2019
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
1
— DREAM UP — Take your wedding to new heights, and elevate your special day at Panorama Mountain Resort. A special day deserves a special place. Up here, celebrations are elevated events, senses are heightened, and memories are forged amidst the unforgettable magic of the mountains. Panorama offers multiple venues for weddings, from close and intimate quarters, to the spacious Great Hall, to many outdoor locations on our mountains, taking full advantage of the breathtaking surroundings.
SPECIAL OFFER
Book your wedding with us, and we’ll provide a night of on-mountain luxury accommodation! Talk to Panorama’s Wedding Planner and mention you saw this ad. Call 1.800.663.2929 ext 4, or request a custom quote at: www.PanoramaResort.com/weddings
1.800.663.2929 \ PanoramaResort.com
2019
5 The multicultural issue Love knows no cultural boundaries
6 Highlighting heritage Celebrate your background in style
8 Fur-bearing ringbearers And other four-legged wedding guests
10 Etched in ink Wedding tattoos
11 Use your head, loose your heels Say sayonara to stilettos
12 To love, to cherish, to lavish with lavender Wedding venue with shades of purple
13 Gather in style
New decor company with unique, vintage twist
14 Seven steps and a knife dance
Pallavi and Mustafa: The Afghan-Indian-Canadian wedding
16 The bride wore buckskin
Jacqueline and Peter: The First Nations wedding
18 Blundstones and barefeet
Kim and Dean: The Australian-Canadian wedding
20 Bells for the bride
Charlotte and Oliver: The Bavarian-Canadian wedding
22 A flurry of love
Laurin and Nick: The Dutch-Canadian wedding
24 What happens when a wedding coordinator gets married
Jacqueline Birdstone at Lakeshore Resort and Campground Photo by Dauna Ditson
(and has to change venue at the last second)
FEATURED Photographers 6:8 Photography — 68photography.com (see cover, pages 6-7, 14-15) Kimberly Rae Sanderson — kimberleyrae.ca (see pages 8-9) Tracy Connery Photography — tracyconneryphotography.com (see pages 8, 24-25) ABarrett Photography — abarrettphotography.com (see pages 9, 11)
Columbia Valley Weddings magazine is published annually by The Columbia Valley Pioneer Newspaper, Misko Publishing Limited Partnership.
Becky Linton Photography — BeckyLintonPhotography on Facebook (see page 9) Terri Giles Photography — terrigilesphotography.com (see pages 10-11, 13) Kyla Brown Photography – kylabrownphotography.com (see pages 12-13) Virginia and Evan — virginiaandevan.com (see pages 7, 20-21)
N E W S PA P E R
Publisher/Sales Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dean Midyette Editor/Photo Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Hubrecht Staff Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lorene Keitch, Dauna Ditson Contributing Writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Victoria Klassen, Nikki Fredrikson Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Emily Rawbon Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Nason
Box 868, #8, 1008 – 8th Avenue, Invermere, B.C., V0A 1K0 Phone 250-341-6299 | Fax 1-855-377-0312 www.columbiavalleypioneer.com Email: info@columbiavalleypioneer.com
This material, written or artistic, may not be reprinted or electronically reproduced in any way without the written consent of the publisher. The opinions and statements in articles, columns and advertising are not necessarily those of the publisher or staff of Columbia Valley Weddings. It is agreed by any display advertiser requesting space that the owner's responsibility, if any, for errors or omissions of any kind, is limited to the amount paid by the advertiser for that portion of the space as occupied by the incorrect item and there shall be no liability in any event greater than the amount paid for the advertisement.
Pallavi and Mustafa at Panorama Mountain Resort 6:8 Photography
Weddings
We create your dreams to be the special day you imagine. Year-round, all-inclusive ceremony and reception packages for up to 180 guests Full Service Spa, complete with hair and make-up services Luxury Shuttle Transportation NOW BOOKINg FOR 2019 & 2020
WWW.COPPERPOINTRESORT.COM | 250-341-4002 | 403.567.7034 | WEddINgS@COPPERPOINTRESORT.COM
editor’s note •
The Multicultural issue In the last few decades diversity in Canada has soared, giving the country a new, enriched, multicultural identity. Of course love knows no cultural boundaries, and in the wedding industry the new Canadian identity has translated into an increasing number of cross cultural, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic nuptials. The result is a wonderfully dizzying blend of different traditions, mixed and matched together in ways both time-honoured and novel. Saris and lehenga meet brilliant red qipao; gleaming white kaftans meet dapper black tuxedos; plaid highlands kilts meet silky hanbok, regal gele, and fairytale white wedding gowns. And this is just talking wardrobe. When it comes to the actual celebration, the combinations of customs paying tribute to heritage can be delightfully endless, running a gamut from henna parties and tea ceremonies to sofreh aghd spreads to the classic exchange of rings and vows. The rising trend of multicultural weddings may be national (if not global) in scope, but is also clearly evident here in the Columbia Valley, both as the local population becomes steadily more diverse, and as the valley’s many visitors do too. There have already been several weddings here catering to those of Indian heritage (see Seven steps and a knife dance pages 14-15) or East Asian heritage, with more in the works. On top of that the valley is home to a large number of residents who come from abroad to experience the mountain lifestyle (ostensibly for “just a year or two”) and end up staying permanently, marrying a Canadian partner. There are no shortage of, say, Australian-Canadian couples in town to attest to this. The reverse is true
Photo by Virginia and Evan
too, with some locals moving abroad and meeting the love of their life in another country, but bringing their spouse-to-be back to the Columbia Valley for their weddings (see Bells for the bride pages 2021). And of course there are also members of local First Nations who are opting to mark their big day in style by incorporating their own cultural traditions (see The bride wore buckskin pages 16-17). Flip through this year’s edition of Columbia Valley Weddings and find out about the fun that arises when heritages mix on a couple’s big day, and why there’s no better place to do it than the valley. Steve Hubrecht
Spectacular Beginnings, for Every Season
Kyla Brown Photography
Northernpixel Photography
specialevents@eagleranchresort.com Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
Kyla Brown Photography
1-877-877-3889
eagleranchresort.com 5
planning •
Highlighting heritage
By Steve Hubrecht
Kim and Dean set for a ‘rippa’ wedding day
6:8 Photography
6
There’s no doubt that multicultural weddings are on the rise, and each one prompts the given couple to consider precisely how to incorporate the bride and groom’s different heritages into the big day.
