Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/127001
Right: Erin's sons, reluctant to witness any smooching, covered their eyes when the groom kissed his bride. Below: The bridesmaids wore matching J.Crew dresses of silk chiffon in a soft shade of green. "when I was standing nt to him he opened his eyes and stted grinning om e to e." 30 With Kirkland House surrounded by lush fields and flowerbeds and her nuptials taking place at the height of summer, Erin sought much of her inspiration from outdoor garden parties of yore. "I describe my personal style as antique and vintage, and I wanted to keep with the theme of an English tea or an old-fashioned picnic," she explains. "That's where I got the idea for the teacups, the jam jars and glass bottles filled with wildflowers, the white tents, the lace. I wanted the day to be full of sunshine and flowers." On the morning of August 25, Erin headed to Kirkland House to prep with her bridesmaids. As their hair and makeup were being done, she learned that Andrew's car keys had somehow ended up in her purse, leaving him stranded at home. "One of his friends drove all the way to Ladner and back for the keys," she says, smiling. "It put a bit of a hiccup in the schedule, but the important thing is he made it." Once Andrew arrived, photographer Erin Gilmore staged the big reveal of the bride to her groom. Erin was the picture of romance in Spanish designer Manuel Mota's graceful Puebla gown, featuring organza and antique lace, with a high ruffled neckline and buttoned back. "Andrew was standing with his hands covering his eyes, looking handsome in his khakis and pink suspenders, and I walked down the stairs as I would during the actual ceremony," Erin recounts. "When I was standing next to him he opened his eyes and started grinning from ear to ear." "It was almost like an out-of-body experience, like I was an actor on the set of a movie," Andrew adds. "The best way I can describe it is 'magical.' " After a sweet ceremony under the shade of a gazebo, the newlyweds' 80 guests were invited to "sign" the guestbook by stamping their fingerprint on an illustrated family tree before sitting down at two communal-style tables for lunch. "We stuck with light, summery foods: tomato bruschetta, cold chicken and pink lemonade," Erin says. "We also had a signature drink — a raspberry mint mojito — and served cupcakes instead of traditional wedding cake for dessert in order to stay true to the high-tea theme." With stations set up around the property to encourage exploration, guests played lawn real weddings SPRing / SUMMER 2013 p28-33_Erin+Andrew.indd 30 13-04-22 10:33 AM