It’s been a whirlwind the past 2 weeks.  in mid January (yep, right when that frigid cold snap hit) I hopped on a plane and headed south. A dear colleague and friend of mine lives in the Los Angeles area, and when she told me about an event she was collaborating on to launch a new winery event space, I jumped at the chance to come down & be part of it!  It’s been a jam packed few days, with visits to some luxury event suppliers. I want to share my adventures with you, so I am going to write a few blog posts about the trip!

I flew into LA at noon, and Debbie from Creative Party Concepts picked me up from the airport, and we headed straight to BBJ Linens. BBJ linens has a huge stock of really fun, unique, and luxurious linens. BBJ has a fantastic website (with a very cool design tool), but it’s so much easier to get a really good idea about linens when you can touch & feel them. I am a hugely tactile person, so I was like as kid in a candy store!  I am going to warn you, I am not a professional photographer, but for some reason I can’t seem to get one to follow me around!  So, your going to have to settle for the images I took my my little digital camera! Here’s some of my favourite linens!

I think Crinkle linens make a fantastic base.  They come in lots of neutral colours, but the texture makes them interesting.  I’m actually just a bit obsessed with crinkle linens right now!

Again, just a subtle texture makes this linen more exciting than a basic satin.  The green on the linen below looks alot like moss.  Perfect for a mountain wedding!

This linen was SO thick and luxurious!

I love the elegant leaf motif on this linen.

I’m a huge fan of bright colour.  The next few linens really appeased my colorful self. I’ll be honest, there’s not many venues in the mountain that would suit these table coverings, but a nice neutral art gallery, or a beach side destination would be a perfect backdrop!

This overlay doesn’t look all that exciting, but the sheer fabric means it changes colour based on the linen you place under it! This overlay with a hot pink tablecloth looks amazing!

There were a few linens that screamed mountain wedding to me.  This sophisticated green shade with a wood chiavari was stunning.

Oh yes it is!  A furry white linen.  This just screams glam winter mountain wedding. PLEASE call me if you love this linen and are getting married in the mountains, we have to talk!

BBJ has just started carrying a new line of chargers.  Think of all the possibilities!!

Stay tuned for more posts on our 5:30 am trip to the LA flower market, our Drive up to Santa Barbara to see another amazing linen supplier, and the winery launch event!

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

Stewart Creek Golf course is a fabulous venue that offers off season (read: not golf season) weddings. Ummm… how gorgeous is this view??

Kelly & Adam and their guests  stayed at the super modern Grande Rockies Resort  in Canmore. I love the Grande Rockies – not only is is beautiful, the rooms are huge, they have full kitchens, living rooms, an amazing water park, and the best darn shower you ever tried.  No joke, the shower has a remote!

I love these rosette ballet slippers!

How AMAZING is this photo?

Kelly & Adam decided to get married outside in November.  It all worked out for the best!  It was a bit chilly, but we got some snowflakes ( just as Kelly had hoped) and guests were served hot cocoa upon arrival. Another must for an outdoor winter wedding?  A super cute wedding jacket!

Kelly used the textures of burlap & lace in her wedding design.  The cute little crocheted coasters on top if the burlap with milk glass and soft pink florals looked stunning!

Are you loving that banner?  Hand knit by Kelly’s relatives!  I believe each triangle took about an hour!  Now that’s love!

The delicate willow in these arrangements added just the right amount of rustic.  All of the florals were created by one of our favourite (and uber talented) florists Willow Haven Flower shop! Kelly & Adam borrowed our tree stump easels to display the stationery they got form Notables in Edmonton.

Kelly & Adam’s other wonderful wedding pro’s…

DJ – Class Act DJ

Hair & Make-up – The Loft Hair Salon

Marriage Commissioner – Robin White

Transportation – Highland Executive Chauffeur

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

Following on the heels of the Royal Wedding we decided to infuse elegant and romantic with some rustic flare. I’m really loving warm gold tone right now, so I wanted to the booth to feel really intimate and comfortable. I purchased fabric and had custom drapery created to get just the right feel! We also installed dark hardwood floors to give the feel of a rustic mountain venue.  The team at Stardust Event Group got the lighting just right!  Now when I tell you how important lighting is at your event, you’ll know what I mean.

