These two.
It poured & poured , and just when we thought it could not possibly pour more, it poured more.
Their smiles - never stopped . So incredibly in love .
And she was Flawless .
Make up - Skye Tostowark- https://www.facebook.com/SkyeMakeup
Hair - Janelle Mercer - Hair Connection
Bouquet - By Sharpe Design - https://www.facebook.com/bysharpedesign/
Decor - Borrowed & Blu - www.borrowedblu.ca
Venue - Geo Center
officiant- Craig Murphy
Vanessa & Andrew Married at The Doctor's House
The Fairy tale unfolds for these beautiful souls...
So so so much Love ....
The Story 0f Andrew & Vanessa -
Andrew and I met at Jack Astors in St John's on July 18th, 2015. We were each out with friends and our groups were seated next to each other at the bar. We got to talking and I asked Andrew to 'pass the salt'. My friends and I were invited to move to a booth with the guys so we could all get to know each other. I grabbed the seat next to Andrew and we instantly found things we had in common. We both owned 2012 black Jeep Wranglers, love to travel and we both had recently been to California and fallen in love with it. We exchanged contact info and the next day we texted all afternoon. Andrew finally said 'this texting conversation is going so well we should go for dinner tonight'. We dated the next 4 nights and went on to become engaged on November 12th of 2016. It was the holiday weekend and Andrew had talked about wanting to do some outdoor things before the weather took a turn toward the brutal winter. Of course in my opinion it has already gotten cold enough for me to rule out hiking. We had gone downtown window shopping in the morning so I thought that would count as outdoor activity but I was wrong. I tried to convince him to ask one of the guys and I would meet up with him later but he insisted I accompany him for some exercise. He wanted to hike Dorans Lane, one of our favorite spots, but I vetoed that and convinced him quidi vidi was long enough in the cold and wind. He's on his phone a lot throughout the walk and I'm half annoyed at this point. We get about half way around the lake, which is where you turn to get to my place, so I say listen my knee is really acting up. I'm going to go home and you come meet me there later. He's looking longingly at the hills at the end of the lake and I can tell something is up so I say 'what's so important that you want to see over there?' He says 'hmm, it's more about what I want you to see'. We had talked about engagement quite a bit so instantly my mind goes there. But I think, no, he wouldn't propose to me while I'm in a toque, winter coat and sneakers. But I trudge on anyway, just in case. All the while examining his butt pockets looking for a ringbox. No signs. We reach the top of the hill and I run forward anxious to give my legs a break and when I turn around Andrew plucks off his furry Canada goose hat and gets down on one knee simply asking 'will you marry me?' Now knowing Andrew you'd expect a very long drawn out speech to accompany the question but he was 'too nervous'. So I'm freaking out about my beautiful ring and I saw let's try and get a selfie but I'm struggling to get the lake in the background. He says 'I've got something for that ' and points to the hill above where the photographer he'd hired was capturing the entire thing! He knew I would want that! Turns out thats who he was texting with communicating the change of location from Dorans Lane to Quidi Vidi.
About her Dress - Ever After Bridal Boutique
"Ever after bridal boutique: I walked in to the salon prepared to walk out with nothing. My wedding timeline was so short that I had to buy off the rack. Even without that stipuilation I thought for sure I would be flying to Toronto or Montreal to find the dress/veil of my dreams. Future brides, let me tell you - that is not necessary! You can find your dress locally. Julie was an absolute doll and did not allow me to feel stressed despite my situation even for a moment. She was knees deep into the gowns with myself and my mom and sister helping me to find selections on the racks. I found about 3 gowns that met my criteria. None of which met my approval upon trying on. Julie goes to the 'back' and brings out a dress that is different from what I had specified but suggested I try. She said no one else had yet tried it on and they would only let people that size try it on. Lucky for me, it was my size! My mom will tell you that she knew instantly it was the one. Let me tell you that it took me an hour of wearing it to be convinced it was the one. But boy was it ever! They jazzed me up, as they say, and when the tears came as I saw my reflection in the mirror, that's when I knew I'd be saying yes to that dress! Amazing experience with ever after from start to finish! I didn't even go to any other salons! I would highly recommend them. Julie gave me a contact for my alterations which leads me to my next review...
The Perfect Fit - Rodney Philpot Designs
"Rodney Philpot design studio Not only is Rodney good for 1 million laughs, he has the hands of an angel. The work he did on my dress was impeccable. My mom and I looked forward to each of the fittings because he and Christopher were such a hoot! I wouldn't trust anyone else with your dress!"
