Canadian Mountain Wedding

With an amazing mountainous backdrop that you can only find it in Canada, Amanda and Ryan’s wedding is the very definition of a woodsy wedding. And her Claire Pettibone from The Dress Theory is just one of the many gorgeous bits that make their wedding come together perfectly, all shot by Diane + Mike Photography.

From the bride, Amanda: Ryan and I had always dreamed of having a wedding in the mountains and we were able to find the perfect venue in Canmore, Alberta that embodied our rustic, mountainous vision. We wanted decor that would add to, but not distract from the natural beauty in Canmore. We stayed away from anything too formal and went for a more relaxed, natural feel. The venue really didn’t need much for decorations as it was already so lovely. For me, the most important purchase was my dress. I was having a hard time finding anything in our small town in BC that was unique and embodied the whimsical, romantic feeling I was looking for. I ended up finding it in Seattle at an amazing little shop called The Dress Theory. Not only do they have beautiful dresses but excellent customer service. As cliche as it sounds, the dress was very “me” as many wedding guests stated and I felt as though I was wearing a piece of art and not just a dress. Claire Pettibone is an amazing designer! It was worth the trip to Seattle. I also really loved the vintage inspired dresses the bridesmaids wore.

We knew we wanted a rustic, woodsy, whimsical feel for our wedding but basically just ended up choosing items that we liked. I had no idea how everything would work together but ended up loving it on the wedding day. We didn’t have a colour scheme per say, rather just chose flowers we liked and swayed towards neutrals with pops of colour like yellow and baby blue in the bridal bouquet. We ordered different wild flowers from the florist and put all the arrangements for the decor together ourselves. We had quite a few DIY projects starting with the invitations and programs which were printed from a painting my mom did. My dad made a bunch of things from gorgeous birch wood including, tea light holders, place card holders, table numbers, and a picture frame to hold the wedding pictures of our grandparents and parents. The centerpieces were mason jars that my bridesmaids and I covered in lace and decorated with old buttons and twine. It was fun to see what everyone came up with and no two were alike, which I thought was really special. The cakes were made by my very talented cousin. I decorated the escort cards myself as well, just by gluing ribbon, twine and such to gift tags.

Any advice for couples planning their weddings now? No matter what anyone else may think or say, marriage is a beautiful union and the perfect reason to celebrate with loved ones or however you may choose. Enjoy the ride! There may be stressful moments leading up to the event and that is perfectly okay. But on the day of you will feel an indescribable joy; revel in it and celebrate! Don’t let negative people or small details bring you down. Your wedding day will be magical simply because you are committing your life to someone you love.

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Wedding Music:
Processional: “We Never Change,” Coldplay
Recessional: “Flowers In Your Hair,” The Lumineers
First Dance: “This Years Love,” David Gray

Wedding Location: Canmore, Alberta, Canada / Photographer: Diane + Mike Photography / Florist: Elements Floral Design / Venue: The Silvertip Resort / Wedding Dress: Claire Pettibone “Kristene” via The Dress Theory / Wedding Shoes: House of Harlow / Headpiece: deLoop / Bridesmaids’ Dresses: JS Collections / Groom’s Attire: Moores / Wedding Cake: Leah Craig / Ceremony Music: The First Fire – Afton Albach and James O’Reilly / DJ and Transportation: Revolution Entertainment / Wedding Invitations: Bride’s Mother