The entries for the Love You Back project this year were FANTASTIC. Three judges, including myself, evaluated each entry for creativity, personality and effort. It was such a difficult decision but after much deliberation, I am so pleased to announce the winners, Katherine and Tyler.
In their own words….*we are so excited about the opportunity to win such an amazing photography package! As an added bonus for us, putting together our submission over the past several weeks (I tend to tweak things until the very last minute…) really helped us collect our thoughts and come up with a common theme and direction for our wedding which led to us selecting a venue- so a big thanks to you! Hope you enjoy our entry.
I suggest listing to Bistro Fada from Midnight in Paris while perusing our board.
A bit of background information about us and our wedding plans:
Katherine on Tyler – Tyler and I met when my friend invited the boy she liked to join us for a night at Ranchmans. He brought Tyler and several other friends along. Tyler and I chatted briefly and it was certainly not a case of “love at first sight”. Within minutes he had decided I was snobby while I had decided that he was boring. Several weeks later we saw each other again at a birthday party for the same friend. We ended up seated next to each other and spent the whole evening talking. Even though he seemed nice he wasn’t really my type, and I only agreed to a date after some badgering from friends. Our first date went amazingly well, I spent the whole time laughing at his stories and jokes. It was by far the best first date I had ever been on. Each time we went out I had even more fun and laughed even harder than on the previous date.
After 5 years nothing has changed, each day together is more fun than the last. It is an unusual day if he doesn’t make me laugh so hard that cry. His overwhelmingly positive and fun loving attitude make even the most mundane chores fun. He dances down the aisle at the grocery store, livens up a trip to the dump with a sightseeing narrative and is always up for adding some extra fun to a night out by making it themed event (Fish and Fisherman! Birds and Birdwatchers!). The only thing I have ever seen Tyler less than enthusiastic about is weddings. To him they are formal boring events where the Bride and Groom spend the entire time talking to obscure relatives and family friends rather than focusing on one another. He would be more than happy to elope but knows it is extremely important to me to have my family there when we get married.
Tyler on Katherine – Ever since I met Katherine one thing has been clear, family is most important to her. From Christmas movie marathons with her brother, to helping her mom pick renovation colours and ideas; she is always excited to spend time to with her family and genuinely looks forward to it. Katherine’s family is one of the most welcoming and caring families I have ever met, and on our wedding day I feel extraordinarily lucky to get to become part of that family.
One of the great aspects of Katherine’s family is they know how to have a good time, they can turn a simple Sunday dinner into a lively event with plenty of hilarious stories and a clearly genuine enjoyment of being with one another. This concept of turning a formal Sunday dinner into a relaxed fun filled event is what will inspire and drive the general “feel” and atmosphere of our wedding. It combines fun with family and friends, but does not impose any rules to keep everyone relaxed and having fun. I know with Katherine’s careful attention to detail and DIY touches this event will be a true representation of our relationship and who we are as a couple. We will laugh, dance, have fun and spend time with our family and friends who mean so much to us. But most importantly I get to marry the girl that I fell in love with 5 years ago and even without all the fun events, cake, rides, music and food , it would still be the best day of my life.
The Big Day – We wanted to plan a day that we can both look back as nothing short of super fantastically awesome, so we set out to plan a wedding that is intimate, reflective of us as couple and above all else FUN (!) for everyone. Taking our inspiration from a scene from Midnight in Paris where the Fitzgeralds host a soirée amongst vintage carnival rides and twinkling lights (a sketch from the films production designer takes centre stage in our inspiration board) we found the perfect venue with Heritage Park. Luckily, we were accommodate to fit our ideal venue into our modest budget by choosing to have our wedding the Friday after the park closes for the summer! We will be exchanging vows in front of our 80 guests in a brief lighthearted ceremony on the lawn of the historic Prince house at 3:00 on September 14 th . We will then head over to the midway with our guests to enjoy games, rides , and of course, cotton candy, before the start of the dinner reception and what is sure to be a rockin’ dance party at the park’s Wainwright hotel.
Hopefully you will be there to celebrate with us and capture what we hope will be a fun filled day!*
Meet Lisa Vettese. Lisa has over 12 years in the Wedding Industry. From co-directing the Calgary Bridal Alliance, publishing magazines and bridal guides to producing top notch wedding events, Lisa is passionate about the industry and knows the importance of professionalism and integrity in the marketplace and wants to ensure that engaged couples have a positive experience with industry professionals that they can rely on.
Say hi to Yvette Shanahan. Yvette has been in love with weddings ever since she was a little girl. Growing up, that love grew into a passion and thus was born, Avant-Garde Wedding & Event Planning.
With more than 16 years of event and wedding planning experience, Yvette has planned hundreds of weddings and events across Canada. Her expertise shines through her customer service and attention to detail.
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