Third Beach wedding: Allison and Brad
Allison and Brad held their wedding ceremony on Third Beach, surrounded by their closest loved ones. They chose for a very intimate ceremony and yet planned a very big reception at night on the same date: I love it! It's the best when couples create their own unique layout of the day.
In the morning, Allison and Brad didn't see each other when getting ready, but they chose a first look just minutes before the ceremony! This way they got to have a moment by themselves before walking to the ceremony together. The start of the ceremony was very informal: no big walking down the aisle, but everyone just gathered on the beach and the couple walked up there too.
Third Beach can be extremely bright for a Summer wedding at noon (think blazing sun!), but not this time! We were treated to a beautiful cloud cover. But my favourite moment of the day, took place after the ceremony, when Allison decided she'd like to get in the ocean and dip her feet in! Fearless!!
After a family lunch in the Teahouse in Stanley Park, which is conveniently close to third beach, everyone joined the couple for a chartered boat trip in False Creek. What a fun idea for your guests to get to know Vancouver in a different way! I might be biased, lol, because Jelger and I gave our closest guests a boat trip too on our wedding day! It was amazing!
The boat trip ended at Granville Island, where the rest of the festivities would take place. We loved the colourful walls on our way over to the reception. After arriving at the reception hall, Brad and Allison planned some alone time on their timeline! I love this! A wedding day can be so intense with numerous events and conversations. Even a 15 min break in silence can be fantastic to recharge your batteries.
You might notice some tartan in the photos before the reception... This is the proud Scottish tartan of Allison's family. And I must say this is the only time I've ever seen a bride play bagpipes at her own wedding! And she's VERY good at it too. She certainly surprised all her guests by joining the band!
Allison and Brad, thank you so much for having us! We feel blessed to have met you and often think of you when wearing those amazing socks, haha. ;)
PS: In case you didn't see their engagement photos, check them out here! Their dog is the cutest. ;)
PPS: Watch for the ring bear! (that's right, I said bear)
Third Beach and Granville Island wedding vendors
Ceremony venue: Third Beach in Stanley Park
Reception Venue: False Creek Community Centre (Lind Hall)
Event planner: Above and Beyond Event Planning
Makeup artist: Faye Smith Agency
Catering: Whiskey Six BBQ
Getting ready location: Carmana Plaza hotel downtown Vancouver
Marriage commisioner: Gayda Coblin
Boat trip: Aquabus
Decor rentals: A&B Party and Event Rentals
Jericho beach engagement photos: Pragya + Nikhilesh
Pragya and Nikhilesh put a lot of effort into their engagement photos at Jericho Beach! Not only did they start planning it several months beforehand, they drove all the way to Vancouver from Seattle for the occasion!
While they planned their shoot a long time in advance, I love how they spontaneously changed things up. Originally they considered a Fall shoot, but the weather was so nice in September that we received an excited email a couple of days beforehand: Are you free? Let's do it now!
The two of them love sunsets, so a beach location seemed like the perfect plan. And since they also love Vancouver, a cityscape in the background for some photos worked out perfectly. Jericho Beach offers all that and more! We were treated to a crisp sky (yes, that's a thing), beautiful views and an extra colourful sunset.
Pragya and Nikhilesh told us they weren't sure if they'd be photogenic. Something we hear a lot from our clients is: "oh, we're not photogenic." But it's never true! ;) Everyone is photogenic! In our experience, it's all about how you feel about your partner! And it's our job to distract you from the photo taking part of the experience. I'm totally biased, but I think these two are photogenic AF. :D
Thank you guys for strolling on the beach with us and for making the trek to Vancouver! We hope you have a blast at your wedding and that you come visit Jericho Beach often as a married couple!
PS: This shoot reminded me of one of the very first couple shoots we did in Vancouver. It was 2012 and we were beyond excited, haha. See if you can find it on our site. ;)
Jericho Beach engagement photos
Considering Jericho Beach for your own engagement photos? Get in touch with us today to chat about your vision! We can help you find the perfect location!
Downtown Vancouver elopement: Roya + James
Roya and James contacted us to photograph their downtown Vancouver elopement past August. I love how they created an experience, entirely catered to them and their closest loved ones!
