WEDDING PLANNING BY ALICIA KEATS | WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONETSU
Featured by WedLuxe Magazine, Carita and Vincent’s wedding at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel was a stunning affair that truly reflected their personalities. Using our couples love for the lush blue-greens of the Pacific Northwest as the base for their fun colour palette (and a pair of Valentino Rockstuds), we got to work to make their vision a reality.
To keep guests engaged and excited, Carita and Vincent wanted each part of the wedding to be unique and to have its own ‘feel.’ Evan and the Koncept team and Suzane at Granville Island quickly embraced this idea and created three distinctive spaces while simultaneously making them feel cohesive.
When guests arrived for the wedding, they were ushered into the foyer through a flower tunnel created by Granville Island Florists and Koncept. With bright pink, purple, and white blooms cascading from the ceiling, guests were transported to the wisteria tunnel at Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Japan, the location that Vincent initially wanted to propose (he ended up proposing at the beautiful Multnomah Falls in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area).
The ceremony, held in the Star Sapphire Ballroom at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, set the stage for the evening. Set with rose gold infinity chairs from Mohani, the room welcomed guests into a luxurious and warm atmosphere. The altar backdrop was constructed with custom gold three-dimensional triangles interspersed with hanging bunches of soft flowers and Edison lightbulbs, making an incredible aesthetic impact. To complete the look, lush flower arrangements of soft pink roses, white peonies, and pink ranunculus were tied neatly to the backs of the chairs next to the aisle.
The cocktail hour was characterized by bright pinks and fuchsias. We created lounge areas with purple modern sofas, bright blue chairs, gold geometric-inspired glass-top coffee tables, gold triangular candle holders, and lavish cheerful floral arrangements with purple hydrangeas, vivid pink roses and peonies, and ‘indigo spires.’ While taking in the change of scenery and music from SideOne, guests enjoyed ‘His and Hers’ Signature Cocktails while canapes such as Wild Mushroom Arancini with Truffle Aioli were passed.
During the cocktail hour, Carita changed into a traditional qungua embroidered with a dragon and phoenix pattern for the family tea ceremony. While the tea ceremony commenced and guests enjoyed cocktail hour, the ballroom was being reset for the main reception.
For the reception, the ballroom walls were lined with deep blue-green velvet drapes that not only enveloped the room with warmth but also allowed for the bright colours of the floral centrepieces, the cream-coloured satin tablecloths, and gold accents to pop. Each place setting was set with turquoise satin napkins, silverware, glassware, and custom cookies from A.Elizabeth Cakes – one with a picture of Fuji, their puppy, and the other with their names and wedding date. The geometric back drop used for the ceremony was moved to behind the head table made it the ‘piece de resistance.’ Juxtaposed against the dramatic colours used for the guest tables, we opted to use the soft colour pallet used for the ceremony for the flowers on the head table to create continuity throughout the event. Next to the head table was an incredible five-tier cake, also by Anna, that incorporated the geometric design elements of the wedding.
After an elaborate five-course meal ending with a Matcha Cake, Carita and Vincent enjoyed their first dance to the Beatles, ‘I Will,’ opening up the dance floor for the rest of the evening festivities.
You can also see their wedding video, by one of our favorites, Vincent + Theo, here.
On a personal note, it was a huge honor and privilege to work with Carita and Vincent and a huge hole was left in my heart after the planning was finished. It was not just the amount of time that we spent working together, it was also the friendship that was created. Carita is someone who pays attention to details, who really listens and stores little comments away for future reference. I had mentioned briefly that I am always cold and typically always have a blanket on me (even in the summer!) when I work from home, and suddenly the most thoughtful gift arrived at my office, a blanket, camouflaged as a scarf. This is just one example of how special and thoughtful Carita is. I feel so lucky to have met her and Vincnet and to have been a part of this special day.
xoxo
Alicia
