Wishes 2022

2022

The ultimate guide to Sea to Sky weddings

IPSOOT CANDICE MAR IE PHOTOGR APHY

Carbon Neutral tourism flights since 2018

contents WEDDINGS:

Natural nuptials 6 Mazel tov 16 Perfect union 22 FEATURES:

Shifting gears 10 Couples find freedom in elopement during the pandemic

Dancing with the stars

16

Meet the Whistler woman helping newlyweds craft the perfect dance routine for their big day

Wishes’ wedding gift guide

26

DIRECTORY:

Business directory 30

COVER PHOTO BY

Pascale Gadbois

4 WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022

COUPLE:

Brittney and John’s wedding

LOCATION:

Marriage Lake, Whistler

PUBLISHER

Sarah Strother EDITOR

Brandon Barrett

Isabelle’s BRIDAL

PUBLICATION ART DIRECTOR

Julie Gamache CONTRIBUTORS

Keili Bartlett Dan Falloon Brigitte Mah SALES MANAGER

Susan Hutchinson SALES EXECUTIVES

Georgia Butler Tessa Sweeney PUBLISHED BY

Whistler Publishing LP, a division of Glacier Media Group #202-1390 Alpha Lake Road Whistler, B.C. V8E 0H9

604.938.0202 604-986-5200 220 Esplanade W North Vancouver, BC info@isabellesbridal.com

Personalized, fun and memorable wedding ceremonies.

WEDDING CELEBRANT Civil or Faith based ceremonies designed for your best day ever T.ANNIE@TELUS.NET TRACY_ANN_KERR 604.966.8855 WEDDINGINWHISTLER.COM

WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022 5

wedding:

Natural nuptials Couple returns to the mountains where they got engaged for their dream day

by:DAN FALLOON

R

ight from the moment they got engaged, Kayla and Kody Blackmore’s wedding felt destined to take place in the mountains.

Kody proposed on their favourite run—Blackcomb Mountain’s Sunset Boulevard—on Boxing Day 2019.

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“Right away, we knew we wanted to get married in the mountains,” Kayla said.

They quickly set a date for Aug. 19, 2021, figuring it would allow them more than enough time to plan their dream day.

Of course, life happened. Mere months after Kayla and Kody’s engagement, the COVID-19 pandemic threw the world into disarray. In a happier occurrence, Kayla became pregnant and gave birth to their

son, Knox, just three months before their planned wedding date.

While some significant decisions had long been in place, such as the venue of Riverlands Red Barn in Pemberton Meadows and The Collective Kitchen for the catering, there was so much left to do that Kayla spent her first months as a mother pulling double duty as a wedding planner.

One of the couple’s biggest decisions was to lock in their date with a pandemicmandated 75-person guestlist, about half of what they’d originally drawn up.

While it was “gut-wrenching” to pull back some of the invitations, those no longer attending accepted the decision.

“We were able to fulfil our vision, still, just with a reduced guestlist,” Kayla said, noting the bulk of the invitees flew in from Ontario. “We had a nice time. We had a lot of family there, and we were able to have some friends. Everyone understood.”

The Riverlands Red Barn, with its stunning backdrop of Mount Currie, was an easy call for the couple to make. They found it flipping through a past issue of Wishes and locked it in right away.

“We wanted things to be as natural and personalized as possible,” Kayla said. “We made a lot of decisions to incorporate nature.

“I love that the Red Barn has the huge open doors so that we could bring the outside inside.”

Continuing that theme, green played

a significant role in the couple’s colour scheme, with eucalyptus and other natural, vivid greenery planted throughout the venue.

One recommendation the Blackmores make for the site is to rent a tent.

“I needed something to get away with, at the time, a three-month-old. I needed to be able to feed him in there, change him in there,” Kayla recalled. “Then it worked out really well for photos. It was just a really nice added bonus that it was epic lighting for photos.”

WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022 7

photography: Alyssa Sillett

Photographer Alyssa Sillett of the Whistler Wedding Collective noted that, being a bright summer day, the tent offered diffused light for great shooting conditions.

Much of the decor came courtesy of Kayla’s sister, Taylor, a woodworking artist who operates Rebels & Rascals. Among her contributions were custom wood-burned coasters, a welcome table, stumps that lined the aisles, as well as handmade linens and napkins.

Not only did Taylor come through on the decor, she also performed Kayla and Kody’s first dance song, “I’m With You” by Vance Joy, with a friend.

As for the food, Kayla was thrilled with The Collective Kitchen, which provided a plethora of locally sourced dishes while also offering a number of vegan options for the couple.

“We had a lot of food come out on big platters. Everyone was very impressed and very happy with the food,” she said.

For Sillett, one of the more memorable moments of the day occurred later when she went outside looking for candid shots. Right on theme, Mother Nature provided the

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perfect opportunity. Sillett brought Kayla and Kody outside for a toast.

“I looked up, and the moon was actually rising behind Mount Currie. I immediately ran and got them and came and brought them out,” she remembered.

“It was just really sweet capturing that.

Just having that unique moment for them, and just getting them alone together for a cheers.”

As a photographer, Sillett appreciated how prepared the couple was, letting her know in advance which shots were the most important to get while having the details organized early in the day, allowing her to get those shots completed off the bat so she could focus on candids.

Though everything came together in a matter of weeks, both Kayla and Kody recommend starting the planning phase as early as possible.

And one last planning nugget from Kayla: listen to your gut.

“Everything felt authentic. I was never doing something that I didn’t want to be doing or I didn’t feel comfortable doing,” she said. “Everything felt very us.”

As the Whistler Wedding Collective’s lead photographer, I consider myself lucky to mentor the Collective’s other talented photographers in the art of taking great care of our couples. I connect with my own clients by making sure everything is ready for them to relax and forget about the camera. Taking care of all the little details that make couples feel honoured and at home allows me to capture beautiful, photojournalistic-style images that bring my clients back to the moments and emotions of their wedding for a lifetime.

ARAEPHOTOGRAPHY . COM

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WHISTLERWEDDINGCOLLECTIVE . COM

vendors: Venue Riverlands Red Barn Officiant Jeff McAllister Flowers Flowers and Jules Decor Rebels & Rascals Handmade Creatives Rentals Event Rental Works Tent Wild Havens Pop-up Glamping Catering The Collective Kitchen

WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022 9

feature:

Shifting gears COUPLES FIND FREEDOM IN ELOPEMENT DURING THE PANDEMIC

by: KEILI BARTLETT

A

s the pandemic sent many betrothed couples scrambling to adjust their plans, it was “serendipity” for the Whistler Elopement Company, their in-house photographer Pascale Gadbois said.

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In 2019, also known as the last year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rachel Lythe carved out the new venture from her existing business, Sea to Sky Celebrations Company. She was already offering the service, and decided to make it official. The timing

couldn’t have been better.

“It really saved us in a lot of ways,” Lythe said, as their clients rebooked their big weddings as smaller affairs. “It’s one of those industries that you have to be on top of. You have to notice trends change over time, you always have to adapt.”

Just the two of us While some couples waited for gathering restrictions to lift, many decided to embrace the opportunity to pare plans down to just the “I dos.” Gadbois said elopements have been on the rise in the past seven or so years, and the pandemic only pushed the option further to the forefront.

“It really is the biggest shift in the last two years. It’s not new, but it’s definitely kind of just taking on a life of its own now,” Gadbois said.

“This was not about hiding or getting married in secret or a quick, last-minute thing. I mean, we’ve got elopements that book a year in advance,” Gadbois said, adding that the company is booking about two per week these days.

2022 is predicted to be a record-breaking year for the wedding industry in British Columbia, according to Hellosafe.ca, a website that compares Canadian insurance companies. In its overview of how the pandemic has affected nuptials in the province, the site says many pandemicpostponed ceremonies are likely to finally take place this year, bringing the number of marriages up to an estimated 31,645.

