Real Weddings

Real Weddings Planning Guide 2014

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the Dream Team Photographer Ronnie Lee Hill Photography ronnieleehill.com Venue & Catering The Brew Creek Centre thebrewcreekcentre.com Bride's Dress Reem Acra, from Blush Bridal blushoccasions.com Hair Alicia Rollins (Pomp and Proper Salon) pompandproper.com Kate Shadin silkhairdesign.ca Makeup Cindy Leyland cindyleyland.com Groom's Outfit Indochino indochino.com Groom's Shoes Cole Haan Décor Celebrate Events celebrateevents.ca Flowers Billie's Flower House billiesflowerhouse.com Cake Ganache Patisserie Decorated by bride's sister, Kirsten Bilinsky ganacheyaletown.com Disc Jockey Joni McCurvy Jewellery Elsa Corsi (Swarovski necklace & earrings) elsacorsi.com Pearls ("something borrowed") Wedding Rings Fifth Avenue Jewellers fifthavenuejewellers.com 302 See our iPad issue for even more photos real weddings planning guide 2014 p28-31 Erin+Ryan weding.indd 30 Sylist Erin Bilinsky and contractor Ryan Robinson had been together for eight years before Ryan popped the question while the pair was on holiday in Mexico in January 2013. A huge sigh of relief ensued from Erin's family, who had known the day would be in store for the previous two years. The couple had previously taken a year to travel, which was when Ryan had originally planned to propose. "For one reason or another, it just didn't quite work out on that trip, so I was just waiting until we could go on holiday again," explains Ryan. The two married in Whistler just six short months after returning from Mexico. "We weren't planning for it to be that fast," says Erin, "but one of our ideal venues had a cancellation, and we just decided to go for it." The outdoorsy pair spend a lot of time in the mountains, either hiking or snowboarding, so the Brew Creek Centre, a peaceful retreat in Whistler, was the perfect venue to create that vacation feeling, while still being close to home. "The most important thing for us was finding a venue with a lot of outdoor space, where it could also be really private and intimate," says Erin. Once they had decided on the location, the look and feel of the wedding began to take shape. "The venue was really rustic already, so we built the theme around that," says Ryan. They found a décor company in Vancouver that fit the bill perfectly, but spending large chunks of the budget getting everything delivered to Whistler didn't seem like the best use of funds. Then a friend recommended Whistler-based Celebrate Events, which could provide the same style, within budget. "It just so happened that they partner up with Billie's Flowers in Squamish that we already loved — so it just worked out great," says Erin. Casual, flexible and rustic were the key words that Erin and Ryan focused on during the design of their day. While they set the colour scheme and overall feel that they were trying to create, they allowed the florist and décor designers the freedom to make the most savvy choices. "Ryan had to sit me down during the process and say, 'Isn't this why we are paying people? So you don't need to freak out?' and from then I just decided to go with it and trust the experts with everything," says Erin. "If we'd had more time, then we would have done everything ourselves, but as it was, it was definitely better to leave it to the pros." "Everyone kept saying we were dream clients," laughs Ryan. Erin and Ryan became the first couple to hold their ceremony in the garden area of the Brew Creek Centre. "We thought it was just perfect," says the bride. "It was unique too," adds the groom, "nothing was symmetrical at all. Most of the guests were piled on one side or perched on the planters. Some people were a bit freaked out by that, but we were just like, 'They can sit in the bushes, we don't care!' It was totally relaxed." In fact, the entire wedding day had a relaxed feel. The groomsmen and bridesmaids were given a colour scheme but invited to choose their own outfits. "I just turned to Ryan and said, 'This is either going to be beautiful or one hot mess,' " says Erin. Luckily the pair's friends chose well. "We put a lot of trust in people, and everything turned out even better than we expected," says Erin. "There's enough drama in life without worrying about every little detail." rw 13-11-26 11:57 AM

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