I am officially throwing caution to the wind and saying that this wedding is going to be the most favorited, pin-worthy wedding of all time and that all of you brides out there are going to go a bit nutty. Because it’s definitely one of the best weddings I’ve ever seen and has all of the SMP boxes checked that a girl could want: FABulous dress, check. Adorable, handmade details, check. Killer style, check. Whimsy for days, check. Total joy and make-you-blush kind of love, check, check. Photographed by the dream team that is Jenn and Dave Stark, this is going to go down in SMP history. And please make sure to check out the gallery because it is literally killing me that I couldn’t post all 175 photos.
From the Bride… When we started planning our wedding, we knew we wanted it to be a “destination wedding,” but somewhere quirky and totally unexpected. The best choice was right in front of us, literally — we were totally smitten with the Semiahmoo Resort, across the bay from White Rock, British Columbia, where I spent most of my childhood. Although the resort is in the US, the view from the beach is of the pier and boardwalk in White Rock. It was a great way to showcase our favorite part of Canada to our friends and family, who were mostly traveling from afar.
The craziest part about planning such a completely DIY wedding was that we went on a three-month adventure/pre-honeymoon to southeast Asia and India, and we came back into the country only 12 days before the wedding. The best thing about the trip? We picked up lots of gorgeous decor materials such as ribbons, lace, stamps with our own graphical designs, and even the groom’s and best man’s suit on the cheap along the way! The little time we had was immediately transformed into an intense arts and crafts “boot camp” to prepare all of our DIY projects in time for the big day. In the 12 days, with my mom and my best friend’s help, we made everything — 100+ tissue poms to string along the gorgeous tent ceilings, the burlap runners with lace overlay, the favor bags (containing a McVities Penguin cookie from England and a nougat treat from Taiwan to celebrate our heritages and acknowledge our sweet tooth) and the escort cards display. We also chopped up cookies and nuts for the DIY ice cream bar and put our initials on the colorful straws for the cocktail hour. We scoured decor stores and vintage shops in between all the crafts projects for little additions like our lovely cards “box” (which is actually a hurricane candle holder), and the plethora of mason jars. With our florist’s help, we were able to rent some of the candy bar equipment from a local wedding designer. My best friend and her husband also built us an amazing photo booth that was a huge hit, complete with all kinds of fun props. Last but not least, my mom and I spent the last two days before the wedding poring over the cake, sneaking in time to do the little “apple pies in a jar” for our sweets table since Alex loves apple pie.
When the day finally came, we had a lot of fun. Spontaneous decisions, such as switching positions at the altar to accommodate my flying veil, and tying a blue ribbon hastily on my heel as my “something blue” just before walking down the aisle, made some of the most memorable moments. We were really lucky that we couldn’t have wished for better vendors — our guests are still talking about the huge, coral peonies that dotted the tables and the great party with the DJ. Of course, they are loving the photos as well. One of our favorite moments was when our wonderful friends surprised us with fireworks at night. Our day couldn’t have been more perfect, and we are so thrilled to have shared it with such loving friends and family.
From the Groom… We had been planning our wedding for at least the nine months prior to the big day, and there were times when I thought my (now) wife was going a wee bit mad because no matter where on Earth we were, she was always on the lookout, picking up things such as wooden picture frames, pashminas of a certain colour, ribbons, old mason jars, and even wooden crates. Well, the preparation definitely paid off — I was blown away by how she seemed to have thought of every detail and integrated them all together so perfectly. The West Coast is known for its gray, rainy weather, but she even had the clouds part and invited the sun to come out as soon as she stepped outside to walk down the aisle (though I think that might have been good fortune shining down on us on the most amazing day, so far, of our lives.
Wedding Photography: Jenn & Dave Stark / Wedding Venue: Semiahmoo Resort in Blaine, Washington / Event Planning: DIY by the Bride & Her Best Friend / Floral Design: Stacie Sutliff of Blush Custom Floral / Officiant: Rev. Marilyn Rockwell Bengen / Catering: Semiahmoo Resort / Wedding Cake: Made by the Bride & Her Mother at Michael’s Artisan Bakery / Ice Cream: Mallard Ice Cream / Wedding Invitations: LetterBoxInk / DJ: Seattle Parties / Favors: DIY by the Bride / Photo Booth: DIY by the Bride + Groom / Guestbook Puzzle: Bella Puzzles / Wedding Dress: Manuel Mendoza, Based on a Monique Lhuillier Design / Bride’s Veil: Manuel Mendoza / Bride’s Shoes: Milk & Honey / Bride’s Earrings: Family Heirlooms / Bride’s Hair Piece: Laura Jayne via Jeweliette / Hair + Makeup: Semiahmoo Resort / Bridesmaid’s Dress + Shoes: BCBG Max Azria / Men’s Attire: Handmade in India by Jodhpur Tailors