The whole booth was designed around a GORGEOUS lace linen from La Tavola Fine Linen in California.  The fabric looks like an elegant wedding dress! I adore the contrast of the lacy ivory linen with the dark wood chargers and mahogany chiavari’s (the chairs, and lots of the bones of the booth came from Special Event Rentals). We accented the booth with pale pink Krinkle linen, also from La Tavola.

Ok, I was SO excited about this stationery! A Canmore local illustrator, Jocey Asnong, created this beautiful custom artwork for our menu’s, place cards, and table number.  Jocey is uber talented, and I just adore her work!  The possibilities for custom stationery with Jocey are endless! Once the artwork was done The Social Page put the whole piece together ( how fun is the hint of gold sparkle with the wood grain kraft paper?)

For the place setting we used amber hued glasses, and gold cutlery ( on a side note, cheesecake feels significantly more fancy if eaten with gold cutlery), as well as plates with wood grain, on top of dark wood chargers. Each place setting had a mini floral arrangement in a gold mercury glass container.

A beautiful close up of the lace linen – isn’t it amazing?

The super creative Joanna from Lil’ Pink Daisy florals created all of the flowers in our booth.  We really wanted a unstructured, romantic feel.  I loved the pale ranunculus and roses combined with the super romantic deep plum hanging amaranthus. Joanna added some wax flower and Italian ruscus and it was just perfect!

Our custom bubble chandelier was a huge hit at the show!  We constructed this piece onsite, covered the frame with Italian ruscus, and hung glass bubbles filled with ranunculus, ruscus, and roses.  If I was to create this for a wedding, I would likely add candles to the mix as well. The chandelier was unique and romantic!

This is Clare and myself at the end of the show.

Did you stop by our booth at Wedding Fair?  What did you think?

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

“Callandra and the Cherry Tree Occasions team absolutely did an outstanding job to ensure that our wedding was everything we could ever dream and more! Creative, professional, and organized – I had complete confidence in Callandra’s commitment and ability to coordinate and execute down to the detail. With strong connections throughout the majestic Canadian Rockies, Callandra secured reputable vendors and negotiated pricing while also ensuring quality service standards. I truly was as stress-free as a bride could ever hope to be on her big day!  I can’t thank Callandra enough for all the hard work that she and her team put into making our wedding the best day of our lives. Friends and family had a wonderful time and even Grandma noticed that ‘everything flowed so smoothly!’  Eric and I are so grateful for being able to cherish every moment of the process leading up to and including our dream wedding. Thank you Callandra!” – Erin & Eric Leonty

Photo Credit: Christina (plus) Nathan Photography

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

We love this colour because it’s so much fun & full of energy. So how can you incorporate this colour into your Banff Wedding? As an accent.  A room covered in Tangerine Tango might be a bit much on the eyes ( although I wouldn’t be opposed to giving it a try!).  Include this happy colour in your stationery, cake design, accent linens, or flowers. Or, if you love orange as much as Kirstie over at Orange Girl Photographs does, you could even do an orange dress! (have a peek at it over on her site!!). Orange pairs well with a deep eggplant, a fall palette with yellows and reds, or for a seriously bright modern look, pair it with white ( like this beautiful wedding featured on Style Me Pretty).

Some of our brides this year pulled in orange through energetic floral arrangements created by Willow Haven Flower Shop…

Photo Credit: Absolute Photography

Photo Credit: Julie Williams Photography

I also adore the Etsy and use their colour tool.  Look at this adorable Flower girl dress we found via the Etsy Shop OliviaKate Couture!

So, is anyone already planning on using a little bit of Tangerine Tango for their wedding colour palette?

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

1. Choose a gorgeous mountain backdrop.

Banff, Canmore, Kananaskis and Lake Louise are FILLED with amazing vista’s and backdrops.  Check out this gorgeous mountain backdrop Kristen & Darren chose for their Banff wedding!

