We are looking forward to Patty + William’s wedding this weekend! I have loved working with them for the past eight months, putting together plans for their outdoor wedding ceremony on Granville Island, followed by an intimate dinner reception at Bridge’s restaurant. Stay tuned for photos of Patty’s dessert table, which we have worked tirelessly on to ensure detailed perfection.
Thank you to Denise Lin for the beautiful engagement photos!
Aurora xo
Julia and Will were a joy to work with and I don’t think I have ever had a client know me so well by the end of the planning process; as a thank you gift, Julia gave me a box full of treats that she knew I would love (and I did!!). Included were two cooking classes that she intended I do with my boyfriend on Date Night and as I eagerly looked at the class schedule and picked out two of the classes I wanted to take, she gently reminded me of that. I still laugh when I think about it.
As I said before, Julia shares my passion for beautiful weddings and Julia’s wedding was all about understated details and creating a fun atmosphere for her guests. The ceremony was intimate and personal. It was held at the private St. Frances in the Wood, hidden in the trees in West Vancouver. Hilary Miles created a floral monogram of their initials out of white flowers and we hung it above the gate outside the church. The ceremony flowers were reminiscent of the reception flowers but more understated and elegant. I loved the chiming bells after the ceremony as guests poured out into the lawn.
The reception was held at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia and was filled with personal details that reflected Will and Julia.
Here are a few of my favorite details: as guests arrived they were offered a signature cocktail, one inspired by the bride and the other by the groom, and decadent canapés. Hilary Miles created a floral statement piece for the escort card table that included glass globes filled with orchids. The escort cards and all stationary was designed by Zing (Julia’s invitations are still some of my most favorite ever) and were reminiscent of the purple flowers in the ballroom. We carefully picked a linen from Upright that reflected the subtle pattern on the floor in the ballroom. We also wanted the linen to not take away from the vibrancy of the flowers, but also add a subtle texture. We worked with Hilary Miles to create center pieces that were fun, vibrant and not traditional, but would also work with the classic architecture of the hotel. Because Will’s last name is Pickles, we had custom cookies design with a ‘groom pickle’ and a ‘bride’ which we alternated on each table. The Rosewood worked with us to create a customized menu and dessert bar, mini donuts anyone? My food truck cocktail hour idea has become a staple on the Rosewood Hotel Georgia menu. Lastly, the guests danced the night away with glow sticks and ‘guitars’. It was truly a great party, just ask me how many safety pins I had left in my kit by the end of the night as proof!
I was so happy to see Will + Julia’s wedding featured on the Wedluxe blog a few weeks ago, be sure to check it out for more photos-thank you Hong Photography.
xo Alicia
We couldn’t have asked for a nicer day for Liz & Brad’s beautiful Brock House wedding, the sun was shining and a nice breeze was coming off the Ocean. Liz and Brad love to laugh and have a good time and because of this, their wedding was an amazing party. The couple incorporated lots of personal details like heart shaped monogram cookies and a cake topper that included their beloved dogs. On the tables sat glittering mercury bowls holding the floral centerpieces designed by Garden Party. As the the sun set in warm pinks and oranges behind the head table, the guests enjoyed their dinner and listened to hilarious and heartfelt speeches.
Once the sun set the party started! Liz and Brad got the dancing started and soon it was packed! Outside on the lawn, lanterns glimmered warm light around the property.
Thank you for having me a part of your wedding day, Liz and Brad and thank you to Erin Gilmore for the beautiful photos.
xo Aurora
Pinterest-pic-of-the-Week are gold Christian Louboutins from Santa Barbara Chic.
You may remember Aileen and Richard from my post about their engagement last year. Throughout the planning experience we bonded over the love of truly great coffee and calendar apps (mainly because they were insanely busy during the course of our wedding planning so it took an epic calendar app to coordinate our meetings). I always looked forward to our meetings, knowing we would have lots of laughs and get a lot of things crossed off our list. I still have moments every once in a while when I catch myself looking forward to our next meeting before I remember that the wedding planning is over.
And what a wedding it was! Aileen and Richard were married at the Holy Rosary Cathedral (one of my personal faves) last fall with a traditional Filipino Catholic Service. Their wedding party was by far the largest I have had to date-a point we laughed about a lot. Just goes to prove how special they are, they are surrounded by so much love. A grand reception followed at the opulent Fairmont Hotel Vancouver. The ballroom was lavishly decorated by Upright Decor and florals galore by Suzane of Granville Island Florist. As guests were wined and dinned they were treated to a performance by traditional Filipino dancers and then a surprise flash mob dance that got everyone one up and dancing for the rest of the night. Can you guess the song?
