but she was also responsible for a lot of advice that made our day run so smoothly!... We had a large amount of family there, and Karen [with assistant photographer – Jen Dodd] made sure no one was missed... Karen and Jen were able to capture all the moments that we did not necessarily get to see, our families, and all the happiness and excitement that Justin and I were sharing. It was very hard to choose pictures as we loved them all...” Justin and Danielle’s vision for their wedding was simple, yet elegant, and so they went with a black and white palette. “We didn’t want the wedding colours to be busy or distracting...” Danielle admits she spent many, many hours formulating their visions, ideas, and budget. Yet, for all of Danielle’s planning, there were still some surprises when the day arrived! “We planned the wedding for July thinking that we would have the sun, but it turned out that day was warm with some sun, but there was still a lot of snow at the mountain which was very unexpected. Who would have thought snow in JULY!! Everything worked out though and the snow made for an interesting backdrop.” Then, the flower truck from 5th Street Florist (www.courtenay5thstreetflorist. com) broke down on the way up to the mountain. But before the florists even had time to arrange the rescue of themselves and their bride’s flowers (they say they would’ve got those flowers to their client, no matter what it took!), Danielle’s hairstylist, Megan, from Roots (www.rootsthesalon.com) happened to drive by and see the breakdown. Unknowingly becoming one of the heroines of the day, Megan pulled over, realized the situation, loaded her car full of the flowers, and carried on to the location and to her job of glamming up the bridal party. Crisis averted! Danielle’s bridesmaids wore stylish, oneshoulder black satin dresses. Danielle had her makeup done by freelance makeup artist, Catherine (catherinejoiner1@gmail. com). They carried bouquets bursting with creamy white roses and hydrangeas and, in the bridesmaids’ bouquets, dark calla lilies.
Spend lots of time looking at pictures, websites and talking to other people about ideas. I spent hours looking at ideas and inspiration online and in magazines, so when it came time to make final decisions on things, we knew what we wanted.
Justin and his groomsmen dressed in tuxes from Black and Lee (www.blackandlee.com). The outside ceremony took place at 3:30 pm, under a canopy draped in white linens. The spectacular backdrop of snow peaked mountains and blue sky provided the ultimate wedding scene. Justin and Danielle were fortunate to have many supportive and helpful friends. Danielle’s was able to have her best friends and younger siblings (twins) in her wedding party. “My friend, Tara, was absolutely amazing. She was there for every single moment of planning, every meeting, and she was always one step ahead of things to make sure everything went perfect for us.” Danielle was also thankful when her friend, Jennifer, was able to come all the way from Florida! Justin, as well, had both his best friends in his party. He makes special mention of his friend, Jason, who made sure that everything really came together on the wedding day. “We were both so lucky to have all the people in our wedding party with us that day and each one of them really contributed to making our wedding day and the moments leading up to it very special.” Following the ceremony, a reception was held in the warm, cozy Raven Lodge. “We were certainly not disappointed with the food, and there were many options, that allowed us to select something that would suit all our family and friends... We were very lucky to have a talented and generous friend (Sandy) that was able to make us a spectacular cake. She makes the most delicious and beautiful cakes as one of her many hobbies. I had fallen in love with her red velvet cake, and I could not think of any other cake that I would want on our wedding day. My husband does not have a sweet tooth, but knows I do, so he trusted my choice of cake,” says Danielle. The cake was three square layers, each wrapped in black ribbon. In lieu of wedding favours, Danielle and Justin decided to donate funds in honor of family members that had passed away due to cancer. “Justin and I loved everything about our wedding day, even though everything didn’t always go as planned! We just loved that we could share such a special day with all our friends and family and it really was the happiest day of our lives.” But, wait! It wasn’t over yet! “Karen knew that Justin and I had wanted to have some photos by the water, but we had been unable to do so because of the snow. So she had a session after the wedding for us, which meant the world to us! It was such a great opportunity to really capture Justin and I together because we were so much more laid back and casual - which is very much who we are.” Everyone had told Justin and Danielle to really enjoy every moment of the wedding because it goes by so fast. Danielle said “Were they ever right! So our advice is to soak up every moment of that day in because it really is over before you know it.” ■