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Revenues could reach an unprecedented $900 million. These numbers are in stark contrast to the provincial industry’s financial loss in recent years, calculated to be more than $158 million.

These days Logan Swayze is not just a Whistler-based wedding photographer, but often a ceremony witness. Since 2018, elopements have accounted for more than half of his business, and are steadily increasing. When most of his shoots in between February and June of 2020 were

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cancelled, 63 per cent of his clients chose to elope. In 2021, that number climbed to 71 per cent.

The days are a lot slower, and the couples more relaxed, Swayze said. There’s more time for exploration rather than sticking to a rigid schedule.

“On a big wedding day, they get those few minutes alone to take photos. But then the rest of the day is dealing with parents and relatives and wedding parties and everything else. So they don’t have as much

time together,” he said. “They have more time with other people, which is great but with elopements, they get to spend a lot more time just with the two of them, planning the day as they would like to see it as a couple.”

That’s not to say all traditions have been thrown out the door. The “first look” has become a much more intimate moment without guests craning to see the walk down the aisle. (Videographers and photographers can also capture that moment to be shared in real-time or later with virtual guests.)

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There’s still a time and place for big weddings, Gadbois said, especially for cultural traditions. “But I think because of COVID, it kind of forced people to reassess their whole values and beliefs.”

The sky is not the limit Whistler has long been a source of accessible adventure, and the answer for many engaged couples looking for a less traditional, but elevated, celebration.

Without the need for a venue to fit their guests, venues now fit the couple.

From helicopter flights to remote glaciers, couples skiing down a mountain in their finest to a 4x4 rendezvous, people are getting married in more diverse locations than ever before, thanks to the ease (and comparably

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smaller price tag). Whistler has something adventurous for everyone, Gadbois said, which you can still follow up with the luxury of a high-end accommodations and hot tub.

Some couples opt to roll their celebrations and honeymoon into one.

Leila and Jared DeLong initially planned a New Brunswick wedding to celebrate with their East Coast families, but after planning and replanning around pandemic measures, they shifted gears to something “as grand as how we felt for each other,” Leila said.

Whistler was a natural fit, with breathtaking views and experienced vendors. With the help of the Whistler Elopement Company, the couple took 4x4 Jeep Wranglers, courtesy of Canadian Wilderness Adventures, from

Four Seasons to what felt like the “top of the world.”

“We’re able to just kind of live in the moment and enjoy our surroundings and our experience,” Jared said. “You focus on the purpose of the day, which is the marriage and the commitment to each other, and not have all these other competing interests and stresses that come with a big wedding.”

“I don’t know if I’m the first bride in history, but it was the most relaxing day, I swear,” Leila said. “There was not one ounce of stress.”

They spent most of the day together before departing in separate cars, and reuniting for that first look on a mountaintop as the clouds parted and the sun set.

Their advice to other couples is to “take a leap of faith” and do what feels right for their relationship as they enter their next chapter of life together. The DeLongs also recommend hiring help to ensure the day goes off without (or, rather, with) a hitch.

An elopement once may have conjured thoughts of Las Vegas, getaway cars and hasty courthouse weddings, but now is more likely to be a well-captured and curated celebration of love. And it’s establishing a trend that Lythe said she expects to see stick around.

“It doesn’t have any of those connotations anymore,” Lythe said.

At the end of the day, Gadbois said, it’s about two people in love.

photography: Pascale Gadbois My name is Pascale and I am the eye, the smile and the joie de vivre behind Gadbois Photography. I am a lover of life but more importantly a lover of love. I capture every kind of love because what I know to be true is that love is love. I believe that life flies by and my superpower is my ability to freeze a moment in time forever.

I am a storyteller.

