real weddings

Many couples incorporate vintage elements into their wedding, but Kelly and Todd fully embraced their love of 1920s style on their big day. Inspired by Midnight in Paris, the couple chose Heritage Park in Calgary, Canada to say I do–a venue that perfectly complemented their theme. Kelly wore a gorgeous vintage-inspired BHLDN dress, while Todd donned a retro hat and three-piece suit. But the vintage threads didn’t stop there: the couple invited guests to dress according to their theme, and the crowd looked spectacularly glam in their retro fashions. After the ceremony, the couple got the party started with a carnival-inspired cocktail hour, which included a Ferris wheel (!), popcorn and champagne. The reception was held in Heritage Park’s converted railway station, where the newlyweds and their guests enjoyed an intimate dinner, an old-fashioned float bar and posing for pics on the giant moon prop the couple created. Check out Nicole Sarah Photography‘s stunning images of this fabulous, fashionable fete.

From the Bride… “Our wedding day began as breezily as we’d hoped. Since our wedding wasn’t until 6:30, we each had the day to enjoy with our families and friends around. Todd was at his folks’ house while I was at my mom’s with some close girlfriends, listening to music and sipping champagne in our pajamas!
 
After getting all dolled up, the ladies and I made our way over to the venue for around 5:45, as did Todd and his gang. We chose Heritage Park because of the vintage charm it brought to our ’20s themed wedding–it was perfect! As I waited (hid) around the corner of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, Todd and our guests mingled and got settled on the lawn for our ceremony. As a surprise to Todd, I had hired a charming Parisian accordionist to wander down the cobblestone street and stroll onto the lawn, leaning against trees and sitting on the porch, which added the perfect touch to the relaxed vintage style we wanted! I could hear him from where I hid and it made my heart flutter imagining Todd’s reaction to the French tunes being played around him!
 
The ceremony itself was small and lovely, as we stood before our closest friends and family, 50 or so guests in all. We had a friend perform a ‘ring warming ceremony’ so that throughout the ceremony our guests could take a moment to hold onto our rings before we exchanged them. This was a really special part of the ceremony and remains as one of the most tender moments for us.
 
Directly following the ceremony we surprised our guests with a big beautiful Ferris wheel for the cocktail hour. It was located just steps away, but was hidden from view during the ceremony! Accompanied by popcorn and champagne and of course that handsome accordionist! We could hear our guests’ screams and laughter from where we were having our pictures taken. It was magical and I actually couldn’t believe that it all happened!
 
From there we all walked up to the railway station for our reception, the location was beautiful, looking over the reservoir and sun beaming through all the windows! We had created one big ‘U’ table so that we could all sit together, enjoying dinner as a group and allowing the speeches and toasts to feel like a cozy conversation. As the evening carried on like a whirlwind we had so many things happening, dancing and pie cutting, old-fashioned float bar and pictures outside on the giant moon we created–it was spectacular! Looking back it all seems like a dream, those moments we had imagined happening throughout our engagement actually coming true and getting to share them with the people we love most! It couldn’t have been better!”