The ways they end up choosing to do so are as many and varied as the individuals exchanging vows, and the resulting ceremonies represent the union of not just two people, but two unique ways of living, each informed in ways big or small by the generations preceding it. Some couples go big with two different ceremonies (one for each family background). Others blend their unique heritages into a single sparkling ceremony. Still others spread the festivities out over a number of days, allowing plenty of time for traditions from both sides. And some prefer to keep things as simple as possible, and include nods to heritage in a few bright flourishes here and there in an otherwise more conventional wedding. Jacqueline and Peter Birdstone were never in any doubt about incorporating their Ktunaxa heritage into their nuptials (see The bride wore buckskin pages 16-17). She is from Akisqnuk and he from Aq’am and both deeply embrace their First Nations background. Their ceremony was inside a teepee circle at Lakeshore Campground, with the bride elegant in Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
a buckskin dress decorated in feathers and ribbons, and dreamcatchers hanging from the wedding arch. Pallavi and Mustafa Andkhoie’s wedding at Panorama Mountain Resort was a marriage of not just two different cultural backgrounds but also two different religious backgrounds, yet the couple were able to blend their heritages seamlessly (see Seven steps and a knife dance pages 14-15) . “We started by planning the civil ceremony. There were Hindu rituals that I felt were important after talking to my parents, so we then incorporated those. I asked Mustafa what Islamic or Afghan customs he wanted to include, and he didn’t really know. He hadn’t been to many Afghan weddings, so he had to talk to his family about it,” says Pallavi, chuckling at the memory. “I’m glad he did. It turned out there were a lot of similarities and yet a lot of differences (between the Afghan and Hindu traditions).” When Invermere gal Charlotte Jablanczy and her German husband Oliver Keuthen tied the knot at Nipika Mountain Resort, they decked out the backcountry mountain lodge to give it a Bavarian beer hall feel (see Bells for the bride pages 20-21). “For us it certainly was important to include both of our cultural backgrounds in our wedding. Being a Canadian has and will always be a major part of my identity, and now that we are building our life over in Germany, we believe that it is important to blend both worlds together,” says Charlotte. “For example one little touch we added at our Bavarian-wedding-in-the-Rockies was our
dessert. Instead of a traditional cake, we opted for apple strudel and timbits. And instead of the conventional kissing game, the guests had to ring the cowbell — from the centrepieces — and try their best yodel!” When Canadian-Dutch couple Laurin Duncan and Nick De Ruyter married this past April (see A flurry of love pages 22-23), Nick’s family — all Invermere residents of Dutch heritage — sang a song to the tune of Leaving on a Jet Plane, swapping out the original lyrics for ones about the happy couple. “It’s a Dutch wedding tradition to sing a song, or recite a poem or do something theatrical,” says Nick. “You change the words to make it about the person you are singing it to (the bride or the groom). For my cousin’s wedding we did a song to the tune of Madonna’s Like a Prayer.” For Kim and Dean Daniele a few nods to Dean’s Australian nationality were easy to slip into their marriage celebrations (see Blundstones and barefeet pages 18-19). A cheerful sign reading “G’Day Mates, Gonna be a rippa day” welcomed wedding guests, with a classic Australian bush hat placed nearby. The bride wore Blundstones (a more quintessentially Australian footwear company simply does not exist), and the groom and a decent number of attendees spent at least part of the festivities barefoot. The couple also took a few wedding shots in a red pop-top Kombi, and the whole celebration had a casual, friendly vibe that pretty much encapsulated the stereotype of an Australian good time.
Photos by Virgina and Evan (middle top, middle right); Dauna Ditson (top right, bottom left); 6:8 Photography (bottom right)
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
7
planning •
By Victoria Klassen
Fur-bearing ringbearers and other four-legged wedding guests From renting dressed-up llamas to be wedding guests, to photoshoots with brides and their horses, to beloved household pets walking down the aisle as ringbearers, incorporating animals into weddings is a rising phenomenon in the Kootenay region and beyond.
“It’s become a new trend. A lot of people are incorporating their dogs because they’re such a big part of their family,” says Fairmont Hot Springs Resort group sales and events manager Laura Charles. “The first time I saw a couple bring their dogs—they had two huskies, and incorporated them in the wedding the whole day at our resort — I remember thinking, ‘that’s what I want to do’. I never would have thought of it until I saw them here running around all day. It was magical.” Not long after Laura got engaged to her partner, Brian (both pictured below), the two separately wrote down the three most important aspects of their upcoming wedding. Number one on both their lists? Having their dogs in their big day. “We wanted them to be able to be part of our photos, be part of the ceremony, be able to stay right where we were having our wedding,” says Laura, adding that dog-friendliness became a main criterion when selecting a venue. Nash, the couple’s 3-year-old chocolate lab, trotted down the aisle with Brian’s best man. Hunter, their adopted and adventurous 2-year-old mutt, accompanied Laura’s maid-of-honour.
Tracy Connnery (bottom left); Kimberley Rae Sanderson (top left,middle left, bottom middle); Becky Linton (top middle, bottom right); ABarrett Photography (centre middle; top right)
8
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
The furry pair also made plenty off-leash appearances in the wedding photos (running through the frames or coming up to the couple for a pet) and stayed on-site for the reception. Laura and Brian started volunteering at Global Animal Lovers (GALS) Invermere years ago and it was through this organization that they found Hunter. Instead of wedding favours at their nuptials, money was donated to GALS on each guest’s behalf. Mountain Bride president and lead wedding designer Lisa Grosso has been planning weddings in the Canadian Rockies since 2005, and has seen many a bride and groom include four-legged friends in their marriage celebrations. “Our Mountain Bride clients love their pets and we find creative ways to incorporate them into the couple’s wedding day, making it special,” says Lisa. “We have our florist create a lush garland wreath to adorn the neck of our couples’ ‘fur babies’ and even had one of our brides do their wedding photos with her gorgeous horse.” And it doesn’t have to stop at dogs, cats and horses. Couples looking for more exotic animals can hire goats or llamas for their big day, or even travel to Las Vegas for a bridal photoshoot with lions and elephants.
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
9
Megan and Joe’s matching passport stamp tattoos Terri Giles Photography
trends ~ style •
Sarah and Craig’s wedding ring tattoos
By Steve Hubrecht
Etched in ink A wedding, at heart, is about a couple publicly declaring their love for each other.
Accordingly a great many of the trappings and traditions associated with nuptials attest to the everlasting nature of the union — as the saying goes, a diamond is forever. But tattoos are pretty permanent too, and perhaps no surprise then, that marriage tattoos, matching or otherwise, are one of the hottest wedding trends in recent years. The form and art of wedding tattoos is diverse to say the least. Tattooed wedding bands are perhaps the most prominent design, but some couples opt for his-and-hers look-alike pieces, others for tattoos that complement each other in a unique way (a heartshaped locket on one partner and a key on the other, for instance). A simple inscription with the wedding date and location is also popular. Some bridal tattoos are discreet and tucked away, others are bold and prominent. The options are as manifold as the lovers who get them. “Every few months we do wedding band tattoos or matching tattoos,” says Invermere-based Fire Vixen Tattoos owner Sarah Eastick, adding that she and her husband Craig each have small tattoos of puzzle pieces that, when viewed side by side, fit together. “In many cultures tattooing comes with a lot of ritual attached to it. Going through that ritual is a really profound way to express your commitment, and going through it together can be really meaningful,” says Sarah, adding that the only thing Fire Vixen doesn’t do is tattoo a bride and groom’s names on each other.
10
“It’s a big superstition in the (tattoo) industry,” she says. “We usually encourage people to instead get something — a tree or a flower, say — that represents the person they love.” Rare as it may be, sometimes a future bride and groom may even be adorned with matching tattoos long before knowing each other. This is precisely the case for Megan and Joe Burns. The couple tied the knot at Panorama Mountain Resort this past winter, but initially met in an Edmonton pub. The place was packed, so Joe and his friends graciously offered to share their booth with Megan and her friends. Joe ended up sitting right beside Megan and almost immediately noticed the passport stamp inked on her arm. He rolled up his sleeve to show her his tattoo, almost exactly the same. Her stamp is from Scotland, his from England. Travel was a big part of each of their as-yet un-entwined lives at that point (hence the tattoos) and they immediately fell into talking about it. “That’s how we kicked things off,” says Megan. “Was it fate, with the tattoos? I don’t know. But I have a belief that I’ll know when something’s right. Joe happened almost overnight. And it was right.” The passport stamp tattoos were prescient not just in their similarity but also in subject, as Megan and Joe’s initial year as a couple saw them work, study and travel across Australia, New Zealand, and Asia, eventually getting engaged at a jungle rave, complete with a rickety wooden ferris wheel, in Cambodia. Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
trends ~ fashion •
Use your head, loose your heels Say sayonara to stilettos ABarrett Photography
Dauna Ditson
By Nikki Fredrikson
Terri Giles Photography
Shed a few tight-laced wedding conventions and allow yourself to slip into something a bit more comfortable.
