WEDDING BLOG

This VanDusen Botanical Garden Wedding Was Inspired by a Summer Sunset

February 26, 2024 | justine

Taryn and Brad envisioned a wedding filled with creativity, unique touches, and vibrant colors. Their goal was to create a joyful celebration of love infused with contemporary flair and plenty of fun! Drawing inspiration from the stunning colors of a summer sunset, they transformed their VanDusen Botanical Garden wedding into a kaleidoscope of hues. Every aspect, from attire to flowers and decor, reflected the warmth and beauty of a summer evening sky.

Their enchanting outdoor ceremony was beneath a majestic willow tree, surrounded by natural beauty. Opting for simple decor that complemented the picturesque setting, they added vibrant, grounded floral arrangements to enhance the serene ambiance. Upon entering the reception, guests were greeted with a burst of confetti, setting the tone for a joyous celebration. Inside, meticulously curated tablescapes with color-blocked centerpieces added a touch of modern elegance to the festivities.

The couple poured their hearts into every detail, ensuring each aspect reflected their personalities and style. Their meticulous planning and personal touches resulted in a breathtaking celebration that perfectly captured their love. With the help of Junebug member Hennygraphy, every cherished moment was beautifully preserved in exquisite images. Scroll down to witness the magic of their special day unfold.

The Couple:

Taryn and Brad

The Wedding:

VanDusen Botanical Garden, Vancouver, British Colombia, Canada

Embracing a Summer Sky Sunset Gradient Color Palette

Brad and I, both artists in our own right, were determined to make our wedding a blend of creativity, uniqueness, and, above all, fun! Taking cues from the mesmerizing colors of a summer sunset, shifting from warm oranges to soft purples with a touch of green, we knew we had found our inspiration. We wanted our celebration to radiate joy, so we decided on a color theme that would reflect the happiness of the occasion. We infused this gradient of colors into every detail of our wedding, from the attire to the decorations. Each bridesmaid embodied a different shade from the gradient, carrying matching bouquets, while the groomsmen coordinated with ties, pocket squares, and boutonnieres in complementary hues.

Personalized Touches at Their VanDusen Botanical Garden Wedding Ceremony

For our outdoor ceremony under the magnificent willow tree, we aimed for a minimalist approach to highlight the natural beauty around us. Our talented florist created stunning ground-level arrangements that perfectly matched our gradient color scheme, adding a pop of color to the setting. Personal touches were essential to us, so we wrote our own vows and worked closely with our officiant to design the entire ceremony, ensuring our unique story took center stage. As we entered and exited, bubbles and confetti filled the air, setting a joyful tone for the celebration. Our first dance beneath a giant disco ball marked the perfect end to a truly unforgettable day filled with love, laughter, and endless happiness.

Transforming the Reception Space into a Gradient of Hues

For our reception, we wanted to create a mesmerizing spectrum of color throughout the entire space. Each table was carefully adorned with matching napkins, candles, and candle holders, blending seamlessly from one hue to the next. The floral arrangements and bud vases were thoughtfully chosen to complement the color theme of each table, uniting everything in a beautifully intentional way. We kept the linens and chairs neutral white to ensure the colors popped, while black plates added a grounding touch to each place setting. Although incorporating so many vibrant elements felt daunting, meticulous planning and color mockups helped us strike the perfect balance and prevent clashing. When everything came together on the big day, it surpassed our wildest expectations.

Tips for a Meaningful Wedding Experience

Our advice for couples starting their wedding planning journey is simple: stay focused on what truly matters to you both. Embrace the excitement and challenges that come your way, and always stay true to yourselves. Remember, your wedding is about celebrating your love with your closest family and friends. Create a day that reflects your bond and personalities and will be a success. We found it helpful to stay organized with a task board, like Trello, to avoid any last-minute surprises. Writing your own vows is a special touch that allows you to express your love uniquely and meaningfully, deepening the connection between you and your loved ones.

