Lindsay + Stu | Farmhouse Wedding

It had been a hit or miss September, and despite everyone's acknowledgement of the unpredictability of weather in the fall, I had my hopes up high. Linsday and Stu had an incredible country setting for their ceremony, and despite tents to cover guests, if the rain were to pour, then we'd be moving inside for an uncomfortable and quick reception/ ceremony room flip. I guess our many prayers payed off, because Stu and Lindsay's wedding turned out to be one of the most beautiful days in September. A tad windy, but beautiful none the less.

The emotions were high, the bridal party was STUNNING (seriously- have you seen a more beautiful bride in your life?), and the team of vendors were fab and worked hard to make this day as special as it was.

These incredible photos were taken by one of my new photographer crushes, Melissa Gidney. She is extremely talented so I suggest checking out her work! The cake was done by the fantastic team at Frostings in Langley, and the gorgeous decor by Jack and Jill. The centerpieces were a labour of love created by the bride and groom themselves (lucky girl- I could never get my hubby to do anything remotely crafty!), and DJ Jay Frost mixed some amazing tunes for the non-stop party.

This wedding will go down as one my favourites (as I am severely in LOVE with the vineyard shots). Congratulations Lindsay and Stu!

Bella Wedding | Jenn + Perry | Swan E Set Bay

Jenn ♥ Perry ... Highlights from Love Story Media on Vimeo.

I'd say most, if not all, of my business comes from word of mouth or wedding guests. This one in particular came from the sister of one of my past clients. You might remember Kristin's to-die-for New Years Eve wedding from this post. Kristin is a wedding planner herself, so I know that any event I do with her, or her family members for that matter, will be spectacular.

Kristin and big sister bride Jennifer did not disappoint! With the juiciest colour combo I've ever worked with, and a vendor roll call of some of the best in the biz, I was more than happy to take the ropes to make sure the day they planned went on without a hitch. I got to contribute my part by designing one of my favourite candy bars yet, full of creamsicle colours and delectable vintage labels.

The wedding was spectacularly beautiful (dare I say my favourite yet) and incredibly emotional. Jenn and her new hubby Perry are pretty much the poster children for love, and I know they have an entire lifetime of happy memories together!

Massive thanks to Mandy Jill for these dazzling photos, and to Erik of Love Story Media for the touching cinematic version of their wedding day. It's always an honour to work with such great talents!

Thanks to these FAB Vendors:

Mandy Jill Photography

Erich Saide Photography

Love Story Media

PixStar Photobooth

Upright Decor

FLOWERZ

Wedding Design Studio

Swan E Set Bay Resort

Loretta & David | LoveStory

Loretta ♥ David ... Highlights from Love Story Media on Vimeo.

Loretta and David's wedding fell on a beautiful, classic rainy Vancouver day at the end of May. When I woke up and saw the gloomy skies all around me, my heart sunk a bit. Although we had a "plan B" for their ceremony, I knew that Loretta really really wanted an outdoor ceremony on the lawn in front of the their Brock House reception venue. If it were to downpour, we'd be forced inside, which would have made for a very unhappy bride. Although the rain didn't stop, it was light enough to go to Plan C, which meant outdoor wedding ON, clear umbrellas UP. The rain, although inconvenient, made for an incredibly romantic day, and even provided the opening shots of their ring close up for this incredible highlight video, created by the ever talented Erik of LoveStory Media.