Photo Credit: Orange Girl Photographs

2. Chairs make a difference.

I know your guests are only going to be sitting in your ceremony chairs for 30 minutes, but when you line 150 chairs up, they have a huge impact on the aesthetic of your wedding ceremony.  We’re always partial to a beautiful chiavari or a Folding resin chairs ( in white or wood finish). Don’t forget to be conscious of the ground if you are having an outdoor ceremony – you don’t want your guests chairs sinking when they sit down!

3. Treat your aisle.

Your aisle is a focal point of your ceremony, so it’s important you spend some time designing it. I’m a huge fan of the gorgeous aisle runners at the Original Runner Co., and ( we can tell you from experience) heels don’t go through these! And a little trick I often use? Make your centerpieces aisle decor! Ariane + Scott chose woodsy tree slices with eclectic vases, and we used them for the aisle and the tables.

Photo Credit: Julie Williams Photography

4. Create an alter.

I could write a whole blog post on just this.  Your alter is the perfect place to get creative! We love using our one of a kind raw wood arch as a focal point for ceremonies. I’m also a huge fan of using words/phrases to create a very personal backdrop! Have a peek at the A-mazing custom piece built for a Colorado wedding…

Photo Credit: Jonas Peterson, Design Credit: Beth Helmstetter

5. Don’t forget the signing table.

In Canada, the ceremony typically includes a portion where the bride, groom & 2 witnesses sign the registry.  This means a table has to be set up at the front of the space, and sadly, it often get forgotten and sits covered in a white linen and white skirt. Take a moment to order a gorgeous linen for this table, or even better find a really lovely wood desk to use as your signing table.  And don’t forget to ask your florist to make a unique arrangement for this focal point!

And, just because I love you all so much, I’m going to give you a link to my Pinterst Ceremony Decor board, which is filled with fun ceremony decor ideas.  Keep looking back, it grows every week!

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

Photo credit: Snickerdoodle Photography

This week we’ve been focusing on a sometimes neglected part of your wedding, the ceremony.  You can learn more about legal requirements in the province of Alberta in our first post, and see a general outline for a ceremony in our second post. Today, I’d like to share some ways I’ve seen couples personalize their ceremonies.  I could honestly write a years worth of blog posts on just this topic, so I’m going to have a choose a few of my favorites!

Readings

Having readings in your ceremony not only allows you to share words that speak to both of you, it also allows you to include some VIP’s that aren’t in the bridal party.  You can get readings from almost anywhere – the bible, poems, excerpts from novels, children’s books, song lyrics. If you are getting married in a church it’s likely your church will have some suggested readings. Two of my favourite readings:

EXCERPT FROM THE VELVETEEN RABBIT

~ By Margery Williams ~

“What is REAL?” asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. “Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?”

“Real isn’t how you are made,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real.”

“Does it hurt?” asked the Rabbit.

“Sometimes,” said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. “When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.”

“Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,” he asked, “or bit by bit?”

“It doesn’t happen all at once,” said the Skin Horse. “You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand.”

THE ART OF MARRIAGE

~ Author Wilferd A. Peterson ~

The little things are the big things.
It is never being too old to hold hands.
It is remembering to say “I love you” at least once a day.

It is never going to sleep angry.
It is at no time taking the other for granted;
the courtship should not end with the honeymoon,
it should continue through all the years.

It is having a mutual sense of values and common objectives.
It is standing together facing the world.
It is forming a circle of love that gathers in the whole family.
It is doing things for each other, not in the attitude of duty or sacrifice,
but in the spirit of joy.

It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating
gratitude in thoughtful ways.
It is not expecting the husband to wear a halo or the wife to have wings of an angel.
It is not looking for perfection in each other.

It is cultivating flexibility, patience, understanding and a sense of humor.
It is having the capacity to forgive and forget.
It is giving each other an atmosphere in which each can grow.

It is finding room for the things of the spirit.
It is a common search for the good and the beautiful.
It is establishing a relationship in which the independence is equal, dependence is mutual and the obligation is reciprocal.
It is not only marrying the right partner, it is being the right partner.

