Julie and Chris got married on a Monday in September, dividing their day between two of the coolest venues in town: Parkside’s rooftop patio and Pizzeria Prima Strada on Bridge Street. I first met them over amazing pizza and beer at Prima Strada and was impressed by their laid back attitudes and adorableness together.

They had the biggest wedding party I’ve ever seen, which I hear can be a sign of a high-maintenance bride (or groom), but that was definitely not the case. They’re just really close to their friends and family, and their wedding party was sweet and cooperative during the photo session. Julie put a ton of effort into the little details of the wedding. One of my favourite things was the centerpieces at the reception, which included table names based on places in books and the books that they came from. I got to sit at the Florin table from The Princess Bride, which was pretty exciting for me.

The rooftop ceremony had a stunning view of downtown Victoria and the ocean and mountains in the background. The only downside was that it was extremely windy, though this could be considered a positive because Julie’s veil was blowing around so much, it caused a lot of laughter, especially when it landed on the officiant’s head. Julie and Chris were non-stop smiles during the ceremony, making for some great photos.

The reception was full of delicious food, heartfelt toasts, and lots of mingling. Julie and Chris were so cute and clueless when it came to the cake cutting,  so they went to cut through both layers of cake and when the knife hit the layer of glass in between, the cake collapsed. Their reaction was basically “oh well, let’s just eat it” and on went the evening. It wasn’t much of a dancing crowd, but they did have a sweet first dance, followed by dances with their parents. It was such a perfect fun and mellow day for a fun and mellow couple.

Ceremony Venue: Parkside Victoria Resort and Spa
Reception Venue and Catering/Cake: Pizzeria Prima Strada
Florist: Clare Day Flowers
Hair: Elena (Conscious Hair) and Marion Groot
Make-Up: Kait Mooney (K Artistry)
Officiant: Iain Hooey
Clothing: Blush, Outlooks, Moore’s

Finally, the last of the August weddings. Kirsten and Jamie’s wedding at The Inn at Laurel Point was so elegant, but still lots of fun. The dining room was beautifully decorated and had an amazing view of the harbour, plus tons of  awesome natural light.  They incorporated a subtle theme of peacock feathers and mustaches. Cute much?

The bride and groom are both really sweet and they had the best behaved wedding party I’ve ever seen. I don’t think I had to raise my voice once while organizing the family and wedding party portraits, which can sometimes become a bit of a circus. Kirsten’s great uncle officiated the ceremony, which was a sweet touch on a day full of familial love.

The reception brought some hilarious and moving speeches, along with some crazy dance moves. I think my favourite part to photograph was when Jay and the guys smoked some celebratory cigars out front – it was a chance to shoot some moody candids with only the street lamps and cigar tips for lighting. The boys also showed off the beautiful pocket watches Jay got them.

Venue, Catering, and Cake: The Inn at Laurel Point
Wedding planner and/or decorator: Decorate Victoria with Huff n Puff
Florist: Rook & Rose
Make-up: Melanie Baird
Jay’s suit: Moore’s
Kirsten’s dress: San Patrick
Favours: Custom Candy Creations

I loved this August wedding at St. Ann’s because it was so different and the bride may just be the cutest person on Earth. The entire wedding, from walking down the aisle to the bride and groom’s exit, lasted about four and a half hours. Most wedding days are much longer, so it was refreshing to have a shorter wedding, packed with events and fun, where none of the guests had a chance to get bored or restless. The ceremony happened in St. Ann’s chapel and the reception was in the gardens behind the building, which was a gorgeous location.

The reception included some unique events, including prizes (fancy jam) for the “best reaction to our engagement” and “fastest RSVP”, a dance contest, and songs rewritten to be about the couple and their city. Oh, and after the dance contest, the bride led everyone in the Time Warp. Each event was preceded by an excited explanation by the tiny bride with the biggest smile. After the reception, we took a few night portraits in front of the Empress Hotel and got home with plenty of time to backup all of the images and choose sneak peeks for the couple.

I think this wedding was the perfect lesson for couples who don’t love the traditional long wedding day with the usual wedding events – make your wedding as big or long as you want and do your own thing.

Location: St. Ann’s
DJ: Sound Choice
Caterer: Ambrosia
Florist: Rook and Rose
Hair: Erin Bradley
Makeup: Lindsay Archdekin Hatherly and Jen Clark
Videographer: Publik Productions
Cake: Costco
Officiant: Cathy Lavoie