Roya is Persian, and as you might know it's tradition to have a BIG wedding. So by eloping instead, she definitely went against the grain! She and James made things legal on a different day and did the celebration in wedding attire on the day we met up with them!
I love how Roya's parents set up a beautiful sofreh, despite there not being a ceremony, and included a few traditions! Afterwards, everyone joined us at the Venet sculpture on Sunset Beach for family photos!
The benefit of having your elopement in Downtown Vancouver, is that within a short distance, there are so many amazing locations. So for the two of them it was possible to go from the apartment, to Sunset Beach and Second beach within a two hour timeframe!
I loved how relaxed Roya and James were with each other! They were clearly determined to have a good time. :) And of course I also loved the beautiful outdoor locations! We're so blessed to have a downtown area that has ocean and amazing forest!
Speaking of beautiful locations... The sunset was so beautiful that Jelger and I both kinda wanted to take a photo from the same angle. ;) I'll share the behind the scenes photo below, lol. Totally worth it!
Roya and James, thank you very much for trusting us with your memories! We had a fun time with you and your family.
Behind the scenes
This is how we photographed those last two photos... ;) Can you guess who shot what?
Downtown Vancouver elopement photos
Are you considering to celebrate your elopement in Downtown Vancouver? Learn all about the practicalities of eloping here!
If you're wanting to see some of our work in Vancouver, check out his page!
And last but not least, are you considering to add a traditional element to your elopement, but aren't sure? Feel free to send me a message, I'd love to hear what you have in mind!
Furry Creek Golf wedding: Katie + Andrew
Past September we photographed Katie and Andrew's wedding at the Furry Creek Golf Course. I remember driving pas the Furry Creek sign on the road from Vancouver to Squamish, and instantly imagining all sorts of fuzzy animals roaming around. While nothing of the sorts happened, the epic nature views on the entire course exceeded all expectations!
Katie and Andrew planned their entire wedding from a distance, as they both live in New York! Check out their engagement photos here! I think they are very brave, because so much goes into planning a full day wedding! But they pulled it off and I'm sure their guests had the best time!
I loved that they included door games at the venue! Andrew and his groomsmen sure worked hard for it. ;) And of course afterwards they hosted a traditional tea ceremony.
After Katie changed into her white dress and Andrew into his suit, the two of them decided to do a first look. This is always a great option to have all photographs done before the ceremony! We got to drive around in a golf cart with them and my favourite pit stop was down at the beach! The Howe Sound never disappoints, but that day the light was dramatic and the colours so vibrant! A photographers dream for sure. ;)
Afterwards, the ceremony took place surrounded by greenery and with a waterfall behind the deck. The sounds of the waterfall added to the atmosphere for sure! A friend performed the ceremony for them, it was so personal!
And then it was party time! An amazing dinner, heartfelt speeches and fun dancing. We even got to sneak out for sunset photos!
Thanks so much again for having us guys! I'm excited to see your future travel stories on Instagram, I'm already inspired! :D
Furry Creek Golf wedding vendors:
- Hotel (getting ready): Executive Suites Hotel & Resort Squamish
- Make-up artist: Tianna Tran
- Florist: Lilian Dang
- Ceremony and reception venue: Furry Creek Golf & Country Club
Dog mountain engagement photos: Allison + Brad
Allison and Brad joined us for an adventure: we hiked up Dog Mountain for their engagement photos! In case you're not familiar with North Vancouver, Dog Mountain is part of Mount Seymour. The hike takes about an hour one way. While this trail is marked as easy, the last part of it can be a bit more challenging due to the many hikers making the trail "too smooth", lol. Some of the tree roots are so worn down it gets slippery, if that makes any sense. ;) But I digress!
Last time we were up Mount Seymour (actually 3 days before this shoot), the weather was sooo challenging with fog and rain, but Allison and Brad got the complete opposite. It was the best we could wish for! Mountains are so unpredictable, but that's of course all part of the adventure.
For their engagement photos Allison and Brad brought their beautiful dog, Cleo. I love how the two of them rescued Cleo, which is such a big commitment! It's amazing to see people willingly invest their time, energy, love and money into an animal that didn't get the greatest start in life. When hiking with the three of them it became very clear how much Cleo has bonded with Allison and Brad. She's one lucky dog! I thought the "dog on Dog Mountain" was kinda funny, and Cleo certainly was the star of the engagement photos. ;)
Before heading to the end of the trail, we did a short pit stop at First Lake, which is a beautiful small lake with lots of trees. And than at the end of the trail we had the most epic views. Together with that sunset: perfection!
