The talented Tessa Shannon photographed today’s dreamy styled shoot set in a hip warehouse space in Vancouver. We love everything about this shoot – from the gorgeous florals to the stunning gown to the fantastic industrial chic backdrop, this shoot has it all! Here’s what Tess had to say about it:

“For our venue, we were lucky enough to team up with The Settlement Building. They are a brand collective that is home to Vancouver Urban Winery, Postmark Brewing, and Belgard Kitchen. The main shoot took place in their rare, industrial warehouse space, which can be rented for an array of events including weddings, ceremonies, intimate long table dinners, and various private functions. Briar from Epic Events took care of the ceremony space, with her rentals from Past Pieces, along with the help of Kerstyn from Our Little Flower Company. India Rose Cosmeticary was the magic behind the make-up. A boutique that uses luxury natural products, brides have the option of booking India’s studio space or she can travel to them. Past collaborations include Boboli, The Collective You, Pacific Centre and a variety of charities like Baby Go Round and the Hope Couture Gala. Coco Manzano worked his charm on the models hair, he works at Style Lab on Cambie and is available for cuts and events! The Comet Gown by Rue De Siene was kindly lent to us from Emily – co-owner of Union Bridal!”

Vendor List:

Photographer: Tessa Shannon

Venue: The Settlement Building

Dress: Comet Gown by Rue De Siene

Bridal Studio: Union Bridal

Hair: Coco Manzano

Make Up: India Rose Cosmeticary

Event Planning: Epic Events Vancouver

Floral Design: Our Little Flower Company

Rentals: Past Pieces 

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Priscilia and Albert eloped at San Francisco’s City Hall after putting aside weeks of discussion and deciding to go with what felt right for them. With understanding family and friends, the gorgeous couple embarked on their elopement journey.

“After much discussion about what would be right for us, we decided to have a celebration that put our mind at ease and in a way allowed us to completely enjoy the moment. We wanted it to feel natural and at the same time, we wanted to avoid making things complicated. An intimate wedding was exactly what we needed,” Priscilla said.

The two planned to have a reception in Indonesia later that same year.

With photographers like Evonne and Darren Photography, it’s hard not to smile at these gorgeous photos!

Priscilia, 26 & Albert, 27

Location:  San Francisco, California

Wedding Date:  March 23, 2016

Number of Guests: 15

Wedding Cost: $5,000

Wedding Ceremony Location:  San Francisco City Hall

Wedding Reception Location: Indonesia

Why did you have an intimate wedding?

Our idea of a wedding is that special day when we acknowledge and share our love to each other overtly. Yet, we felt that it would be challenging to put this into practice if we have a large crowd. After much discussion about what would be right for us, we decided to have a celebration that put our mind at ease and in a way allowed us to completely enjoy the moment. We wanted it to feel natural and at the same time, we wanted to avoid making things complicated. An intimate wedding was exactly what we needed.

What are some the challenges that you faced planning an intimate wedding?

The main challenge was picking our wedding date. Most of our close family and friends reside in Indonesia and Singapore. It was difficult to find a time that worked for all of them. Furthermore, the elopement ceremony at the San Francisco City Hall is only available on the weekdays. Most of our family and friends work full time and had to take the day off to attend our wedding. It took us so much time discussing and trying to figure a date from everyone’s schedule. It was honestly quite frustrating for us. In the end, we just decided to pick a day that worked best for us and everything else got easier to handle. The main challenge was picking our wedding date. Most of our close family and friends reside in Indonesia and Singapore. It was difficult to find a time that worked for all of them. Furthermore, the elopement ceremony at the San Francisco City Hall is only available on the weekdays. Most of our family and friends work full time and had to take the day off to attend our wedding. It took us so much time discussing and trying to figure a date from everyone’s schedule. It was honestly quite frustrating for us. In the end, we just decided to pick a day that worked best for us and everything else got easier to handle.

Was it difficult to pare down the guest list? 

It was difficult, indeed. We made a list and were alarmed to see the number was beyond what we had in mind.

Did you have any issues with the small guest list from friends and family? If so, how did you address them?

This was not much of an issue. We told our family about our intimate wedding vision and how important it would be for us to have such celebration. Both our families were very understanding and supportive from the very beginning. Nevertheless, we have decided to hold another celebration with our extended family and friends in our hometown later this year.

What were the highlights of the ceremony?

We didn’t take our eyes off each other from the moment we exchanged our vows until we were officially pronounced as husband and wife. We were completely absorbed by the serene and joyful ambiance. Seeing our loved ones constantly smiling and cheering throughout the day made our special day even more complete. We were really grateful for their efforts to be present and to shower us with so much love. My girlfriends surprised me by coordinating their dresses’ colors. We were so glad to have Evonne and Darren as our photographers. They knew the San Francisco City Hall inside out and also gave us practical advice for our photo session. Our officiant, whom we only met a few minutes before the ceremony, was very entertaining and took our nervousness away. It was a relief that the day was everything we have imagined it to be and even better.

