Cleveland Dam & Backyard Wedding

Mar. 10

When planning their wedding, Chad and Sarah focused on incorporating breathtaking mountainscapes with their vision of a classy backyard garden party that made all of their friends and family feel special and involved in celebrating their love. Their wedding festivities kicked off at the rehearsal dinner where they signed their license with their closest loved ones and prepared for a day full of emotion, good food and partying late into the night! Chad and Sarah chose a brief ceremony with hopes of getting their guests out of the sun and off to the bar quicker.

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During the morning, both the bride and groom took special moments to honour those around them and those who could not be there. Sarah kept her jewelry in her late mother Deb’s jewelry box that she had used on her wedding day and took special care to have a moment with her maid of honour while getting dressed. Chad took the time to video call with his best friend, who couldn’t be there to celebrate, and got dressed with the help of his older brother.

After their respective mornings, the two shared a first look at the beautifully decorated floral arch where they would later be proclaimed partners. Chad’s jaw hit the floor the moment he turned around and brought smiles and giggles to Sarah’s face before the pair were whisked away to take photos at the Cleveland Dam. Early on in their relationship, they had enjoyed a socially distanced date walking around the dam and chatting on a park bench and they got to recreate the bench moment on their big day.

Their ceremony was short, sweet and let their guests beat the heat! The bridal party then snuck out to the bar after the ceremony for a tequila shot and a gin and tonic in honour of Deb, before the speeches commenced. Because of the shorter ceremony, Chad and Sarah opted for the speeches to take place immediately following and was a wonderful way to kick off the night. The couple felt connected to their guests through the sharing of the speeches as they looked out to their loved ones with smiles and laughter.

The reception was filled with good music, good conversation, and most importantly, good tacos from the Tacofino food truck. Chad & Sarah had shared many date nights at Tacofino in Vancouver and knew that having their food served as their dinner would give their guests a taste of their love story. Instead of traditional, long tables, they opted for standing tables to encourage mingling and to make it easier to visit with everyone. They also chose unique thrifted glasses that the guests chose at the start of the cocktail hour and took home with them at the end of the night!

The time finally came for the two to share their first dance under a setting sun and a backdrop of glowing string lights. Although the couple was surrounded by their friends and family, they felt as if they were the only two in the ‘room’. Chad & Sarah sang, smiled, and laughed, as they shared what would be one of their favourite moments of the day.

Following the dances and some heartwarming words from family and friends was a special toast from Deb’s best friend, Allison. The backyard was full of misty eyes as Sarah felt her in Allison’s words and in the G&T in her veins and knew Deb was right there with her celebrating.

Sarah and Chad were whisked away for another private moment alone, filled with many more kisses, and a fun outfit change on the rooftop patio! The second dress made Sarah ready and able to dance the night away with their friends and family, which she did, with glow sticks.

After dancing and celebrating, Chad & Sarah headed to their newlyweds suite where they stayed up all night with A&W and champagne gushing about how grateful they were to everyone who made their wedding day dreams come true.