When we finished up, we hiked back to our cars in the dark together. Hint: bring head lights when you know you're going to hike after sunset! Allison and Brad are experienced hikers and came well prepared. Cleo got her own lights as well, hehe. She made sure all of us stayed close together, I thought it was adorable. I should add that while hiking in the dark is fun: know when and where to do it! We know this area very well and always have accessible maps on our phone etc. Don't go out hiking in the dark on a mountain you've never visited and without proper supplies.
Thanks again for joining us on this adventure guys! Can't wait to share your wedding photos on the blog too! :D
Dog Mountain engagement photos
Do you want your own adventurous engagement photos on Dog Mountain? Tell us all about it here. Or do you want to explore other trails or engagement ideas, check out this post!
Halloween styled shoot
Once in a while I (Tanja) get to do a photography project without Jelger, just for fun, such as this Halloween styled shoot! What started as me wanting to photograph Tarina's cat on a hike (yes, she has a cat that joins her on hikes!), kinda got out of hand. ;)
Not sure how it went from "cat in nature", to elaborate Halloween shoot, lol, but Tarina and Kelly, the ladies behind Say Events had a vision. The story behind the shoot: the groom of this wedding turned into a cat. ;) And I was more than happy to join them! All I needed to hear was "cat".
When I arrived at Cecil Green Park House on the day of the shoot, I was of course immediately smitten with Jax. He reminded me a bit of our cat Mr. Jums, a big black super-friendly tomcat. Tarina, if you ever need a cat sitter... (not sure if I'd give him back, though) ;) Jax totally stole the show (and everyone's hearts).
For this Halloween shoot, no less than 11 vendors were involved. It humbles me that so many people want to come together to create something different. It was a first for me to play around with smoke bombs, for example. Special thanks to those who held the smokers and frantically waved them around, lol. ;)
Coming from Belgium, a country where Halloween didn't exist when I grew up (it's becoming more popular now, thanks to the American movies and social media etc.), it's still a bit of a foreign holiday to me. I can only imagine how fun it must have been as a kid. :)
So thanks everyone for doing Halloween with me. If we're ever asked to photograph a Halloween wedding, I know where to find the perfect team of creatives!
PS: Check out the list of amazing vendors below the photos!
Here's my favourite outtake, lol, Jax was done posing, hahaha. ;)
Halloween styled shoot vendor info:
Event planner: Say Events Company
Cake artist: The Cake & The Giraffe (We love her! And she's on our blog with her adorable hubby! ;)
Decor design/rentals: Past Pieces Vintage Weddings & Events
Florist: Jorbelina Flowers
Makeup artist/hair stylist: Makeup by Shayla, Hair by Carly for Rose Quartz Beauty
Venue: Cecil Green Park House
Jewelry: OhKuol
Bow tie: Beaux
Dress designer: Hannah Tikkanen
Model: Justine Sane
Do you want to see more of this shoot? Check out our magazine feature on Love and Lavender here!
Forest Elopement in North Vancouver: Carmen + Michael
We're always up for a forest elopement and especially in North Vancouver's Lynn Canyon! This is one of the places that is lush green all year round and shows off the perfect ferns and greenery. :)
Carmen and I had been messaging a lot via email. It's not easy to plan everything from a distance, as her and Michael came over from Michigan! The two of them planned their elopement as part of a short trip to Vancouver, before taking off on a cruise! I love how spontaneous couples such as the two of them plan to get married on vacation. :D
Their elopement took place past August, on a warm sunny day. Even though it was a weekday, Lynn Canyon was the busiest I've ever seen it. Because of the beautiful suspension bridge, it's definitely a popular tourist destination. (Tip: to avoid the crowds: go really close to sunset, or if you're an early riser, go when the park just opens.)
Luckily there are always hidden spots in the forest to have your elopement ceremony a bit more private! We snuck away to a secluded area of forest and they had such a beautiful first look and ceremony! Carmen had her dress with her and changed at the location. This is a smart tip for other couples that come in a car together and still want a first look!