About her Hair & Make up -
Nadia Ali Makeup Artistry Nadia is the sweetest! She went out of her way to understand exactly how we wanted our makeup. She offered trials and allowed us to test the longevity of the look/products. All of her suggestions were spot on! She was VERY flexible on location and times and last minute changes. Nadia has a charming positivity about her and she was a pleasure to have around on my wedding morning.
Veronica Chipman - hair stylist Veronica has been my hair stylist for about 6 years so of course I wanted her to do my hair for the big day! As always, she did an incredible job and was flexible and easy to work with. She got it just right!
About her Bouquet -
Polished Bouquet Designs Out of everyone I worked with I'd have to say Leslie was the sweetest. My mom and I traveled to her studio to explore the options and she was more than accommodating and really listened/cared to understand my vision for my flowers. Leslie would check in with me regularly and send me photos of what she was working on as she went to make sure she was getting it just right. She personally delivered my flowers weeks before my wedding and was always so warm and just lovely to work with.
The Venue -
The Doctor's House Inn and Spa The Doctor's House is a one-of-a-kind breathtakingly beautiful venue to get married. It has so many beautiful places for pictures (esp in summer) and many rooms/cabins to accommodate guests. The wedding coordinator Holly is absolutely sweet and went above and beyond for us. My day overcame hiccups and only went as smoothly as it did because of her willingness to help. The food and drinks at the venue were deliciously prepared and well presented. Transportation in the area is limited (even cabs) so keep that in mind if debating this venue. My advice before booking this venue is to ask a LOT of questions and recieve clear and concise answers in writing to avoid last minute changes that could affect your experience/stress level as the day approaches. Overall my experience with the doctor's house inn and spa was a good one and I am pleased my wedding took place there. No other venue in NL can provide the vibes and aesthetic that it provided
Any Advice for Brides to Be ?
"Any advice for brides to be ? I think every bride had a different personality and will approach their special day in a new way. In the end it is important to be self aware, stay true to yourself, and bring to fruition the day you've always dreamed of - no matter what that vision is. After all, it is one of the most important days of your life so be you, do you, and you'll always look back on it as the best day ever! Listen to the advice of others, but trust your gut. You may be the only one who truly gets it - and it's your (and your husband's) day! I'd like to add that for me something that made my day special was having a relatively small number of guests. One of my favorite moments of all was sitting back after the ceremony and after the photos and looking around the room seeing all of the faces there for us. Supporting us and loving on us. I had virtually no strangers at my reception. I looked around and felt the most love as I saw everyone enjoying themselves and I could think of all the happy memories I had with each person there. My wedding was just one more amazing memory that I could share with my loved ones.
Congrats Andrew & Vanessa xx
Thanks so much for having us - looking forward to watching your journey unfold.
Styled in Newcastle, England
Newcastle inspires me to no end . The architecture, history , people, countryside, & oh the quirky things that I love - it's all there. Last week we took a group of awesome humans to Newcastle with us for " The Best Photography Adventure Ever" , WHAT A TIME !
A part of that adventure was A styled shoot . Which included the absolute best weddings vendors that Newcastle has to offer , along with our gorgeous talented model .
Model - Rebekah Jeffreys
Love working with this beauty , she delivers 100% every single time as beautiful inside as she is out . Never complaining, always present to each moment , Rebekah , you are golden love . Thanks so much for making my job so much easier xx
Find out more about this beauty here ...
http://www.tyneteesmodels.co.uk/newsite/
http://www.pha-agency.co.uk/models/
The Designer - Kathryn Russell
I love to refer to her as Queen of Couture in the North . Thank you Kathryn , for trusting me with your beautiful work .
This wire corset from her latest collection " The Fairest Fair Lady "
Interested in more about Kathryn read here ...
http://brideicon.com/kathryn-russell-bridal-couture/
The Florals - Floral Quarter Weddings - Owner Vicky Laffey
Vicky is THE BEST , a pure joy to work with , ever so funny and blow your mind creative .
A true floral artist , I cant thank you enough love for what you bring to the table every single time xx
More about her here ...
http://www.floralquarter.co.uk/Weddings.aspx
https://www.facebook.com/FloralQuarter/
Hair & Make Up - Tina Elliott Styling
I can assure you , Tina absolutely loves what she does. It shines through every time we work together ! She made Rebekah's already stunning beauty perfectly blend with the dress florals &
colors for this shoot . AND , last minute when our make up artist was sick , Tina jumped in a did an incredible job with that too ! Thanks Tina !
