This wedding is one of my favourites not only because Erin & Jason are my friends, but also because so many of my very favourite Vancouver wedding vendors contributed to their gorgeous day. Speaking of whom, here are some of the photos that my friends Anna & Kasia at Gucio Photography captured:

Click here for a short wedding film by Wade at Vincent + Theo Studio, featuring yours truly immersed in paper-crane-curtain-construction mode.

So much love!

I am so lucky to work in an industry full of wonderful people, and I recently had the pleasure of meeting two more—the delightful Sarah & Graeme, the husband and wife photography team of The Nickersons.

(How cute are they, seriously? Adorable.)

Thanks to Sarah and Graeme, I have a fantastic Valentine’s Day prize to give away! I am in possession of a voucher that’s redeemable for a “Beloved” Photoshoot with The Nickersons, plus a credit of $50 towards any printed photos from your session.

HOW TO WIN:

• Leave a comment on this blog post, telling me why you’d love to win a “Beloved” session with The Nickersons

GET EXTRA ENTRIES!

• Comment on this Revel Events Facebook post, telling me why you and your Beloved deserve a photo session with The Nickersons
• Copy and Tweet the following: “I entered to win a Beloved photo session with The Nickersons, via @RevelEventsBC http://tinyurl.com/byumuk9“

Easy as pie! Be sure to enter by 11:59pm on Friday, February 15. I’ll draw a winner bright and early on Saturday morning, and someone will have a great belated Valentine’s gift to give to their beloved!

Big Valentine’s hugs!    ~Jenna

**The fine print: this photo shoot must take place in Vancouver

{VANCOUVER, BC} – January 15, 2013 – WeddingWire, the nation’s leading online wedding marketplace, is thrilled to announce that Revel Events has been selected as a winner of the prestigious WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 for Wedding Planning in Vancouver!

The esteemed annual awards program recognizes the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire Network who demonstrate excellence in quality, service, responsiveness and professionalism.

Revel Events’ selection as a Bride’s Choice Award 2013 winner was based on the positive experiences expressed by past clients on WeddingWire, the world’s largest wedding review site with over one million reviews. While many industry awards are given by the host organization, the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® winners are determined solely based on reviews from real newlyweds and their experiences working with Revel Events.

The WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® 2013 are given to the top local wedding vendors in more than 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, based on professional achievements from the previous year. Award-winning vendors are distinguished for the quality, quantity, consistency and timeliness of the reviews they have received from their past clients. As a Bride’s Choice Awards winner, Revel Events is highlighted within the WeddingWire Network, which is comprised of over 200,000 wedding professionals throughout the United States, Canada and abroad.

“Each year, WeddingWire looks forward to celebrating the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire Network,” said Timothy Chi, CEO, WeddingWire. “Now in its fifth year, the Bride’s Choice Awards® program continues to recognize the elite wedding professionals who exemplify a commitment to quality, service and professionalism. These businesses were chosen by our bridal community for their responsiveness and dedication to their clients over the past year. We are honored to recognize Revel Events for their impressive achievements within the wedding industry.”

Revel Events is thrilled to be one of the top Wedding Planners in Vancouver in the WeddingWire Network of sites, which include leading wedding sites such as WeddingWire, Project Wedding, Brides.com, Martha Stewart Weddings, and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for taking the time to review our business on WeddingWire. We value all of our clients and truly appreciate the positive feedback that helped us earn the WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards® for 2013.

For more information about Revel Events, please visit our WeddingWire Storefront today.

I met Anna and Kasia when we worked together at the wedding of Leah and Corry in Summerland in 2010. We were all excited to collaborate on such a beautiful and creative wedding—all thanks to the bride, talented graphic designer and super stylish lady, Leah Browne! (Her lovely wedding was later featured on Poppytalk.)

