Pink Woodland Fairytale Mountain Wedding
If you think Brittany and Nicholas's wedding is fairytale material, just wait until you hear about the proposal that proceeded this celebration. Quick summary, he proposed at a chateau in the Loire valley surrounded by an ancient oak forest - I mean, talk about a story! See their sweet woodland beginning captured by Corrina Walker Photography in The Vault!
From the Bride... We met at an ugly Christmas sweater party hosted by mutual friends. Nick likes to say I had the ugliest sweater in the room and that’s what hooked him. I remember the moment he arrived - there was a confidence about him that instantly had me interested. He walked right over and introduced himself! I drove him home after the party that night and we sat on his driveway and talked for hours. He finally asked me out a few days later!
A year and a half later, Nick proposed on a trip to Europe. We were in France to celebrate the wedding of two of Nick’s university friends and then planned to spend a week in Istanbul and finally a week in London. He had planned to propose in London on the Millennium Bridge (an homage to my love of Harry Potter), but after a weekend being surrounded by so much love and celebration, he proposed in France the day after his friend’s wedding. It was truly out of a fairytale – he popped the question at a beautiful chateau in the Loire valley while we were walking the grounds surrounded by an ancient oak forest! The birds were chirping, the oak trees rustled in the wind, and a faint rainbow could be seen above. He has been carrying the ring in his pocket since we left Edmonton and had notes written in three different languages, which were to be passed to border security guards just in case we were stopped at airport security! Nick is not a man to be rendered speechless, but he was so nervous and excited that he didn’t say a word for half an hour after the proposal! We celebrated with wine and cheese and continued the festivities with his family when we all met up in Istanbul the following day.
We spent about a year planning the wedding. We both knew we wanted a mountain wedding as we spend so much time in Canmore. We loved the rustic but elegant feel of the timber beams and stonework at Silvertip Resort and had heard amazing things about the food so it was an obvious choice for us. To top it off, the ceremony site has a breathtaking view of the Bow Valley. It was also important for me to incorporate the Banff Springs, as it was where my parents were married 27 years ago, so my family and my bridesmaids stayed there the night before the wedding and spent the morning of relaxing and getting ready in the stunning castle in the Rockies!
When we started the planning process, we knew it was important for us to have a planner as we were unfamiliar with some of the Canmore area vendors and didn’t want our family and friends working on the big day. We worked with Stephanie LaGrange of Lynn Fletcher Weddings in Calgary. She was truly amazing to work with and was there with us every step of the way helping us create an unforgettable event!
The best way to describe our theme is “woodland fairytale”. We wanted something traditional and elegant, but with some woodsy elements to reflect our love of the outdoors and Nick’s love of woodworking. The two of us were set on having wooden chargers for the place settings and we eventually chose to make them ourselves with birch rounds purchased from a local firewood seller and a custom iron brand. We spent hours cleaning, sanding, and branding over 200 tree cookies, but it was a hit with all of our guests! We had so many requests from guests asking if they could take them home to use as place settings of their own! Stephanie and our wonderful florist, Jamie Gage of Fleurish, worked with us to turn our vision of a woodland fairytale into a reality. Wherever we could have greenery and flowers, we did. They were even able to drape the huge iron chandeliers in the Pavilion with greenery!
My dress was also chosen with this theme in mind. I fell in love with “Sophie” by Hailey Paige. Swiss dots, intricate lace, texture, and romance – I got everything I wanted in one gown thanks to Delica Bridal! I chose to wear my sister’s veil as my something borrowed and it matched the dress perfectly! The bridesmaid gowns, “Anabelle” by Jenny Yoo in Begonia Pink, were also from Delica Bridal. I saw these dresses on Pinterest one day and never forgot them. They were soft, elegant, and romantic and I loved that each girl could wear their dress in their own way!
The day itself was unforgettable – Nick and his groomsmen spent the morning getting ready at his family’s home in Canmore. My morning with my bridesmaids at the Banff Springs started early with makeup beginning at 5 AM to be ready for the ceremony on time!
We all piled into our limos and I was waiting to walk down the aisle when we realized my vows never made it to our limo! My dad had to run all the way back to the parking lot to get them from my purse which had somehow made its way into their vehicle. Having been standing at the altar waiting and having no idea what was taking so long, Nick could finally breathe a sigh of relief as the music began and my dad escorted me down the aisle. Our ceremony was officiated by a close family friend and Queen’s Bench judge and Nick and I wrote our vows to each other making it such an intimate experience.
We headed off to Quarry Lakes and the iron bridge after the ceremony for photos. All of us had a blast romping through the park and warding off the imminent rain!
We arrived back at Silvertip just in time to join our 200 guests for cocktail hour and get a special sneak peek of the reception space with Stephanie.
Once everyone filtered through from cocktail hour, our dinners were served and speeches (and subsequent tears and laughter) began. We served our wedding cake as dessert (a raspberry and white chocolate cake with ruffled buttercream frosting crafted by Alison LaFrance of Whippt Desserts & Catering Inc.) and started into the dances. My dad surprised us and sang Heartland’s “I Loved Her First” for Nick and I, then my dad and I danced to Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl”. For our first dance, we chose “Come What May” from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack – we love to belt out musicals on road trips to the mountains and this duet is one of our favourites! Once the dances wrapped up, everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) hit the dance floor for the rest of the night. The Silvertip staff even commented that they had never seen a dance like it at another wedding. Our DJ, Rob Lavery of Class Act DJ Service, was brilliant – he kept everyone on the dance floor with a perfect mix of music!
We were having so much fun that when the lights came on it seemed as if the party had only just begun, but everyone had an unforgettable night of amazing food, excellent company, and great music and dancing!