It’s your special day, so you might as well walk like you’re enjoying yourself. You won’t be the only one — in one of the most notable trends marching through the wedding industry, an increasing number of brides and grooms across the globe are bidding goodbye to uncomfortable formal footwear and are opting instead for their favourite pair of Converse sneakers, cowboy boots or even sparkly Oxfords. “Stilettos are out! Especially for our mountain-inspired brides. Couples drawn to the mountains to get married often enjoy hiking, mountain biking and water sports. Wearing heels is not something they do on a regular basis. Many of our brides will have a gorgeous pair of heels or wedges for the ceremony and to get some photos in, then they ditch them for stylish and foot-friendly sandals for the reception and dancing,” says Mountain Bride president and lead wedding designer Lisa Grosso. Megan Burns knew, as soon as she saw them, that a pair of leather Oxford bobbies with navy sequins were the perfect accent for her winter wedding at Panorama Mountain Resort (see Etched in ink page 10). “They crossed my path and I liked them immediately — they were my ‘something blue’ and were comfortable. They fit perfectly with our vintage vibe, and even though they were a little bit slippery for a winter wedding, they were perfect,” says Megan.
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
The trend of doffing heels for something a bit more casual, or even going barefoot at your nuptials, is in evidence in the Columbia Valley as much as anywhere else, as couples embrace their individuality and their own style. Kim and Dean Daniele went bride-in-Blundstones and groom-inflip flops at their wedding, and indeed at the exact moment of exchanging vows atop a cliff at Kim’s family orchard (see Blundstones and barefeet pages 18-19), neither had any footwear at all. “I hate wearing shoes. We both do. Why not be yourself on your big day? I don’t really own a nice pair of shoes at any rate, and gosh it was sure nice to be standing barefoot in that sand,” says Dean. Laurin Duncan sported a smart pair of desert boots for her snowy April wedding with Nick De Ruyter (see A flurry of love page 22-23), partly because they were snappy and partly because it simply made sense. “I chose to wear the boots when we realized it was going to be cooler weather. I considered heels for the ceremony, but have learned from experience that high heels on wooden decks with cracks between the boards aren’t always the best combo,” says Laurin. “I also wanted something that would work with the mountain casual theme, and that I could wear both outside, in the snow, and in the lodge.” Saying sayonara to stilettos and picking a shoe that matches your personality and lifestyle puts a personal stamp on your wedding. Barefoot or ballet slipper, you deserve footwear to feel good in, and the freedom to walk down the aisle confidently.
Dylan Dainard
11
Kyla Brown Photography
trends ~ venue/decor •
By Dauna Ditson
To love, to cherish, to lavish with lavender For Kate Murphy, lavender smells like three generations of love.
Like a soundtrack in a movie, the scent wove its way into the background of her life, delicately perfuming each of her sweetest relationships. Kate’s mother Ruth loved lavender first, and it seems that the flowers returned the favour. Kate grew up surrounded by lavender bouquets and by the soft scent that wrapped around her like her mother’s embrace. “She was really into gardening and flowers. She just always had lavender around,” Kate says. While her words are about her mother, who passed away 10 years ago, they apply equally to Kate, who wears her adoration for the flowers on her calves with two bundles of blossoms tattooed on her skin. Last year Kate and her husband Matt planted an acre of lavender on their farm near Edgewater and watched it grow alongside their
12
young sons, Declan, 6, and Barclay, 3. Life burst forth from the seeds and now the couple walk the field together, surveying their freshly-budding perennials. “I find it so rewarding to watch it grow,” she says. “It’s just us coming together and fulfilling our dream.” In her photos, Declan and Barclay hug the purple harvest as if it were their prized stuffies. When Kate bakes lavender lemon cookies, the boys devour the treats and know the taste of love. It’s a taste Kate wants to share with other couples as they begin their own lavender-scented happily-ever-afters. One bride sent her photos of a bridal bouquet that featured Kate’s Columbia Valley Lavnedar along with lace and a little greenery. Another bride paired her lavender with white roses. Kate is happy to provide lavender for bouquets and invites couples to walk down the aisle in her flowering field, where her family’s own legacy of lavender and love are laced so intricately together. “It’s nice to see other couples maybe want to spend one of the happiest days of their lives out here,” she says.
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
xxxx xxxx
Terri Giles Photography
trends ~ decor •
By Nikki Fredrikson
Gather in style Kyla Gent set about creating her own dream wedding on Vancouver Island last spring. She rented vintage furniture to create a beautiful environment for her garden ceremony and reception.
It was clear that it would have been challenging to recreate a similar experience in the Columbia Valley, so Kyla and her business partner Milena Huebener began forming a new venture. “We noticed how much of an impact the furniture had on Kyla’s wedding and how that facilitated social interactions and enriched the whole experience for the guests,” says Milena. “We felt that offering unique furniture for rent locally would give more people access to creative options for stunning weddings and events right here in our beautiful backyard.” The resultant Glow Décor Rentals officially launched in spring 2018. The pair began collecting furniture that gives couples seeking a rustic or bohemian look the perfect final flourish for their big day. “We’ve taken our time and sourced pieces that we love, that we know will photograph beautifully, and that come together in unique and on-trend collections,” says Kyla. “It really affects the ambience of the event. What we’re catering to is the experience. People are gathering
together for a specific reason — it’s a wedding, or it’s a big event, it’s a celebration of some kind — and they want to make that special and memorable. Our furniture is an amazing way to accomplish that.” Kyla and Milena felt that it was important to compliment the lounge furniture with high-end chiavari chairs for ceremonies and receptions.“Chiavari chairs have been the classic and elegant choice for weddings for decades,” says Milena. “They are timeless and incredibly picturesque.” Glow’s one-of-a-kind furnishings are also just the thing to make engagement photos or wedding photos pop, especially when placed in the valley’s many beautiful outdoor settings. Megan and Joe Burns were delighted to have a few Glow pieces at their wedding at Panorama Mountain Resort (see Etched in ink page 10), in particular to have an elegant settee delivered to Lake Lillian for some photos in the snow. “It (the settee) pulled in that vintage look we wanted, and I have to say it was pretty cool to have it out in the woods like that,” says Megan. From adding a unique head table to bringing in chiavari chairs for the ceremony or setting up a beautiful lounge area for cocktail hour, there is no end to the different ways Glow Décor Rentals can help create the perfect ambience for your event. Kyla Brown Photography
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
13
featured wedding •
Seven steps and a
By Steve Hubrecht
knife dance
6:8 Photography
14
