VanDusen wedding Vancouver: Sam and Kyle

January 5, 2017

It took me a lot of restraint not to blog the VanDusen Botanical Garden wedding of Sam and Kyle sooner! For months I waited for the feature on Real Weddings Magazine before I could share and now the time is finally here!

When Sam and Kyle told us about creating a garden themed wedding with penguins, I was sold! And even though I had no clue how they’d pull it off, I was confident it’d be a fantastic event! Their story is the best inspiration for couples wanting a quirky yet unique and meaningful kind of wedding. Penguins at your wedding may sound like an unconventional idea, but why not?! Sam and Kyle did things exactly their way and it was an unforgettable experience. 🙂

I encountered the first penguin in the beautiful Airbnb where Sam and the girls were getting ready in the morning. The penguin in question was Steve, who usually lives in Sam’s car, but was a guest of honor for the event. The room was filled with an air of excitement. Even more so when Sam spontaneously flipped up her veil. She had so much fun doing it, it made me want to get a veil to try it too. 😉

No penguins during the first look, but a couple of crows that flew over as if on cue while Sam graciously stepped across the big rocks leading to Habitat Island. The tiny island in the heart of the False Creek holds a special meaning to them, which is why we also took their engagement photos there a couple of months earlier. It was a stunning and emotional first look, but not the only one! What Kyle didn’t know yet, was that Sam had picked out 2 wedding dresses! So when she walked down the isle at VanDusen Botanical Garden, she surprised him again.

After a fun walk through the gorgeous gardens of VanDusen with the bridal couple and their bridal party, we entered the reception venue, welcomed by an abundance of penguins. Sam’s mom, who is an artist, painted amazing penguin-themed stationery: a penguin seating chart, penguin cards to identify the tables, individualized penguin place cards and a cute logo that was printed on the drink tickets. It was amazing to see everything come together.

Thank you Sam and Kyle for having us being part of your amazing party! We loved every moment of it!