When I look at the photos of today's Vancouver wedding of Marta and Zaw, the word that comes up again and again for me is simply, lovely. From the peaceful garden setting, to the couple's romantic but modern wedding day looks, to the warm personal touches that honored family and the beauty of life, it is all lovely, lovely, lovely, in the purest sense of the word. Enjoy!

The Couple: Marta and Zaw

The Wedding: 6.2.12 - Cecil Green Park House - Vancouver, BC

What three adjectives best describe your wedding? Sincere, lighthearted, warm

What was your wedding color palette? We decided that we didn’t want to stick to any specific colour palette but to let the venue and the various elements of our decor speak for themselves. The Cecil Green Park House, with its beautiful garden and rich wooden finishing and sculpted molding, didn’t need any embellishments from us! The flowers provided small bursts of bright colour.

What inspired your personal wedding style, and how did you incorporate your style and personalities into your big day? The first thing we agreed on before we started all the planning was that our wedding was a great opportunity for us to show our appreciation for our family and friends. We wanted to let them know how much they have helped shape us into the people we are, both as individuals and as a couple, and how much each of them means to us. We tried to work this into the ceremony and the speeches, and into various other details. We’re so glad we did! It created a feeling of warmth, closeness and love that day, and made us feel all the more loved and supported.

Looking back, what are the moments, decisions or memories that you love the most about your wedding?
Zaw: One thing that I've noticed during weddings that I’ve attended is that the readings often always seem to be just a part of the process, almost an afterthought. Most guests don’t remember what was read or that it was even a part of the day! Marta and I found a reading that really spoke to us and our philosophy on how we like to lead our lives (‘Look at Love’ by Rumi). So, we really wanted to create a special moment out of our reading. During the reading, our families joined hands and encircled us while the rest of the guests joined hands in reflection with their neighbours. Looking back at the pictures of that moment, it makes me happy to see that we created a moment where friends and family got to take some time to get close, hold hands, and hug.

Marta: Last summer, Zaw and I filmed a short video interview with our best friends and our moms, talking about us as kids and young adults, and about us as a couple. Zaw edited the video and we showed it at the wedding. It was so much fun to finally get to share that moment with everyone. I remember looking over at my parents and they were tearing up. It was a tender moment that I’ll always remember! Maybe one day, we’ll be able to show the video to our kids and tell them about our wedding and how special it was, and help them understand where we come from a little bit better. I also really liked that I could be so honest in my speech to my parents and my siblings, and tell them just how much they mean to me, in front of so many people. In our family, we don’t really talk about our feelings that way, so it was an important moment in my life.

What piece of advice would you give to a bride planning her wedding today?
Marta: Work together to plan the wedding. Ok... who am I kidding? Zaw planned this wedding... Please defer this question to Zaw!

Zaw: When you’re finding vendors to help your vision of your big day come to fruition, their end product isn’t everything. It’s just as important to surround yourselves with people that you enjoy spending time with. The process of planning your wedding should be enjoyable, but it’s even more important that on your wedding day, you are able to be yourself in front of everyone involved. We can’t say enough about how much our photographers and videographers helped us get comfortable and calmed our nerves before the day even started!

Here is the super cute save-the-date video that Marta and Zaw sent to their family and friends:

And the film of the wedding day from Wedding in Motion:

The Wedding Team:

Photographer: Michael Wachniak
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Cecil Green Park House
Videographer/Film Maker: Weddings in Motion
Officiant: Brent Shepperd
Catering: Wescadia Catering
Florist: Olla Urban Flower Project
Cake: Homemade by Marta’s close friends Jill and Jillian
Wedding dress: Novelle Bridal Shop, with sleeves added later by Channy's Bridal.
Bridal accessories: Mod Cloth
Groom and groomsmen apparel and accessories: Harry Rosen
Hair and make-up: Let's Face it Beauty (Julie Brown)
DJ: Mark Vanderende
Rentals: Chairs rented from Lonsdale Event Rentals
Rings: Scott Kay

Thank you so much Marta and Zaw!