I hope you enjoy taking a peek at their wedding as much as I loved planning it for them. Thank you Melia of Lucida Photography for the breathtaking photos once again and to Jayna Marie for her beautiful work with hair and make up.
xo Alicia
In case you missed Bettina + Matt’s Vancouver Club wedding that was featured on Wedluxe last month, I wanted to share with you some of the stunning images from Jana Vackova. Bettina + Matt’s wedding was a perfect blend of their two distinct personalities, Bettina’s girly elegance and Matt’s love of football. Thank you to Evan at Flowerz for working his magic on this beautiful wedding!
It was an honour and a pleasure to assist Bettina + Matt with their wedding. I wish you both some much love and happiness together!
xo Alicia
This is how I imagine Cinderella looked leaving the ball. This week’s Pinterest-pic-of-the-Week is from ZsaZsa Ballagio.
We are gearing up for Sukhjeet + Karanjit’s wedding reception on Sunday and wanted to share with you some of their stunning engagement photos from Kumari Photography. We are so excited for your wedding day S+K!
Enjoy!
This is a hard blog post to write. I have been thinking for a few weeks now how I was going to put into words how much I adore Claire and Chris and how much I enjoyed planning their wedding with them. They are the kind of people who radiate love, kindness and thoughtfulness everywhere they go and I kept pinching myself through out the planning process, thinking how lucky I was to be able to work with them. From the second I met Claire we just clicked. We chatted for hours and I think we felt like we had been friends for years.
Claire and Chris were married at the beautiful Stanley Park Pavilion on a sunny August afternoon. The day was filled with fun surprises, including the arrival of the bride in a vintage car with her dad, who was fashionably sporting a traditional flying goggles and an Alphorn performance. Inspired by nature, the love of all things vintage and Claire’s family’s British background, the decor and flowers were sweet and understated. The day was filled with meaningful details, including bunting hand made by a relative of Claire’s that lived in England and wasn’t able to come for the wedding. Another was Claire’s wedding dress. When I met Claire, she shared with me that she wanted to wear her mother’s wedding dress, with a few changes. It was a fun process watching as the dress was transformed!
I was so excited when I saw the wedding photos, Melissa was able to capture Claire and Chris’s love so beautifully and truly caught the magic of the wedding day.
Thank you so much Chris and Claire, for trusting me with your wedding dreams and letting me be a part of your day. I am so excited for what’s next for you two and look forward to being friends for many many years to come.
xo Alicia
This week’s Pinterest-pic-of-the-Week is from Rodney Smith.
Amanda + Brian’s wedding highlight reel from Vincent + Theo is up on the V+T blog today, be sure to check it out to see how they danced the night away! Thank you for capturing the celebration so beautifully!
Wedding Photography by Jonetsu. xo
Rashell + Todd had a beautiful and intimate wedding at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. It was the perfect backdrop for the elegance and style that Rashell and Todd exude. It was a chilly November day; what better excuse to throw a fur coat over the wedding dress for photos! Their xxquisite photos provided by the lovely Jen from JLS Photography, thank you Jen!
From the get go it was clear Rashell and Tood have so much love in their life. Everyone was emotional and joyous and ready to celebrate!
The elegant ceremony took place in the cozy Bowden Room. Upright Décor transformed the room with white satin drape and a long white aisle runner with their monogram in shimmering silver. Darlene from Bouquets created delicate arrangements in different shades of blush, lavender, pink and ivory.
The reception was held in the ornate Spanish ballroom. Guest sat along three long tables covered in lush floral and sparkling candelabras, they enjoyed a delicious three course meal amidst the fragrant floral and soft candle light. Their were many heartfelt speeches and tissues shared. Rashell and Todd wanted to ensure they had a great party. Half of the room was designed specifically for dancing the night away. A large scale white dancefloor with their monogram projected in light was styled by Upright Décor. The dancefloor was surrounding by chic white lounges with mirror coffee tables. DJ Leanne played a great set and the guests stayed on that dancefloor ‘till nights end.
There were too many beautiful moments throughout the day to name but it was clear that these two were rich in love in all parts of their lives.
xo Aurora
As you may have read when I wrote a post about Phoebe + Stephen before their wedding last summer, Phoebe and I hit it off right away. We both felt like we had met each other before and spent the first few months of the planning process trying to think of where we had met. I eventually came to the conclusion that we were just meant to be.