I'm a bit of internet addict, so prior to catching some shut eye, I lay in bed and checked my email on my phone. Erik's email appeared in my inbox and my heart began to flutter. That meant that Loretta and David's wedding video was up! Woot woot! I kind of feel like a kid on Christmas morning when I press play- and I guess that's very fitting, because truly, having a wedding video from Love Story Media is probably the best gift one could ever open. Eager and full of excitement, I watched it for the very first time on my iPhone laying in bed with my hubby right beside me. I couldn't stop gushing about the video, about all of Erik's videos, and how incredibly incredibly talented he was. I then went on to reflect on our wedding day and how heartbroken I was that I hadn't even thought of a videographer during my planning process (I was not a wedding pro until about 8 months after my own wedding day- so although my wedding day was beautiful, carefully planned out and full of intimate details, I lacked the knowledge and experience to know what really matters when it comes to capturing a wedding day.) My hubby went on to say " You really like this Erik guy, hey? A bit of a crush, have we?"... I laughed, because little does he know that the real cursh I have is on his videos. I fall in love with each highlight video like a teenage girl falls in love with the current heart throb de jour while watching movies like Twilight or High School Musical (who am I kidding? I'm not a teenager and I'm in love with Zac Efron and Robert Pattinson). All quips aside, if you haven't already done so, head over to the Love Story Media blog, and start watching some film reels and you'll know what I mean. I can watch them all again and again.

I'm sure I'll update again when the photographs are ready, but in the meantime enjoy! And congratulations again to Loretta and David!

Janice + Shad | Cloverdale Wedding

Janice and Shad, affectionately called "Shanice" have got to be one of my favourite couples this year. We became friends over many glasses of wine and planning their elegant and fun wedding felt like more play than work. A stunning outdoor ceremony at a private estate transported me, and I'm sure many of the guests, to a world reminiscent of The OC. The heartwarming reception was held at the quirky and unique Vault restaurant in Cloverdale and the night was nothing short of perfect. Incredible photography by the talented Sarah Reese of Bliss Photographic, and the stunning flowers by Kathy of All Tyme Florists. Thanks to my sidekick Jenn for helping me pull this day off without a hitch. And to Shanice, may your marriage be as incredible as your wedding day!

Bella Wedding | Kasey + Tyler | Whonnock Lake

This wedding was from March, but I thought better late then never when it comes to posting photos- right?

It was a little less than a year before their wedding when I first met with Kasey. She had loads of wonderful ideas for her 2010 wedding, but surprisingly, her fiance Tyler had many ideas as well. It was important for him to incorporate the 4 elements of the earth into their wedding- and many ideas were tossed back and forth. Everything from having a fountain inside, to centerpieces that included the elements, to the colour scheme consisting of their 4 representantive colours (yellow, red, blue and green I believe.) After much deliberation and many hours of planning, we had altered this theme to make it more classic and elegant (which still honoured them as a couple) and I think we merged both worlds very well. Originally planned to happen on July 17th at Minter Gardens, Kasey and Tyler had a change of heart and fell in love with the incomparable surroundings of Whonnock Lake (for those of you who love nature and pretty much beauty in general, it's worth the trip to visit this little Maple Ridge gem).

One of my favourite pieces was the wreath we hung from the centre of the ceiling. It was a labour of love made by Kasey's parents, and the dripping crystals shined like rain drops on this romantically overcast spring day. Officiated by my all time favourite, Jordan Bateman, the ceremony brought almost everyone to tears and even incorporated a very old fashioned hand-tying ritual.

Happy 6 month Anniversary Kasey and Tyler!

Cake: Anna Elizabeth Cakes

Photography: Right Out Studio

Decor Rentals: All Occassions Chic Decor Rentals

Flowers: Ah Perfect Petals

Invitations/ Favour/ Stationery Design: Hello Bella

Celebrant: Jordan Bateman

Bella Wedding | Amy + Jason

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Through the Lens Photography

Wow, I am seriously in the blogging bad books. I just realized It's been over a month since I've posted anything on here. I'm sorry. I really am. But the good thing about not posting on my blog is that this means I'm busy. Really really busy! So busy in fact, that I don't think I can squeeze another event into the mix until, let's say, October. From now until then I will be happily working away with my amazing client list and their exceptional events that are on their way.