Extra kudos for Carmen for braving the forest in her dress with big skirts, btw! I think it looked amazing in the natural scenery, hehe, and she didn't let some branches and dirt scare her off!
Thanks so much for having us witness and photograph your elopement guys! We hope you had an amazing cruise! :D
Forest elopement in North Vancouver
Are you planning your own forest elopement in North Vancouver? We have some great ideas for different locations, get in touch with us today!
Deer Lake Park wedding: Gladys + Danny
At the end of August, we celebrated Gladys and Danny's wedding at Hart House in Deer Lake Park. Their wedding day was filled with personal touches, such as their amazing wedding arch! Can you believe they built it themselves?!
But before the ceremony, they chose for a first look and photos with their wedding party. For the first look, the bamboo garden at Queen Elizabeth Park was their preferred spot! I love that this has a special meaning for them, as they often enjoy walks in the park. So next time they walk by, they can remember the feeling of seeing each other for the first time in wedding attire. Afterwards we photographed their wedding party in the park too.
Next up was Deer Lake Park with the two of them, before it was time to hide from the wedding guests. I loved the moment of Gladys' touchups and when she had her veil put in her hair. The light was so gorgeous in that room!
At some point during the wedding ceremony, they created a time capsule out of a wooden box. They put letters to themselves, as well as a bottle of wine inside, and sealed the lid with hammer and nails! This unique event certainly surprised their guests, hehe. ;) And us too! (I've never seen this before!) They're going to open it up on their 10th wedding anniversary, I love this idea!
During the rest of the party, what stood out most to me was that during their speeches (they had 15! speeches) EVERY SINGLE PERSON expressed so much admiration for the two of them. It's clear that these two do so much for their family and friends and are a true inspiration.
Thank you so much for having us Gladys and Danny! We hope you had an amazing honeymoon!
PS: Special thank you to Crystal from Luxe Weddings, who had such a fantastic detailed timeline! She was on top of EVERYTHING. :)
Deer Lake Park wedding vendors:
- Wedding ceremony and reception venue: Hart House in Burnaby
- Wedding planner: Crystal from Luxe Weddings
- Makeup artist and hair stylist: Alison Sun
- Florist: Evvie & Olive
Do you want to celebrate your wedding at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby? Get in touch with us for more info or check out some of our other work in Burnaby here.
Spanish Banks wedding proposal: Annabelle + Andrew
Andrew had the perfect vision for his wedding proposal to Annabelle: he'd do it on the beautiful beach of Spanish Banks. Not only is it a gorgeous location, it's also close to UBC, which has a special meaning for the two of them.
As always with a wedding proposal, it requires a little bit of planning and we had a Skype call together to figure out all the details and the perfect spot at Spanish Banks' beach. While Jelger and I would pretend to photograph the mountains (or seagulls, lol), the two of them would stroll by on the beach and pause at the designated spot.
At Spanish Banks, the city is so beautiful in the background and yet, you can choose to turn the other way and see the North Shore mountains! And let's not forget about the elegant willow trees of course! We're forever lucky to live here. For the proposal, the ocean and the city were the perfect background.
I was excited that Andrew chose a time later in the evening, so the light was gorgeous. (Yes, the closer to sunset, the nicer the light!) And the weather turned out amazing too! We couldn't have wished for a better day. I absolutely love Annabelle's face when he went on his knee. Goosebumps! And extra points to Andrew for bringing champagne to toast right after!
During the rest of the shoot, I could tell Andrew was so proud of his fiancée, and the two of them looked so happy together. I'm glad we got to document this moment for them. Soon they're embarking on a big move (yes, to moving countries as a couple!!) to xxxxxx. So it's extra special to have these memories in Vancouv to look back at!
Andrew and Annabelle, we wish you guys an amazing new start! Congratulations!
Spanish Banks wedding proposal photos
If you're considering a wedding proposal or engagement photos at Spanish Banks, let us know! Or if you're wanting a different type of environment or experience, we can help out with that too!
If you're wanting more info about just visiting the beach, check out this site! ;)
Mt. Seymour couple photos: Felicia + Daniel
Daniel surprised Felicia with couple photos on Mt. Seymour for their first wedding anniversary (on the exact date!) ! This was the first time Jelger and I photographed surprise couple photos without it being a proposal! And it was a great experience (for all of us :)).
