Elizabeth & Ryan's Backyard Edmonton Wedding | Published in Today's Bride
Hello blog pals.
This year has been such a special one for weddings.
This day is Liz and Ryan’s.
The entire wedding took place at the Groom, Ryan’s family home.
His parents have the most beautiful place in Edmonton.
The ceremony, dinner, dances and even golden hour portraits in the driveway all happened at the family’s private home.
Their wedding day timeline went like this:
A private letter sent to each other to read on balconies side by side
A backyard garden ceremony
Golden hour portraits in a canola field
Twinkle light tented backyard dinner
Evening wedding gown change
A surprise first dance performance by Martin Kerr
Night photos in the home
From the Bride:
I, along with so many others, began 2020 with an abundance of expectations. A lot of those expectations centered around our wedding scheduled in Palm Springs in April. But on March 12th (which happens to be my now husband’s birthday), the world changed. COVID-19 was all over the news – and the Canadian government was hinting at the upcoming border closure. I remember us both crying when we realized this wedding wasn’t going to happen for us and we called our family to officially let them know (happy birthday Ryan). It felt pretty dark - the world shut down and the harsh reality of being isolated from our loved ones set in. As our wedding day passed us by, we realized that we didn’t care what the wedding looked like anymore – we just wanted to marry each other. The new plan began to unfold really quickly. First things first was picking a date. I firmly wanted Sofia to be our photographer and since we were planning on getting married in Ryan’s parent’s backyard here in Edmonton, we weren’t tied to your traditional weekend wedding. I contacted her and she gave us her availability and Friday, July 31st, 2020 officially became our wedding day. The day itself took us through a myriad of emotions: tranquility, happiness, tears, pride, gratitude. You name it, we felt it. Who knew we’d be getting married in the middle of a global pandemic?
I’ll never forget coming around the corner with my Dad and seeing Ryan standing there waiting for me. Every tear, every sad day in this pandemic was worth it for that single, perfect moment. We were right where we were supposed to be. There was 26 of us in the backyard that day but it felt like the world was cheering us on. It’s almost like being apart from each other for so long made us all appreciate every moment that day so much more – it was truly an incredible display of resilience. The only way to really describe our wedding day is… pure joy.
My advice to any couple that finds themselves having to pick up the pieces and start planning again: Allow yourself to mourn the wedding day you lost. Until you truly do that, you can’t be fully invested in planning your 2.0. Try to see that silver lining – less guests means more meaningful interactions on your special day and a much more intimate setting. Remember it’s okay to let some of that need to control go – it’s when you let the day happen organically that it’s going to bring all the magic you and your person deserve. Hold each other close and be excited about your marriage and whatever your wedding day looks like will be perfect because you have each other.
Liz & Ryan’s Wedding Dream Team
Ceremony & Reception Venue. Groom’s Family Private Residence in Edmonton
Hair. Raveena Jolly - Iron Salon
Wedding Gowns. The Bridal and Tuxedo House
Video. Russ Vanderleer
“And if we’re lost
Then we are lost together”
This wedding was published online with Today’s Bride