Find her here ...
http://tinaelliott.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/tinaelliottstyling/
Sylvain & Courtney's Wedding / She said & then He said ...
Oh these two love birds.
Gorgeous Courtney from right here in Newfoundland brought home her lovely french boy Sylvain to be wed.
An entire crew from New Brunswick came too ! Yes, you imagined right ...WHAT A TIME !
I checked in with them while they were on their honeymoon in Mexico to see how they felt about their " best day" ! A little she said & then he said ;)
Her Beautiful Self - Courtney "She"
His Awesome Self- Sylvain "He"
How would you describe the style of your wedding ?
She said...
" I was going for an "elegant rustic" style! I was always a huge fan of rustic decor but really wanted to do a "fancier" spin on it, and wanted to avoid the classic rustic! I think we ended up nailing it! Our venue and decor matched our style perfectly! "
He said ..
"Our wedding style was a sort of elegant/rustic hybrid. We got hitched on a farm so that's as rustic as it gets, however we incorporated modern and classy decor which complemented the setting very well. The wedding party was dressed traditionally (dresses and suits, no plaid). The floral arrangements were out of this world, they tied everything together. Very nice, you should have been there... HA!
What was the most fun detail of your wedding to plan ?
She said ...
"I really don't know if I can pick an absolute favourite! I loved the whole process! We got married on a Friday, which meant all of our first choice vendors were available which was amazing! If I had to pick something over the rest, I would have to say just the planning in general! Everything seemed to fall into place for us as we were planning which was lucky since we were planning from another province! "
He said...
"The final execution, and by execution I mean the wedding day itself. After planning for a year and a half it was so awesome to see everything come together. Getting married was definitely way more fun than planning it. Though, I do have to say, getting fitted for my suit was pretty bad ass, the folks @ Robert Simmonds in Fredericton, NB did a fantastic job (and served me scotch while doing so)!"
What was the most difficult detail of your wedding to plan ?
She said...
"My bridesmaids dresses! I actually almost said this as the most fun detail of the wedding because I loved the way they turned out, BUT it was extremely hard to put together!! All of my bridesmaids were across the country, so I wasn't able to get them all together to try dresses on all at once. I was obsessed with the idea of having everyone in different colors, which made it even harder to do when you couldn't see all the colors together! "
He said...
"I would have to say the guest list. When you book a venue that can only accommodate a fixed number of people, it's quite hard to decide who makes the cut or not. Not only that, but when the list is finalized and the invitations go out, some people think it's acceptable (or assume it is) to bring guests with them. In the end it didn't matter, everything worked out, but it still surprised me how something seemingly so simple would end up being as troublesome as it was."
Your favorite memories of the day ?
She said ...
"Getting ready in the morning with the bridesmaids was definitely a favourite! I was so calm and relaxed and it really set the tone for the day, everyone kept asking me why I wasn't freaking out! I just knew everything was going to go smoothly! I also loved our time all together with the bridal party on the trolley bus, although it was a lot slower than we anticipated which really ate into our picture taking time, we had SO much fun travelling together and dancing around on the bus! "
He said...
"Looking at my now beautiful wife walk down the aisle was by far my favorite moment of the day. I had been psyching myself up for it ever since I proposed to her. Nothing could have prepared me for it though, she was absolutely stunning! I could barely hold it together .
I did also like having the wedding party together for pictures between the ceremony and reception. We got bused around town while having a little dance party of our own. And the many celebratory beverages, can't omit those, it was great!"
How do you feel now that the planning is over ?
She said...
"So sad!! Post wedding blues are definitely a real thing! I cried about a hundred times after it was all over! lol!!"
He Said ...
"I'm good now but did feel a little bummed out. There's so much time and energy invested into it leading up to the wedding, and then before you know it, it's over. The one piece of advice I would give anyone is this: take the time to enjoy it, because it goes by so fast. "
If you could do it all again , would you change anything?
She said...
"I think I would have planned to have all the girls ready a little earlier. I was hoping we would have some time to do more pictures of me with the bridesmaids before heading to the ceremony. We were all ready right on time and had to leave right away, so having that extra time would have been nice! I also would have planned our time between ceremony and reception a little more efficiently. We didn't realize the transportation was as slow as it was, so if we had known that ahead of time I think we could have planned an alternate schedule/plan."
He said ...
"Our wedding day was amazing! The only thing I might have changed was the transportation between our ceremony and reception. We had a limited amount of time to get our pictures taken and our means of transportation was seriously lacking speed, I really think that thing didn't go above 50 km/h. So yeah, that chewed up some valuable time. But other than that, I wouldn't change a thing."
