The Lodge on Harrison Lake Wedding
A + C got married on their eleventh anniversary, and it was such a special and relaxed day. They stayed at their beautiful wedding venue and hosted their closest family and friends all weekend. BBQs, burgers, lawn games, campfires, and just a good ol’ time.
Getting Ready
A + C were both getting ready on site at the Lodge on Harrison Lake, a scenic, tucked-away oasis of a venue on Harrison Lake. They were in separate rooms, spending their wedding morning with their close friends. We captured them each getting ready, and we captured C opening hand-written letters from her soon-to-be-husband each hour. She also had a first look with all of their family gathered in a room (except of course, the groom) and she handed out personalized gifts to each of the family members. Once A was dressed and ready, we captured a sweet moment with him and his mom where his mom gave him a final bit of encouragement and prayed with him before the wedding.
First Look & Bridal Portraits
When the couple was both dressed, we set them up and brought them together for their first look in front of the lake. A was wearing a sage green suit with a floral-patterned bowtie, a brown belt and shoes, and had a boutonniere that matched C’s bridal bouquet. Their first look was so sweet! They looked so happy and relaxed once they saw each other. I think there’s a lot of nerves and tension that build with being away from your almost-spouse on the morning of your wedding, and so much of those nerves and butterflies melt away when you see them and realize that the you’ll get to be together the rest of the day.
After their first look, A + C exchanged private vows. Then it was time for bridal portraits. We started with taking photos of them down by the beach. It was quite windy (which I love for photo purposes, but wind’s not always best for the sake of a bride’s hair and bouquet!) so we quickly moved from the beachfront area to a few other beautiful on-site spots.
As we were wrapping up photo time, Alex pulled an envelope from his suit jacket that said “Open at 3 o’clock”. It was the final letter for her to read before their wedding ceremony at 4! We were MELTING at how sweet and thoughtful that moment was. I don’t think she expected so many (or any!) letters from him throughout the day.
Ceremony
We had an hour between finishing portraits and the wedding ceremony starting. We captured details, got the drone in the air, and captured candid moments of guests arriving and greeting each other during this time. Then the ceremony started shortly after 4! C was walked down the aisle by her grandfather.
The ceremony site at The Lodge on Harrison Lake is something out of a fairytale. The ceremony site is on the edge, overlooking the beautiful blue Harrison Lake. The built-in wooden arbour provides the perfect frame for the water and mountains in the background. There are pretty flowers and bushes all surrounding the ceremony spot. A + C didn’t have (and didn’t need) décor or floral arrangements for the ceremony at all. They had long wooden benches for their guests to sit on, and a small signing table, but the ceremony site at The Lodge is stunning enough on it’s own that it doesn’t need anything added.
After their wedding ceremony, we quickly took all of their family photos in the same spot, before releasing the couple and their family to go enjoy the cocktail hour with the guests.
Reception
After cocktail hour, the reception began. And what a reception it was! They had the most magical, glowy, perfect lighting streaming into the tent during dinner and speeches. The weather was absolute perfection- it was a warm “summery” feeling day (pretty surprising for early May!) so even as the evening went on, it didn’t really get cold at all.
All of the décor and table floral arrangements were absolutely gorgeous! The table decor included such pretty and delicate pink, purple, orange, and yellow flowers. The table floral arrangements not-perfectly-matching, so every table had slightly different décor as well as lots of eucalyptus, other greenery, and lots of candles.
After dinner, we stole A + C away for a few last portraits before the sun set behind the nearby mountains. We were only gone for about 10 minutes (and only about 50 feet from the reception tent where everyone else was mingling) but I think it was a nice break for them and a nice, quiet moment for them to enjoy together and soak up the day.
A + C had the cutest little heart-shaped cake that they cut before dancing started. I love the trend of having a small, personal-sized wedding cake just for you two, and then different dessert for everyone else.
After cutting and sampling the cake, A + C mingled with their guests for a bit before having their first dance and their parent dances. Then the party BEGAN and it got so wild and fun out on the dancefloor. Everyone was dancing the night away and enjoying the variety of songs and genres from the DJ.
Recap
Saturday was our second wedding of the year, but the official start to our 2024 wedding season! It couldn’t have been a better day. A + C tied the knot on their eleventh anniversary in front of a small group, and it was a perfectly sunny May afternoon. We so enjoyed getting to spend this day with them.
The Team
Venue: The Lodge on Harrison Lake https://harrisonhotspringsweddings.com
Wedding Planner/Coordinator: Valley Weddings https://valleyweddings.ca
Officiant: https://vancouverofficiant.com
Dress: Sposa Wedding World https://www.sposawedding.ca
Suit: Indochino Suits & Clothing https://www.indochino.com
Flowers: Flowers by the Fraser https://www.flowersbythefraser.com
Décor: Valley Weddings https://valleyweddings.ca
Cake: Reddy Made Cakes https://reddymadecakes.com
Catering: Wild Forage Catering https://www.wildforagercatering.com
Comments