“When you know, you know.”
Today’s bride and groom are just too freakin’ sweet.
This pair met at work in Vancouver, fell in love pretty quickly, and were engaged within 18 months, with matching lightning bolt tattoos to tell the tale. But as gorgeous Ashley & Graeme say, “When you know, you know.”
Their fun, laid-back wedding was held in summer camp style at Bodega Ridge on Galiano Island, off the coast of British Columbia.
It was a flower-filled celebration with colourful decor, cool style, great food, and good friends, and it was all captured by Jarusha Brown Photography.
A special wedding, for a special couple, with their cute pooch, hot sauce favours, thoughtful details and an atmospheric setting, we just know this one will make you guys smile.
The Setting
We wanted a wedding that was really representative of British Columbia since we are both transplants to the Pacific Northwest and wanted to share our home’s natural beauty with all of our visiting friends and family.
It was important to us that the wedding wasn’t too formal, outside with a view and that the food was locally sourced.
We also did not want to get a wedding planner and were lucky and pleased to find a venue that took care of the majority of the planning, leaving us time to add any extra touches to make it our own.
In addition, as we have a furry family member (poodle mix) who we wanted to be a part of the bridal party, it was important that we found a venue that was dog friendly.
We based our color palette on Graeme’s family tartan, greens and blues, and also added in some soft pastels for the bridesmaid dresses.
Since it was a summer wedding, we wanted the colors to be light and airy and to blend in with the gorgeous natural beauty of our wedding location.
Not only is the wedding site at Bodega Ridge absolutely spectacular but, the resort is family-owned and operated and we dealt directly with Jesse (owner) and Pamy (manager) who answered all of our questions and made sure the day ran smoothly.
Also, as we had so many out of town guests, the fact that there was on-site accommodation was a definite plus, not to mention that it felt like we were all away at summer camp for the weekend thanks to the superbly cozy and beautifully finished cabins on the property.
The Photography
Jarusha came highly recommended by Jesse at Bodega Ridge and we are so happy that we got in touch with her!
From the first meeting, she became an integral part of the planning process and worked with us to make sure we achieved our vision for the day.
We honestly can’t speak highly enough of her, she was extremely professional, friendly and a welcome, calming presence amidst the natural chaos that comes with a wedding day.
Advice for Other Couples
The most important tip we can give to other couples is to have YOUR wedding, not anybody else’s.
Stick to your guns, go with your gut, have a firm idea of what you want and plan that. Also, make sure you have an emergency stash of cash because there is always something that gets forgotten or that might be slightly over budget.
Don’t be afraid to spend a bit more or leave yourself some wiggle room (within reason) if it is something you really think is worth it.
Having all of our friends and family staying on the property for the weekend was great. So many of our friends came up to us at the end of the weekend and told us how they had made new friendships from having spent the weekend together.
That was really cool for us as we have always enjoyed hosting and bringing people together.