Pallavi and Mustafa: The Afghan-IndianCanadian wedding It was a wedding unlike any other. From the niece’s cake-cutting knife dance to the lively Bollywood tunes in the background to the groom handsome in his suit opposite the bride resplendent in henna and lehenga, and the couple walking their first steps as husband and wife on a flowered cloth, Pallavi and Mustafa Andkhoie’s nuptials were a colourful mix of their heritages, family traditions and personal tastes. The multi-day celebration at Panorama Mountain Resort was bright, brilliant and precisely what Pallavi and Mustafa had hoped for. They are both Saskatchewanians and met as undergraduates in university, where they shared some mutual friends and a statistics class. She was headed for a career practising and teaching nursing, while he would go on to become a PhD candidate in epidemiology. A future at the intersection of academia and public health wasn’t all the couple had in common, and soon enough their romance blossomed. Although both are of South Asian descent, their more specific heritages beyond that catch-all umbrella term are quite diverse. Pallavi’s family originally comes from South India and is Hindu; Mustafa’s background is Afghan and Muslim. “So it was not just two cultures, but two religions, and we wanted some Western wedding aspects too,” says Pallavi. “We had seen other mixed couples’ weddings in which the bride and groom do two different ceremonies plus a reception, but we thought that for us, it would become too much. We tried to bring in everything and make a real blend. Sure, it was a bit of a process, but we kept it reasonable and fun.” In the end it came together beautifully. The festivities kicked off on Friday with a henna party for the women and a Bollywood dance party, continued with hiking and relaxing with guests on Saturday, and culminated with the ceremony on Sunday. “Brides in Afghanistan have henna parties too, so it was familiar to Mustafa’s family, although the style was perhaps a bit different,” says Pallavi. “And of course dancing is part of Afghan weddings, but the music isn’t usually Bollywood.” Intricate dyed henna patterns, more beautiful than lace, graced both of Pallavi’s hands and arms (right up to the elbows) and similar motifs swirled from her feet up her calves. Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
Sunday included a civil ceremony, as well as kanyadaan, an Indian custom that roughly translates to ‘giving away of the bride’ with Pallavi’s father speaking a few words translated from Sanskrit. There was an Afghan tradition that saw henna applied to Pallavi’s palm and Mustafa’s pinky finger, then each tied with a decorative cloth. The bride and groom exchanged Western wedding rings. Then Mustafa tied a mangalsutra, a black and gold beaded necklace, around Pallavi’s neck and the couple took seven symbolic straight steps hand-inhand — both important Hindu rites. “Each step symbolizes a different vow — one for love; one for happiness; one for joy and so on,” says Pallavi. “We made seven stepping stones and did it that way.” When the bride and groom took the seventh step, the two were formally a couple by Hindu mores. But that was only half the equation for Pallavi and Mustafa, as they next followed an Islamic Afghan wedding custom — the mirror ceremony — in which they had their heads covered by a shawl-like cloth, then simultaneously looked in a decorative mirror for their first glance of themselves as a married couple. The pair then took their first walk together as husband and wife on a pure white ceremonial cloth sewn with flowers. Pallavi wore a vibrant gold lehenga — a traditional Indian outfit comprising a skirt, blouse and dupatta (shawl) — with the bride
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
swapping out the dupatta for the sari her mother wore at her own wedding reception decades ago, while Mustafa wore a dapper white jacket-and-black pants suit, with a crisp black bowtie and white shirt. During the reception, as Afghan melodies lilted and dessert time neared, the couple’s niece grabbed the knife before the cake could be sliced and began dancing with it. Following age-old practice, Mustafa was then obliged to pay her before he could get the knife back to cut the cake. “Mustafa had some $20 bills in his wallet and he started handing them over (one or two at a time), but she kept dancing and wouldn’t give the knife until we gave her more than $100. So it ended up being a pretty good payday for our niece,” says Pallavi, with a chuckle. When deciding exactly which rituals to include, and just how to meld them (see Highlighting heritage pages 6-7), the couple started with the civil ceremony and then added the customs most important to them and their families. The question of where to wed was more straightforward. They wanted to marry in the mountains, and needed somewhere that could accommodate quite a lot of guests (375 were invited) and could cater Indian and Afghan food. Panorama fit the bill on all counts. Pallavi and Mustafa’s was a celebration to remember, one that successfully joined two cultures, two religions, two families and two hearts.
15
Photos by Dauna Ditson
featured wedding •
By Dauna Ditson
The bride wore buckskin Jacqueline and Peter: The First Nations wedding
When Jacqueline stepped out of the teepee where she’d donned her buckskin wedding dress and walked down the aisle toward Peter Birdstone, his characteristic face-splitting grin grew even wider. “I was in awe,” he says. “I never believed that it would happen.” Their love story was a long time in waiting. The newlyweds first met when they were around seven years old. Jacqueline’s earliest memory of Peter is of him being thrown into a dryer with a cat. He remembers a little girl with pop-bottle glasses that magnified her eyes. “It was our parents that told us we were going to be together, when we were just little, and we were both like ‘ew,’” Peter says. But once he got over the idea of cooties, Peter found himself going out of his way to chat with Jacqueline. “Ever since we were kids, I was always drawn to her like a moth to a light,” he says. “We would always cross each other’s paths.” The occasionally overlapping paths they travelled were anything but easy. Their fathers had gone to residential school together, and
16
The Real Mckenzie Photography
intergenerational trauma took a heavy toll on their families. Peter’s father died by suicide, and his mother kicked him out when he was only 11 years old. Jacqueline’s father left when she was a child, and she was raised in a dysfunctional home. Separately Peter and Jacqueline turned to alcohol and drank until their bodies couldn’t take it anymore. With only 15 per cent of his liver remaining, Peter decided to quit and to prioritize his four children from previous relationships – Kieden, Korbin, Lydia and Kyra. Jacqueline’s doctor also told her she had to choose whether she wanted to give up drinking or die. A week and a half after Peter sobered up, she quit too. Six years later, they’ve built for themselves a life and a family they couldn’t have imagined. They have a daughter together, Arianna, who is “so full of life like her dad,” Jacqueline says. “I never knew that it would be so great in life,” Peter says. He’s beyond grateful to have a family of his own and to be welcomed so wholeheartedly into Jacqueline’s family. “I look at all of this stuff in my life and now I have so much... I feel blessed to have such a wonderful wife.” They say their transformations took a great deal of work but that the payoffs have been astronomical. Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
“We worked so hard to get where we’re at,” he says. She agrees. “We helped each other be where we are.” Once they got sober, the couple started smudging regularly, drumming, dancing, doing sweats and celebrating their heritage. While Peter had to learn the traditions as an adult, Jacqueline was raised with an appreciation for her culture and has relished sharing her knowledge. Peter says she occasionally stays up all night making jingle dresses and regalia for Lydia, Kyra and Arianna. “I love the father that he is. He is a dedicated man to his children. He shows them all of things that he didn’t have,” Jacqueline says. Peter nods. “It’s new to me, but at the same time I’m learning it and teaching it to my kids,” he says. “I want them to take pride in their culture. I want to keep it strong in their blood.” It was only natural that a couple who start each day with a smudge would weave their heritage through their wedding day.
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
Their ceremony took place inside a teepee circle by the shoreline at Lakeshore Campground and Resort. Jacqueline wore a buckskin dress adorned with ribbons, feathers and fringe that her sisters sewed for her. She carried a fan her mother used as a Sun Dancer. A series of red-willow dreamcatchers Jacqueline made dangled in the breeze in an archway behind the couple. “Dreamcatchers to me are beautiful,” she says. “Their significance was something I wanted to incorporate in the wedding.” The symbolism is especially poignant for Peter, whose grandest dreams couldn’t provide even a glimpse of all the happiness he’s found. The newlyweds were so overjoyed to be pronounced husband and wife that one ceremonial kiss wasn’t enough. Peter cradled Jacqueline’s face in his palms and they laughed together, their eyes crinkling up with adoration like they’d been waiting a lifetime for each other.
