Seaside Poetry at Poets Cove

Darcye and Christian chose to wed at Poets Cove Resort on Pender Island on a perfect summer day. The seaside venue offered ocean views, fields of dried grasses, and an outdoor reception overlooking the water. Family and friends enjoyed an evening meal under the sky with the newlyweds and watched the spectacular sunset together. Unforgettable memories for everyone!

Allie Watters of Across the Watters Weddings & Events was so happy to help Darcye and Christian make all their dreams come true. She shared her experience with them.

The Romance

“Darcye and Christian met in their last year of university when Christian moved in across the street. They were best friends for months before they decided to start dating. After graduation, they weren’t sure it would last because Christian was moving home to Vancouver and Darcye to Toronto. They broke up for about five hours of Christian’s plane ride. Eight years later, their romance has seen them move across the country (twice) before they settled in Vancouver. Now, they spend their time exploring as much as possible- finding new favorite spots in the city or traveling to new countries.”

The Engagement

“The engagement had more than one surprise. Darcye met Christian after work, thinking they were having a quick happy hour. Instead, Christian led her to his favourite spot on the Coal Harbour seawall overlooking Vancouver Harbour and North Vancouver mountains. Here, Christian proposed – to the sound of applause from a nearby patio. After an easy ‘yes,’ Christian admitted the second part of the surprise. Their closest friends were waiting one restaurant over to celebrate with them. While they had champagne and dinner, Christian admitted the final part of his plan. He had secretly booked them both a vacation day the next day (with some stealth help from one of Darcye’s colleagues) and had planned a weekend getaway to Kelowna. They flew out the following day.”

outdoor wedding ceremony set up on deck at Poet's Cove Resort

The Wedding

“Pender Island has always held a special place in Darcye’s family’s heart. Her family has been on South Pender since the late 1800s, when her great-great-grandfather, Arthur Spalding, arrived by rowboat from Victoria.

Darcye had known she would get married on Pender Island since she was a little girl. Her parents also got married on Pender Island over 35 years ago. Their wedding followed almost the same format as Darcye and Christian’s—part of the ceremony was on the family property, followed by dinner at Poets Cove (which was known as Bedwell Harbour at the time). “

“Dinner on the Poets Cove patio was a dream location for their dinner and reception. They wanted to take advantage of Pender Island’s scenery as much as possible. As soon as you step onto the resort’s patio, you are met with a quintessentially Pacific Northwest view overlooking the marina and surrounding forest and hills. They enjoyed a fantastic seafood feast while the afternoon turned into evening and the sunset over the water. “

Nighttime at wedding reception at Poet's Cove Resort

Wedding Planning on Pender Island

“Knowing they would get married on Pender, it was easy to try and use as many vendors and supplies from the Island as possible. Working with Vendors such as Across The Watters Weddings and Events, who we hired as Day Of Coordinator, hopping between venues and bringing our vision to life on the day of our wedding, From the local wedding bouquets supplied by Shelly Hanshaw at Nighthawk Farms to the local staff we hired to work during our cocktail hour and the fantastic catering team and so many of the wedding’s elements especially the welcome baskets in guests rooms featuring Pender Island Chocolates, SeaStar wine, and lavender from the family property. Of course, they were grateful to Darcye’s family living on the island, who helped source all these wonderful things. Pender Island is filled with incredibly talented wedding industry vendors; we worked with the best of them.”

We love so much about this wedding. The history of family weddings on Pender Island, the incredible vibe of the outdoor supper, the local vendors, the book theme!, the gorgeous bouquets, and the bride’s cathedral veil. Darcye and Christian’s wedding can be seen in the latest West Coast Weddings Magazine. Seaside Poetry at Poets Cove Resort inspires couples looking for the Southern Gulf Islands wedding experience.