As wedding season approaches I thought it would be fun to share some things a lot of people didn’t know about our wedding. Throughout our planning process and the entire day, I was reminded that even the not-so-perfect moments come together to create a perfect day!

1. We Changed Our Date…3 Times! 

Spencer and I were married on July 18^th, 2015 in our hometown. However, not many people know that we actually set our wedding date for August 15^th and even had a deposit paid at a different venue before changing it. We found out right before printing our invites that there was a conflict with the date! We ended up switching to another date before FINALLY finalizing the 18^th. 

2. We Originally Planned for a Camp Style Wedding

The original venue we had booked was at a cabin on a lake, about an hour away from where we’re from. The idea was for us to have our closest family and friends come for the whole weekend. They’d be able to camp, canoe and party all weekend! However, after my Grandpa was diagnosed with cancer we thought moving the ceremony and reception to someplace in town would be best so that he would be able to attend without being too far from a hospital.

3. McDonalds, say what?!

If you know Spencer and I at all, you know we’re always game for some nuggets! We always joked about how funny it would be to serve McDonalds at our wedding so, we did! We order 120 McDoubles and Small Fries for our midnight supper! It was a huge hit!

4. Lego & Kate Spade

When we started planning our wedding we agreed that the number one thing we wanted people to take away was a sense of US. The last thing I wanted was for someone to walk into the reception and say, ‘wow, this wedding is SO Sydney.’ Instead, we wanted our wedding to visibly reflect us as individuals and as a couple. So, yes, our wedding décor was Bohemian, Kate Spade and Star Wars Lego inspired! Check out our adorable ring box here.

5. I didn’t want JUST any White Dress:

Surprisingly, I didn’t try on hundreds of dresses! I knew I wanted a blush, boho, and open backed dress and as soon as I found it, I said YES! Part of me wishes I would have tried on a few other styles but at the end of the day, I’m so happy with how my dress turned out. I loved the way it photographed and the way it fit my body type. For those of you wondering, I purchased my dress from Novelle Bridal Shop in Edmonton, AB. The dress is designed by WattersWtoo and is called ‘Julienne’.

6. My Veil cost $20:

I knew I wanted a cathedral length veil but absolutely didn’t want to spend the money for one at a Boutique Bridal Salon. I ended up purchasing blush tulle and a hair clip and took it to my seamstress! In total, it cost me $20. I know, in retrospect it doesn’t compare to the $800 one I tried on but it looked perfect for the hour and a half I wore it.

7. We Rented a School Bus:

Growing up, Spencer and I used to sit on the school bus together so when it came to figuring out transportation for our bridal party, which consisted of 15 people, it was a no-brainer. We even rented the school bus from our Bible College so it was significant to our friends and us!

8. Our Pink Sofa (a.k.a. my #1 Kijiji find)

A few years ago, I saw a picture on Pinterest of a bridal party posing on a vintage couch. Ever since then, I knew I had to have one at my wedding! I searched for months before finding the perfect PINK French Provincial set on Kijij! It consisted of a large sofa and a small love seat. We set them up in the back yard of my parent’s house for photos and then moved to the reception for guests to sit on. I think they will always hold a special place in my heart as the first piece of furniture we ever bought together. I hope someday to put it in our children’s nursery, which will obviously be bohemian/Lego themed!

9. I took Dance Lessons:

My dad and I took dancing lessons in the weeks before the wedding because, we both kind of suck at keeping a rhythm! We had a hard time deciding on a father-daughter dance song so, we decided to do a mash up of songs! These are the songs we chose:

• It’s For My Dad by Nancy Sinatra
• The Rose by Bette Midler
• Teach Me How to Dougie by Cali Swag District (because by Dad’s name is Doug haha)
• Twist & Shout by The Beetles
• A Song For My Daughter by Ray Allaire

Napoleon Dynamite is my dad and I’s favourite movie so we absolutely had to do the Happy Hands Club bit! Spencer and I’s first dance was Hold Us Together by Matt Maher and our friend Liam performed it. You can check out his music here.

10. Polaroids! Polaroids Everywhere!

I have a mini obsession when it comes to polaroids, I just love them! We ended up having two cameras floating around our reception and a few disposable ones! They made for some great memories to look back on. We made sure to have one at our guest book so that people could take pictures and tape them next to their message! Our guest book was also made from Lego, I purchased it here.

11. Jacks Drive – In

If you’re from Spruce Grove, you’ve been to Jack’s Drive In! It’s the cutest diner right off the main road. We ended up stopping there after the ceremony for shakes! It was the perfect treat for the perfect day! Not to mention, we took some pretty adorable photos there!

12. We had a Wedding Planner

Yes, we had a wedding planner! Her name was Christina from ID Bohemia Events & Interiors. Without her, I don’t believe our vision could have come true!

13. My Grandpa Passed Away the Week of My Wedding

A few weeks before my wedding I found out that my grandpa Keith who was in the hospital wasn’t going to be able to leave to attend my wedding, he was just too ill. Spencer and I then made arrangements to go visit between the ceremony and reception so that he would be able to see me in my wedding dress. However, unfortunately just a week before I was to walk the isle, he passed away. Though I believe, this was for the very best it was an incredibly difficult situation that I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It was hard to feel happy about the wedding when all I felt was sad. Thankfully, I know my Grandpa would have wanted me to enjoy my day so, we made the best of it! Spencer and I made a tearful toast to my grandfather at our reception, which was very special. Though, I wish he could have been there, I know he had the best seat in the house. I also had some of the photographs he’d taken displayed around our ceremony/reception.

14. My Hair Turned Purple

All us blondes, have been there where we think, ‘hey, I’m going to leave my purple shampoo/conditioner in just a little bit longer to see what happens.’ No, uh uh. Don’t do it! My bottle blonde hair turned purple. It really messed up my hair, which in turn, messed up my extensions. Unfortunately, days before my wedding there wasn’t much I could do besides wash with dish soap and baking soda and hope for the best! In this picture you can really see it! It was actually really funny. I ended up liking the way it looked so, who knows? Maybe someday, I’ll purposefully dye my hair purple.

15. I Was Sick:

I ended up being really sick the day of our wedding, which sucked. It was a very emotionally tiring week for me and I think my lack of sleep really ended up catching up with me! I could hardly talk the day of our wedding, which resulted in me not being as social as I would have liked with my guests. Regardless, it was the BEST day! I can’t stress enough how important sleep is, like, seriously. Catch up on those z’s.

 

Though planning my wedding taught me a lot of things, one thing that stood out greatly is the fact that things won’t always go as planned and you have to be okay with that. When it came to my wedding day, marrying Spencer is what made it the best day of my life and there’s nothing that could have changed that!

Photography: Teresa Renee

Florals: Akiko Floral Artistry Inc.

 

“Life with you makes perfect sense, you’re my best friend.”

7.18.15