Intimate Edmonton Wedding

There’s so much to love in this intimate Edmonton wedding, you’ll have to bear with me as I figure out where to begin. There’s the incredible bouquet by FaBLOOMosity, the spot-on images from Blake Loates Photography, and of course, Rebecca of High Culture who was able to pull off an exceptional wedding day with unexpected touches filled with personality and love.

From the bride, Justine: Our wedding day was everything I imagined it to be — with the support of our families and closest friends, we had an intimate wedding filled with so many overwhelming emotions of love and joy. I was so happy to celebrate our wedding on Father’s Day with both of our dads — Mike’s parents travelled from New Zealand to be with us. The memory that stands out the most from our wedding day is seeing Mike for the first time when we had our ‘first look’ at the bottom of the stairs in my parent’s home, the house I grew up in. My absolute favourite thing about being married is having a life partner that I can call my husband every morning when I wake up — a man that, upon her arrival any day now, our sweet baby girl will call dad.

From the event designer, Rebecca of High Culture: On a one way ticket, Justine made her way to the Southern Hemisphere, for an adventure. Little did she know, this escapade would become one of her most memorable — her life would completely change. While working in a small pub in New Zealand, she found the man she would marry a few years later in her hometown, Edmonton, Alberta. Since their first date, Justine and Mike have been inseparable. When you are in a room with the pair, or see a photograph of the duo, you cannot help but recognize their overwhelming love for one another. Their love is unwavering — it is sweet and kind, it is honest. Their unfeigned love was overwhelming, right from the beginning. When a severe earthquake struck Christchurch, the city where they were living, Justine and Mike’s love for one another proved just as strong. With no means of getting a hold of one another, Mike ran 6km to find Justine — to ensure that the love of his life was safe. It is likely at this moment that they realized just how significant they were to the other.

As they planned their intimate wedding day, the opted for a private ceremony limited to the attendance of their immediate families and a reception of only thirty-six — they shared their evening with their family and friends. From the beginning, Justine and Mike chose to ensure that their wedding would be a true representation of who they are. From their custom wedding website to the handmade stamped wooden coasters that they hand-delivered to guests as invitations—that doubled as a gift and memento of their wedding day—no detail was overlooked.

The ceremony space was simply decorated with handmade paper flowers and arranged with unique chairs and couches that were borrowed from family and friends. Perhaps it was because they selected to take their photos prior to the ceremony, or it could have been because the ceremony was so intimate, whatever the reason, it was certainly informal and relaxed (after all, an Elvis tune or two were played!). What is undeniable though is that it was certainly one of the most emotional — the couple were natural, showed raw emotion, and spoke genuinely from their hearts. Justine and Mike continued to celebrate their love with a seven course wine pairing dinner at one of Edmonton’s finest restaurants. The unique details were plenty — the piece of bacon in the groom’s boutonniere, the monogrammed handkerchief held by the bride, the handwritten letters they presented to their parents prior to the ceremony, the tiny little horses, the handmade photo blocks, the “love letter H” for guests to sign, the cake handcrafted by the mother-of-the-bride — but they were not over the top. The details were refined and scaled back to simply add a personal touch, a representation of their love and of their story.

Wedding Location: / Edmonton, Alberta, Canada / Photographer: Blake Loates Photography / Wedding Planning and Design: High Culture / Floral Design: FaBLOOMosity / Ceremony Venue: Blake Loates Photography studio / Reception Venue: Corso 32 / Wedding Dress: Ellana Bridals / Capelet: BHLDN / Bride’s Accessories: AMOR / Hair and Makeup: Bride’s sister and bride / Groom’s Attire: Hugo Boss / Bow Ties: The Two Guys Bow Tie / Wedding Cake: Fancy That Cake / Officiant: The Late Rose Rosenberger / Wooden Chalkboard Sign and Love Letter “H”: handmade by the Groom / Favours: custom cut wooden photo blocks (handmade by the groom) and gold painted horse place cards — hand calligraphy by the bride / Wedding Invitations and Paper Goods: Justine Ma: Design & Hand Lettering