Kenzie and Blair originally pictured getting married somewhere tucked away into a forest or on a picturesque mountain. Then they had to account for more than half of their guests flying in. Cecil Green Park House gave them the greenery and outdoor setting they wanted without making the trip complicated for everyone coming to Vancouver. It was the first venue they found, the only one they toured, and the search ended there.

The film-school sweethearts, who started dating just as the world shut down in March 2020 and moved in together the very next day, planned a colorful summer garden party that borrowed from their favorite seasons: spring for Blair and fall for Kenzie. There were wildflowers and pastels mixed with richer shades, a symbolic ceremony led by their moms, and their guests found everything from a dirty soda bar to a quiet room stocked with games and sensory items. It was relaxed, playful, and unmistakably Kenzie and Blair.

What We Love About This Cecil Green Park House Wedding:

• Kenzie and Blair’s moms led their symbolic wedding ceremony
• A dirty soda bar gave sober guests their own fun drink menu
• A quiet room offered games and sensory items for guests who needed a break
• Bridesmaids chose their own dresses with one rule: include a floral pattern
• Kenzie did Blair’s wedding makeup, just as she regularly does at home
• Guests left messages through postcards, an audio guestbook, and a shared digital camera app

Finding the Venue First, Then Building a Queer-Friendly Vendor Team

Once Kenzie and Blair found the venue, the rest of the vendor search moved quickly. An event coordinator friend recommended Sweetheart Events, which led them to their planner Kay. Her bio mentioned reality TV, and they were basically sold before the first conversation.

Kay helped assemble the rest of the team. Kenzie and Blair specifically looked for vendors who were queer-friendly, openly supportive allies, and genuinely kind people they would feel comfortable having around on such an important day. They ended up booking their first choice for nearly every vendor.

Doing Each Other’s Makeup Before Their “Final Look”

Kenzie is a makeup fanatic, and doing Blair’s makeup has become one of their regular rituals. They decided their wedding morning shouldn’t be any different, so Kenzie did Blair’s makeup before doing her own.

They already knew what each other’s dresses looked like. Their hair wasn’t a secret either, since they’d signed their legal marriage papers earlier that morning while Kenzie was getting hers done.

Instead of staging a traditional first look, they waited until they were both completely ready and did a “final look.” After spending much of the morning getting ready together, it was their first chance to stand back and see the whole picture: “Okay, we’re actually getting married.”

Asking Their Moms to Lead the Ceremony

Because the paperwork had already been handled that morning with an officiant, Kenzie and Blair could structure the ceremony however they liked. Their moms stood at the front with them and gave a speech about their relationship and the life they’d built together before symbolically ordaining them in front of their guests.

For a couple whose relationship began with Blair thinking Kenzie was a total valley girl and Kenzie thinking Blair was kind of a nerd, having their moms be the ones to retell the story years later was a fitting way to send them into married life.

When Kenzie and Blair’s Wedding Dress Plans Completely Switched

The bridesmaids received a color palette and exactly one instruction: “include a floral pattern.” Beyond that, they could go for it. Each person chose something that suited her own style instead of wearing a matching look. The mix of prints and colors worked easily alongside the wildflowers without asking everyone to dress alike.

Kenzie and Blair’s own wedding fashion took a less predictable route. Blair had always imagined wearing a simple, classic gown, while Kenzie pictured herself in something with color. By the wedding, they’d completely switched.

Kenzie spotted her dress on Pinterest, tracked down the designer, and discovered there was only one Vancouver retailer. She emailed the store about that exact dress, and they ordered it that day. A month later, she tried on three others before finally putting on the Pinterest find. The search was over.

Blair tried the classic dresses she’d always imagined for herself, but nothing seemed quite right. Then Pinterest served up a colorful dress from the same designer Kenzie had originally considered. 

Making Space for Sober and Neurodivergent Guests

Kenzie and Blair readily admit they are “definitely not DIY people.” Their personal touches focused less on handmade décor and more on how their guests could participate in the day.

They turned engagement photos into postcards where friends and family could leave notes, set up a custom photo booth and audio guestbook, and used a QR-code digital camera app so guests could add photos from their own perspective.

The dirty soda bar came from knowing that many of their friends and relatives are sober. Kenzie and Blair supplied their caterers with recipes, while their planner created custom stickers for the cups. “Suddenly we had our own little dirty soda shop!”

They also set aside a dedicated quiet room for their neurodivergent friends and loved ones. Games and calming sensory elements gave anyone who needed it somewhere to decompress and recharge before heading back to the party.

Their Advice: Start Earlier and Bring Tupperware

There is one part of the timeline Kenzie and Blair would change. They deliberately planned a slow morning, but in hindsight, they would have started hair and makeup earlier and taken those extra hours on the other side of the schedule. “Our biggest advice: do the early hair and makeup. Just get up at 6 a.m. The wedding day adrenaline will keep you going!”

Their second recommendation is even more practical: pack a cooler and bring a Tupperware container. Between nerves, photos, excitement, and talking to guests, they barely got to eat the food they’d spent months choosing. “Pack it up and enjoy it later when you can actually sit down, breathe, and realize you’re starving.”