When Gucio and I decided to put together a styled photo shoot the following spring, we brought Leah on board to design the menus and escort cards that we would feature. She joined in on our early concept meetings, and I’m glad she did because it was Leah who coined the phrase “Rustic Canadiana” after a visit to one of her favourite boutiques—Old Faithful Shop in Gastown. Here’s a peek at Leah’s beautiful graphic design work for our shoot:

We did the shoot at Ironworks Studios, which couldn’t have been more perfect for the look we were going for. My best friend Kimberly modelled for us—after years of being told by countless men and a fair few women how very beautiful she is, I decided to put her to work! Lauren McFadden created her gorgeous hairstyle, and the amazing Emily Cheng did her makeup. We picked up the white dahlia hair clips at H&M.

Kimberly was game for the three wardrobe changes we had her do! Thanks to Carina at Philosophy Pink for custom-designing her party dress just for this shoot!

Dresses by Philosophy Pink (top left); H&M (top right); Club Monaco (bottom centre); Shoes by Banana Republic.

The garden-inspired flowers that Nghia Diep of Blumen Floral Boutique created were gorgeous. I delivered a few candy jars to him, asked him to make a terrarium out of one of them, and he presented us with three gorgeous centrepieces that are still alive and gracing the Gucio Photography studio to this day! This bouquet, by the way, smelled so amazing that the entire room was floral scented for the shoot.

I have baked a lot of theme cakes in my life, but this was my first attempt at a wedding cake—not too bad if I do say so myself! I flavoured the buttercream with a tiny bit of cocoa and lots of maple syrup to make it match the shoot in colour and theme. The dessert bar was a combination of goodies I baked at home and a few chocolates bought at Canadian treasure Purdy’s Chocolates.

Gucio Photography happens to share their studio with Rex Lavado of Broken English, who designed this stunning pearl ring for his wife. Awww!

Last but not least, what’s a dinner table without food? My friend Emily Wight writes an absolutely hilarious, award-winning blog called Well Fed, Flat Broke. And she doesn’t just talk the talk—this talented writer can also cook her heart out! She created a menu based on local ingredients, and cooked a delightful meal that did double-duty as our lunch when the photos were done!

So much prettiness! Thanks to Walrus for lending us the amazing wood serving plates and acorn ornament “favours” we used in the shoot.

And thank YOU for taking a walk down memory lane with me.

Kristin and Justin’s ceremony was at the lovely and modern Coquitlam Alliance Church. The stunning stonework on the wall behind the altar and the lovely banners that perfectly fit a wedding ceremony make this a beautiful space to say “I Do.”

After a quick trip to Rocky Point Park for photos, the reception was held at Meadow Gardens Golf Club, where George from Spin Doctor DJ made sure that guests had a blast and danced the night away—with a few karaoke performances thrown in for good measure!

Moments Forever Captured Photography traveled down from Kamloops to capture all the fun.

A big thank you to Bryan from Event Cleanup for sending a team to do the “dirty work” at the end of the night–you’re the best!

The cabins at Bodega Ridge have 3 bedrooms each, so when I initially planned my trip I asked my friends Anna and Kasia of Gucio Photography if they’d like to come and tour a wedding venue on Galiano and keep me company. They were game, but mentioned that it would be great if they had someone to photograph while we were there. It didn’t take long for the final piece of the puzzle to come into place–Anna and Kasia are photographing my friends Erin & Jason’s wedding this month, and their engagement shoot had yet to be done…

Without further ado, here’s a slideshow of their engagement session, featuring the beautiful spaces in and around Bodega Ridge, made lovelier by some of my favourite people.

Gucio Photography

My East Van rental apartment = my fabulous Vancouver home

BC Ferries’ Queen of Nanaimo = my lovely little boat

Bodega Ridge, cabin #7 = my Gulf Island cabin

Bodega Ridge is a peaceful retreat on the North end of Galiano Island. It has seven 3-bedroom cabins, each with a full kitchen and bathroom, wood-burning stove (plus electric heat for the city folk!), and nice big decks to relax on. You can rent a single cabin for a little island getaway like mine, or you can do a full buyout of Bodega Ridge and host an event in this amazing space.