G ADBOISPHOTOGRAPHY . CA

vendors: Photographer Gadbois Photography Wedding Planner The Whistler Elopement Company Celebrant Whistler Wedding Celebrant, Linda McGaw Hair and Makeup Janis Bekkering Flowers Senka Floral 4x4 Adventure Canadian Wilderness Adventure

WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022 15

wedding:

Mazel tov Keeping traditions close to heart

by: KEILI BARTLETT

A

s Tori Joseph-Rubin and Evan Rubin joined their lives, the couple was surrounded by 50 loved ones, nature and generations of tradition.

Although they initially planned a

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wedding in Toronto, COVID complicated their plans. Besides, Tori always wanted a destination celebration anyway. They cancelled their plans out East and rescheduled to one of their favourite places.

The couple loves hiking, and with Evan’s family based in Vancouver, a West Coast wedding was a natural fit.

As Tori walked down the aisle, she wanted to be able to see the mountains. To make sure weather didn’t affect their plans, the couple found an indoor venue that could do both: Whistler’s stunning Indigenous museum, the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre. With its large windows and wooden features, it brings the outside in.

Before the wedding, there were several customs the Jewish couple observed. “For me, tradition has always been extremely important,” Tori said. “It’s a big part of our identity.”

Before the ceremony began, Tori read from a prayer book, Tefillas Channah, and then she was dipped in water for the mikvah, a ritualistic bath. Then they met for the bedeken, the veiling of the bride by her groom-to-be, before signing the ketubah. The couple’s love of nature and the uniting of their families is symbolized on their ketubah by the painting of a tree

that encircles the wedding contract, its roots intertwined at the bottom.

Both of Tori’s parents walked her down the aisle, where she met her groom beneath the chuppah, or canopy, which was adorned with light roses and dried pampas grass. The bride told their florist, Erin Kincaid of Bliss Event + Design, the vibe they were going for and “she just nailed it,” Tori said. “I wanted to feel like I was outdoors, but inside.”

Their colour scheme of burnt oranges and verdant greens, warm tones and textures, could be found throughout the

details of the day, including the bride’s gown. Tori designed her wedding dress herself, and it was created from scratch

by Whyte Couture, out of Toronto. A whisper of gold shimmered at the cuffs of her light, billowing sleeves, and at the notquite white gown’s deep V. Evan’s kippah matched his green bowtie.

The rings they exchanged were engraved on the inside with a Hebrew term of endearment, Chaim shelli. “It means my life, my world,” Tori said, and is the origin of the Hebrew name they coincidentally share.

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Tori walked around Evan seven times, according to tradition. They drank a bottle of wine saved from when Tori’s mother was born. Wrapped around their shoulders, the bride and groom each wore a tallit from their late grandparents.

“I felt like he was there with me under the chuppah,” Tori said of her late grandfather, a Holocaust survivor.

As their vows, spoken in Hebrew, concluded, Evan stomped on a glass and everyone joined in a cheer: “Mazel tov!”

Outside, the couple’s guests encircled them for the horah and raised them up in chairs.

In a secluded room aptly named the Harmony Foyer at the Four Seasons, where the wedding party and their guests were conveniently located, a long table lit by the natural light flowing through the windows allowed them to gather together, family-style.

Fifty loved ones were able to join the two as they celebrated their union, and yet it still felt intimate. Vendors helped the couple bring their vision to life, even as their plans changed from Toronto.

“We were really happy with all of them.

It was definitely like a leap of faith not knowing anyone there and just trusting these vendors,” Tori said, adding that they would recommend other couples to do the same.

When in Whistler A helicopter flight was “non-negotiable if we did a Whistler wedding, because I really wanted to go up the glacier,” Tori said.

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Right before the ceremony, the couple were whisked away for some time alone in the mountains they love. In keeping with Jewish tradition, they didn’t see each other the night before the wedding.

Their first look came in the forest.

And this is where weather came into play. Battling the elements meant they were on the cusp of cancelling their flight—Tori’s hair was flying all over the place, Evan recalled. But, in the end, the moody weather actually helped play up the dramatic effect for their wedding photos.

