{Unfake Wedding Feature} Darienne & Joe Take Whistler by Canoe!

Darienne and Joe are outdoorsy folks.  Joe is an avid trathlete who had just finished the Boston Marathon a few weeks before is wedding (for the record, one must qualify for Boston, which means he runs really fast). Their Whistler destination wedding offered the perfect backdrop for the couple and their personal style. I mean,  Darienne arrived by canoe! Love it.

Welcome to the Unfake Wedding of Darienne & Joe!

The most important question: wedding night…did you or didn’t you?

T30SB Commentary: Hm. Lack of responses to this question have me thinking I should a) not feature those who choose not to answer b) take the question out or c) continue to add in my own snarky comments regarding the unanswered question. Care to weigh in?

Please take the time to tell me all the vendors you used.

Photographer - Gadbois Photography, Pascale Gadbois

DJ/Band - Whistler DJs

Reception Venue - Edgewater Lodge

Ceremony Venue Planner (if you used one) - Sea to Sky Celebrations, Rachael Lythe

Flowers – Eleni Floral Design

Dress - Lisa’s Bridal/ Allure Bridal Style 2419

Hair/Make - Dolly Artistry

Tuxedos - Leading Man Tuxedo

Catering – Edgewater Lodge

Cake – Edgewater Lodge

 

Who was your favorite vendor and why?

Gadbois Photography! The time they took to get to know us and to put that personalization into our photos was amazing.

Was there a “method to your madness” in choosing your vendors?

Not really, since Whistler is fairly small there weren’t too many options. However, we definitely tried to find good reviews of each vendor and meet with them personally to be sure they were right for us.

 

How long did you take to plan your wedding?

We were engaged for about a year and a half, however most of the planning took place within the year. We found that many vendors started filling up spots about a year out, so we were glad to have the time we needed.

How many guests did you invite versus how many came?

We invited about 150 and about 65 ended up coming; however, the majority of people invited live in Ontario so travelling across the country just wasn’t possible for many people. We were very happy with the turn out!

What was your budget?

We tried to stay within 15-20k, most of that went to the big ticket items, the venue, food and photography.

 

Did you include rings and/or the honeymoon in your budget?

Our rings were included but not the honey moon.

Were you over or under budget? By how much?

We were at the high end of our budget.

How large was your bridal party?

We had 4 Bridesmaids (including MOH), 3 Groomsmen (including BM) a flower girl and a ring bearer.

Did you have favors for your guests? If so, what were they? How much did you spend?

We kept it simple, personalized boxes of mints and bubbles for the ceremony, approx. $2

 

Did you include any special family traditions?

Not particularly, although we were originally going to have a civil ceremony but instead were able to find a minister that could incorporate both of our backgrounds.

What was your biggest day-of crisis and how did you handle it (or rather, not handle?)?

There were issues with the seating arrangement, which I had to try to settle with my hair half done. We were able to switch a few people around and it all worked out.

What was your biggest wedding planning crisis and how did you handle it (or rather, not handle?)?

Not having a hair/make up person with just a few weeks to go. A friend did a search for me and I finally found the perfect person. She drove 2 hours and brought several helpers to make sure we were all done on time.

 

Who was the biggest pain in the ass on your wedding day?

Everyone was great!

What was the biggest waste of money that you loved?

We tried very hard not spend too much on unnecessary things, but we’re glad we didn’t hold back on the photographer and the flowers.

What did you love that was also the cheapest?

We rented a canoe for my dad and I to arrive to the ceremony in, it was a complete surprise for most of the guests and made our ceremony very unique and very us!

 

What was the most unexpected thing that happened (not necessarily a bad thing, just a surprise)?

When one of the groomsmen brought our dog out to where we were taking our couple photos. We got some really cute shots with her and it was totally unplanned.

What was the funniest thing that happened?

Our friends made a trivia game for the reception, the responses were hilarious and  for every correct question our kissing got more and more x-rated!

What was the most ooey-gooey, tear-jerking moment?

The speech from my mother. She actually lost her written speech so it was all from her heart, but it started the crying all around the room.

Did you DIY? What parts?

We made the invitations, the programs and a few decorations.

 

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

We did a simple trip to the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. We stayed at a few bed and breakfasts, and took a more rustic canoe trip. We’re hoping to do a slightly more exotic part two honeymoon to Peru to do the Inca Trail and Machu Pitchu.

If you could do it all over again, what would you change, if anything?

Other than trying to be a little more organized, everything went perfectly, so we wouldn’t change anything on the day!

Congratulations to you both!

Comments

[Shannon]

I definitely vote for leaving the question and the snarky commentary. Also, I kind of love her green shoes.

[Motes]

I vote to keep it in too....I don't quite understand why folks are so bashful about it...??

[Shannon]

I don't understand the big deal about answering the first question, you're married, it's your wedding night, why would the fact that you did it be embarassing?? And on the other end if you didn't, given how tired most people are by the end of the day I don't think that's embarassing either. I vote you leave the question in. And for the record, my husband and I did do it on our wedding night. See, not so hard to admit :)