The 22-acre property of Bodega Ridge is a brilliant place to gather friends and family for a wedding. I can’t imagine a lovelier spot to say “I Do” than on this ridge overlooking the islands of the Trincomali Channel:

Ceremony spot at Bodega Ridge

While many “rustic” wedding spots require a lot of work to become functional event spaces, Bodega Ridge has, on-site, all of the tables, chairs, linens, and food service items you’d need to serve dinner for up to 120 guests under their own marquee tent. For more intimate groups or winter weddings, there is a lovely dining room in the lodge that can accommodate up to 70 dinner guests. Bodega Ridge chefs custom-design each menu, sourcing as many items as possible from a neighbouring organic farm.

Colours and textures of Galiano

Guests can be accommodated overnight in the cabins at Bodega Ridge, and in nearby Bed and Breakfasts. Instead of a single wedding day celebration, couples can spend the whole weekend with their family and friends, kayaking, hiking, golfing, cycling, fishing, horseback riding, or just sitting on the deck of their beautiful cabin with a cocktail in hand and their favourite people by their side.

The view from Cabin 7

Another reason to visit Bodega Ridge is its proprietor, Jesse Keefer, who is super friendly and incredibly knowledgeable about Galiano Island. He’s the perfect resource for information about what to do while you’re on the island, and while you’re at Bodega Ridge he’s working tirelessly to make sure that all of your needs are accommodated. We truly felt spoiled by Jesse’s hospitality!

Mystery sidekicks on the crushed shell beach of Montague Harbour

Who is this “we”, you ask? In a future post I’ll tell you all about my “working vacation” at Bodega Ridge. HINT: the photos will be much, much nicer than the Instagrams in this post!

 ~to be continued~

As her guests began to gather on the terrace for pre-ceremony sangria, Una peeked out the window in anticipation—this is one of my favourite of the images captured by Nick and Deb of The Other Angle Photography.

Meanwhile, the boys enjoyed a cold beer and admired Josh’s newly-restored vintage car.

The steps of the terrace on the North side of Hycroft are the perfect spot for a ceremony; there’s a lovely view of Vancouver and the North Shore Mountains, tons of greenery, and all guests get a perfect view of the bride and groom throughout the ceremony.

The inside of Hycroft is so lovely that you really don’t need to bring much in in the way of decor. Una and Josh opted to make their curly willow wishing tree the focal point of the foyer, and let the rest of the house’s Edwardian charm speak for itself.

The day was full of love and laughter, and came together perfectly thanks to help from the following local wedding pros:

• Photography: The Other Angle Photography
• Marriage Commissioner: Bob Buzza
• Catering: Lazy Gourmet
• Flowers: GJ House
• Hair & Makeup: Pamper Me Pretty

Maria and Peter’s wedding day was an absolute stunner in every way—it was a gorgeous, cloudless day, and every person and every little detail looked amazing! Maria had chosen a pale pink and light grey colour scheme, and even the stained glass windows and facade of the lovely Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church on Cambie Street serendipitously cooperated with our colour palette.

Chris Chernoff Photography was on hand to capture the day, and he and the wedding party had a great time travelling around to some of Vancouver’s best photo locations while florist extraordinaire Rosalba, owner of Fiorire Custom Florals, and I headed up to the Skyline Room at Seasons in the Park to put all the finishing touches on the reception space. The bouquet that Rosalba crafted for Maria was nothing short of a work of art; my jaw dropped when I picked it up from Rosalba, and it was such a treat to be able to present the bouquet to Maria!

Once the room was set and Rosalba and her awesome assistants went on their way, the guests began to trickle in to the cocktail hour where the amazing people at Seasons in the Park began serving what would end up being HOURS of some of the most delicious food I’ve eaten in my life! (Yes, even a wedding planner’s gotta take a meal break!)