Ceremony within your ceremony

Ok, this is an awkward title, but I just can’t think after any other way to characterize these beautiful little ceremonies! Some of the more common ones you might have heard of include the unity candle ceremony, sand ceremony, and hand fasting.  Some that I have seen/heard of recently that I adore:

The Wine Box Ceremony

This ceremony speaks to me because, well, I love wine! The gist is, you get a wooden wine box ( Sharon over at Naturally Chic make beautiful ones! Have a peek at the image below), and during your wedding ceremony you place love letters and a bottle of wine in the box. The you nail it shut.  On an anniversary, or perhaps when you have your first really big marital fight you pry the box open, read the letters you wrote, and drink the wine together.  My dear friends Adam & Julie Driemel added to this ceremony by  including a recipe to go with the wine.

Photo Credit: Julie Williams Photography

The Ring Warming Ceremony

At the beginning of your wedding ceremony your officiant will tell your guests that he will be passing your wedding rings through the crowd.  Each guest is invited to hold the rings and offer a special thought or blessing for your marriage.  This ceremony works a bit better with slightly smaller weddings ( Will & Kate likely wouldn’t have been able to use this one!), but if the rings haven’t made it through the crowd in time the officiant will just ask for them back. You’ll want to get a little bowl to hold them, here’s one from Kristen & Darren’s wedding ( who introduced me to the ring warming ceremony!)

Photo Credit: Orange Girl Photographs

Recognition of your parents

Two of my clients this year took some time during their ceremony to recognize not only the support they received from their parents during their upbringing, but also the value in watching a marriage grow.  I know not all of us have parents that are still together, so this isn’t a great fit for everyone,  but it was a really lovely sentiment to see recognition during the ceremony to people that are really very key! The officiant shared some words from the couple, and then invited to the front of the room.  I’m getting teary just thinking about it, it was SO lovely!

Ceremony Music

This is a big one.  As long as your venue is o.k. with it ( some churches are pretty specific on the music you choose), feel free to use music in your ceremony that is very meaningful to you.  I love a bride entering to Pachelbel’s Canon, but I also adore a bride entering to the first song her & her groom ever danced to. So what song’s do you need to select?  You’ll need anywhere from 1-3 songs for the processional ( depending on how many people are part of the processional), a song for the signing, and a recessional song. The recessional is a seriously happy moment, so don’t be afraid to be upbeat! You may also decide to include hymns during our ceremony instead of readings.  In the Canmore/Banff area there are SO many options when it comes to wedding musicians. You can hire a harpist, bagpiper, string ( solo, duo, trio or quartet), a classical guitarist, soloist, a flute piano duo, or ask your DJ to play recorded music. I’m also going to tell you a secret – it doesn’t matter how far ahead of the game we are, I see typically see wedding music selection getting left to the very last minute, it’s a tough one, so start a playlist now!

In our final ceremony post we’re going to chat about the decor you can add to make your ceremony gorgeous!

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

Photo Credit: Julie Williams Photography

In our last post we chatted about the Legal Requirements you need to know about to have a wedding ceremony in Alberta. Today we’re going to chat about one of the most common questions I hear from my clients ” How exactly does the wedding ceremony go?”. Well, to be honest, your wedding ceremony is really up to you & your marriage commissioner or clergy. There are literally thousands od marriage ceremony ‘scripts’, and if you are having a religious ceremony there will certainly be some additional requirements. Below is an example of a Civil marriage ceremony in Alberta:

Processional

Your processional, or “walking down the aisle’ can include family members ( parents, grandparents), your groomsmen, your bridesmaids, any little people, and of course the bride & groom. The order of this is really up to you, although the Bride tends to go last! When Shawn & I got married, we had a big long processional, because we wanted to include all of our immediate family . My Grandmother & Grandfather were seated by an usher, then our groomsmen entered, then Shawn’s Dad & his wife, followed by Shawn sister, brother in aw and our nephew,  Shawn escorted his Mom, the Bridesmaids walking in, and finally me and my parents.  You can also keep it as simple as you & your groom walking in together.

Welcome

All commissioners & clergy have a welcome that they like to do.  There is often opportunity for you to add to this, so don’t be afraid to ask!