Courtney & Sylvain worked with some incredible wedding vendors to make sure their day was perfect , here they are...
Hair & Make up - The Studio Beauty Bar
"The studio beauty bar - were amazing to work with! We had 5 girls come to my house that morning and did all of our hair and makeup. I loved that they were mobile as it took that extra stress off. We were all able to relax and be comfortable while they worked away! Everyone loved their hair and makeup, I thought they did an amazing job!! "
( seriously Courtneys Hair was the perfect wedding "hair" ( wedding hair, is that a thing ;P) & yes, I have seen a lot of wedding hair !!)
Courtney's Wedding Dress - Bridal Vision - Dieppe, NB
"Bridal Vision - Dieppe, NB. I tried on probably 100 dresses at every store you can think of. I kept running into the same issue at every store- they would try to squeeze me into dresses that were too small and totally ruined my experience. But Bridal Vision was different. Tia actually listened to what I had to say and what I was looking for, she pulled the most perfect dress for me and I was in love with it instantly!! By far the best bridal experience was at this store!! "
Floral by Sharpe Design
By Sharpe Design
"OMG OUR FLOWERS!!! I could not get over how beautiful they were, Sue was great to work with as she would give multiple quotes and was able to put together exactly what we were looking for! The bouquets were absolutely beautiful, I even had a bridesmaid ask where to buy them! I was so in love with all of our floral!! "
Transportation - The Classic Carriage
"Classic carriage - had amazing service!! They were so great to deal with, and we were in regular contact. I loved the look of the trolley bus, and we had SO much fun on the bus once we were all together! The ONLY thing to note, is that the bus drives fairly slow!! So If you are booking the trolley take that into consideration when putting your timeline together! That being said, I was still very happy with the bus and I would have still went with that choice! The trolley is so unique and our guests couldn't stop talking about it!"
Wedding Planner/ Wedding Decor by Hint of Vintage
"I can not say enough amazing things!!! We booked the girls for both planning and decorating, and I am so glad we did! Gillian and Jana seriously put so much work into our wedding and we were so happy with their service. They went above and beyond for us to make our vision come to life! They helped us out so much with the planning of things as well. Being out of province planning a wedding is so hard, so I am very happy we decided on a reliable planner! On top of that, they went out of their way to find decor pieces that matched what we were looking for. I was seriously in awe when I walked into the venue!! "
Wedding Venue - Lesters Farm
"To be honest, I was nervous about the venue choice! We booked the venue without even going to look at it since we were in New Brunswick. Everything ended up coming together perfectly! The food was great, the place looked great, and the guests loved the animals! We had guests stay at the venue between ceremony and reception, we had lawn games set up and everyone could go see all the animals and check out the farm- it was a hit!"
Accommodations for the Out of Towners aka CFA's - The Jag Hotel
" The JAG Hotel provided our guests with accommodations. Everyone received great service and the accommodations were excellent, we highly recommend booking your guests there if they are traveling."
The Officiant - Craig Murphy
Officiant Craig Murphy - was awesome to deal with! We have nothing but great things to say about Craig. He kept us very comfortable during the entire process, and made it all very easy! He was able to run the ceremony smoothly and was very stern in our "unplugged ceremony" rules! We HIGHLY recommend Craig!!!
Music - Avalonia Duo
Ceremony music Avalonia Duo - these two played a viola/piano duet during our ceremony in an outside atmosphere. Our guests would not stop talking about how beautiful the music was. They were able to give us suggestions and song recommendations along the way which was a major help as I had no idea what to choose for music! They were the perfect addition to our ceremony!
The Bridal Party
I have to give a shoutout to our amazing bridal party. Majority of our bridal party had to fly into Newfoundland from many different places including New Brunswick, Ontario, PEI, Alberta, and even Hungary! I can not thank them all enough for everything they have done for us to make our wedding day go so smoothly. Everyone kept asking me why I wasn't stressed out the morning of the wedding, and the bridesmaids were a big reason for that. They took care of everything and made everything feel so calm and together! The guys were a little more stressed than the girls (lol) but they seriously kicked ass and looked great doing it too !!
The Screech In at the reception - The Royal Order of Newfoundland
The Royal Order of NL - he was HILARIOUS!!! He came to do a screech in for more than 30 guests that flew in from out of province during the reception. Everyone was talking about how funny and entertaining he was. He was a great addition to our the reception! We were so happy we decided on this as a surprise for our guests!
( FYI , I've seen a ton of screech in's , this one was hands down the very best I've ever seen )
