We have an über cute wedding today. When Kerry, the bride, contacted us about featuring her wedding, I wasn’t sure what to expect, except a certain level of awesomeness.
But my oh my, I was blown away by the wedding! It was so beautiful and so happy, I couldn’t be more excited.
Before I give away the details, here’s our interview with Kerry!
What traditions did you have?
We kept all of the traditional Sikh ceremonies with the exception of the Doli. I wasn’t keen on having a Doli for several reason, but mainly I felt that the wedding is about not only joining two people, but two families so I felt like the Doli was a bit outdated and unnecessary. Plus I didn’t want to cry in front of everyone.
What did you do that was new?
I don’t know if I would call it new, but we decided to have the ceremony outside of the Gurdwara. Ever since I was a little girl I always envisioned my wedding outdoors and pulled inspiration from my uncle’s wedding in India which was also outdoors. Some people had their opinions about this was in the end I think everyone agreed that there was nothing wrong with this and was a lot easier to setup than anticipated.
Another thing I tried to do was keep as much simplicity into my ‘big fat wedding’ as possible. Indian weddings can be over the top, but I felt that you can still have a big wedding while keeping everything organized, simple and beautiful. This simplicity was found in everything from my invitations to my makeup and jewellery. Sometimes less is more. Or as they say, ‘keep it simple stupid.’ I tried to keep this in mind throughout my planning.
We did have the wedding ceremony and reception on two separate days. I didn’t feel so rushed and wanted to make sure my guests had enough time to rest so that they could party the day after without being exhausted.
How did you design your dress, come up with the colors, etc?
I have always bookmarked and clipped inspirations from all over, even if it wasn’t wedding related. One of my favourite designers is Matthew Williamson, and I have always loved his bohemian, Indian, colourful, style and most of all his peacock designs. I love peacocks, and I wanted to include this in my wedding day in a not so obvious way. I always loved the combination of pinks and oranges as well.
So when I went to New Delhi with my parents, I took a drawing of my dress that I drew on the flight there, went into Roop Sarees and asked them to custom design my Pakeeza style dress using all the inspirations I have kept.
Believe it or not, I ordered my dress in under 30 minutes. It was the easiest part of the wedding planning. I was prepared, brought visual examples for them and I was so thrilled that they nailed my vision.
As for my reception dress, I wanted something not heavy so that I can dance the night away. I took inspiration from a Marchesa dress and adjusted it to fit my style. It was really a really different design. Well Groomed in Surrey, British Columbia did a great job recreating this dress. It wasn’t easy to do apparently, but sometimes things that appear more simple are harder to create.
I think I really lucked out with both of my outfits since they were made based on my inspirations. Sometimes you don’t always get what you want but I was pleasantly surprised and I think its because I came well prepared with all the details.
Did you design the bridesmaids saris (they were lovely btw!)?
I designed the bridesmaids outfits with the help of my friends. All my friends were so important to me that I wanted to make sure they felt beautiful and comfortable. I didn’t want them to wear anything less that average. I intitally wanted them to only wear a tradition Indian outfit for the wedding ceremony but they all really wanted to wear sarees for the reception too. I picked colours to compliment my outfits. I think they all looked stunning.
What was the hardest part about planning?
Details, all of the details! And all of the things you didn’t know you had to do or buy. Its all the little things that can blow your budget. Another thing that was hard were all the DIY projects. I did my own table numbers and I redid them 3 times until I got it right. I still laugh about this, they were so time consuming. Its really ridiculous.
What was your favorite part about the wedding?
My flowers. The florist I worked with did an amazing job. Evan Orion from Flowerz in Vancouver blew my mind away. We worked closely to design the days. He was more than a florist, he was also my decorator. I think the flowers made my wedding and people really loved how unique they were. I wanted to recreate streamers of flowers that I had seen in my uncle’s old wedding pictures. Evan did this in a very modern and beautiful way.
I remember the flowers on the ends of the ribbons blowing in the wind during the ceremony, it really brought tears to my eyes. Some people say flowers die and they aren’t worth the money but I think they were worth every penny because they set the mood for my wedding. My husband Jason was also completely blown away by his work.
What advice do you have for brides to be?
1. Don’t obsess over the little tiny details, because nobody will notice if something isn’t exactly how you want it. You have to let go at some point.
2. Its nice to keep the family’s interests in mind but its ultimately your wedding.
3. Collect inspirations and go in prepared. You have to know what you want otherwise you will get overwhelmed by all of the options.
4. Get organized! I wrote down all of my tasks and them broke them down monthly. I did little by little. My friends and family thought I was super organized and at times a crazy control freak but I had nothing to do around the wedding time but relax and take care of myself. I hate leaving things to the last minute. This includes tracking all of your guest names, guest count, addresses and expenses in a excel spreadsheet.
5. Have fun and try to be in the moment as much as possible. Take a moment with your significant other to look around and soak it all in. This is advice is the most important because I wish I did more of this.
Thank you Kerry and Jason for sharing your wedding. We loved it!
{Wedding Suppliers}
Photographer: Gucio Photography
Venue — Ceremony: Cecil Green Park House, UBC
Venue — Reception: Fairmont Pacific Rim
Decorator: Evan Orion @ Flowerz
Bride’s Dress: Custom designed. Morning was designed by bride in India. Reception was created by WellGroomed in Surrey, BC.
Bridesmaid Dresses: Designed by bride, created by WellGroomed
Makeup: Leah Elliston
Groom’s Outfit: Traditional Indian suit made by WellGroomed.
Bride’s Shoes: Morning: Valentino from Holt Renfrew
Evening: Prada from Leones & Vera Wang
Groom’s Shoes: Hugo Boss from Harry Rosen
Stationery: Designer: Lisa Nakamura / Letterpress: Heather Braun @ Porch Light Press
Flowers: Evan Orion @ Flowerz
Catering: Cecil Green / Fairmont Pacific Rim
Cake: Ganache Patisserie
Disc Jockey: DJ Frikton
Transportation: Time Limousine
