What do you think of when you picture your ideal Wedding Day?
Growing up I pictured a huge elaborate day with hundreds of people and no expense spared (I owe thanks to the movie & tv industry for that). It wasn’t until 2019 when my best friend Carley got married that I began to shift my perspective. And then, even more so in 2020 when the pandemic threatened to halt my own wedding.
In all honesty, I used to think “elopement” was an ugly word. I couldn’t imagine a wedding day without the fluff. When Carley & James told us they were eloping I remember all of us being pretty shocked. She was the first one of our girl gang to be engaged and as she explained to us that she only wanted to spend her day with her husband-to-be and her closest family and friends, that they would rather spend the money on a romantic honeymoon, that maybe they’d have a party to celebrate later, we all quietly scratched our heads. Until her wedding day that is.
Carley bought a wedding dress for $250 and it was the most beautiful dress I’ve ever seen. They bought a bouquet, a cake, a photographer and rented a small space for us to have dinner together after the ceremony. They got married at City Hall. There was nothing traditional about it - right down to the fact that James was the one walking down the aisle 😂 (we had to put Carley in the hall first to avoid them bumping into each other in the building). And it was the best wedding I’ve attended. It was intimate, personal and seriously emotional. Every single person there held an important role in their lives and because there were so few of us they got to deeply connect with every guest, rather than a quick “hi, thanks, bye.” I remember crying about 10 different times that day (if you haven’t watched your bestie get married yet, you’ll understand later).
Two years later, the pandemic has stopped them from having their bigger reception, so instead we planned a Styled Elopement for their anniversary; it seemed like a fitting way to commemorate and celebrate their love (and their original wedding day).
This post isn’t to say that big weddings are bad or that elopements are better. It’s simply to show you that an intimate wedding isn’t a bad wedding, or even less of a wedding. It’s to remind you that the day is about YOU and you should plan it however the heck you want to.
Setup: @everafteremma
Florals: @ejfloraldesigns
Venue: @cedarvale.cottage
Rentals: @devineweddingdesign
Cake: @thebakedveganco
Stationery: @kreativeco.ca
Hair: @hair._by._britt
Makeup: @hellogorgeousbeautybynicole