Nick and I spent the next day at a brunch hosted at his family’s home followed by an afternoon of spa treatments at the Banff Springs and a romantic dinner at the Grizzly House (I no longer needed to fit in my dress!). Two days later, after some relaxing time in Canmore, we jetted off to Sandals Whitehouse, Jamaica for a week- long honeymoon in the sun!
A year and a half later, Nick proposed on a trip to Europe. We were in France to celebrate the wedding of two of Nick’s university friends and then planned to spend a week in Istanbul and finally a week in London. He had planned to propose in London on the Millennium Bridge (an homage to my love of Harry Potter), but after a weekend being surrounded by so much love and celebration, he proposed in France the day after his friend’s wedding. It was truly out of a fairytale – he popped the question at a beautiful chateau in the Loire valley while we were walking the grounds surrounded by an ancient oak forest! The birds were chirping, the oak trees rustled in the wind, and a faint rainbow could be seen above. He has been carrying the ring in his pocket since we left Edmonton and had notes written in three different languages, which were to be passed to border security guards just in case we were stopped at airport security! Nick is not a man to be rendered speechless, but he was so nervous and excited that he didn’t say a word for half an hour after the proposal! We celebrated with wine and cheese and continued the festivities with his family when we all met up in Istanbul the following day.
We spent about a year planning the wedding. We both knew we wanted a mountain wedding as we spend so much time in Canmore. We loved the rustic but elegant feel of the timber beams and stonework at Silvertip Resort and had heard amazing things about the food so it was an obvious choice for us. To top it off, the ceremony site has a breathtaking view of the Bow Valley. It was also important for me to incorporate the Banff Springs, as it was where my parents were married 27 years ago, so my family and my bridesmaids stayed there the night before the wedding and spent the morning of relaxing and getting ready in the stunning castle in the Rockies!
When we started the planning process, we knew it was important for us to have a planner as we were unfamiliar with some of the Canmore area vendors and didn’t want our family and friends working on the big day. We worked with Stephanie LaGrange of Lynn Fletcher Weddings in Calgary. She was truly amazing to work with and was there with us every step of the way helping us create an unforgettable event!
The best way to describe our theme is “woodland fairytale”. We wanted something traditional and elegant, but with some woodsy elements to reflect our love of the outdoors and Nick’s love of woodworking. The two of us were set on having wooden chargers for the place settings and we eventually chose to make them ourselves with birch rounds purchased from a local firewood seller and a custom iron brand. We spent hours cleaning, sanding, and branding over 200 tree cookies, but it was a hit with all of our guests! We had so many requests from guests asking if they could take them home to use as place settings of their own! Stephanie and our wonderful florist, Jamie Gage of Fleurish, worked with us to turn our vision of a woodland fairytale into a reality. Wherever we could have greenery and flowers, we did. They were even able to drape the huge iron chandeliers in the Pavilion with greenery!
My dress was also chosen with this theme in mind. I fell in love with “Sophie” by Hailey Paige. Swiss dots, intricate lace, texture, and romance – I got everything I wanted in one gown thanks to Delica Bridal! I chose to wear my sister’s veil as my something borrowed and it matched the dress perfectly! The bridesmaid gowns, “Anabelle” by Jenny Yoo in Begonia Pink, were also from Delica Bridal. I saw these dresses on Pinterest one day and never forgot them. They were soft, elegant, and romantic and I loved that each girl could wear their dress in their own way!
The day itself was unforgettable – Nick and his groomsmen spent the morning getting ready at his family’s home in Canmore. My morning with my bridesmaids at the Banff Springs started early with makeup beginning at 5 AM to be ready for the ceremony on time!
We all piled into our limos and I was waiting to walk down the aisle when we realized my vows never made it to our limo! My dad had to run all the way back to the parking lot to get them from my purse which had somehow made its way into their vehicle. Having been standing at the altar waiting and having no idea what was taking so long, Nick could finally breathe a sigh of relief as the music began and my dad escorted me down the aisle. Our ceremony was officiated by a close family friend and Queen’s Bench judge and Nick and I wrote our vows to each other making it such an intimate experience.
We headed off to Quarry Lakes and the iron bridge after the ceremony for photos. All of us had a blast romping through the park and warding off the imminent rain!
We arrived back at Silvertip just in time to join our 200 guests for cocktail hour and get a special sneak peek of the reception space with Stephanie.
Once everyone filtered through from cocktail hour, our dinners were served and speeches (and subsequent tears and laughter) began. We served our wedding cake as dessert (a raspberry and white chocolate cake with ruffled buttercream frosting crafted by Alison LaFrance of Whippt Desserts & Catering Inc.) and started into the dances. My dad surprised us and sang Heartland’s “I Loved Her First” for Nick and I, then my dad and I danced to Tim McGraw’s “My Little Girl”. For our first dance, we chose “Come What May” from the Moulin Rouge soundtrack – we love to belt out musicals on road trips to the mountains and this duet is one of our favourites! Once the dances wrapped up, everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) hit the dance floor for the rest of the night. The Silvertip staff even commented that they had never seen a dance like it at another wedding. Our DJ, Rob Lavery of Class Act DJ Service, was brilliant – he kept everyone on the dance floor with a perfect mix of music!
We were having so much fun that when the lights came on it seemed as if the party had only just begun, but everyone had an unforgettable night of amazing food, excellent company, and great music and dancing!
Nick and I spent the next day at a brunch hosted at his family’s home followed by an afternoon of spa treatments at the Banff Springs and a romantic dinner at the Grizzly House (I no longer needed to fit in my dress!). Two days later, after some relaxing time in Canmore, we jetted off to Sandals Whitehouse, Jamaica for a week- long honeymoon in the sun!