Long overdue, here are some shots from my January wedding photographed by the talented Through the Lens Photography team of Marta and George. Amy and I started working together back in July, and I must say her wedding holds a special place in my heart as we shared both the same ceremony and reception venue. The fact that there is so much love and emotion shared between Amy, Jason, and their family and friends, made it even that much more touching for me. The wedding came together beautifully, both from a design standpoint and from an emotional one. It really was one of those weddings where I went home and just had to squeeze my hubby tight. I love love, and I love seeing it in it's purest form, on the day that two people commit to one another. Sigh.

Down to the details:

Ceremony: Good Sheppherd Catholic Church (Fr. Stanley Galvon officiated)

Ceremony Music: Trudi Stammer (Organ) and Curtis Marta (Violin)

Reception: Morgan Creek Golf Course- always a treat to work with Lani and the venue is perfect and accommodating.

Decor Rentals: Supplied by Wedding Design Studio and I must say I love their products. The stunning centerpieces were easy to assemble, giving me plenty of time to perfect the other aspects of the wedding.

Cake: Stunning cake and cake shaped cookies were done by the talented Anna Elizabeth Cakes. Swoon. Check out her stuff, and you may just die. You might have to throw a party just to have an excuse to hire her. Pretty pretty.

Videography: by Fairytale Productions, and although I haven't seen the finished product, they were very nice to work with.

DJ: Jesse of Bradley Music. It was my first time working with him and was truly a total blast and would reccomend him to anyone.

Floral: Stunning flowers were done by one of my local favourites, Petals & Stems.

Candy Buffet: Hello Bella Events, aka moi. The Candy Bar, oh the candy bar! Had to be one of my favourite parts. Amy and Jay were so much fun and decided instead of matching it with the elegant theme of the decor that we should go fun, colourful, and nostalgic (the candy bar was in another room so it's ok that they didn't match!). The candy Amy & Jay selected was all very fun. Some modern favourites, some classics, but they all were selected by members of their family and wedding party. I took the nostaligia theme and ran with it- designing vintage candy shop labels, and after finding THE perfect fabric, even breaking out my sewing machine for the first time to sew the backdrop and table cloth.

Sneak Peek of NYE wedding from Love Story Media

Video by Erik Andersen of Love Story Media.

While most people were putting on their party dresses, gearing up to clink their champagne glasses, and heading out to spend a crazy NYE dancing the night away, I was making a little wedding magic happen. Kristin came to me about 6 months ago to hire me for her New Years wedding. Interesting, I thought. What a fun way to ring in 2010 while starting a new life together! But this wasn't just any wedding. This was a wedding planner's wedding. Kristin owns and operates SugarLily Custom Event Design, and her portfolio of work is very impressive. The stakes were high, but we clicked right away and share many of the same OCD qualities (that I assume is a necessary quality in our line of work).

Kristin and Tyler's wedding was everything I would have expected it to be and more; touching, romantic, and beautiful in an almost ethereal way. The love Kristin and Tyler share was so apparent that I found myself having to dry my eyes more than once throughout the night. It was a stunningly gorgeous event and I was so happy to be a part of it.

I have almost recovered from that day, which started at 8:30 AM on the 31st and saw me arrive home the next day at 6:30 AM. It was an incredible feat to flip the room from ceremony to banquet while trying to make sure it looked perfect, in a timely fashion on course. As well, Kristin wanted to surprise her guests, family and wedding party alike with an uber cool lounge, so once the dinner was finished I went to work flipping the buffet room into the lounge. Midnight saw a cloud of white confetti fall upon the dance floor, and 2 AM saw myself get down and dirty for tear down.

The night ran perfectly (thank goodness, because there was a lot of pressure!) and I got to hang out with some amazingly cool vendors that I've been looking forward to meeting. Erich Saide wowed us with his brilliant photography skills and impressive collection of equipment; Photobooth Vancouver was a complete blast to hang out with; and last but certainly not least, this incredible sneak peek at the wedding was filmed and created by a very talented duo from Love Story Media. It was incredible to watch Erik of Love Story work his magic- you can really tell he knows what to shoot and when, and how to make the most out of your wedding footage. I've said this before, and I'll say it again, brides-to-be: hire a videographer! It is so worth it, and I guarantee you will be happy with Love Story.