Impediments

This is the part we chatted about back in the legal section.  You must declare that you are legally allowed to get married.  However, you don’t have to do the bit where the commissioner says ” if there is any person in this room who knows a reason why these two cannot be lawfully married, please speak now or hold your peace” Although, it can offer some comic relief!

I do’s

This is the part where you repeat after your commissioner. They will list a few promises, and you respond with ” I do”.

Vows

I’m going to tell you, my favourite part of a wedding ceremony is personal vows. There is nothing more beautiful than hearing two people pour their heart out to each other! With that said, if the thought of pouring your heart in in front of an audience gives you hives, I still encourage you to write these vows, and share them in private, or in letters. You are going to have some pretty huge emotions during this time, and when your approaching your 15 year anniversary, running back and forth between soccer practice and ballet lessons, it’ s nice to revisit these feelings. If you google ” write my own vows” there are hundreds of resources to assist you with this process.  I also suggest you have one person read both of your vows, to ensure they have a similar tone. Also, PLEASE do not leave this until the night before your wedding. Plan a date night, or some quiet time, and write.

Just because I’m feeling sappy this morning, I’m going to share mine…

. . .

Shawn, you have brought immense happiness into my life.

You have taught me the value of laughter. You have shown me how to have fun and to appreciate the small joys of everyday life.

You’ve taken the time to listen to me, understand me, be patient with me, and love me just the way I am.  Your support has given me the confidence to believe in myself, and fully trust what we have together.

You have become my best friend, and have accepted my family and friends with open arms. I feel blessed that I am able to fall asleep beside you every night and wake up to your infectious smile every morning, and now, that I will be able to introduce you as my husband.

Shawn, you have given me so many things, and today, I want to make some promises to you:

I promise to be your world tour guide, and share with you all of the amazing things I have seen.

I promise to remember how much our affection binds us, and to make a point of hugging you at least once everyday

I promise to respect you as an individual, and give you time to play ultimate Frisbee, and baseball, and jump off cliffs on skis, because those activities make you uniquely you.

I promise to remember the value of humor in good times and in bad.

I promise to always play the “ Why I love you” bedtime game

And I promise that when our marriage face challenges, I will look back to these vows to remind myself why I am so in love with you.

To me, marriage is not a state of being, but an evolving experience that requires honesty, trust, hard work, effort, and love to survive.

Shawn, I promise that today, I will be the woman you explore the world with, and tomorrow, the woman you create a family with, and in 50 years, the woman who still wants to hold your hand.

. . .

Ring Exchange

The ring exchange is pretty self explanatory.  There are lots of different phrases and words you can use for this part of the ceremony.  A few tips on this part -  before you head down the aisle place your engagement ring on your right finger, and if the ring doesn’t fit ( stress causes swelling) don’t push too hard, your still married even if the ring is only sitting on his knuckle!

Declaration

This is when your commissioner or clergy pronounces you husband and wife, and you finally get to kiss! Sign, I love this part!

Signing of the Registry

This is the part where you head over to a signing table with your two witnesses and complete the required legal documents.  The signing doesn’t have to go here, and there are some marriage commissioners that like to pronounce you husband & wife after you sign the registry. Don’t forget to choose a song for this portion of the ceremony!

Closing

All marriage commissioners and clergy have some words they like to leave you with before you depart on your married way.  If there is some text you would like to include here feel free to ask!

Introduction of Mr. & Mrs.

This is the part where you are introduced as husband and wife for the first time. Following this you generally walk back down the aisle to a poppy and jubilant song. Yay, you’re married!!

Recessional

99% of the time the bride and groom leave first, followed by the best maid & maid of honour, and the remaining bridal party. After that the parents and grandparents depart, and our guests follow after that. Keep in mind that if you stand at the back of the ceremony space, and impromtu receiving line will form. So, if you are tight for time ask your commissioner or clergy to announce that you will be departing immediately for photos , and look forward to seeing them at the reception!

Phew, that was a long one! Keep in mind this is just one outline you can you to start fleshing out your ceremony.  In part three we are going to cover different things you can add to your ceremony to make it uniquely you!