“We got to have that adventure aspect and we got to have like the intimacy of it, being just the two of us, but then we wanted everyone there when we got married,” she said.

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photography: Logan Swayze I am a professional wedding and portrait photographer living in the amazing mountain town of Whistler, B.C. I truly love spending time with people and draw inspiration from their connection to one another within the beauty that surrounds them. Everyone has a unique story and my desire is to tell that story through honesty and creative imagery. I feel lucky every day to be able to do what I am passionate about for a living and am honoured to be the one trusted to capture people’s memories that will last a lifetime.

L OGANSWAYZE . COM

vendors:

PEDICURES LASHES FACIALS SPRAY TANS STUDIO RENTAL MOBILE SERVICES COCKTAILS CATERING

Venues Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre and Four Seasons Planning, design and floral Bliss Event + Design Photographer Logan Swayze Videographer Paul Cameron Hair and makeup Kerry Waring Music Side One Helicopter Blackcomb Helicopters Officiant Rabbi Dan Moskovitz

WWW.BEBEAUTYWHISTLER.COM WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022 19

feature:

Dancing with the stars MEET THE WHISTLER WOMAN HELPING NEWLYWEDS CRAFT THE PERFECT DANCE ROUTINE FOR THEIR BIG DAY

by: BRANDON BARRETT

PHOTO BY AMBER LEIGH PHOTOGRAPHY Dance instructor Amelie Lavoie of ALGN Whistler worked with Breanne and Jordan Allarie to perfect a jaw dropping routine for their wedding day.

by: BRANDON BARRETT

I

n her 14 years as a professional dancer and instructor, Amelie Lavoie has worked with everyone from actors to figure skaters and even equestrian vaulters, helping them to hone their craft.

But the people she enjoys teaching the most aren’t the pros.

“Why I enjoy working with couples and wedding groups like this is … they’re choosing to be there, so they’re super eager to learn, they’re already connected with each other and it just creates a really nice atmosphere to build movement and turn non-dancers into movement enthusiasts, which is my favourite thing,” said Lavoie. “My goal is to make people super stoked on moving their bodies.”

For couples looking to make a big splash at their wedding reception, the prospect of the first dance can be daunting—especially if one or both partners is unlucky enough to have two left feet. That’s why Lavoie, who opened her dance studio, ALGN Whistler, in Mountain Square earlier this year, focuses on the mental as much as the technical when teaching the soon-to-be-betrothed.

“People get really intimidated by adding choreography. When they think of dance, they

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think of routine. I like to bring a very human element to it,” Lavoie said. “The first time we come into the studio, I can see what they’re comfortable with and how I can incorporate that into their first dance so they don’t feel intimidated by the movement, because it might be something that’s more natural in their body than they actually think. Bringing that human element to it is really important.”

Whether a traditional ballroom dance or an elaborate flash-mob routine, Lavoie can customize a number specifically to the wants and abilities of the couple. A simpler routine offers more chance to connect, helping the self-conscious get out of their heads and into their bodies. But, of course, a more complex, choreographed dance is a surefire way to wow everyone in attendance.

“If a couple comes to me and says, ‘Hey, we want something that’s going to blow our guests away’ and they want a full choreographed routine, I try to encourage them to practise as much as possible,” explained Lavoie. “When you perform as a professional, you don’t want to be thinking. You want to be in the moment, enjoying your time with each other, making eye contact without being like, ‘Wait, one, two? Right, left?’ thinking about the moves. It’s probably a 50-50. Fifty per cent of

it is trying to get them comfortable with what the moves are and then 50 per cent is trying to prepare them mentally.”

Often a couple will want to mimic a dance number from a TV or movie they love.

Recreating that iconic scene from Dirty Dancing is a popular choice. (Lavoie once took part in a Dirty Dancing-inspired routine for a friend’s wedding—except these were no amateurs, but Lavoie’s professional dancer pals. Needless to say, they turned some heads that night.) The viral group dance set to Chris Brown’s “Forever” from Jim and Pam’s wedding in The Office is another favourite. But for as much as Lavoie loves working with couples and groups, “it is really fun to include the parents, because it throws off the crowd,” she added. “When you see the reaction of the people at the reception, they’re so not ready for a father-daughter dance to break out into a full routine. Those are really fun to do and super unexpected.”

