Dec 1, 2020

Jennifer & Andrew's Canmore Wedding

T h e L o v e S t o r y

Andrew and Jennifer met at Western University in London, Ontario in September 2012. They were both studying engineering and were members of the same student club. Jennifer knew Andrew was serious when he agreed to come over and watch the Bachelorette with her four university roommates (true commitment!). Andrew transferred to another school in the fall of 2013, and they dated long distance as they finished their degrees. Their long-distance relationship continued as work brought Jennifer to Calgary in early 2017, while Andrew continued working in Toronto. A year later Andrew joined Jennifer in Calgary, and they have been so happy here.

"Andrew is my perfect match, and everyday I feel so lucky that our paths crossed 8 years ago."

T H E P R O P O S A L

06.22.2019

Andrew too Jennifer on her favourite hike – Sarrail Ridge in Kananaskis – with some of their closest friends. It rained in Calgary the night before, which of course meant snow in Kananaskis.

Andrew planned to propose at the summit, but as they were approaching the summit, the snowy conditions forced them to turn back. Luckily, half way up this hike there is a beautiful lake – Rawson Lake. The couple stopped at the lake for lunch on the way down, and the sun started to come out. While Andrew and Jennifer were getting a photo together, he proposed. It was such a beautiful moment, and they were happy to share it with friends.

T h e D r e s s

Jennifer always loved watching Say Yes to the Dress when she was younger, and she fell in love with Hayley Paige dresses years ago. When she started wedding dress shopping, she had a few Hayley Paige dresses in mind that she wanted to find in the city. Jennifer went to three other local bridal boutiques prior to Cameo & Cufflinks, but once she had her first appointment at Cameo & Cufflinks she knew she found my dress. She had always been drawn to ballgown style dresses, and there was one dress that she thought was the one for sure (Perri). However, her bridesmaids convinced her to try on a fit & flare / trumpet gown (Haruki) and it was stunning! Even through Haruki felt perfect, something was still pushing Jennifer toward a ballgown. Once she learned that Hayley Paige also designed overskirts, she realized she could do a ballgown for the ceremony, and have her fitted dress for the reception. Brenda and Jess at C&C helped her envision what the overskirt would look like.

Jennifer was ready to Say Yes.. but she also wanted her mom, sister and mother-in-law to be there. They were all coming to visit from Ontario a few weeks later. On Thanksgiving weekend in 2019, Jennifer and her family/bridesmaids went back to Cameo & Cufflinks and she said Yes to the Dress(es)!

"Brenda and Jess were fantastic to work with and made the dress shopping experience wonderful. Their attention to detail was amazing and they helped me find the perfect dress(es). Since I had such a great experience, I purchased all of my bridesmaid dresses from the salon as well. It was fantastic to be able to try on my dress, and have the girls try on their dresses all at the same time."

T H E W E D D I N G

10.03.2020

Jennifer and Andrew got married in Our Lady of the Rockies Parish, Canmore, and held their reception at the River Café in Calgary. The couple love that they have made Calgary their home. They love the outdoors and the mountains (hiking, biking, skiing, or just sitting in a coffee shop enjoying the mountains). They wanted their friends and family to experience everything they love about the west coast (family is from Ontario, New Brunswick, and Italy). With Covid, unfortunately most of their family could no longer come to the wedding, but they were still able to experience our day through video and photographs. Their love of the outdoors and the mountains is why they chose to have their ceremony in Canmore. They had their videographer add a livestream for their ceremony, so their friends and family who were unable to make it could be a part of their magic day!

The River Café perfectly fit their wedding style. On Prince’s Island, surrounded by trees and flowers, with a wooden/stone/rustic feel. When Andrew and Jennifer moved to Calgary, their first home was in Eau Claire on the Bow River. A short walking distance to the River Café, they quickly made this a go-to for special events (Birthday’s, New Year’s, Thanksgiving with their families). Once they started thinking about wedding reception venues, it was a no brainer. The couple wanted to spend their special day at the River Café. It was beautifully decorated, with a large focus on florals. The vibe was romantic, intimate, and elegant. October 3rd was a beautiful day (25°C), so the River Café had all of the windows open throughout the evening, and guests were using the beautiful patio space until the end of the evening. They originally planned for 100 guests but revised to about 40 due to covid restrictions, and to allow everyone to be safe and comfortable. At the time, dancing was allowed by AHS. So, they were able to have a wonderful, fun evening with family and friends on the dance floor (masked of course). Jennifer and Andrew wanted their wedding to feel romantic, intimate and elegant. Evelyn Clark took their love of the outdoors, and our romantic/elegant wishes, and made all of their style dreams come true.

H o n e y m o o n

Jennifer and Andrew planned a 2 week trip to the Galapagos Islands and The Cloud Forest in Ecuador, which is postponed to late 2021 (fingers crossed!) They still wanted to get away for a bit, so they spent a few days at Emerald Lake Lodge.

W o r d s f r o m t h e b r i d e .

What was one of your favourite moments from your wedding day? Seeing each other at the ceremony, it was such a beautiful & emotional moment.

Where did you find inspiration while planning?

Most of my inspiration came from Instagram and Pinterest. I followed many local vendors on Instagram, and would pick-up on different ideas from them. Evelyn had a large part to play in our inspiration/ideas.

How did you find your vendors?

I found Evelyn Clark on Instagram, and immediately knew I wanted to work with her. I loved her style – elegant, timeless, but with a stylish edge. Evelyn helped us with vendor selection/putting together our dream team. She made suggestions based on our style and wedding aesthetic, and we chose the vendors that we thought were the best fit for us.

Do you have any tips for future brides?

The day goes by so quickly – enjoy every minute. Don’t forget the reason behind all of the planning – to marry your best friend!