I can't even get over how much effort and determination Daniel put into his surprise! When planning the shoot, it soon looked as if the weather was going to be terrible. And because this location required hiking (about an hour each way), this posed an extra challenge! On top of all that Felicia had recently sprained her ankles, and had to hike with braces! So impressive that she joined him without knowing about the surprise!
If it'd be me, chances are I'd say"What?! Hiking in this weather? While injured? Ehm, no!" and then drape myself in a blanket and curl up on the couche for a Netflix marathon. But not Felicia, she joined her hubby on this quest and when we arrived (surprise!!!) at Dog Mountain on Mt. Seymour, she was just as excited for their couple photos! Daniel arrived super prepared, btw, with a picnic for the two of them and outfit changes for Felicia!
The originally planned sunset shoot with epic vistas, turned into a wet, gloomy light shoot with epic fog. ;) But that didn't bother these two and their adorable dog. They embraced the oh so typical West Coast weather and went for it. ;) To me this says so much about how they are as a couple! I'm sure they'll have many anniversaries to come. And I'm crossing my fingers for lots of nice weather, I mean, this was in August!!!
The hike back in the dark proved to be a very wet one. I think even more so for the two of them, as they stayed behind a bit longer. Tip for your safety: always bring headlights when you know you're hiking after sunset (Costco often has awesome ones!). Never attempt to do so in an unfamiliar environment, for obvious reasons! And always bring snacks, water, a safety blanket and warm clothing! Mt. Seymour has cellphone connection in a lot of places, but not everywhere, so do some research beforehand!
Thanks so much guys for celebrating with us and congratulations! Cheers to many more years!
Mt. Seymour couple photos
Excited to have your own couple photos taken at Mt. Seymour? Check out more photos that we took at this beautiful location right here. Or get in touch with us here.
Hart House wedding in Burnaby: Evelyn + Alex
I loved so many moments during Evelyn and Alex's wedding at Hart House in Burnaby, but before I dive into the details, let me tell you about how we first met up with them!
Initially we planned a meeting with the two of them at BierCraft Bistro (if you love Belgian beers and fries, it's awesome!). But when we arrived it turned out Evelyn wasn't feeling the greatest, so Alex met us by himself. But to still meet both of them before their wedding, they invited us for sushi and board games at their place! It was such a fun evening, I'm hoping we'll get to do it again sometimes. :)
If you ever need a personal trainer, btw, certainly check out Evelyn's website here! She's truly inspiring as a smart and strong woman! (Yesss to women that lift weights!) Evelyn used to do amateur boxing at a national level! How next level is that! And absolutely awesome that she and Alex train together sometimes.
Anyways, back to the wedding festivities. ;) My favourite moment of the day was without a doubt their beautiful first look. The two of them chose a little creek close to Hart House, which was a private hidden gem. The build-up to a first look can be quite intense, as months of planning come together in this one moment. It's just the best!
During the rest of the couples' portrait time, the weather behaved, however at the end of the shoot it started to pour! The plans for their outdoor wedding ceremony, were threatened and the chairs were even moved inside of the big permanent tent at Hart House. But then the rain stopped and kudos to Flowerella Events for moving all the chairs back to the lawn right before the ceremony!
Fun tidbit of information: the rooms inside of the Hart House restaurant have the option to see your guests outside, without them seeing you. In other words: as a bride you can spy on your guests when they arrive. Hilarious. ;)
The ceremony was beautiful, and Alex and Evelyn quoted a passage from Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. It was the first time I heard this and it's just so meaningful (google it!). And at the end the wedding ceremony, they had a confetti exit with dried flowers! A great harmless alternative for nature. :)
After a fun-filled cocktail hour with lawn games and a reception with lots of heartfelt speeches, this group truly danced the night away!
Thanks so much for having us Evelyn and Alex!! See you for your post wedding shoot! ;)
Hart House wedding vendors:
- Ceremony and wedding reception venue: Hart House Restaurant Burnaby
- Day off wedding coordinator: Marlee from Flowerella Events
- Florist: Flowerella Events
- Wedding officiant: Tim from Vancouver Officiant
- Makeup & Hair: Terra Lee from Beaumont Beauty
- DJ: Steve from Music Maestro
- Donuts: Cartems Donuts
Planning your wedding at the Hart House restaurant and are still looking for wedding photographers? Don't hesitate to get in touch with us here and tell us all about your plans!
