Simply The Best

It began with a fun wine tour, planned by the owners of the clinic where she worked. Lauren arrived to join everyone else with no idea that there were ulterior motives behind this event. You see, the group consisted of not just coworkers, but friends of the owners as well. One of those friends had seen Lauren's photo on the clinic's website and had heard many stories about how awesome she was. He of course became intrigued so a sneaky set up was planned. And it worked perfectly! Chris and Lauren met and connected right away over their mutual interests of gardening, health & wellness, adventure and travel. Soon after their initial meeting, a brand new relationship began.

I met Chris and Lauren through the same clinic when I started working there as a receptionist. It was a busy clinic, so I didn't really get to know Lauren until another wine tour planned for a mutual friend's birthday. Because there were so many of us, two cars were used to drive to the different wineries. For some reason they were split into a guys' car and a girls' car which gave me an opportunity to chat with Lauren. But I remember that as soon as we stopped the cars and got out, Chris and Lauren found each other ASAP and started hugging and kissing and enjoying each other's company. I thought they were just the cutest couple I had ever seen!

Herman and I have gotten to know these two quite well over the years. We have all spent loads of time together, playing games like Exploding Kittens or Mario Kart, going on hikes, or cheering our men on as they run marathons. In fact, I even ended up working as a receptionist for Chris at his clinic as well, where they both work now. So when they asked me to be their photographer, I of course was honoured to say "HECK YES!!!".

The wedding day came with bright blue skies, just as the bride ordered! She started getting ready in the bridal suite at See Ya Later Ranch where she and her friends sipped on mimosas, listened to good music and shared Wookie impersonations. When it came time for me to stylize her bridal details, I used the many cute little plants I found around room and placed them around her shoes, veil, jewellery and perfume. I just thought it was a cute way to incorporate their love of plants in these photos to give them a more personal touch. This also tied in well with a cool feature they had planned when it came to other decor for their wedding day.

Chris had a dream to turn their back yard into an English garden. They have both spent the last few years transforming their outdoor space into the little oasis it is now. But this past year was spent making sure they had enough flowers grown to use for their wedding bouquet, aisle markers and centrepieces. The different bright colours of their homegrown florals perfectly reflect the beautiful and bright personalities of this couple. They embody pure joy!

The ceremony started with the ringing of a bell. Their celebrant Alison Moore used a handheld bell to lead all the guests to the ceremony site. She explained that traditionally church bells were rung to announce that a couple had been married. She has continued this tradition but modified it to instead get everyone's attention that the ceremony was about to start. Chris was then escorted to the arbour by his parents and faced away from everyone as he waited for his bride. When he turned around to see her for the first time, his breath caught in his chest, covered his mouth and closed his eyes to keep from crying. Lauren was absolutely stunning in her long lace gown and Chris watched in complete awe as she walked toward him. They were both all smiles while they exchanged vows and rings, never taking their eyes off each other. Once they were pronounced husband and wife, and had their first kiss, the happy couple walked down the aisle again, with even bigger smiles than before!

The rest of the night was non-stop fun and laughter. Chris' brother (and best man), did such an amazing job as emcee for the reception. He had us all in stitches! Both families however, were so wonderful! I remember thinking that not only were Chris and Lauren meant to find each other, but these two families were meant to find each other too! The love and support I could feel from everyone in that venue was powerful. Chris and Lauren and certainly surrounded by an amazing group of people who adore them and who only want the very best for them. These two are simply the best and deserve every blessing life can bring!