When Garrett and I pictured our wedding day, we pictured exactly this; being surrounded by our closest family and friends.
When it came to choosing our vendors, we relied heavily on recommendations from family and friends in the Calgary area, as we live on a farm 8 hours North of Canmore, AB. In fact, we booked our venue without ever seeing it in person. Thankfully it did not disappoint.
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On a chilly New Year’s Eve, at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, we tied the knot in an outdoor ceremony with 140 of our closest family and friends. The setting was breathtaking; the spectacular Three Sisters mountain range at Silvertip Resort in Canmore.
Being from Ontario and Garrett from Alberta, we had many guests fly in from all parts of Canada, the United States, even as far as Dubai. We felt so loved that so many people wanted to be part of our special day.
We chose to have a winter wedding because the mountains in the winter are unbelievably beautiful and it wouldn’t interfere with our farming schedule.
Our officiant is a family friend, who is also the Mayor of our Town and is the father of one of my bridesmaids. Having someone who knows you and your relationship officiate your wedding makes it that much more special. The added personal touches are something we will always remember.
Garrett and I opted to write our own vows, which I would highly recommend. They were so sweet and personal and I was happy we got to share our thoughts and feeling with each other and with our guests.
Silvertip was the perfect venue. Our Silvertip Events Manager, Jennifer, and her team went above and beyond to make our day feel and look so perfect. Their attention to detail and organization allowed Garrett and I to really relax as we knew our day would go off without a hitch, and it did.
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Our morning began early, at least for the bridesmaids. Jenah and her team from Blush and Coco arrived at 7:30 to begin hair and makeup for me, 7 bridesmaids, my mom, and mother-in-law. I cannot say enough great things about Blush and Coco. If you want to feel and look like a million bucks, then I would highly recommend Jenah and her team.
I wore an Essence of Australia dress that I bought from Beckers Bridal, a small boutique along the Danforth in Toronto, which was the same place my Mom bought her dress in the ’80s. I wore my paternal great grandmother’s engagement ring as my something blue and I attached my maternal grandmother’s brooch that she wore on her wedding day to my bouquet as my something old. My something new was a Swarovski crystal bracelet from my sister and my fur shawl was something borrowed from my Aunt. As a true Canadian winter bride, I wore my Sorel’s, later slipping into my Karl Lagerfeld flats.
My handsome groom and our gorgeous wedding party of 14 wore Vera Wang.
My Dad and I shared a memorable first look followed by my first look with Garrett. We decided to do our photos before the ceremony as the sun begins to set at around 4 pm in the winter. After the ceremony we moved into cocktail hour, followed by our first dance, the cake cutting, and then dinner. There was never any downtime, which our guests enjoyed. My cousins MC’ed our wedding. MC’s are so important. They help make sure that your night moves along smoothly. Plus, the added roasts and digs at everyone, including the bride, never hurts!
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We wanted our venue to have a warm and cozy vibe and we did that by stringing café lights throughout the venue. Local DJ Booth also did a fantastic job creating a romantic, warm feeling during cocktail hour and throughout dinner with music selections from Frank Sinatra to Michael Buble, followed by 90s love songs. They really helped make our vision come to light.
Our florist, Fleursih, recommended we do all greenery. Alberta winters can be -40 one minute and a chinook can roll through the next. We didn’t want to take the risk of having flowers as they could die quickly in the cold. We were so happy we went with greenery. Not only was it true to the season but it smelt so good. We added lanterns and white glass votive candles to each table to again create a romantic feel. Of course, being a New Year’s Eve wedding, we couldn’t forget the crackers!
We also used an old grainery door from the farm for our seating chart and our two-tier cake from CAKEify Studio added to the rustic feel of our venue.
The photobooth photos were such a hit and are so fun to look back on.
Speaking of photos, Heidrich Photography captured every moment of our day. Their photos are pieces of art that we proudly hang on our wall and remind us of the best day of our life. As we partied into the night and counted down to 2019, we were so grateful to share these special moments with each other and our family and friends.
Florals – Fleurish Flower Shop, Calgary
Hair & Makeup- Blush & Coco, Calgary
Dress Boutique – Beckers Bridal, Toronto
Wedding Dress Designer – Essense of Australia
Shoes – Karl Lagerfeld
Suit – Vera Wang
Bridesmaids Dresses – Vera Wang
Cake – CAKEify Studio, Calgary
DJ & Photobooth – Local DJ, Calgary
Invitations – Minted.com
Venue – Silvertip Resort, Canmore
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