
A Special Thank You
I want to say a big thank you to all of the vendors who helped create our dream wedding! You all gifted us something that was so special and meaningful during such hard times in the wedding industry. We appreciate you and we really can’t thank you enough!