Lavoie offers three wedding packages through ALGN Whistler: The Essential package for couples wanting to add some flourishes to their first dance; the Elaborate package for fully choreographed routines; and the Exclusive package for larger group numbers.

For more information, visit algnwhistler.com.

wedding:

Perfect union East and West came together for this multicultural Whistler wedding

by: BRIGITTE MAH

W

hile all weddings are a blending of families and customs, Jordan McGovern and Harjas Panesar’s Whistler union on Sept. 24, 2021 was a true fusion of their distinct cultures.

“We come from different cultures and religions, so [Whistler] gave us a good neutral

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space,” said McGovern. “Harjas comes from a Sikh background, and they have very elaborate weddings with a thousand people, and it’s a five-day event. My family got married in churches and always had traditional Western weddings. We wanted to combine them in a way and in a space that was neutral.”

Whistler has always been a special place

for Coquitlam-based pair because it was the destination of their first trip together as a young couple.

“We aren’t skiers or snowboarders,” said McGovern, “but we just love it there in the summer.”

Whistler was also where the couple got engaged. Panesar proposed in the bedroom of the Fairmont the year prior.

“We thought [Whistler] was a special place, and with COVID, we wanted to do a more intimate wedding so we didn’t have to keep postponing it,” McGovern said.

And while couples sometimes have to navigate tricky territory with fusion weddings, finding the balance between the two cultures and religions wasn’t difficult for McGovern and Panesar. On a boys’ weekend trip to Kelowna, Panesar tentatively floated the idea of getting married to his diverse set of friends. The response was overwhelming enthusiasm.

“They were so excited,” Panesar said. “They went on Amazon right there in the hot tub and within 10 minutes they had ordered [traditional Sikh wedding outfits].”

“Everyone called them the Power Rangers because they picked different colours.”

To keep in line with COVID regulations, the couple had only 24 guests at their wedding. Although they chose not to have a traditional five-day Sikh wedding, they still held a Mehndi and Bakra evening the night before they left for Whistler. Panesar’s mother made a lamb curry roast for the men while the women had decorative henna applied to their hands. In Whistler, the night before the ceremony, the couple also hosted a Maiyan evening in the hotel, where turmeric paste was applied to Panesar and McGovern to cleanse and give their skin a glow.

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“It’s a blessing from the families,” said Panesar. “There was turmeric everywhere.”

On the big day, McGovern wore a white wedding dress in the Western style, but added the traditional Sikh tikka headpiece and chura bangles, while Panesar wore a traditional Sikh sherwani, complete with turban, sword and slippers.

The turban almost didn’t make it to the ceremony, though. Panesar’s mother, who had packed the turban, couldn’t find it.

Friends back in Coquitlam even broke into the house to look for it, offering to drive it immediately up to Whistler if it were found.

“She was panicking because she thought she had left it back in Vancouver, and it’s a vital part of my outfit,” said Panesar.

But at the last minute the material to make the turban was found safe in Panesar’s mother bag.

Panesar and McGovern tied the knot at the Stone Circle overlooking Alta Lake, before their reception back in the library room at the Nita Lake Lodge, which had

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been decorated with gold elements to honour Sikh traditions, and white candles to reflect McGovern’s Boho style. Between the ceremony and the reception. they had a few moments to snap photos at the Alta Lake Station House.

“I was bawling my eyes out when I saw her walking toward me,” said Panesar.

“It’s amazing how far you can come with a partner and how much you can accomplish when you’re together and you have someone by your side. I just love her so much.”

