The ceremony and reception were both held at the Diamond Alumni Centre up at Simon Fraser University and although I went to SFU for my degree, I had never been into this venue. It seems like a little hidden gem since you can't really see it from the road and once you are in there you have the most incredible view of the forest surroundings and to the Port Moody Inlet.
Tania and Derrick did a first look at Blue Mountain Park in the afternoon after getting ready at hotels in Coquitlam. The weather was a little iffy that day but thankfully it held off for the most part, and other than being cold, they were able to avoid the rain and get some great photos of themselves and their wedding party. Beautiful Life Studios did both photography and videography for the day and were so fun to work with and get to know!
The ceremony was set up downstairs at the Diamond Alumni Centre with an wooden arch that Tania's brother made from drift wood found near their family home. Her mom and aunts then decorated it with flowers and greenery. The wedding party all arrived and waited for the guests to be seated and then Lani from Young, Hip and Married began one of my favourite ceremonies of all that I have witnessed! Seriously, if you are looking for a heartwarming and funny personalized ceremony check out Young, Hip and Married and all the great officiants they have available. One of the most anticipated members of the wedding party was Duke, Tania and Derrick's rescue dog (as seen above) and he looked so adorable in his little tux... and was quite photogenic that day!
After the ceremony, guests made their way upstairs for cocktail hour while family photos happened downstairs. Table runners, chair covers, head table decor and ceiling swag were all provided and set up by Absolute Decor Rental and DJ services were by Absolute DJ's. Dinner was made onsite by the in house catering team and was so good. The amount of options were amazing so you know that any guest will be able to find something they like!
They had a great cake made and delivered by Le Gateau and decorated with some fresh flowers. After dinner, the cake was cut and then the party started! I loved that they rented some lounge furniture from Bespoke Decor Rentals and set it up in front of the great stone fireplace in the venue. It was on the opposite side from the dance floor which is great for those who want to sit and visit (or play some competitive rounds of Jenga!).
Wink Photography was brought in to set up their portrait station. It's basically an open air photobooth but the photos are taken by a photographer with an actual camera and it's lit and you get direction from the photographer. The photos are then available for download online afterwards but they are great photos and provide fantastic memories for your guests.
At the end of the night, City Limousine arrived with one of their buses and provided transportation for guests back down to the two hotels. They did a few runs which was great because they had quite a few guests from out of town and didn't have their own vehicles.
Overall, it was such a great day with these two and their friends and families. Tania's bridesmaids were so much fun and awesome to get to know and it was so obvious how they feel about her.
If you have any questions regarding this or any of the vendors please comment or send me an email!
Happy Planning,
Sara
Vendors:
Photography & Videography- Beautiful Life Studios
Venue- Diamond Alumni Centre
Officiant- Lani from Young, Hip and Married
Decor- Absolute Event Rentals
DJ- Absolute DJ's
Cake- Le Gateau Bake Shop
Limo- City Limousine
Portrait station- Wink Photograhy
Hair & Makeup- East Vanity Parlour
Furniture Rentals- Bespoke Decor