“As a wedding planner who got engaged during the pandemic, Kyle and I began to discuss the idea of a minimony when we realized that our destination wedding in Portugal would likely not be able to happen until the end of the 2022 wedding season. Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is one of the most iconic Alberta wedding venues and we knew that it would be our top choice for a tiny ceremony with our immediate family. As the bride I wanted it to feel like an effortless city hall ceremony, so much that after purchasing a floor length silk slip dress I switched my bridal gown to the Vanessa Cocchiaro mini dress paired with a custom length Daphne Newman Design veil adorned with crystal. The mini dress arrived a short few weeks before the ceremony day when I made the decision to go against the norm of a classic long dress for a winter wedding and play with a more flirty and fun look of the balloon sleeved mini dress. I felt so effortlessly me on the day, it didn’t take away from my large wedding bridal look and being able to play with more unique elements like an empire waist, ruffles and bows made me feel incredibly confident and just bridal enough to say our legal vows. I wore my late grandmother’s pearl earrings and added cherry blossoms in memory of her into the invitation suite. The Parisian blue in the ballroom and the stationery was an ode to where we would have gotten engaged (Kyle had it planned in France, but we were unable to travel because of travel restrictions). And of course we ensured our golden doodle was just as dapper as the groom with a tuxedo collar and bowtie!”