Stanley Park wedding proposal: Jason + Sarina
Jason took his wedding proposal in Stanley Park to the next level, by hiring photographers (us, heehee) to secretly document him going down on one knee! :) Organizing a secret wedding proposal, requires some planning. So we Skyped with Jason beforehand and chose an exact spot in Stanley Park for him to ask the question. (Tip from a pro: Google drop pins to the rescue!) He opted for a location with the Lions Gate Bridge in the background, very Vancouver!
I rarely get nervous before a photo shoot. But when photographing a proposal, I always have to take some deep breaths. ;) Trying not to "look suspicious", while still keeping an eye on everyone passing by is tricky, lol.
We spotted the two of them right away as they walked around the corner of the Sea Wall. They had a dinner reservation later in the evening, which was the perfect excuse to be dressed up. And Sarina thought they were randomly going for a nice evening walk. When they arrived at our spot, Jason set up his phone on a mini tripod to take a selfie. And than he went down on one knee! She said yes, woohoo, with a big hug too! :D
Sarina didn't expect photographers at all, haha, so we were a nice extra surprise with a couple shoot afterwards. :) After their time in Vancouver, the two of them had a long trip planned in Squamish to practice bouldering! I love how they started their vacation on such a high note! Although they live in New York, they really love Vancouver and BC, so Jason chose the perfect iconic Vancouver location for his proposal. :) (If you're visiting the park and want to check out the Lions Gate Bridge too, you can find more info here)
Thank you so much for having us document this special moment for you guys! We hope you had the best time bouldering and will have many great trips to BC in the future!
Stanley Park wedding proposal photos
Are you considering a wedding proposal in Stanley Park or any other Vancouver location? Get in touch with us and we'll share some insights and help you make the most of it!
Maple Ridge elopement at Alouette lake: Claudia + Gerson
As is often the case with photographing in Golden Ears Park in Maple Ridge, everyone attending Claudia and Gerson's elopement wedding at Alouette Lake received an unexpected surprise!
Because an elopement is always somewhat spontaneous, anything can happen! Whether it's the environment or the weather or... in this case, the weather took an unexpected turn for the better! So instead of a greyish day, such as the days leading up to their wedding date, it was suddenly HOT. And all the tourists came out. It was so busy that the entire parking lot was full and we had to walk quite a bit to the trail. On top of that the excited tourists occupied every part of beach.
Luckily, instead of feeling disappointment, Claudia and Gerson embraced the moment and when the officiant declared the two of them husband and wife, EVERYONE on the beach cheered, even the people on floaties on the lake. It was such a special moment! Although when looking at the photos, you might think they were there alone with their small group of loved ones, hehe. ;)
After taking some family and group photos, these two just went all out! Every fun idea that popped up in their minds became part of our shoot. Including kicking some water and hijacking a white swan floatie. And all that at the beginning of the shoot, totally fearless of what might happen to their outfits, hehe. ;)
Total sidetrack: Claudia and Gerson, who are Mexican, shared a recipe with us that includes jicama, cucumber and chips. We tried it later at home and it is so tasty! It’s fantastic when our couples share our excitement about food and teach us new things to try! (If you want to get into it, here’s the recipe, hehe, better brush up on your Spanish!)
Back to the forest, where we continued the rest of their session while chatting about life and adventures. One of the things that always amazes me about this location is the incredibly green water in the river! Loved that a friendly sunbathing couple, allowed us to borrow “their rock” at the river for a couple of portraits.
Claudia and Gerson, I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll have many more spontaneous adventures together! Thanks so much for having us along for this one!
Vendors Maple Ridge elopement at Alouette lake:
Wedding officiant: Suzanne Starrie
Florist: Lotus Flower Boutique
Reception dinner afterwards: Saba Cafe and Bistro.
CRAB Park wedding: Sharon + Karol
Jelger and I knew about the existence of CRAB Park, which is certainly lesser known unless you live in Vancouver, but Sharon and Karol surprised us when they told us they'd have their wedding ceremony in the park!
Side note, the all caps in CRAB Park stand for Create A Real Available Beach. And yes, it's indeed an unexpected little beach in the middle of downtown, with mountain as well as harbour views, therefore very unique! Which meant it was perfect for Sharon and Karol, who had a unique vision for so many parts of their day!