Why They Chose to Tie the Knot at the VanDusen Botanical Garden

For our wedding in July, we wanted to make the most of the beautiful summer weather by creating an indoor/outdoor atmosphere. Choosing a well-known tourist spot as our venue meant we could invite all our out-of-town guests to a special location. The botanical gardens provided a magical backdrop for our ceremony, while the indoor reception area was filled with natural light and had a modern charm. With a lovely patio, our guests could move around as they pleased. With its contemporary design and stunning views of the gardens through floor-to-ceiling windows, the reception venue allowed us to personalize the space exactly how we wanted. It was the perfect combination of indoor coziness and outdoor beauty, making our day truly unforgettable.

Personalized Perfection: Homemade Favors and Customized Newspapers

For our wedding favors, we wanted to give our guests something unique and heartfelt. We decided on two special gifts: a personalized wedding newspaper and homemade bean-to-bar dark chocolate bars. We poured our hearts into making each of the 95 chocolate bars from scratch, starting with roasting the cacao beans and carefully tempering the chocolate. To add a personal touch, we designed custom labels for each bar, using them as place cards for our guests. We also created our wedding newspapers at home, filling them with photos, fun facts about us, tips for visiting Vancouver, sweet messages from our parents, a cocktail hour drink menu, and even games like a crossword puzzle. It was a labor of love, and we were excited to share these meaningful keepsakes with our loved ones on our big day.

A VanDusen Botanical Garden Wedding Filled with Personal Touches

In the year leading up to our wedding, we got fully into DIY projects as an artist and a designer. We were surprised to count a total of 28! Some highlights include making 95 chocolate bars as unique place cards, hand-painting 85 concrete candle holders, and handling everything from save-the-dates to our wedding website. Adding personal touches like sparkly disco letters, a fancy gin cocktail with butterfly pea flowers, and a shiny welcome sign made the day extra special. I even sewed the sleeves for my dress and veil myself, adding delicate embroidered pearls. We ensured everything, even the napkins we ordered and dyed by hand, matched perfectly. One of our favorite DIY projects was creating our wedding bands. With Brad’s design skills, we worked together to craft the perfect rings, tweaking designs until they were just right. The final gold bands turned out stunning, representing our love and creativity.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Hennygraphy
Event Planning – Beth Barr
Venue – VanDusen Botanical Garden
Floral Design – Emma Scheurwater
Catering – Nuba
Cake – Lalolipop
Officiant – Vancouver Officiant
DJ – Simon Bridgefoot
Invitation Design – Taryn Coulson
Makeup Artist – Danielle Grad
Hair Styling – Renee Lalonde
Wedding Dress – Truvelle
Groom’s Apparel – Suit Supply
Rentals – Bespoke Decor + A+B Party Rentals

Congratulations to Taryn and Brad on their VanDusen Botanical Garden wedding. A huge shoutout goes to Junebug member Hennygraphy for skillfully capturing every standout detail and heartfelt moment from start to finish. For more stunning celebrations to spark inspiration, be sure to explore her profile in our highly-vetted directory of the world’s top wedding photographers.

This wedding proves that colors and flowers can truly transform any celebration into something breathtaking. They add depth, texture, and vibrancy to every aspect of the wedding, from the ceremony to the reception. The result is an unforgettable experience that leaves a lasting impression on everyone who attends.

This Cozy Presidio Yacht Club Wedding Was Full of Views, Good Food, and Music

February 24, 2024 | justine

dark pink light pink yellow

Christina and Andy envisioned a wedding that was a cozy, authentic, and unforgettable gathering, like hosting the ultimate dinner party in their own space. They aimed for an atmosphere that exuded warmth and joy, complete with exceptional food, drinks, and music. With this in mind, they meticulously infused elements of their personalities into every facet of their Presidio Yacht Club wedding. The result was nothing short of extraordinary—a celebration that beautifully captured their love and cherished values.

They knew they wanted a unique venue, a place not typically considered for weddings. They got creative and made it a spectacular event by having the ceremony on the dock, with the city and bay as a backdrop. Flowers played a big role, with whimsical and airy meadow-style installations behind the altar. The reception took place in the old boat house, where they hung old sails for a rustic touch, strung lights across the ceiling, and candles on the tables added a warm glow. To cap off the evening, they danced in an old-school, wood-paneled dive bar upstairs.