17
featured wedding •
By Steve Hubrecht
Blundstones and barefeet
Kim and Dean: The AustralianCanadian wedding Comfy, casual and classy — what else would you expect when an Australian marries a Canadian on her family orchard atop a lakeside bluff? Invermere couple Kim and Dean Daniele spent years figuring out where exactly their trans-Pacific relationship would see them settle down (the eventual answer: the Columbia Valley), but where and how to get married was pretty much a forgone conclusion. The orchard Kim grew up on, in the Okanagan, has been in the family for generations, stretching back to her great grandparents, and it happens to include a drop-dead gorgeous clifftop overlooking Kalamalka Lake, which as it turns out, is the perfect place to trade vows. The pair met in Melbourne, where Kim was teaching and where Dean grew up. A flame flickered and for the next few months the two bounced back and forth between New Zealand and Australia, dipsy doodling around tourist visas, work visas, and the need to earn a bit of cash while living abroad — standard hoop jumping for cross-continental couples. They ended up on a multi-month trip, driving a Land Cruiser up the northeastern coast of Australia, camping in the
18
outback, and punctuating the sojourn with stops to work odd jobs here and there. “That was when we realized it could be serious. I thought: ‘If she can rough it like this, go a few days without showering, be out in the bush and be fine, I’m happy. And if I can get the (camp) fire lit each night and keep her wine cup filled, she’s happy. You know, we can really make this work,’” says Dean. Kim’s funds dwindled and she missed her family after a long absence, so Dean bought his sweetheart a plane ticket back to Canada. A few months later he’d saved up enough for a one-way flight to Vancouver himself, and the two haven’t been apart for more than a couple weeks since. Kim concedes that in their time together the taste of vegemite, that quintessential Australian yeast-based breakfast spread, has actually grown on her. And Dean has learned to accept that he now lives in a land where he can’t go barefoot in the liquor store (“No problem in Australia. Got kicked out of the first one I walked into in Vancouver,” he says) and where the inhabitants, in his words, “pronounce ‘sure’ with a capital R”. The proposal came three years ago at a music festival in Montreal, when Dean slyly printed the big question on a Bill Murray t-shirt (both music festivals and Bill Murray are popular in the Daniele household). When Kim answered ‘yes’, the question then turned to where? And how? But they didn’t have to ponder long. “We had talked about a destination wedding somewhere part way between our families, in Hawai’i for instance. But ever since I was young, I had the idea of getting married on that cliff (on the family orchard). As much as I might not want to admit it, my mom probably Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
planted the idea in my head. And it stuck there,” says Kim. “It was a long way for all of Dean’s family to come, but they made a holiday of it, stayed a few weeks and toured around Canada. And as soon as they saw the spot (the clifftop) they understood.” Kim’s dad was no less smitten with ‘the spot’ and spent many hours with an excavator painstakingly levelling it just so and creating a large sand pit in which the bride and groom could say their “I do’s”. The couple’s big day, true to their relaxed and fun-loving nature, was easy-going but elegant, with a few bits of Australian flair (see Highlighting heritage pages 6-7), including Blundstones for the bride and flip flops for the groom, and no footwear at all for either during the actual ceremony. As with any wedding, there were a few mishaps on the big day (as relayed by Dean: “The bear spray in my car went off all over my nephew. The only toilet in the condo my family stayed in got bunged up, and while we were all getting ready before the wedding, none of us could use it. There was that wildfire that started across the lake right at the end of the ceremony. And I had written out personalized vows beforehand, but then lost them. Couldn’t find them anywhere.”). But these hurdles, even the nascent wildfire, were taken in stride (“We had water bombers as a half time show during cocktail hour, banking across the valley to put out the flames. Pretty cool,” says Dean. And the vows? “I was hunting around the library at Kim’s family home for them, when her dad comes down and says ‘Wing it. Just get back up there to clifftop and wing it’. So I did.”). The couple’s aim of easy-going yet elegant couldn’t have turned out better; a hot summer day with a beautiful ceremony followed by a poolside dinner, drinks and music — the perfect mix for a ‘rippa’ of a wedding day. “The sun was shining, everybody was barefoot with beer in hand, friends and family all around us. What more can you ask for?” asks Dean, adding that the evening only became more lively once his best man, blatantly ignoring ‘the rules’, pushed Kim’s dad off the diving board into the pool. “Soon everybody was jumping in, and it become a pool party with dancing, complete with an inflatable crocodile,” says Kim with a grin. Really, what more can you ask for?
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
19
featured wedding •
By Lorene Keitch
Bells for the bride
Photos by Virginia and Evan
20
Charlotte and Oliver: The Bavarian-Canadian wedding
When Charlotte Jablanczy packed her suitcase for her wedding across the ocean, she made sure she had room for bells — 15 cowbells, to be exact. Charlotte concedes with a laugh that she’s always had a ‘thing’ for cowbells. She lived in Austria a while, where cowbells rang on the resident herds. She likes watching ski races, where tradition dictates a cowbell clang to encourage racers. And of course, for Christopher Walken fans, the phrase ‘More cowbell’ comes to mind. So instead of the standard ‘ding the glass to kiss’, guests at Charlotte and Oliver Keuthen’s wedding had to ring the cowbell and give their best yodel. “It’s completely made up. Totally. But I’d like to see it happen at all weddings,” says Charlotte. Charlotte is from Invermere; Oliver from Munich, Germany. She landed in Munich thanks to an internship through her business school in Austria. Three days later, Oliver started at the same company. She was feeling homesick when she met him, but thoughts of Canada quickly faded in the bloom of love. Charlotte and Oliver were married at Nipika Mountain Resort. Although she has lived abroad for many years, Charlotte says that within two hours of Oliver proposing, she emailed Nipika to reserve their venue. “It had to be in Canada, and it had to be at Nipika; it wasn’t really a question,” she says. The constraints of international travel for the couple meant no Pinterest-worthy projects for the wedding. The end result was a far less stressful, much more simple, but still stunningly beautiful wedding that Charlotte and Oliver were delighted with. Charlotte’s mom grew large pots of flowers to decorate the ceremony under the open skies at the resort. Wedding guests sat on rough-hewn wooden benches, and the couple exchanged their vows under a simple arch. The couple’s wedding reflected both their cultures, though Oliver admits it was more Charlotte’s inspiration that pulled it all together. Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
“I’m not like a ‘Bavarian’ person at all. I don’t speak the local dialect or any of these things,” says Oliver, speaking from their home in Munich. “I’ve been born and raised here, so it’s kind of funny now that Charlotte is here and she’s so into it – I’ve experienced my own culture more since I’ve met her than ever before.” The night before the wedding, Oliver’s brother Moritz hosted traditional Bavarian wedding games for the guests, including one in which Charlotte was blindfolded and had to find Oliver by the feel of his legs in a lineup of men – the concept being if your husband is out drinking and you need to find him without making a scene, you crawl underneath the tables and find him by the shape of his calves. Charlotte wanted to make sure there was a Bavarian flair to their Kootenay wedding. Munich is known worldwide for its annual Oktoberfest. So her mom and maid of honour spent a year going to garage sales looking for beer steins. “They were on every single centrepiece. But as the evening progressed, people were just taking the flowers out and using it as their beer mug; it was a real free-for-all!,” Charlotte recalls with joy. They did a Nipika version of an Oktoberfest beer garden, with white ribbon banners billowing above the long, family-style rows of tables and chairs. Perhaps the most fitting cross-cultural element was dessert: wood slab trays piled high with timbits and apple strudel. The couple is enjoying their post-nuptial life together in Munich. They live in a beautiful city, a close drive to the Alps, where they often go to hike and ski. They visit area parks to picnic under the big leafy green trees, indulge in the world-famous Munich beer gardens, and focus much of their time and attention on their black lab Tomba. And they are looking forward to a return to Canada soon. Nipika was the perfect nuptial venue; so much so that, next summer, Charlotte and Oliver will be back to celebrate another special family wedding – her mother and soon-to-be step-father’s, which the pair promptly decided to have at Nipika after Charlotte and Oliver tied the knot. “Everybody should get married there,” Charlotte says. “If I could do it again, I would play that weekend over again and again.”