My beloved high school sweethearts celebrated their love with a personal wedding ceremony at their church, followed by a lunchtime reception and continued to celebrate with an intimate and very stylish vintage garden party in the evening.
Phoebe + Stephen’s wedding was filled with beautiful and carefully handcrafted details by Phoebe. From the stunning invitations with intricate lace detailing that was also reflected in the wedding cake (by Anna Elizabeth Cakes), the bridesmaids dresses and the flower arrangements (by Flower Factory), to a card box made from the mother of the bride’s old make-up box: the DIY projects were stunning!
Nearly 280 guests celebrated with the newlyweds following their ceremony under a giant tent filled with flowers, a beautiful wishing tree and homemade bunting. Guests dinned on a food truck feast: tea sandwiches by Lousi Gervais, Pinkberry, pulled pork sandwiches and fresh fruit drinks provided by Re-Up BBQ.
Later in the day, a gathering of close family and friends were invited to a private residence to partake in an vintage inspired garden party following a family tea ceremony. Dancing, a photo booth station, croquet and lots of eating and drinking transpired as the sun set on a beautiful mid summer evening.
Thank you for trusting me with your wedding wishes Phoebe + Stephen, it was an honour to bring them to life for you.
Love Alicia
Wedding Photography by Ophelia Photography-thank you Lisa! xo
Erica-May and Hallis are getting married later this summer and I honestly can’t wait.
They are so much fun and most importantly so in love and kind to one another.
They have a really unique and playful style that we have been incorporating throughout the process. I am so excited to have it all come together for them!!
xo Aurora
Photos by one of our faves, Sakura Photography.
This week’s Pinterest-pic-of-the-Week is
Christian Dior Haute Couture
Wedding Photography by Lucida Photography
Sarah and Geoff were married on a sunny day December 2012 just before New Years. The wedding design was inspired by the elegance of the Rosewood Hotel Georgia. Sarah and Geoff would stay at the hotel whenever they were visiting Vancouver and after their first visit they knew instantly that they would one day be married there.
The morning began with Jayna Marie getting all of the bridesmaids and the bride glammed up. Sarah wore a stunning Vera Wang gown that was covered in tiny floral detailing-it was truly a work of art. Sarah’s custom Elsa Coris jewels reflected the elegance of the occasion. Knowing a head of time that we would be losing the sunlight quickly, we planned for Sarah and Geoff to have an intimate first look together at the hotel and then they hopped into Jim’s Bentley for photos in Stanley Park.
The candle lit ceremony was held in the Rosewood Hotel Georgia Ballroom. Sarah and Geoff worked with Celebrant Michele Davidson to create a personal, intimate and memorable wedding ceremony, which included a directional blessing by a Salish elder. Following the ceremony the guests enjoyed live jazz by Musical Occasions and the Photobooth from Vancouver Photobooth while drinking martinis and sampling delectable canapés. It was important to Sarah and Geoff to be able to visit with their guests during cocktail hour,as most of them had traveled to Vancouver for the wedding celebration.
Following cocktail hour, the guests were invited back into the ballroom which had magically been transformed with flower laden tables for dinner. Stephanie at Balconi created stunning arrangements filled with white peonies. The evening continued with great food, many glasses of wine, cake by Sweet Thea and of course dancing by DJ Lance.
It was an honour for me to be a part of Sarah and Geoff’s wedding and we have both said what a special bond we made during the planning process. I have to say when it was all said and done, my favorite moment of working with them happened the night before the wedding. I dropped off Sarah’s dress to her room at the hotel and Geoff said excitedly, want to hear the song I have decided to walk down the aisle too? We sat together the three of us, listening to music (I may have cried, surprised?), chatting about what the next day would hold and sharing personal stories. It makes me still makes me teary to write this, knowing that the wedding plans are done, but I am happy with knowing that I have two kind friends in Alberta ready to eat good food anytime I visit.
Much love to you both.
Alicia xo
It’s Friday! Time for some pink champagne!
This week’s Pinterest-pic-of-the-Week was found by one of our beautiful brides on Martha Stewart Weddings Magazine’s Pinterest page.
Nicole + Lan’s Vancouver Club Wedding, photo by Sakura Photography, flowers by Granville Island Florist, planning by Alicia Keats.
We are doing our Pinterest Pic-of-the-Week a day early in preparation of the Easter Long Weekend. The forecast in Vancouver calls for sunshine and clear sky! I hope you are able to get outside and enjoy our beautiful city this weekend with your loved ones.
This Pinterest Pic-of-the-Week features a bridal bouquet by Art With Nature Floral Design.