If you’ve ever pondered about infusing your individuality into every detail of your special day for a cohesive and elegant theme, then this wedding is a must-see. These stunning photos by Junebug member Teri B perfectly capture the spirit of their love tale and the remarkable day they curated. Explore all the imaginative ideas that will add a personal touch to your big day, making it feel even more intimate and special.

The Couple:

Christina and Andy

The Wedding:

Presidio Yacht Club, San Fransisco, California

Creating Meaningful Moments During the Ceremony

We had a good friend officiate, and to architect her words, she did short interviews with our parents. It was beautiful to hear how she wove all of their inputs together. We also asked two friends to do readings, nothing religious, and we gave them pretty loose guidelines to read a passage, song lyrics, poem, or article that represents love and long-term partnership to them. We wrote our own vows, and Andy surprised me with song lyrics at the end of his. We were smiling ear to ear and laughing the whole time. I’m shocked I didn’t cry!

Creating a Unique SF Experience: Why They Chose a Presidio Yacht Club Wedding

We knew we wanted a venue with some character, a space you might not even think of for a wedding. And because we decided to host our wedding in SF, where we met seven years ago, we wanted to ensure our guests had a “very SF” experience. We started with the venue search. We knew Presidio Yacht Club was the one! It has a lot of character and grit, with some of the best possible views of San Francisco. We could host the ceremony on the dock, with the city and the Bay behind us, have dinner in the old, rustic boat house, and finish the evening dancing in the old school, wood-paneled dive bar upstairs. Andy always joked he wanted to get married in a dive bar, which was as close as it would get! The venue was a big part of setting the vibe, but it was a space that needed a lot of work to bring it to life, so a lot went into curating all the decor and flowers to bring it to life. The venue also had a perfect setup for each portion of the evening, which made it easy to contain the whole wedding and reception in the same place while still offering a change of scenery from ceremony to dinner to dancing.

How They Curated Their Dream Wedding Without Overspending

San Fransisco is an expensive place to get married, and we only had a limited budget, so we curated creative inspo that we loved and then shopped around to find vendors who could achieve our vision while matching our budget and being able to execute our vision without breaking the bank. We found creative ways to achieve a pretty stunning evening. Because food was so important to us, that was the first vendor we booked, Katie Powers, who is known for delicious family-style meals made from locally sourced ingredients. We wanted florals to play a big part in decor and wanted something whimsical, airy, abstract, and unexpected. We found a local flower farmer who grows some of the most gorgeous flowers in the Bay and was game to take on our vision (she crushed it!). A good friend of ours is a horticulturist and has been making biophilic art for years—she offered to make us some meadow-style installations to go behind us at the altar and behind where we sat at dinner. We hung old sails across one of the boathouse’s walls, adding to the rustic vibe, and lights were strung across the ceiling. Candles on the tables helped create a warm glow.

Setting the Mood Through a Thoughtfully Curated Playlist for Their Presidio Yacht Club Wedding

We had a DJ playing music throughout the wedding, and we spent hours, I mean hours, curating playlists to serve as guides for him. He played vinyl during the dancing, which was a total vibe with the disco ball spinning above and red lights, making the room feel perfectly moody and cool. Our guests played a massive role in the overall feel of the wedding, too! We have a really fun crew of friends, and they absolutely brought the energy that night.

Top Tips for Stress-Free Wedding Planning: Stay Organized and Communicative

Start early, stay organized with spreadsheets and Google Docs, keep a close tally of expenses (and expect to spend more than you want to!), and have clear communication with your vendors. Don’t be afraid to give very clear instructions and feedback to vendors. It’s so important that they clearly understand your vision and what you like and don’t like—block time to work on wedding stuff together as a couple. Do as much as possible as far in advance as possible because a million tiny little things will come up in the final weeks, and the last thing you want is to be stressed out. We created a master spreadsheet with different categories and then line items for each expense. We researched costs and put in projected costs, which we updated with actuals once we had final expenses. We kept this updated close to real-time and shared it with all our parents for full transparency.