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
21
featured wedding •
A flurry of love
By Steve Hubrecht
Photos by Dylan Dainard
Laurin and Nick: The Dutch-Canadian wedding
The snow was blowing sideways when Laurin Duncan tied the knot with Nick De Ruyter but all the furiously swirling flakes in the world couldn’t dampen a backcountry wedding focused on family and fun. In fact, if anything, the April squall heightened the laid-back outdoorsy feel of the day, leaving the Rockies clad in a fresh white coat and a similar-hued dusting on the men’s mountain plaid shirts and the flower girls’ matching dresses. And, heck, it sure made for great tobogganing the next morning. “Everybody, all ages, went (tobogganing). It was a really great hill. Our daughter Sophie was only two and a half at the time; she went headfirst and went farther than anybody else,” says Nick. “Nobody complained during the (snowy) ceremony, not even the kids. We just bundled up and huddled together a little more.” In between the flurry-filled ceremony and the sledding session, the Invermere groom and the Canmore bride spent a high-spirited evening with their guests at cozy Mount Engadine Lodge, enjoying afternoon tea and scones and a hearty dinner with much toasting; gathering everybody by the massive stone fireplace for an evening of board games and cards; and soaking up the sunny skies the next morning. Which is exactly how the Dutch-Canadian couple wanted it. “For us, family was the most important thing. All we really wanted was to get people together in the mountains, but not just for a dinner — for a whole day,” says Laurin. “So we kept it small, just our immediate families, kept it casual, and it was a lot of fun.” The wedding came together quickly, in just four weeks. When Laurin and Nick learned that the only members of their immediate families not already living in mountains were heading out for a visit, they realized the timing was perfect and decided to whip up a wedding in less than a month.
22
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
“We love the outdoors, we are both outdoorsy people, so we knew it was going to be somewhere in the mountains and somewhere where it would be easy to have a bunch of kids. We knew that all we really needed was a ring, a venue, a commissioner, and a dress, and that the rest of the details would come together,” says Laurin. “It was easy to plan.” With such an intimate wedding, every guest got to play a role. Nick’s sister Catrien and Laurin’s sister Carolyn acted as best woman and maid of honour; brother-in-law Dylan was the photographer; sister-in-law Joanne made the cake and chocolate flowers; two nephews did readings; another was the ring bearer; and Sophie and the couple’s niece Tess were flower girls. “It was pretty adorable. Sophie didn’t quite understand. She and Tess were dropping rose petals, but Sophie was throwing them baseball style, and then picking them up again, because she thought they were too pretty to leave on the ground,” says Laurin. The pair met five years ago. Nick had been living in the Columbia Valley for a decade, and was at the time constantly driving back and forth between a university teaching job in Calgary and coaching at Panorama Mountain Resort — a commute that soon started incorporating regular stops in Canmore to see Laurin. The relationship quickly progressed and then it was Nick’s jobs that fit around dates with Laurin, rather than the other way around. In December 2014 the couple were engaged during a dog walk behind the De Ruyters’ Toby Benches ranch, on a spit of land jutting above Toby Creek Canyon that has since been appropriately rechristened Proposal Point. They were in no rush to get married quickly. “We made a conscious choice to start a family first. We had an engagement, we had a mortgage, then we had a baby, and a job change for Nick, then another baby (the couple’s son Willem). We weren’t putting ourselves under any pressure to ‘seal the deal’,” says Laurin. So when the opportunity to ‘seal the deal’ in style, with their entire families (12 adults and eight kids) present, arose this past spring, they struck quickly, leaving no time for muss, fuss or stress. Nick’s family made sure the ceremony included a bit of Dutch flair, carrying out a Netherlands wedding tradition by singing a special song (see Highlighting heritage pages 6-7) and passing on some Dutch family heirlooms to the couple. A cross cultural wedding was nothing new to Laurin or Nick, as each of their siblings had already married a partner of different heritage. Nick’s Dutch sister married a Canadian; Laurin’s sister tied the knot with a Norwegian; and her brother wed an Italian. Mixed heritage or not, as long as a wedding is filled with family and fun, as Laurin and Nick can attest, everything else is just icing on the cake.
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
23
planning •
What happens when a wedding coordinator gets married
Tracy Connery Photogrpahy
By Victoria Klassen
(and has to change venue at the last second)
24
After a year and a half of planning their dream wedding, Laura and Brian Charles had a matter of weeks to move the venue and re-plan their big day. B.C. was aflame, and the raging wildfires and accompanying smoke resulted in a backcountry-access ban right across the province — including the gorgeous remote lodge where their nuptials were set to take place. The couple faced a tough call — stick to their guns and cross their fingers that the ban would be lifted in time or start planning all over, with just a month to go. “Because of my background I had told Brian ‘I can do this. I can plan a wedding in a month, I can change a venue’,” says Laura, who works as group sales and events manager at Fairmont Hot Springs Resort and, in that capacity, has coordinated more than 120 weddings for other couples. A remote backcountry location had been their ideal — something private that reminded the couple of camping (one of their favourite activities). But at the last minute they changed lanes and opted to tie the knot at Earl Grey Lodge at Panorama Mountain Resort, a venue that fulfilled their mountain wedding fantasies and would allow their dogs to be part of their festivities, which was critical to the pair (see Fur-bearing ringbearers pages 8-9). Laura’s experience as wedding coordinator had honed her ideas of what she wanted for her own celebration, so despite the last-second venue switcheroo, she was easily able to keep many aspects of their nuptials the same. “I’ve seen a lot of things (at other weddings) that I love and I’ve seen a lot of things that I don’t love,” says Laura, adding that, in fact, her sense of the essentials of a great wedding had been sharpened even before she was engaged. “I knew, for instance, what colours I wanted because I’ve seen so many different colour combinations. I knew I wanted a colour scheme of greys, and red wine dresses for the girls,” she says. “The date was really important to us, so we picked September 30th, which is the day after our dating anniversary.” Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
Laura and Brian, both originally from Ontario, met in Invermere four years earlier and never left. Since Laura works in weddings and event management, and Brian works as the second assistant superintendent at Eagle Ranch Resort, a fall wedding was always in the cards. By the day of the wedding, the smoke had cleared, offering a stunning mountain view. Having seen plenty of wedding guests twiddling their thumbs between the ceremony and reception while the newly married couple is off taking photos, Laura had arranged a different
timeline. She and Brian did a first look in the morning, and then had all afternoon to take photos before the ceremony, which was an intimate affair with just 66 guests. The couple feel that perhaps, in the end, the crackling flames of wildfires kindled a reminder of what marriage should be all about. “We were in such a tough situation. I think it made the wedding day filled with more love because everybody was so happy that everything worked out and it was still such a perfect day,� says Laura.
GORGEOUS COMMUNITY HALL FOR RENT Affordable, scenic and appealing venue at Bella Vista Estates for weddings/ groups up to 60 guests. Five minutes south of Fairmont Hot Springs. Rentals are $300. Call Bob Walker at 403-861-2309. Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
25
Custom wedding, birthday and occasion cakes in the Columbia Valley To order, call 250-688-5106 or visit‌ Studios Me Plus You
www.funcakesbydiane.com 26
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
RELAX. REWIND. RENEW. Before the big day...