DJ Lil Ivan provided music that kept the guests happy all night, and when Maria and Peter took to the dance floor for their first dance, serendipity struck again! Unbeknownst to us, nearby Nat Bailey Stadium puts on fireworks shows in the summer, and just as Josh Groban’s “You Raise Me Up” reached its most triumphant line, fireworks lit up the sky behind Maria and Peter. I got a lot of compliments on my planning skills for that amazing moment—thanks, Nat Bailey!

One of my favourite photos of the day is the last one Chris captured before leaving for the night:

Congratulations on 6 months of bliss, Maria and Peter! Here’s to a lifetime more!

An excited bunch of planners set sail from Horseshoe Bay and about an hour and a half later, we walked into the lobby at Rockwater and were greeted by Rhian Williams, the venue’s wonderful onsite Wedding Specialist. (Side note: When you meet someone for the first time and they are pouring you a glass of bubbly, you know it’s going to be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.) After a delicious welcome reception, Rhian took us on a tour of the resort and there were many ooohs and aaahs as we collectively imagined the beauty of a wedding in this stunning waterfront venue. The fine folks from Gibsons Party Rental had set up a tent for us on the Green, so our imaginations didn’t have to do too much work. We loved their chandeliers!

Here are some handy facts for folks considering a wedding at Rockwater:

• Rockwater can serve up to 140 guests, with scrumptious food highlighting the best of West Coast cuisine and tailored to your preferences.
• In cozy cabins, lodge rooms, and luxury tenthouse suites, 109 lucky guests can spend the night at Rockwater (there are many excellent B&Bs nearby if your guest list exceeds this limit).
• You’ll pay a setup fee of $3.99 per guest; aside from this, there are no rental fees for the use of Rockwater’s ceremony and reception spaces, and tables, chairs, basic linens, and dinnerware are all included in this price.
• For weddings with more than 60 guests, you’ll need to rent a reception tent for the oceanside Green, as the Lodge can only accommodate smaller groups.

After getting the scoop on the wedding packages at Rockwater, it was time to check in to our rooms and enjoy the very Zen atmosphere of the resort. Sabrina and I walked with great anticipation along the forest boardwalk to Tenthouse 60, located right down at beach level, with waves gently lapping below the deck that gave us an unobstructed 180-degree panoramic view of the Malaspina Strait… right from our bed!

Since we had a bit of free time before dinner, there was really no other choice but to fill the tub with bubbles, turn on the jets, pour some wine, don our bathing suits, and commiserate about what a rough work day we were having. After a few hours of sheer relaxation, we headed back to the Lodge for a delicious dinner and found a table adorably decked out in cheerful spring colours, with lovely floral arrangements made by Kathryn from Flower Lantern in Davis Bay. Velvety carrot soup followed by fresh, moist halibut, with creme brulee for dessert: why can’t I eat this way all the time!? While we enjoyed our dessert and chatted with new friends, Rhian got a little trivia competition going, based on all we had learned about Rockwater that day. My competitive self is happy to say that I took home a prize—as if the whole day hadn’t been reward enough!

As much as we were having a lovely time, Sabrina and I couldn’t resist turning in for the night rather early. Knowing that that cozy tenthouse—with its heated floors, fireplace, jet tub, and king-size bed with the softest linens—was waiting for us just a few steps away, we sneaked out, got in our PJ’s and had the calmest slumber party of all time.

In the morning, I was woken by the gentle sounds of the waves outside our tent. I got out of bed while Sabrina slept, made myself a cup of coffee, and headed out to the deck to breathe in the fresh ocean air. Packing our bags to check out that morning was so bittersweet! We wondered if they’d notice if we just didn’t leave at all… The blow was softened somewhat by the absolutely amazing Crabcake Eggs Benedict I enjoyed for brunch, and by the fact that the sun had decided to grace us all with its presence, and we knew it would be a lovely drive back down the coast to Vancouver.

There’s no question that we’ll be visiting Rockwater again, and we would LOVE to be able to plan some weddings there! If you’re interested in learning more about weddings at Rockwater, call Revel Events and we’ll be ecstatic to help you make your magnificent coastal nuptials happen!

Snapshots from Tenthouse 60!

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