For Panesar and McGovern, their fusion wedding was exactly what they had envisioned to begin their journey as a married couple. It was the perfect union of two worlds, cultures, religions, styles—and most importantly: hearts.

photography: Pascale Gadbois My name is Pascale and I am the eye, the smile and the joie de vivre behind Gadbois Photography. I am a lover of life but more importantly a lover of love. I capture every kind of love because what I know to be true is that love is love. I believe that life flies by and my superpower is my ability to freeze a moment in time forever.

I am a storyteller.

GADBOISPHOTOGRAPHY . CA

vendors: Photographer Gadbois Photography Wedding Planner The Whistler Elopement Company Videographer Calling Mountains Celebrant Tracy Kerr

WHISTLER COOKS CATERING

SERVING UP WEDDINGS ‘MOUNTAIN STYLE’ SINCE 1999

Using the freshest LOCAL ingredients Trusted caterer throughout the SEA-TO-SKY Experienced in ALL TYPES of service

Hair and Makeup Kerry Waring Flowers Senka Floral Reception Venue Nita Lake Lodge

www.whistlercooks.com 604-938-8835 WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022 25

feature:

Wishes’ wedding gift guide by: BRIGITTE MAH Weddings offer the perfect chance for couples to blend time-honoured tradition with their distinct personalities, and one of the best ways to add a personal touch to the big day is through customized gifts, either for your wedding party or guests.

We’ve curated some custom options that feature local makers from across the Sea to Sky.

Custom Gin: Montis Distilling Whistler • Montisdistilling.com

Custom Fresh or Dried Lavender: From The Garden Shed

For the gin lovers, gin curious, or small bottle collectors, Montis Distilling offers a custom gin program that allows couples to create their own one-of-a-kind gin to either include in welcome bags or place on the table as a favour gift for their guests.

“It’s just yours,” said sales and marketing manager Charlotte Miglin.

“It’s a lot of fun and you can do anything.”

Citrus, floral notes, fresh fruit and vegetables are popular flavours for a summer wedding, while vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and orange are popular in the winter.

Once a couple’s preference is decided, Miglin sends the ingredient request to the distillers who create your very own gin recipe. Couples get another opportunity to flex their creativity with the bottle labels, where they can use a song or poem or picture to tell the story of their gin.

Montis offers this program in two bottle sizes: a 750ml size and a mini 50ml for favours. Prices are $65 per 750ml and $10 for the 50ml with a minimum 12-bottle order. Turnaround time is roughly four weeks.

Nothing quite says romance like lavender; after all, the sweet smelling herb has been an iconic tradition in French weddings for generations, as either a symbol of luck, devotion or bedroom fertility. And because of its calming properties, purple lavender sprigs have begun appearing in bridal bouquets, bridal crowns, and anywhere it can to help a bride collect her nerves on her wedding day.

Catherine Karpman, owner of From The Garden Shed, has been growing a variety of lavender in Pemberton for several years, and she offers several custom options for couples. One of the most popular is a lavender toss, where guests are given a cone of French lavender buds to toss in place of rice or confetti at the ceremony.

“It smells absolutely lovely, even if it gets in the hair,” said Karpman.

Karpman also offers bud vases of fresh or dried lavender for the reception tables, or small posies to place at table settings as a gift for guests or sachets for guests’ rooms.

Prices range from $0.50 for a sprig to $5 for a tossing cone to $75 for a large fuseaux de lavande. Turnaround time is roughly two weeks with custom calligraphy available at an additional fee.

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Pemberton • Fromthegardenshed.ca

Custom Chocolate: Xoco Chocolate Squamish • Xoco.ca

For a truly unique treat, Xoco Chocolate offers hand-crafted artisanal truffles that come in gift boxes of two or four pieces, and with an array of fillings and colours to choose from. Second-generation Squamish chocolatier Kevin Young can match the colour of the hand-painted cocoa butter on top of the truffles to the wedding palette, and fillings range from London Fog to Rosemary Sea Salt to Salted Caramel to Espresso and even Whiskey and Pretzel. Xoco Chocolate uses only French chocolate and everything is made by hand, right down to their very own caramel recipe. Young sources local seasonal flavours such as lavender and rhubarb in the summer. Order well in advance as the hand-crafting process takes time. Alternatively, Xoco Chocolate has ready-to-go boxes that start at $5.75 for two pieces.

