Lakeside Wedding at CedarCreek Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley: Nancy + Karen
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Photos by Justin Ho Photography. Words by Nancy.
Number of Wedding Guests:
125
Wedding Date:
August 18th, 2019
Tell Us About Yourselves
We met in high school at such a young age. We were friends first and became a couple closer to the end of high school. Karen right now is working for Amazon and still in school for computer science. I work for a small restaurant out in Burnaby Heights called The Gray Olive Cafeteria. We're definitely a quiet, homebody couple but we love to travel and try new restaurants. We believe food is at the centre of life, as it brings friends and family closer together.
How Did You Pick Your Wedding Venue?
A couple years prior to our wedding, Karen and I had gone up to the Okanagan for the first time ever. Traveling on the road up there and finally getting there felt like we had escaped the city and gotten to a little piece of peacefulness in this vast province. We went to the many different vineyards the Okanagan had to offer, upon which we saw such beauty surrounding Okanagan Lake. Being up there for 3 days, allowed us to appreciate the wonders and beauty that nature had to offer. I think it was then when we agreed that if we could have a short destination wedding, that would be it.
CedarCreek winery captured our attention because it definitely had one of the best views but also they produce the best Riesling out in the Okanagan Valley. We also decided Delta Grand Okanagan for the reception because it sat right at the ocean point and it’s resort-like feel made it such a great city escape for many of our guests.
What Did You Wear and Were Any Pieces Especially Significant?
Karen wore a tailored made suit from Blair Shapera. Myself I chose to travel down to Seattle to purchase a consignment dress at Blue Sky Bridal. Definitely a wonderful experience as the dress I purchased was a sample sale dress, so it wasn’t worn by another bride but It was unique that there weren’t many of that kind of style left. The necklace I wore was given to me by my best friend that day. She picked it from one of our favourite local jewellery designers in Vancouver, named Melanie Auld. Everything we wore or accessorized was to complete our look. There was nothing we wore that we felt conflicted about.
What Special Elements Did You Include in Your Wedding Day?
For Karen’s family, we incorporated their wishes of a catholic ceremony and the reverend led the way for that to be possible for us. During our reception to honour both families we included certain food items in the buffet that were common to our cultures.
What Did You Splurge On?
We splurged on our ceremony spot as I didn’t want to give up the best wine and pretty much the best view. We also splurged on the buffet as we wanted to customize certain elements of it but also because we really enjoy food and we wanted everyone to love that aspect.
What Did You Save On?
We definitely saved on the decor. It wasn’t as FULLY decorated as I would have hoped for but we saved a ton on creating DIY elements that were unique to us. It helped especially when we had such a great bridal team who were all there to pitch in, in every way possible. I also felt that I saved a ton of money on flowers as I chose to go with a local flower farm that did bouquets and wholesale flowers!
What Worked Out Really Well and Was Totally Worth the Time or Money Invested?
I would say that every aspect of our wedding and how it was planned was totally worth the time and money. We always spoke about our wedding day as a huge thank you party for all the people in our lives that have shown us love and support. If I had to do it all over again it would be exactly the same, expect maybe I would spend more money to have a decorating team so I didn’t have to get up at 6 AM to decorate.
What Is Your Best Wedding Planning Advice to Other Couples?
There will be lots of arguments and you’ll change your mind a million times over, but the most important thing is to not sweat it! Things can be stressful and you’ll be given other options, as some options may not be available, but you have to learn to be flexible and to not sweat the small stuff. This is all meant to be fun and exciting so make the most of it. Do what makes you happy as a couple and the day will just fall right into place
Vendors
Flowers | Floral Support
Makeup and Hair | Chelsea Stewart
Karen and Team’s Suits | Blair Shapera
Nancy’s Dress | Blue Sky Bridal
Bridesmaids’ Dresses | BHLDN
Ceremony Venue | CedarCreek Vineyards
Reception Venue | Delta Grand Okanagan
JUSTIN HO PHOTOGRAPHY
Hey friends! I'm Justin Ho a Vancouver wedding photographer! Not everyone feels comfortable in front of the camera, but everyone wants candid and natural photos true to themselves, along with a stress free experience from start to finish! Capturing the raw moments during your wedding and preserving this adventure we call life brings me the greatest joy! I'm always excited to meet new people and hear your love story.
