Wedding at Linden Gardens
I first met Jayme when I photographed her sister’s wedding. I remember editing the bridal party photos from that day and telling my husband, “I hope I get to take Jayme’s wedding photos some day!” So when she first reached out to me I was elated!!!
I had so much fun doing Jayme and Sam’s winter engagements that I was literally counting down the days til their planned wedding for 2020. Then Covid hit and their plans went sideways. They postponed. As Covid continued, they started making plans for a smaller scale wedding which meant the photo package they chose was no longer feasible. We worked together and I modified their deposit and photo package to suit their new needs. We had a plan and the wedding drew near. Then one week before the big day, restrictions were lifted and once again things, plans changed. The date was moved to accommodate a larger guest list, and once again, we modified the photo coverage and the timeline of events. This worked out well for all the vendors involved but I was especially grateful as I was able to capture more of this amazing wedding day!
After months and months of planning, replanning, adjusting, postponing, rearranging and modifying, the big day arrived at long last. But the universe had one last curve ball to throw at this couple. An out of the blue, torrential downpour occurred just minutes before the ceremony began. And it lasted an unusual 45 minutes. This was not forecasted and it only rained around the area of the venue. We asked the bride what she wanted to do and in true Jayme form she said “we have waited so long and worked so hard for this day, a little bit of rain won’t stop us from getting married today!” So we waited.
I remember standing outside under an umbrella, and chatting with the musician and celebrant about these odd circumstances. I remember the staff at Linden Gardens hustling to rescue decorations and sound equipment. All I could think of while waiting for the skies to clear was how awesome it was that none of the vendors hesitated to wait this thing out. No one tried to rush things along. No one had anywhere else they had to be but right there. We were there for a wedding and we were all determined to see it through no matter what!
When the rain dulled to a slight drizzle, a flurry of activity began as staff and vendors got ready as quickly as possible to start the celebrating. I was impressed with the handyman at the gardens who used his leaf blower to dry off the seating and the leaves of the trees above us. This guy is a genius!!! And soon, with every umbrella we could find, Jayme walked down the aisle and they began their wedding ceremony.
And what a beautifully touching ceremony it was! Filled with personal elements, sentimental rituals and so much happiness, it was contagious. I especially liked the wine ceremony where the couple shared a glass of one of their favourites from the valley in place of a unity candle or sand ritual. What a truly Okanagan way to celebrate their marriage. There was laughter and love and friendship. There were tears of joy. Sondra really did an amazing job of telling their love story and unifying them forever.
We headed into cocktail hour and started photos ASAP as dark clouds started rolling in again. Luckily, no more rain fell upon this day and the rest of the evening was a delight. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves while they mingled. As the reception continued, speeches and toasts were made to the newlyweds while we all feasted on amazing food from Brodo, one of my favourite caterers.
The atmosphere was one of pure merriment which carried on through the night. I think my favourite part of the day was the couple’s first dance. The song they chose was a little faster tempo than a typical slow dance song which made for a very jubilant first dance. I wonder if Jayme and Sam even realized anyone else was there while they swayed and twirled around the dance floor. It certainly seemed like they only had eyes for each other. After snapping some photos of the dances and cake cutting, I packed up my car with the biggest smile on my face. I knew, without even looking at the photos I had taken, that I had captured a truly magical day which was definitely worth the wait!
