real weddings

Greg and Rhoslyn’s first wedding was at City Hall in San Francisco (Greg’s hometown) in 2012. While their intimate ceremony was special, the couple wanted to have a celebration that included their friends and relatives–most importantly, Greg’s daughter. So, the couple planned a fabulous vow renewal and reception in British Columbia, complete with a long white dress, two adorable flower girls (Greg’s daughter and Rhoslyn’s niece) and a s’mores dessert bar. The wedding was a perfect outlet for Rhoslyn’s crafty side: with help from her mom and bridesmaids, she made every detail of the day, including the flower arrangements, table numbers and favors. Take a look through the stunning images from Katie Cross Photography, who was on site to capture this couple’s beautiful and meaningful celebration.

From the Bride… “I have a large crafty side, that comes from a crafty mother, and wanted to make my wedding reflect that. My mom and I did all of the decorations ourselves (with the help of amazing bridesmaids and friends and family) and I spent a lot of time making each item personally. I handmade table numbers, the seating chart, the favors, the program, games for the guests, and kids packages to keep the little ones entertained. We also made all of our bouquets and flower arrangements for the tables. Every designer we came across told us this was insane, but I do better when I’m busy and in control of how things look, so I was excited and happy to do these details myself. I think my favorite details were the games I made for each guest. At each place setting there was a word search and a crossword puzzle. All the answers and clues were wedding related and I think everyone enjoyed having something to do while they were waiting for food. My other favorite little detail was a game I made up for the guests to determine who would get to eat first. I chose a different love song for each table. I printed and cut out lines of text from each song (the recognizable chorus part), and placed one line of that text under every plate. Each table had to work together to put the song together and when they could figure out what song it was, they stood up and belted their song out. As a singer, I enjoyed watching other people gather up their courage and sing in front of other people. There were some surprisingly great voices from some unexpected people! We had a lot of out of town guests, and guests who had never met each other before, so it was a great way to break the ice and get to know a few new people.

I have to say that the food was a huge part of how well the day went. It was spectacular and I actually got to enjoy it! My two favorite things were the potato bar where you could have a zillion types of potatoes and different toppings (this was a huge hit with guests) and the dessert s’mores bar. I’m still trying to get dried marshmallow out of my stepdaughter’s flower girl dress. So worth it.

It’s hard to pick just one favorite moment of the day, but I have narrowed it down to three. Just before I walked down the aisle with my dad, I had a few moments with my niece and stepdaughter who were soooo excited to throw their petals and be the best flower girls ever. I had a little moment with both of them and I could just tell they were so happy and excited to be a part of the whole day and that they felt like grown up ladies. I was so filled with love and happiness that they were there.

Another favorite moment was when Greg and I renewed our vows. There was something special about the light that day and the way it came in the windows left a huge impression on me. Later, Greg told me that he felt the same way and that the sunlight made me look like he was seeing me for the first time. He said the light made my eyes look like ‘they were on fire,’ and that he had never seen me look more beautiful. It’s a memory I will cherish for a long time.

My other favorite moment was watching my sister give her maid of honor speech. Typically a shy woman, my sister gave the most beautiful speech I’ve ever heard and it was the only time all day that I cried. We have a special bond and I was completely blown away by her sincerity, love and everything she said. We had many special moments that day together: getting ready, sipping champagne, getting our hair done, and doing the flower girls’ hair together. Her speech was the best way to finish the formal part of the evening before dancing and desserts.

We wanted to have fun and play games and dance with the flower girls and eat s’mores and talk to people I hadn’t seen in years. That was what was important to us. I didn’t realize how important it would be for Greg and I to have this special day together, and the fact that we got to make it our own, truly made it a day we will remember for a very long time.”