Who – Kelli & Chad
Where – Kirkland House & East Delta Hall
• How long were you dating your groom to be before he proposed? 2.5 years
• What was your single most favourite moment from when he proposed?
When he noticed people were looking at him, he jumped up off his knee, dusted it off, and it “took a walk” (did a little loop in front of me)
• How long was your engagement before you said, “We do”? 21 months
• Tell us a little bit about the wedding you’re planning: style, theme, feel, and colors?
I really wanted an elegant country theme – I wanted it to be elegant and beautiful but I love the rustic look of the barn, wooden chairs, cowboy boots, and grey. We chose cobalt blue and nickel silver as they had a “manly” name and the bright color was beautiful in June.
• Has your vision for your wedding changed or evolved over the course of your engagement? If so, how?
The vision of the wedding stayed the same. I was more amazed at how well it all came together at the end. I got a lot of my ideas from Pinterest and was very excited to be able to carry through a lot of these ideas. The Kirkland house is a beautiful venue, and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a very beautiful outdoor location. They have also built a beautiful barn from heritage barns in the area.
• What unique element did you have at your wedding?
I think the unique element we had at our wedding was the cowboy boots. All of the bridesmaid’s and myself were wearing them and I think it looked really nice.
• What part of the wedding were you most looking forward to? Did it live up to the dream?
I’m a big planner, and what I was really looking forward to was seeing the image in my head all come together and look good. At times, I felt that I had a mismatch of ideas that I wanted to do, and in the end it really did turn out better than I had expected.
• As advice to future bride-to-be what was the one thing (DIY, detail, item) that you felt was a energy stealer and you wished you had never spend time/money on
Getting a town car to take us to our B&B at the end of the reception. We spent time looking for the best rate and setting up the time for them to show up. In the end they never picked us up from the reception. We ended up getting in a cab – in the end it worked for us, We called when we were ready to go and saved $50!
• On the flip side, what is the ONE MUST HAVE item/detail/service that you would recommend to each and every bride-to-be that would meet?
A great photographer. It is well worth paying the money to have someone that is patient and understanding, and is also willing to speak out for you when it is time to move to the next pose or get the family pictures together. It was very nice that Michelle Lana Photography went through our must-have shots beforehand and organized our large family to get all of those shots without myself or my husband worrying about any part of it. I also would recommend paying for a second shooter to be with your photographer between Michelle and Larissa they got everything and were able to recommend different poses and capture different angles of the same shot.
• What was your most favorite moment with your husband at your wedding?
When the best man handed my husband-to-be a ring pop when the justice of peace asked for the ring. It was a great moment and let us all laugh out any nervous energy we had.
• Who or what has been most helpful and/or inspiring in the wedding planning process?
We hired so many amazing people that really made the whole process go very smoothly. Every person from flowers to cake had wonderful ideas that helped compliment what we were looking for and were so knowledgeable in their area that we never were concerned about how that would turn out. We did a lot of research before we made our decisions and I think it really paid off.
• How have you involved your “community” (friends, family, etc.) in the wedding planning process?
I always invited them to help. Asked if they wanted to come wedding dress shopping, or come over for wine and stuff invitation envelopes, or cut the table runners. Many times I hadn’t seen some of my girlfriends for a while so I would invite them over to hang out, drink wine, and get something on my to-do list checked off. It might have taken a little longer but it was great to have the help, ensure they felt welcomed to help, and stayed connected with everyone as the weeks got busier with things to get done.
• What part of wedding planning, if any, has made you the most anxious?
For us the most anxious part was getting a make-up artist. We were going to have a family member do it for us, and they got really sick near the wedding date and had to cancel. We ended up finding an amazing make-up artist but hadn’t budgeted a lot for make up and then ending up spending even more than we would have normally budgeted because it was so last minute.
• How did you pick your ceremony and reception venues? What do you love most about each space?
I really wanted to get married outdoors with flowers and a rustic barn. I started looking at venues that would hold potentially 200 people and the list was shortened very quickly. I happened on the Kirkland house by accident and was so glad I did! we went and visited once and I was sold. I think it was the first think I booked. It was booked 1.5 years before we were to be married because I didn’t want to miss out on this amazing Venue!
• Tell us about planning with your fiancé. Has it gone smoothly? Is he more involved, or hands-off?
Chad was very hands on. He liked be apart of the process and having his opinion heard. It worked really well because we are both planners and would each get a list of things to get done, and we always knew the other would follow thru.
• Which part of your wedding have you been most intentional about planning?
The reception – it was very important to us that everyone had a really good time. We made sure we had a toonie bar, and let people know about cabs and being able to camp at the location if they wanted to. That way we could all drink and have a great time in the company of so many friends and family.
• What do you wish you would have known at the beginning of your engagement?
How quickly everything can add up for a wedding. We ended up spending 10% more than we budgeted, its amazing how many little things you end of needing last minute.
• Any advice you’d like to pass along to fellow brides?
Give yourself lots of time to plan and research before the wedding. Because we were engaged for 21 months, we were making lists and timelines before they needed to be done and never really felt rushed at any point. It was a fairly easy process for us, but again we are planners and love organization. We both have helped put together fundraisers and parties for 200+ in the past and that definitely helped us out.
• What wedding-related decision have you been the most indecisive on?
I don’t think there really was anything. if anything it was the amount of people we wanted to invite. It took us a bit to figure out how we were going to get our number down so that everyone would fit at our reception location.
• If you had to pick three top priorities for your budget, what would they be and why? Are your fiancé’s priorities different?
Venue, food, booze. Chad and I had the same priorities I would say. Well, maybe Venue wouldn’t be on his. I had this ideal place I wanted and spent a few months figuring out what my options would be. But definitely food and booze. Both sides of the family enjoy getting together and having a good meal, good drinks, and good conversations. We wanted to make sure we could create that atmosphere at the wedding so we knew everyone would have a good time.
Where are they now!!
• What are you most looking forward / Enjoying about marriage?
Chad and I are in the process of moving to Vancouver Island for a job he has. We are packing, and building a house there. Over the last 5 months Chad has been on the island more than home, so I am looking forward to setting some roots there and being able to spend more time with him. And starting a new adventure with someone this time.
What big changes/additions have you made as a family since saying “We Do”
Nothing too exciting here yet. We have been focused on the move, and I am trying to convince Chad we need another dog 🙂
Check out Michelle Lana Blog for a full look at Kelli & Chad’s day – wishing you many puppies in the future on Vancouver Island