A Modern Romance - Our Wedding: Getting Ready & First Look
Hi all!!
I am SO excited to share you all of my experiences, ideas, tips & so much more on Veronica With Love! I also can’t wait to share with you the biggest milestone of my life - our modern and romantic wedding! Check it out below!
Part 1: Getting Ready & First Look
Wow… it really is what everyone says - wedding planning is not for the faint of heart! As difficult as it was, that day - was beyond our wildest imaginations!
About a month into our engagement, we began our search for vendors. Originally, we had planned to have a destination wedding because of our mutual love for travel & adventure. But, we decided to keep our wedding at home and hopefully transform a space into a dreamy destination :)
Our modern, romantic wedding at JW Marriott, Parq Vancouver
You may now kiss!
THE PLANNER
Before we get into the big day, I just wanted to give a shoutout to the team & planner who made the best day of my life come to fruition - rockstar Vancouver Wedding planner, Kira, from Filosophi Events!
We were connected with Erin who owns & runs a wedding planning company called Filosophi, one of Vancouver’s top, bespoke wedding planning agencies which had raving reviews from family & friends who had previously used them. She matched us with one of their lead planners, Kira, who we immediately hit it off with. A note of advice, if you plan on using a planner - find someone you can connect & get along with! What I loved most about Kira was that she was super down to earth, honest & a great listener! (Don’t forget to check out Filosophi’s Instagram to see more shots of weddings they’ve worked on!)
THE PHOTOGRAPHER
I am a huge fan of photography. I love capturing & viewing little moments, quiet details & raw emotion. The artistic & creative side of me really comes out when I have a camera - whether it be my IPhone, or camera in my hand. Photography is a big part of me - and choosing the right photographer to capture the most important day of my life means a lot to me. I had stumbled on Mango Studios when I was still living in Toronto (I was there from 2008 - 2014). I loved the way they story-tell, their way of editing, & how they were able to make me feel emotion from an image of a couple I’ve never met before. Luckily, one of their photographers had moved from Toronto to Vancouver (saved us accommodations & flight costs). I quickly jumped on having them capture our day with a long shot list of wishes. Celine, our lead photographer from Mango, knew exactly what I wanted - & it was a huge bonus that she is the biggest sweetheart & one of the kindest people we’ve met in this process. (For more of their work, check out their Instagram)
These love story photos were taken at Whytecliff Park on the Thursday before our wedding!
Love Story photos at Whytecliff Park
Modern, minimalist love story photos at Whytecliff Park
Romper: Lovers + Friends
Loving the “little people” perspective!
GETTING READY: GROOM’S SIDE
Back at our home… Can you guess what our song is?
Custom neon sign by Endeavour Neon
Custom Indochino ceremony suit: Colour - Deep Teal Melange
The Groomsmen! All in custom Indochino suits (Hemsworth Charcoal)
Custom gift boxes built by us. Inside: mini Crown Royal, Cigar, custom flask from Etsy, pocket square made by the same material as the Bridesmaid Dresses, custom bowtie by Etsy.
Great “James Bond” like shot
GETTING READY: BRIDE’S SIDE
Bridal robe: Spell Designs
Custom Monogrammed Bridesmaid silk robes: currently on sale here!
Bridal party getting ready at Parq Villa, JW Marriott, Parq Vancouver
Bridal Hair & Makeup by: Denise Elliott Beauty
Living my Victoria Secret dreams with mermaid hair & flattering, contoured makeup
Bridal lace robe: Spell Bride
Bridal intimates: Gooseberry Intimates
Makeup: Sarah of Denise Elliott
Hair: Mel of Denise Elliott
Fabric choices for bridesmaid dresses: Sourced by me at Rokko Fabrics on Fraser
Wedding Dress: Berta, find it in Vancouver at Blush Bridal
Shoes: Valentino
Bridesmaids and me getting ready!
Bridesmaids wearing the Meghan Markle bun & sleek makeup
BM Hair & Makeup by: Simer
BM Dresses: Custom, altered at Manuel Mendoza Couture (ask for Alison!)
Wedding Dress: Berta, from Blush Bridal
THE DRESS
The dress! I went into wedding dress hunting with an idea in my mind, something with a low back, slinky/ sheath fit & no sleeves. My sister-in-law had helped me tremendously with this experience - booking appointments & helping navigate the decision making - Ladies! Be picky! If you have a slight hint that the dress isn’t quite what you want - ditch it! (not to mention it is also a long term commitment you’ll have till your wedding day & hard to change last minute!)
I’ve always loved a specific Bridal designer, Berta, for how they can make the woman’s body look absolutely flawless (my personal opinion). After 20+ dresses with multiple designers & 2 bridal boutiques, Blush Bridal had exactly the dress I couldn’t imagine my day without. My dress is by Berta and is called Aisha. It was the perfect amount of understated beauty, low back, sheath with capped sleeves. The moment I knew it was the one was when my mom looked at me and said “you look like a bride” (insert teary moment)
Andrea from Blush Bridal also wrote a piece on everything you need to know about my experience with this local boutique! Check it out here and their Instagram here
Flower girl dresses: Tutu Du Monde
Flower Girl Dress: Swan Queen Tutu Dress by Tutu Du Monde
Flower Girl Dress: Swan Queen Tutu Dress by Tutu Du Monde
Flower Girl Dress: Petal Me long tutu dress by Tutu Du Monde
Cape: Hypnotic Cape in Milk by Tutu Du Monde
THE FIRST LOOK
Traditionally, the Groom will see the Bride for the first time at the aisle. Because we had so many events during the day, that was not possible. We wanted the flow of events for our guests to be seamless without much waiting period. We decided to take a moment to ourselves (and to curb the nerves!) by having a First Look. The First Look was followed by creative, editorial wedding shots & photos with our Bridal Party.
Our Bridal Party! Bridesmaids in Champagne, Grooms-maids in Black + Sparkle, Groomsmen & Brides-man in Custom Indochino Suits
Editorial Wedding Photography: Mango Studios