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Wishes granted!

1275 weddings planned … trust experience Linda@whistlerweddingplanners.com • whistlerweddingplanners.com • +1.604.938.2564

All you need to do is say “I do.”

The toasts will be inspiring and the feelings indescribable. Begin your journey at The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler where new beginnings are always celebrated.

• Picturesque backdrop of Whistler and Blackcomb mountains • Culinary expertise with the finest details to ingredients and presentation • Instinctive services for your ease of mind For more information, visit westinwhistler.com or call 604-935-4307. ©2022 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Westin is the registered trademark of Marriott International Inc.”

Photography: Emily Serrell Photography

WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022 27

YOU'VE WON THEIR HEART NOW LET US WIN YOURS.

The photographers of slow dreams and romantic detours,

Contact us to book your elopement. www.thewhistlerelopementcompany.com info@thewhistlerelopementcompany.com 604.935.9471

28 WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022

ces un experien f t s o m e h t ne of Honestly, o nned this ters had pla is s y M . d a h nd and it I've e tt e week e r lo e h c a yb was so event for m Forged Axe . h c it h a t u bove and went witho They went a . n u f d n a g . welcomin xpectations beyond my e iew

-Google Rev

BACHELORETTE & BACHELOR PARTIES PRE-WEDDING MEET & GREETS POST-CEREMONY CELEBRATIONS AND MUCH MORE! Call us to secure your Reservation

(778) 770-1878 Now booking for 2022/23 season Open 7 days a week 12pm-10pm *Reservations required

Book your experience today!

online at forgedaxe.ca or (778) 770-1878

directory: ACTIVITIES

FLORISTS

Forged Axe Throwing 778.770.1878 forgedaxe.ca

Ninebark Floral Design 604.906.0046 ninebarkdesign.com

COMMISSIONERS Tracy Ann Kerr 604.966.8855 weddinginwhistler.com

TRANSPORT Blackcomb Helicopters 1.800.330-HELI(4354) blackcombhelicopters.com

PHOTOGRAPHY

The Whistler Wedding Collective 604.902.8111 whistlerweddingcollective.com

RENTALS Event Rental Works 604.259.7655 eventrentalworks.com

VENUES

Alyssa Sillett araephotography.ca

Audain Art Museum 604.962.0413 audainartmuseum.com

Amber Leigh 604.202.9315 amberleighphotography.com

Canadian Wilderness Adventures 604.938.1616 canadianwilderness.com

ESTHETICS

Logan Swayze 604.698.6753 loganswayze.com

Daisy Lane Acres 1.778.938.0448 daisylaneacres.ca

Be Beauty Laser & Esthetics 604.962.6900 bebeautywhistler.com

Pascale Gadbois 604.815.1441 gadboisphotography.ca

Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre 604.964.0990 slcc.ca

CATERING Mountain Made Cakes mountainmadecakes.com Whistler Cooks Catering 604.938.8835 whistlercooks.com

Whistler, BC www.mountainmadecakes.com

30 WISHES WEDDING MAGAZINE 2022

The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler 604.935.4307 westinwhistler.com

WEDDING DRESSES Isabelle’s Bridal 604.986.5200 isabellesbridal.com

WEDDING PLANNERS Pocketful Productions 604.938.3800 pocketfulproductions.com The Whistler Elopement Company 604.935.9471 thewhistlerelopementcompany.com Whistler Wedding Planners 604.938.2564 whistlerweddingplanners.com

Masterpiece Moments

audainartmuseum.com Envision your perfect day at the Audain Art Museum, located just steps from the centre of Whistler Village.

Contact sales@audainartmuseum.com to connect with an Event Specialist today.

Darby Magill Photography