A vow renewal can happen anytime! A day after the wedding, a year, or twenty. Celebrate your marriage however and whenever you want!
D. and M. renewed their vows in March of 2018, on St. Patrick’s Day. They had eloped to Saltspring Island a year previously, and wanted to have a ceremony where their family and friends could celebrate with them.
The vow renewal took place on the anniversary of their legal wedding, at St Andrew’s Wesley Church, where they received official religious documentation of their marriage. The couple planned a lunch wedding, which was both intimate – with their closest eighty friends and family members – and affordable.
After a small tea ceremony following the renewal itself, the reception occurred at Earl’s Loft in Yaletown. The plated meal was relished amidst a few table adornments of orchids and roses. Italian ruscus and lanterns also added an understated elegance to the day, perfect for a couple wishing to enjoy the beauty of simplicity. Jars of homemade jam made by the groom’s mother served as both placecards and favours.
Because there was no dancing and they participated in few other traditional reception activities, D. and M. were able to allot more time to spending time with their guests and conversing with their loved ones. The wedding finished by 3 PM, allowing guests and couple alike to enjoy the rest of the beautiful March day.
A note for those planning a wedding on a holiday – check with the venue to ensure the décor and servers’ attire will be appropriate, as green top hats or reindeer antlers may not mesh with the aesthetic of the wedding! Fortunately this was not a problem D. and M. encountered. They also happened to have their wedding the same weekend as Vancouver’s Rugby Sevens which resulted in more crazy outfits all around the downtown core, where Earl’s Loft is situated.
Paris Lenahan Photography was responsible for D. and M.’s wedding pictures (she was also there for the elopement on Salt Spring), which were taken on the False Creek Ferry at Granville Island. Videography was by Ben and Eva of VW Creative. Robin of Bootahful Flowers provided the florals. The cake was made by Crissa’s Cake Corner. Victoria of Vancouver’s Mobile Hairstylist did hair and makeup. D. and M. hired ThistleBEA for our A Day in the Life package
From the Bride:
About a year ago, I made a post in a Facebook wedding group in search of a day of coordinator who could also do setup/takedown (as I wanted friends/family to relax as honoured guests, not slave away). Among the many who responded, ThistleBEA Your Wedding’s package seemed most reasonable, not to mention comprehensive. I met with Breanne, the head planner, for coffee and found her to be personable, organized and professional. She answered my questions thoroughly during our meeting and responded to my follow-up questions in a timely manner. I felt she was reliable and booked her as our DOC. During the month of our wedding, she helped with working out our timeline, got in touch with our vendors so everyone was prepared and found solutions for some things I had issues working out. The day before the wedding, she attended the rehearsal at the church and I passed the decor to her. On the day of the wedding, Breanne took care of absolutely everything that needed taking care of. She came prepared with our timeline, copies of our speech and seating chart, kept our reception events on time, helped sort the computer issues at the restaurant for the photo slideshow, helped me with changing my dress for the tea ceremony dress, did a beautiful job on setup and completed a but very thorough takedown in a rather limited timeline, got the kids their activity books and arranged for extra settings for two last-minute guests. We were so, so glad to have Breanne there to cover all the bases and highly recommend her services. Breanne, thank you for all your problem solving, professionalism, creative ideas and hard work! Could not have done it without you!