Indulge Yourself for some well-deserved “you� time. We specialize in: Pre-Wedding Treatments
Bachelor & Bachelorette Parties
Couples Packages
Hair & Make-up Services
Located Lower Level of Copper Point Resort, Invermere, BC www.columbiavalleyspa.com | 250.341.4030 | info@columbiavalleyspa.com
Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
27
Wedding Service Directory SERVICES BEAUTY & HAIR
DÈCOR/RENTALS
Cutloose Hair & Tanning Salon - Invermere Della’s Esthetics Earthstone Mobile Spa Eclipse Hair Studio - Edgewater Elevation Massage & Spa Columbia Valley Spa - Invermere (page 27) HAIR...a salon - Invermere Hair Benders - Canal Flats Karla Ector MakeUp Artist La Petite Spa Mary Kay Cosmetics, April Williams Mystique Studio - Invermere Natural Springs Spa - Fairmont Neighbourhood Hair - Golden OrganicTan Invermere Personal Touch Hair & Body Day Spa - Golden Rising Sun Massage and Spa - Radium Shear Edge Hair Studio - Invermere Shear Heights Hair Studio - Invermere Shear Perfection - Golden Sublime Design Make-up Artistery – Invermere The Naked Yeti Waxing Studio and Aesthetics - Cranbrook The Pin Up Parlour - Fairmont Urban Roots Salon & Spa - Cranbrook Valley Hair Styling & Tanning - Invermere Vivid Hair Studio - Golden Wind in Your Hair - Windermere
250-342-8880 250-688-0045 www.dellasesthetics.com 250-688-2299 www.earthstonemobilespa.ca 250-342-1397 778-527-5090 www.elevationmassage.ca 250-341-4030 www.fusionwellnessspa.com 250-342-4050 250-349-5345 403-830-2249 www.focusmakeup.com 778-526-5066 lapetitespaboutique.com 250-341-1572 www.marykay.ca/awilliams2 250-342-7277 250-345-6007 www.fairmonthotsprings.com/activities/spa 250-272-6526 250-342-3922 valleyspas09@gmail.com 250-344-6413 250-347-9311, 250-341-5668 www.radiumgolf.ca 778-526-5020 250-342-7422 250-344-7611 250-409-9782 250-919-9384 250-270-0111 250-417-3417 250-342-6355 250-439-1001 778-526-5117
www.nakedyetiwaxing.ca www.urbanrootssalonspa.ca www.valleyhairstyling.ca
CAKES AND DELICACIES Cupplecakes - Kimberley Fun Cakes by Diane (page 26) JJ’s Custom Cakery - Cranbrook The Invermere Bakery - Invermere The Cake Box - Fairmont Hot Springs
250-427-7714 250-688-5106 778-517-1415 250-342-9913 250-345-2110
www.cupplecakes.com www.funcakesbydiane.com www.jjscustomcakery.com www.invermerebakery.com
250-342-3004 250-341-5683
annericheswv@shaw.ca thecvbartenders@gmail.com
250-345-0008 250-688-7663 250-341-3392
www.fromscratchfood.com www.tayntonbayspirits.com foodinfo@copperpointgolf.com
CATERING/BARTENDING SERVICES The Grill, Windermere Valley Golf Course – Windermere Columbia Valley Bartenders - Invermere From Scratch A Mountain Kitchen Fairmont (page 28) Taynton Bay Spirits The View at Copper Point - Invermere
Glow Decor Rentals (Page 29) LC Wedding Rentals - Invermere 250-342-7570 MB7 Party and Tent Rentals - Radium (page 28) 250-347-9238
www.gatherwithglow.com www.tentandpartyrentals.ca
DESTINATION WEDDINGS/HONEYMOONS Invermere Travel World Maritime Travel - Cranbrook Mountain City Travel - Kimberley Travel Plus - Cranbrook UNIGLOBE Baker St. Travel - Cranbrook
250-342-6978 250-489-4788 877-427-2233 250-417-2777 250-426-8975
tvlworld.qa.ensembletravel.com www.maritimetravel.ca www.mcity.ca www.uniglobebakerstreet.com
EVENT PLANNERS Lucky In Love Wedding Design - Invermere Theresa Wood Events - Invermere
250-341-LOVE (5683) www.luckyinloveweddings.com 250-688-9663
FLOWERS Inspire Floral Boutique - Invermere (page 29) GLD Floral
250-342-0383 250-688-0757
www.inspireflowers.ca www.glddesignltd.com
250-342-6816
www.bavinglass.com
GIFTS AND REGISTRIES Bavin Glassworks - Invermere, Fairmont & Panorama Bugaboo Creek Trading Custom Vinyl Signs - Invermere Purple Cow Gift Shop - Fairmont Hot Springs Glacier Soap - Invermere La Galeria II - Fairmont Hot Springs Radium Bighorn Gift & Souvenir River Gems Jewellery & Fossil Gallery - Invermere Three Bears Gift Shop - Invermere Village Arts Society - Invermere
250-688-0948 250-345-6133 250-341-3110 250-345-6807 250-347-7725 250-342-0177 250-342-3331 250-342-6151
purplecowgifts@gmail.com www.glaciersoap.com cbarzilay@hotmail.com rivergems@shaw.ca www.villagearts.ca
HIS AND HERS FORMALWEAR Avenue - Invermere Details by JoAnne - Invermere Inside Edge Boutique - Invermere
250-342-2901 250-342-7171 250-342-0402
INVITATIONS, STATIONARY DJ’s Paper Place - Golden Kootenay Kwik Print Local View Printing & Design - Invermere Lucky In Love Wedding Design - Invermere Palliser Printing - Invermere
250-344-6414 djspaperplace@gmail.com 250-489-4213 www.kootenaykwikprint.com 250-342-2445 www.thelocalview.ca 250-341-LOVE (5683) www.luckyinloveweddings.com 866-342-2999 www.palliserprinting.com
HALL RENTAL T H E F O O D everyone will remember
at your wedding!
Check out
cvchamber.ca/ business_listings
custom menus & staffing options available for off-site events info@fromscratchfood.com | 250-345-0008
for all the products and services you’ll need for your special day. Newly renovated facility with support from Columbia Basin Trust and Government of Canada
Hwy 93/95, Invermere • 250-342-2844 • info@cvchamber.ca
Tents • Tables • Chairs Dinnerware • Bar & Glasses Tablecloths • BBQ • Lighting Dance Floor • Arbour • PA System Bouncy Castle Radium Hot Springs, B.C.
Ph: 250-347-9238
E-mail: mb7@tentandpartyrentals.ca
www.tentandpartyrentals.ca
28
CO LUMBI A VALLE Y
CENTRE
There are dozens of uses for the new Centre, from weddings to conferences, from live theatre and music to sporting events, from children’s events to meetings, as well as the regular day to day groups, such as the library, that will hold activities there. To book your event contact the District of Invermere Phone: 250-342-9281 PO Box 339, Invermere, BC V0A 1K0 Email: info@invermere.net
www.columbiavalleycentre.ca Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
SERVICES (Continued from page 28) JEWELLERY Delamont E H Jeweler Ltd. - Cranbrook Dietje Hagedoorn Goldsmith & Designer - Radium Fairmont Goldsmiths - Invermere Frozen Gold - Cranbrook Jewels On Ninth - Cranbrook Mappins - Cranbrook Peoples Jewellers - Cranbrook River Gems Jewellery & Fossil Gallery - Invermere
250-426-2772 250-347-6711 250-342-8778 250-426-4621 250-489-5773 250-426-2112 250-426-4275 250-342-0177
www.delamontjewelers.com dietjehagedoorn@gmail.com
www.jewelsonninth.com
www.peoplesjewellers.com rivergems@shaw.ca