I hope to post pictures from the wedding soon, but in the meantime I hope you enjoy this video!

Real Wedding: Sarah + Sean

The new Mr. & Mrs!

Photo: Luxe Photography

Photo: Luxe Photography

Photo: Luxe Photography

Flowers: All Tyme Florists

Sarah and her father

Photo: Luxe Photography

Photo: Luxe Photography

I love this jumping shot!

Photo: Luxe Photography

Photo: Luxe Photography

Flowers: All Tyme Florists

Photo: Luxe Photography

Cupcakes: Hello Bella Events

Photo: Luxe Photography

Photo: Luxe Photography

Flowers: All Tyme Florists

Candy Buffet: Hello Bella Events

Photo: Luxe Photography

Wine Labels: Hello Bella Events

Photo: Luxe Photography

Photo: Luxe Photography

DJ: Frost Entertainment

Photo: Luxe Photography

Flowers: All Tyme Florists

Photo: Luxe Photography

Photo: Luxe Photography

This beautiful September reception was so much fun to plan. Everything pulled together wonderfully, including gorgeous weather, a stunning bride and groom, and plenty of tearful moments with close family and friends (some who flew in from Australia!). It wasn't an easy road to get there, however. Sarah and Sean planned to be married in Mexico this last May, and to have a big reception when they got back. Well, a few weeks before their departure to Cabo, travel came to a BIG halt because of the prevalent swine flu. Fast forward to September, where the happy couple finally made their trip to say their vows, and came home a Mr & Mrs! You might remember Sarah from the Vegas themed bridal shower, but for a little refresher, check the post out here.

The after-marriage reception felt very much like a traditional wedding reception- well, except for the fact that the head table was replaced with a treats table, complete with a candy buffet, a cupcake tower and an assortment of wine favors. A video of their Mexican wedding played in the background, and a magician entertained kids and adults alike with his amazing card tricks and incredible magic. Morgan Creek was a beautiful location ( and not just because I hosted my own wedding there), and the food impeccable as always! I still have fantasies about that chocolate fountain (the best chocolate you will ever ever ever taste).

The cupcake tower was a joint effort, with the father of the groom building the massive cupcake tower, and myself and Sarah baking the cupcakes. I iced all 200 of them that day at the venue, and with heart racing, was able to get them finished off just in time. The flavours were delicious: purple vanilla, pink cotton candy, blue raspberry, and orange creamsicle buttercream icing on an assortment of chocolate, french vanilla and lemon cupcakes. Sarah wanted a couples cutting cake to resemble a supersized cupcake, so I used fondant and buttercream to create the look. And the flowers. Oh, the flowers! Sarah brought a picture out of a magazine for Cathy of All Tyme Florists to recreate, and boy did she deliver. I think the bouquets actually looked better than the ones in the bridal mag. The stunning colours of the flowers and the cupcakes complimented the pared down and neutral decor of the room. With subtle touches of the beach to reference their ocean-side wedding, everything really really worked to create that romantic feel Sarah and Sean were looking for.

And last, but certainly not least, Larissa Addison of Luxe Photography took all of these gorgeous photos above, plus so many more incredible shots. I profiled her for my October vendor of the month, and you can check that post out here.

Venue: Morgan Creek Golf & Country Club

Flowers: All Tyme Florists

Magician: Vancouver Magic

DJ/ MC: Frost Entertainment

Candy Buffet, Favor Labels, Cupcakes: Hello Bella Events

Photography: Luxe Photography

Pink Wedding. Does it get any better than this?

While I continue to work on my little *surprise* project, I thought I would share some eye candy with you. From a pink girl's perspective, this wedding photographed by Our Labor of Love is just devine!