What were the highlights of the reception?

We are going to have our reception in Indonesia later this year.

What was the best thing about having an intimate wedding?

There are no rules and no expectations. We got to style it any way we wanted and easily incorporated almost anything we wished for (I wore a blush dress and no veil which was not common in our tradition.) It was easy to be present and let our love shine on each other. Furthermore, with the small guest list, we did not spend too much time catering and entertaining our loved ones. We felt very comfortable and were able to express our appreciation for the love and company from our loved ones.

What advice do you have for couples who are considering an intimate wedding?

Don’t worry about getting everything perfectly in place. Instead, be present and cherish every moment. If you get anxious, remember the most important thing is that you are marrying the love of your life and think of how exciting your life together will be.

Vendors:

Photographers:  Evonne & Darren Photography

Hair and Makeup Stylist:  Makeup by Quis

Florist:  Tango & Foxtrot

Wedding Dress:  BHLDN

Wedding Shoes:  Giuseppe Zanotti

Groom’s Suit: Indochino

Groom’s Shoes: Santoni

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Makeup bags are a perfect gift for your bridesmaids. You can fill them with fabulous products (think all-natural bath and body products, natural makeup, personalized compact mirrors and jewelry) or place a card inside and pop the question to your besties!

This chic, modern ‘Be Hot’ makeup bag is ideal for any wedding. DesignByRube has many different sayings and styles to choose from, so you can mix and match your bridesmaids with slightly different bags.

How perfect would these personalized makeup bags from SassyGalsWisdom look in your getting ready shots? You’re gals will adore them!

Having a desert wedding? Or maybe your OBSESSED with cacti? We have the bag for you! This cactus makeup bag is from NJsBoutiqueCo

Make your bridesmaids feel extra special with these plaid monogrammed makeup pouches from Highway12Designs.

We adore MamaBleuDesigns‘ products. They’re sweet, unique and all handmade. This set of personalized embroidered makeup bags is no exception!

Keep everyone smiling with these Hello Gorgeous makeup bags from DesignByRube.

Customize these hand lettered bags from HeartlandLettering to match your color scheme.

This beautiful personalized watercolor cactus makeup bag is from TheTangledPath. You can choose between names of monograms.

If you’re looking for a stylish, casual accessory, try this dainty floral wreath personalized makeup bag from TheGiftyRoom.

You can include everyone with these affordable and stylish bags from TheGiftyRoom. You can personalize the name and title on these bags for you, your bridesmaids, maid of honor, and mother of the bride.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links

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Here comes the bride – and her adorable pooch! It’s a scene played out at wedding ceremonies across the continent. After all, pets are family – why not include them in of the most important days of your life?

Maybe having your furry friend at your feet on our wedding day isn’t realistic – that doesn’t mean you can’t pay homage to your pets.

Here are 10 easy and creative ways to celebrate your four-legged friends.

This sweet figurine by LovebirdsGoods makes for a super cute canine cake topper.

If your little pup is planning on walking down the aisle with you, let LuxeMutt help you make sure that it is in style with this adorable purple flower collar.

If your dogs are too busy to attend your big day, they can always be a part of your save-the-date thanks to lizzieandcompany!

The more pets the merrier in this personalized illustration by LiliDiPrima.

Cartoon-ify yourself, your new partner, and of course, your loved pets, in this trendy personalized print by AlissaLevy.

Another great design by LovebirdsGoods is this awesome set of family-inspired figurines.

Your cake topper shouldn’t leave your pet feeling left out. With this design by walldecal76, you can all be a part of the fun!

Not much can top having your family (pet included!) on a stamp, and thanks to CassaStamps, that’s completely possible! These would be perfect for your post-wedding thank-you notes!

Get your cute fur-baby involved in the procession with this fancy tie by TabbyChicMilano.

Your pup wants to show off this special occasion, and this sign by ZCreateDesign is the perfect way to do so.

*This post contains Etsy affiliate links

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Today, you are in for a treat with a gorgeous rustic styled shoot photographed at Reptacular Animals, a private ranch and wedding venue in Southern California.

“The owner has an exotic animal license and has rescued the animals after they retired from being used as show animals or in movies,” explains photographer Holly Castillo.

The models for this shoot are Shawna and Derek, a couple were married in 2013 in a courthouse elopement. Holly chose a woodland fairy tale theme with romantic roses, as well as rustic elements such as pine cones, wooden confetti and chalkboard signs.

A big thanks to Holly Castillo for sharing this lovely shoot with us!

Vendors:

Photographer: Holly Castillo Photography

Venue: Reptacular Animals

Hair: Monique Does Hair

Make-Up: Brigitte Caille Make Up Artist

https://www.brigittecaille.com/

Confetti: ConfettiBasket

Stationery: Lottie Elizabeth

Wedding Cake: Party Cottage

Rentals/ Decor: Rentals by Tiffany J

Florals: Wild Peony Design

Dress: Bride’s Own- From Amazon

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