My partner's name is Marcus! We were coworkers at a bustling Italian restaurant and stayed friends for quite a while before realizing we would be a great match. Once we did we became inseparable and even road-tripped to LA within the first few months of dating. Starting out as friends helped lay a solid foundation for us to build a relationship.

Let’s say it may have involved a winery in the Okanagan, Jillian Harris, and 1 million of her followers LOL! We were at Quail’s Gate exploring the grounds when I spotted Jillian- I was a super big fan so I approached her to say hello and she was so kind and sweet to me. I was on cloud 9, and I guess Marcus saw this as an opportunity because he got down on one knee (within the site of JH) and popped the question! She posted it on her Instagram story, bought us a round of champagne, and sent her photographer to take some pics of us! Such a memorable one!

Marcus and I are both very non-traditional people and wanted our wedding to reflect that, while still having our closest friends and family with us to celebrate. We wanted it to feel like a dreamy vacation but in a very approachable, non-stuffy way. Think classy backyard wedding but in a beautiful location and really great food.

Venue and location were definitely the #1 most important piece of the wedding planning. We knew that the right place would do 99% of the work regarding setting the tone for the day. We both love California- the first place we ever travelled to together- and have been back many times since, so we knew that the laid-back California Desert dreamscape would be the perfect backdrop for our intimate and personal wedding. I've always been inspired by the minimalist, clean lines and white concrete structures of the Mediterranean, so when we found Le Chacuel near the Joshua Tree National Park, it all fell into place. We booked it without ever seeing it in person!

Well, it certainly was a journey for me to find the dress. I knew what I didn’t want but was having difficulty pinning down what I did want. I knew I wanted something to match the minimalist, understated, clean lines of the venue (and of my personal aesthetic) and most importantly I wanted to feel like me. Turns out I had to go to 10+ appointments and try on well over 60 dresses to figure out what that was but when I met the absolute ANGEL of a bridal consultant that Tessa is, I knew I would be finding the dress with her help. Her unending patience, kindness, and honesty really put me in a comfortable enough space to be able to explore my options and the right dress for me. When I finally put on the Vagabond Zoe dress I instantly felt so comfortable, both physically and metaphorically that I knew it had to be the one!

Hmm, that’s hard to say. There were so many beautiful moments throughout the day but I have to say that the ceremony and getting to say my vows to Marcus, with the teary eyes of our nearest and dearest watching along, in the absolute most beautiful setting, at my dream venue is just the absolute best it gets.

Give yourself grace and do it your own way. Wedding planning is stressful, managing family dynamics is stressful, and money is stressful, but give yourself a little grace and try not to sweat the small stuff. The little details will feel important going into the day but when it all comes down to it they just won’t matter once you are there in that moment!

I am very proud to say that this entire wedding was created by incredibly talented, ambitious, creative, badass entrepreneur women. Without a doubt, I would not have been able to pull this off without my angel of a planner Krystal Moreno @krystalklearevents. The venue @lechacuel is women-owned and created, by my incredible chef and long-time friend Sophie @sophiechristinel, who flew all the way from Montreal to make us the absolute most stunning meal. My photographer Sidney @sidneynoellephoto is truly so talented and such a sweet human, and of course Tessa my bridal consultant and stylist @thegownaddict. Even the florals were DIY by me and my bestie Madison Cooper! The list truly goes on but I tagged all of them over on my IG @alexandra_ep