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Teri B
Ceremony Venue – Presidio Yacht Club
Floral Design – Hayley from Blue House Farm Flowers
Catering – Katie Powers
Cake – Francesca Hodges
DJ – Dart Collective
Makeup Artist + Hair Styling – Lee from Artists by Sherrie Long
Wedding Dress – Danielle Frankel
Groom’s Apparel – Suit Supply
Rings – Abel Objects
Rentals – Golden Gate Special Events

Congratulations to Christina and Andy on their intimate and scenic Presidio Yacht Club wedding, filled with delicious food, captivating views, and great music. A heartfelt thank you to Junebug member Teri B for beautifully capturing all the intricate details that reflect their unique love story. To see more incredible celebrations, check out Teri’s profile in our directory of the world’s best wedding photographers.

Your love story is unique and deserves to be celebrated on your big day, just like this couple did. Whether you’re considering an unconventional venue or adding a personal twist to traditional wedding elements, strive for a wedding that reflects the distinctiveness of your love story. Dive into our guide for creative ideas to make sure your special day is truly unforgettable.

Wedding Shoes For The Groom That They’ll Want to Rewear

February 22, 2024 | kailey

Image by Phosart.

When it comes to wedding day fashion, it can be challenging to justify spending a large amount of money on something you’ll only wear once. But here’s the good news—you don’t have to. When shopping for wedding shoes for the groom, there are plenty of options that you’ll be eager to rewear beyond the big day.

From boots to loafers and even classic dress shoes, we’ve rounded up wedding shoe ideas that’ll make a perfect addition to your closet. These shoes were made for walking right down the aisle, and beyond.

Our favorite shops to purchase wedding shoes for the groom:

Neiman Marcus Wedding Shoes from Groom

1. Allen Edmonds Men’s Siena Leather Oxfords

2. Ferragamo Men’s Fosco Leather Derby Shoes

3. Prada Men’s Saffiano Leather Monk Strap Loafers

4. Ferragamo Men’s Florio Gancio Bit Loafers

5. Bruno Magli Men’s Tyler Split Toe Leather Oxfords

DSW

1. Tommy Hilfiger Sesame Chelsea Boot

2. Vince Camuto Esmail Driving Loafer

3. Florsheim Postino Cap Toe Oxford

4. Florsheim Rucci Penny Loafer

5. Thomas & Vine Jagger Boot

JCPenny

1. JF J.Ferrar Mens Cambridge Slip-On Shoe

2. Florsheim Mens Norwalk Plain Toe Oxford Shoes

3. Dockers Mens Rockford Flat Heel Lace Up Boots

4. Florsheim Mens Chalet Plain Toe Gore Flat Heel Chelsea Boots

5. Dockers Mens Rowan Flat Heel Lace Up Boots

Cole Haan

1. Men’s ØriginalGrand Wingtip Oxfords

2. Men’s Berkshire Lug Plain Toe Oxfords

3. Men’s American Classics Pinch Penny Loafer

4. Men’s ZERØGRAND Waterproof Hiker Boot

5. Men’s ØriginalGrand Chukka Boot

Gucci Wedding Shoes for Groom

1. Men’s Horsebit 1953 Loafer

2. Men’s Gucci Jordaan Loafer

3. Lace-Up Shoe With Horsebite

4. Leather Lace-Up

5. Ankle Boot With Buckle

Jimmy Choo

1. Thame

2. Foxley Oxford Shoe

3. Marti Reverse

4. Sammy/M

5. Josh Driver

Shoes are just one subtle way to make a statement on your big day. And if you’re under the impression that grooms have limited options in wedding day fashion, think again. From bolo ties to colorful suits and flat-brim hats, there are plenty of ways for grooms to add personality to their ensemble. If you’re looking for more ideas to spice up your wedding day look, check out these unique groom-style ideas for the modern man.

Image by Mariah Treiber.

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