From the get go, we noticed what these two valued the experience above everything else! They took it to a whole new level, for instance treating their guests to ice cream right after the ceremony and allowing the ice cream to be in the family photos, lol. ;) And the entire evening afterwards included "fun and food". No seated dinner or "waiting for events", but rather an evening that was pretty much all party!
The Emerald Supper Club was such a great venue for that too, with different rooms, each with their own character, all in an old school Las Vegas kinda vibe. Did I mention it was all about the party? :D
Before we headed to the club, there was of course time for the wedding party and couple photos. I loved how Sharon and Karol had a mix of nature and urban in their day! We saw both real mountains and mural mountains. ;)
Something they did, that I thought was such an amazing idea, was to have a small moment to themselves right after the photos and before the reception started. They enjoyed a cocktail at Juniper with just the two of them (we left shortly after they arrived). I love that they could share this private time together, as a wedding day is such a whirlwind of events!
Another favourite of mine was their amazing ring bearer Irwin (you might remember him from their engagement shoot). He did such a good job! Despite getting tired of his tuxedo pretty soon (can't blame him, haha, it was so hot!), he swiftly walked down the aisle. Adorable! And when I saw the guys' getting ready photos from the morning I laughed so hard. Definitely the first time ever I've seen wrestling socks. Too good. ;) There are too many other moments to all write down, so I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking.
Sharon and Karol, thanks so much for having us join you for your fun filled wedding day! You stayed true to your vision and I bet all your guests had a blast!
Crab Park wedding vendors:
- Wedding planner: Beth from Sweetheart events
- Ceremony location: CRAB Park
- Wedding officiant: Kadee Smedley from Young, Hip and Married
- Reception venue and catering: The Emerald Supper Club
- Florist: Celcia Floral
- Chair rentals: A&B Partytime rentals
- Makeup artist and hair stylist: Gaby Ramirez and team from Ramirez makeup
- Wedding ceremony ice cream: Earnest Ice Cream
- Bride and groom cocktail moment: Juniper
- Cake artist: Black Rook Bakehouse
- DJ: DJ Hayley Drummond
- Bridal dress: Truvelle from the Lovenote store
- Groom's suit: Indochino
- Bridesmaids' dresses: Lulus
- Groomsmen's suits: J. Crew
- Bride's accessories: Mejuri
If you're looking for a photographer for your own wedding in Vancouver, you can get in touch with us here. Or for more inspiration, check out these photo shoots in Vancouver.
Buntzen Lake engagement: Dawn + Marcus
We met Dawn and Marcus at Buntzen Lake for their engagement photos on a drizzly evening in the beginning of July. They visited all the way from Redwood City in California! I'm loving how many international couples we've been meeting lately! It makes me extra proud to be able to share our local nature's beauty. :)
And beautiful it was! With extra thanks to the drizzle, which made all the greens in the forest even more lush than usual! Over the years I've become a moss and fern fanatic (no idea how it happened, lol, but I just LOVE different shades of green in nature). So the lush forest at Buntzen Lake has everything I wish for.
Nature perfectly timed the rain to stop when we exited the forest. And when we walked over to the beach, a bunch of Canada Geese surrounded us. (Jelger would not approve of me saying Canada Goose, lol, head to our bio page if you want to see what that's all about). Regardless of how Jelger refers to them, we had a lot of fun getting the geese in our photos. One hissed at Jelger, but the rest behaved. (Maybe he offended it with the incorrect use of its name. :P )
Thanks Dawn and Marcus for goofing around with us and indulging in our geese shenanigans. We love that you explored Buntzen Lake with us, which is certainly a less obvious place during a short stay! And we wish you all the best for your wedding!
Buntzen Lake engagement photos
Tip for when you're heading to Buntzen Lake for your engagement photos or for a hike: keep an eye on the closing time of the park! Often parks close after dusk, but Buntzen Lake has it's own changing hours that don't go later than 7:30pm in Summer. You can check out the current hours here. The park's staff kindly warns the visitors by honking a car horn an hour before they close (and closer to closing time as well). Smart move as you can hear the horn all the way across the water!
Wanting to go explore the Buntzen Lake area with us? Get in touch and we'll make it happen!