MUSIC, DJs, ENTERTAINMENT Billy Jive and the Funktastics - Cranbrook 250-421-1803 billyjive1976@hotmail.com Dandelions 250-342-5394 ben@woodshopproductions.ca Elite Sound & Light Entertainment - Golden 250-344-5324 www.elitesound.djintelligence.com Golden Delicious Productions - Golden 250-344-4979 Just Music DJ Service - Cranbrook 250-426-2999 www.justmusic.ca Livin’ and Dancin’ DJ Services - Canmore 403-609-3546 www.banffcanmoredj.com L8 - Invermere 250-342-5689 Midnight Music - Cranbrook 250-417-9492 Oso Simple - Invermere www.myspace.com/ososimple PB Pro-Audio & Lighting - Cranbrook 250-421-9099 www.pbproaudio.com Ray’s Music - Cranbrook 250-427-7000 www.raysmusic.ca Rocky Mountain Disc Jockey Service - Cranbrook 250-426-8842 aebeable@telus.net Segue Music - Golden 250-939-9560 www.seguemusic.com Smarty Pants - Invermere 250-342-8668 South Side Entertainment - Golden 250-348-2080 www.southsideentertainment.vpweb.ca The Chisel Peak Blues Band - Invermere 250-409-4104 emily@yesiamtall.com WCP, Wil C Productions - Invermere 250-342-5276 wilcom@telus.net Wild Bill/Diamond’s DJ Services (page 27) 250-409-4448 www.wildbillsdjservices.com
PHOTOGRAPHY 6:8 Photography - Fernie (pages 14, 15) 250-423-3696 www.68photography.com Angela Miller Photography - Invermere 250-341-5216 angelamillerphotography.org Carey Nash Photography - Edmonton www.careynash.com Captured in Time Photography - Golden 250-344-6145 neuschuck@gmail.com Claire Dibble Photography - Golden 250-290-0201 www.dibblephotography.com Cranbrook Photo 250-489-5336 www.cranbrookphoto.com Good2Go Photography - Columbia Valley www.Good2GoPhotography.com Julie-Anne Davies Photography - Kimberley 250-432-9801 www.julieannedavies.com Jodi L’Heureux Photography - Kimberley 250-427-9833 Julie Williams Photography - Golden 403-688-2797 www.juliewilliamsphotography.ca KAP Photography - Invermere 778-228-0620 www.kapphotography.net Kat Kadford Photography - Golden 250-344-5355 www.kathadford.com Kimberley Rae Sanderson - Invermere (pages 8, 9, 29) 250-342-5102 www.kimberleyrae.ca Krevan Photography - Kimberley 250-427-7196 www.krevanphotography.ca Kyla Brown Photography - Invermere (Pages 12,13) 250-688-8888 www.kylabrownphotography.com Marlene Chabot Photography - Invermere 250-688-1486 Morgan Odland Photography 250-443-1222 Raven Eye Photography - Fernie 250-430-1097 www.RavenEyePhotography.com Terri Giles Photography (Pages 10, 11) 250-342-1667 www.terrigilesphotography.com Red Lilly photography 250-365-0944 www.redlillyphotography.com Photos by Frida 250-427-8794 www.photosbyfrida.com Sue Crowley Photography - Invermere 250-342-9673 scrowley@telus.net Through My Eyes Photography - Cranbrook 250-421-1668 Tracy Connery Photography - Invermere (pages 24, 25) 250-409-7404 www.tracyconneryphotography.com Vanessa Jeakins 416-471-8392 www.vanessajeakins.com
Bull River Guest Ranch - Cranbrook area (page 31) 250-429-3760 www.bullriverguestranch.com Chateau Kimberley Hotel 866-488-8886 www.chateaukimberleyhotel.com Columbia Valley Centre (page 28) 250-342-9281 www.columbiavalleycentre.ca Columbia Valley Chamber of Commerce - Invermere (page 28) 250-342-2844 www.cvchamber.ca Copper Point Golf Course - Invermere 250-341-3392 www.copperpointgolf.com Copper Point Resort - Invermere (page 4) 250-341-4000 www.copperpointresort.ca City of Cranbrook 250-426-4211 www.cranbrook.ca City of Kimberley 250-427-5311 www.city.kimberley.bc.ca District of Invermere 250-342-9281 www.invermere.net Eagle Ranch Resort (page 5) 877-877-3889 www.eagleranchresort.com Earl Grey Lodge - Panorama 250-341-3641 www.earlgreylodge.com Emery’s Mountain View - Fort Steele 250-426-4756 Fairmont Hot Springs Resort (page 30) 800-663-4979 www.fairmonthotsprings.com Fort Steele Resort 250-489-4268 www.fortsteele.com Glenogle Mountain Lodge Resort - Golden 250-344-7638 www.glenoglelodge.com Golden Eco Adventure Ranch 250-344-6825 www.goldenadventurepark.com Green Door Event Space - Kimberley 250-908-6423 greendoorgreen@gmail.com Heather Mountain Lodge - Rogers Pass 866-344-7490 www.heathermountainlodge.com Hillside Lodge & Chalets - Golden 250-344-7281 www.hillsidechalets.com Invermere Curling Club 250-342-3315 Island Lake Resorts - Fernie area 250-423-3700 www.islandlakelodge.com Kicking Horse Mountain Resort - Golden 866-SKI-KICK www.kickinghorseresort.com Kicking Horse River Lodge - Golden 877-547-5266 www.khrl.com Kimberley Alpine Resort 250-427-4881 www.skikimberley.com Mark Creek Lodge - Kimberley 800-310-8007 reservations@markcreeklodge.com Mount Baker Heritage Hotel - Cranbrook 250-489-3070 www.mountbakerheritage.com Nipika Mountain Resort - Kootenay National Park (page 32) 250-342-6516 www.nipika.com Panorama Mountain Village (page 2) 800-663-2929 www.panoramaresort.com/weddings Prestige Mountainside Resort - Golden 250-344-7990 www.prestigeinn.com/prestige-inn-golden Prestige Best Western Radium Hot Springs 250-347-2300 www.prestigeinn.com/prestige-inn-radium-hot-springs Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort - Cranbrook 250-417-0444 www.prestigeinn.com/prestige-rocky-mountain-resort-cranbrook Radium Golf Group - Radium Hot Springs 800-667-6444 www.radiumgolf.ca Red Barn Celebrations – Parsons 250-348-2235 wetlandsadventures.com St. Eugene Golf Resort & Casino - Cranbrook 250-420-2000 www.steugene.ca Tourism Golden 800-622-4653 www.tourismgolden.com Tourism Radium Hot Springs 888-347-9331 www.radiumhotsprings.com
VIDEO Custom Multimedia Creations - Cranbrook Canada Audiotomic - Cranbrook Clipsake
250-426-4416 www.cm-creations.net 250-489-1400 www.audiotomic.ca 604-900-3264 www.clipsake.ca
VENUES Alexa Chalets - Timber Inn & Restaurant - Golden Beaverfoot Lodge - Golden Bella Vista Estates - Fairmont Hot Springs (page 25) Bighorn Meadows Resort - Radium Hot Springs Bugaboo Lodge - Bugaboo Provincial Park
877-348-2228 www.timberinn.com 250-290-0019 www.beaverfootlodge.com 403-861-2309 www.bellavistaltd.com 250-347-2323 www.bighornmeadows.ca 800-661-0252 www.canadianmountainholidays.com
www.kimberleyrae.ca
Rocky Mountain Weddings 250 342 0383 weddings@inspireflowers.ca Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
Invermere BC V0A 1K0 www.inspireweddings.ca
29
Naturally Yours From our beautiful outdoor ceremony site to the scenic mountain chalet and the more traditional banquet rooms at the lodge—the Rocky Mountain wedding that’s perfectly yours.
PHOTOS: DAV IDANDK ATIEPHOTO.COM | EDWARDROSSPHOTO GR APHY.COM
1.800.663.4979 | FairmontHotSprings.com
Book an unforgettable Rocky Mountain Destination Wedding WITH
BULL RIVER GUEST RANCH Nestled in the British Columbia Rockies, Bull River Guest Ranch has a setting of supreme natural beauty and views. Your event is sure to be spectacular.
250-429-3760 • info@bullriverguestranch.com Columbia Valley Weddings 2019
www.bullriverguestranch.com
31
Your dream wedding Our dream location
Nipika Mountain Resort
the complete mountain wedding destination.
Luxury Log Cabins, Banquet and Reception Hall, Breathtaking Outdoor Ceremony Sites, 32and Low High season rates, Full resort booking, Eco-conscious and Pet Friendly Resort.
14 kms on Settlers Road, Radium Hot Springs, BC Ph: 1.877.647.4525 orValley 250.342.6516 Columbia Weddings 2019 Web: www.nipika.com Email: info@nipika.com