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

Photo Credit: Catherine Farquharson

Let’s start with the legal requirements you need to be aware of to have an Alberta Wedding Ceremony ! ( on a side note, for my Emerald Lake Lodge Brides, there is a whole different set of requirements in British Columbia!)

1. Get a marriage license.

Head over to an Alberta Registry Agent for this requirement. You can do this up to 3 months before your wedding. There is no waiting period, so you can also get it 10 minutes before your ceremony ( although I really don’t recommend that approach). To get this license you will require valid government issued ID, and the knowledge of  both of your parents full names and where they were born. You also have to be 18, be sure you aren’t related (no kidding) or already married, you’re not drunk, and that you both show up to get the license.  Oh, and you’ll need $125.00.By the way, there is no blood test requirement in Alberta.

2. Sign the Marriage registry

You’ll get this with your license, and your commissioner or clergy will ask you for it before you ceremony. I learned recently that the registry signing is not common in US ceremonies, but up in Canada, we almost always include it within the ceremony.

3. Have 2 witnesses to sign the registry with you

You don’t actually need to know these people, they just need to be 18 ( although they can be related!). If you are eloping, your wedding planner and photographer can serve as witnesses.

4. Say the following phrases within your marriage ceremony

a)I do solemnly declare that I do not know of any lawful impediment why I, (name) may not be joined in matrimony to (name)

b)I call upon those persons present to witness that I, (name), do take thee, (name) to be my lawful wedded wife/husband/spouse

5. A registered Officiant or clergy member must marry you.

There are TONS of fabulous marriage commissioners in the Canmore/Banff/Calgary area. There are also some wonderful reverends, priests, and other clergy members.  I know what you are going to ask next – can my friend get ordained in the church of temporary wedding officiants and marry us? Well, kind of. It’s not easy. Your friend must be 18 and a resident of Alberta.  The tough part – you MUST prove that there is no other marriage commissioner available to marry you. The form actually includes a list of all of the commissioners you  contacted, and the reason they can’t marry you. Perhaps if you are getting married underwater and you can’t find a commissioner with a dive certificate this might work.  Here’s the form if you are interested!

6. Crazy this but…

You must also both be present to get married.  Who would have thought?

. . .

Ok, that’s all the legal stuff.  Not exactly fun, but very necessary. Over the next week I’m going to touch on the actual content of a ceremony, what decor you might want to consider, and some really unique ideas of come across over the past few years!

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com

I digress, back to Pat & Brian. A 10 am mountaintop wedding with 5 of Pat & Brian’s closest friends and family, along with myself, our fearless photographer Julie Williams, and the Bow Valley’s only hiking guide/wedding officiant Rick Kunelius was planned for September 16th, a fairly consistent calm time of year in the Rockies. Sadly, winds at the mountain peaks were hitting 100km/hr, so we were unable to fly . A pretty big let down. BUT Pat & Brian were not going to let some silly wind stop them from getting married.  We hiked to a secret riverside spot in Canmore, complete with beautiful florals from Willow Haven Flower Shop, and had a beautifully warm wedding.  I can’t tell you how much I LOVE being part of weddings that have such pure intention. After spending some time with Pat & Brian’s guests, it was also very clear that these were two seriously wonderful people who had been really blessed to find each other. Yay!

After the wedding we headed back to the cozy Paintbox Lodge and has a seriously yummy gourmet lunch prepared by Canmore Organic Chef. And then, the best part, everyone went for a nap?  How relaxing is that? Pat & Brian ended the evening with dinner at Sage Bistro’s Wine Bar ( if you haven’t been, you seriously need to try this spot out!). So Pat & Brian didn’t get that mountaintop wedding they had planned, but their day was still extremely special. And, they’re planning a first anniversary heli-tour!

Pat & Brian, thank-you so much for including me in your wedding day!!

The author, Callandra Caufield, is the president and Happy Go Lucky Wedding Enthusiast at Cherry Tree Occasions. Cherry Tree Occasions offers personalized wedding planning and design in Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, & Emerald Lake. You can learn more at www.cherrytreeoccasions.com