Andrew and I met on linkedin of all places! It was very "on brand" for us and brings a smile to the faces of people who know us when we have shared this fun fact with them. Andrew was at the time working as the CEO of a large cannabis company and I was on the board of one of Canada's largest cannabinoid research groups. What started as a work call slowly evolved into something much more!

We were in New Zealand for a ski trip and for the last weekend of that trip, we stayed at a lovely homestead called Mahu Whenua. Andrew hired a helicopter pilot to fly us to a glacier where he proposed in the best way possible. He didn't talk for the entire duration of the ride there which should have clued me in to what was about to happen!

Classic, elegant, and timeless were the values that we had in mind. It was a black-tie event with a traditional aesthetic that balanced Andrew's military background and family history. We also love James Bond and so planted small nods to the movies throughout the day.

We got married at Canadian United Memorial Church which honoured our faith backgrounds and that of both our families. The interior was beautifully adorned with stained glass windows, old church pews, and the perfect central aisle. For our reception, we took a helicopter and landed at the HMCS Discovery Naval Base at Stanley Park where all our guests greeted us with loud cheers. It is a private peninsula overlooking coal harbour with the Vancouver city scape at its back. It was important for Andrew that we held the reception here as it was a nod to his military background and also provided a beautiful blank canvas for us to decorate from scratch.

Similar to our venue aesthetic, the inspiration was timeless and elegant. I wanted something without too many bells and whistles so that the focus would be on us during the wedding day. I tried on over 80 dresses and kept on coming back to Grace by Dany Tabet. It had everything I wanted in the dress - silk mikado, a tight corset with peaks, and a cathedral length train. It hugged my body while still letting me eat all my courses at dinner! My reception dress was also from Dany Tabet and was the exact opposite of my ceremony dress. It was strapless with a mermaid style train complete with beautiful flower beading all the way through the length of the dress. It was definitely a showstopper.

Definitely the small clues we sprinkled throughout the day to our James Bond-esque theme. This included our choreographed to Skyfall by Adele complete with four lifts, a dip, a lean, and waltz style natural turns, the helicopter arrival to cocktail hour, and some of the song choices for our live band at night.

Weddings are a lot of work! Definitely would recommend surrounding yourself with family and friends who love and support you. Also, on the day of the event, no one will know what the alternatives to your plate choice, your flower choices etc are - so go with your gut and the ones you love best!

Planner:
@katieplansthings
@filosophi

Photos:
@blushwed_vanessalust

Video:
@victorfoxweddings

Flowers:
@dushanflowers

Heli:
@skyhelicopters

Decor:
@bespokedecor @blacksheepeventrentals @eventsbyelle.ca @greenscapedesign @koncept.events

Catering:
@whitetablecatering @rainorshineyvr

Dress:
@everly_bridal

Makeup Hair:
@lccwonderland