This year the Vancouver International Travel Expo has invited the Vancouver Wedding & Honeymoon Expo to join them for the ultimate in Wedding Shows! Brides + Grooms-to-be plan your dream wedding with local Vancouver area wedding vendors +  also meet with representatives from international airlines, cruise lines, and exclusive wedding & honeymoon destination resorts at this 6th annual Expo! 

September 30, 2023 11:00 – 4:30Pm East Building Vancouver Convention Centre 

Tickets

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Weddings on a Budget...Not too long ago, the bride’s family was responsible for funding the wedding. But that notion has lost its foothold, and now financial responsibility often falls onto the couple. This one special day can get very costly for young couples just starting in life. Luckily, there are plenty of options to keep the price tag of a wedding attainable and still have it meet the requirements of your dream wedding. Here are a few ideas to make your wallet happy.

Micro Wedding

The pandemic has thrown a wrench in the works for many people’s weddings, but the new trend that has come out of these times is the micro wedding. A micro wedding is a small, intimate affair that saves the couple a ton of money. Instead of a guest list of 100 or more and all the food, drinks, and entertainment that go along with it, many couples are sticking to inviting only immediate family and very close friends. They may choose to keep the traditional formal wedding attire or go semi-formal to casual. The ceremony and reception can be the same but on a smaller scale, or you could opt instead for something like a day of wine and pairings tastings at a vineyard followed by a small ceremony. With a smaller group, your options are greater.

Destination Wedding

While a destination wedding to a tropical resort may sound dreamy and expensive, they’re actually about one-third the cost of the average traditional wedding. Destination spots in Canada, such as Vancouver Island, specialize in accommodating guests for weddings and will often provide most of the elements needed for a wedding in your package. They provide you with your wedding planner, so you don’t have to worry about details during your trip. Plus, your wedding is one day of your vacation, and the rest is your honeymoon. Like micro weddings, you’ll have a smaller number of guests that can attend, but they will be paying their way. And many of your guests will stay for several days and celebrate the newly wedded couple the entire time. Don’t forget that a destination wedding can be within your own country, such as the beaches and rainforests of Vancouver Island.

DIY Wedding

Having a wedding can be very involved, so many brides choose to employ the help of a wedding planner to work out all of the details. However, you can save money by forgetting a wedding planner and utilizing family and friends to help pull everything together. Instead of hiring someone to decorate, you could make your creative decorations and table centerpieces. Simple options like mason jars with ribbons tied around them and pebbles thrown in the bottom make lovely candle holders or flower vases. And when thinking about venues, consider a public space like a park to host your wedding. Weddings on a budget do not have to look like you are on a budget!

However you decide to spend your wedding day, it will be memorable because you’re spending it with the love of your life and the people who matter the most to you! Just relax and have fun throughout the planning process.

Written by Katie Tejada (McDaniel)

Author Bio: Katie Tejada is a writer, editor, and former HR professional. She often covers HR, business, recruiting, real estate, law, and financial developments and enjoys writing about travel, interiors, and events.

Photography by LumiPhoto and PhotoJinnic 

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Beach Wed in Tofino – Brittany + Trevor put together a dream team of wedding vendors to help the two of them, along with their ‘bubble’ of family and friends, create a magical elopement on the beaches of Tofino.

The gods decided to be giving and blessed Brittany + Trevor with blue skies and sunshine over the ocean edge where they exchanged their vows.  Young, Hip and Married officiated the occasion so lots of love and laughter highlighted the entire ceremony.

The bride wore a stunning Laudae lace gown with a train proving that beach brides can still go formal! The dress featured a V-neck bodice and a form-fitting skirt. Brittany carried a gorgeous bridal bouquet filled with white flowers and pampas grass. Trevor looked great carrying it as well…we love grooms who carry the bouquet.

The newlyweds took advantage of their surroundings and were adventurous for their couple photos. They climbed up a rock face to get great cliff photos, wandered into the rainforest area, and ran along the beach. The Wild and Wed captured all these moments and, as a result, Brit and Trevor have some epic elopement photos. Beach Wed in Tofino is the way to go for a naturally beautiful west coast wedding. Congrats to Brittany + Trevor!!

You are invited to another Tofino beach wedding!

Planning & Styling: Love Spell Co | Photography: The Wild and Wed | Video: The Augusts | Officiant: Young, Hip and Married | Floral: Crab Apple Floral | Cake: Mooch By Megan | Makeup: Tamara Martin Makeup | Hair: Boheme Hair Studio | Stationery Template: Splendid Moment Co | Ring Box: Blush Vintage Rentals | Dress: Laudae 

The post Beach Wed in Tofino – Brittany + Trevor appeared first on West Coast Weddings.

 

Tofino Vows for Talisa and Joel…

Guest written by Taryn Stare Photography

Talisa and Joel made the trek to Tofino all the way from Dawson City, Yukon. Though Talisa is originally from Vancouver, BC, she moved to Dawson some years ago to pursue her dream job (and dream man). They live in an adorable cabin and are parents to two crazy cats, who keep them entertained all winter long.

When they got engaged last August, they originally attempted to plan a destination wedding, because Joel’s family lives in Australia while Talisa’s family is in Vancouver. However, they had a hard time finding the perfect middle ground where all of their family and friends could come together at the same time and place. After a month of stressful big-wedding planning, they decided to fulfill a secret dream of saying their vows together in private, with just a few witnesses and in their favourite place in the world.

Getting Ready

Talisa + Joel spent the morning of their wedding day relaxing in their cozy hotel room. Wickaninnish Inn placed them in SUCH a beautiful room with a massive window and balcony that overlooked the ocean. All morning, we could hardly keep our eyes off the ocean as the stormy weather brought giant waves in, each one bigger than the next. We watched young families run around outside fully decked out in rain gear, letting their pups chase the waves. A more relaxing wedding morning I could not dream up!

First Look + Ceremony

This ceremony was one of the sweetest I have ever witnessed. Both the bride and groom wrote such thoughtful vows that I was moved to tears as they promised to love each other for the rest of their days. Here’s a little snippet from Talisa’s vows to Joel:

As we move forward, let’s remind ourselves that life is what happens between adventures. It’s the in between moments that mean the most – the journey – the countless days we both come home from work tired and creanky and uncertain of what to make for dinner, when we have to race the cat to the vet in Whitehorse, when the boats motor is too small and we forgot the coffee in the car (but you actually had it all along). And there is a storm and we’re soaked and miserable. Those moments are the ones that are the ones we remember, not the stupid glacier.  The moments where life is real and we aren’t always our best selves…those are okay and these are the moments that will define us as a couple.

Afterwards…

The newlyweds enjoyed an intimate photo session in the forest, along the beach, on the road and had Tacofino to celebrate. All in all, the perfect Tofino experience and elopement. It turns out that Tofino vows for Talisa and Joel sublimely suited their wedding day.

Thanks to Wickaninnish Inn who coordinated everything and provided an INCREDIBLE and beautiful experience for the Bride and Groom. Thanks to Rhonda with Cedar and Rose Lifestyle Salon who was such a lovely person and did a fantastic job on Talisa’s hair and makeup. Last but not least, thanks to Crab Apple Floral Design who made the perfect bouquet and boutonniere.

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Dates: Feb.21st to 23rd, 2020!
Meet local vendors: event planners, wedding photographers, floral designers, cake artists, beauty specialists and visit beautiful venues!
Keep up do date: Email info@rareearthweddings.com for more details and full schedule.

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