Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/508032
realweddings.ca 23 Gemma and Matt's lighthearted wedding was loaded with relaxed, rustic appeal, from their chosen ceremony setting amongst the trees of a Port Moody park, to the wild greenery woven into the décor and into the bride and bridesmaids' hair, to the sweet and simple homemade waffle cake. "I don't normally talk to strange guys I meet at the Roxy," grins Gemma Spierings. But it's a good thing she gave Matthew Parker a chance when he approached her one evening at the Vancouver nightclub where she was out meeting friends – three years later, they're now married. "I thought she was so adorable. I couldn't let her walk by without at least talking to her," says Matt of that fateful night. 'e pair hit it o', and four months into the relationship, they were "pretty much living together," laughs Matt. A trip to 'ailand a year later con"rmed for both of them that they were simply meant to be. "We spent so much time together while travelling and were getting along still – I just knew then that we were the right match," he explains. Matt started planning for a Christmas proposal, but when the engagement ring was completed two weeks early, he just couldn't wait to pop the question. He invited Gemma's mother, a photographer, over to capture the moment under the ruse of a holiday photo shoot. "Right in the middle of the photos, I asked her." Gemma runs a bridal hair and makeup company, Gems Hair and Makeup, so she was well prepared to plan a wedding with Matt's help. 'ey decided on a September date to steer clear of Gemma's busy wedding season while making sure out-of-town guests could still enjoy some of Vancouver's late-summer beauty. 'e wedding colours took inspiration from the season: navy, peach and glitter gold "tied in darker fall colours with some summer playfulness," says Gemma. "We wanted to keep things casual and fun." 'ey settled on a guest list of 115 and locked in their venue – Old Orchard Hall in Port Moody – just a few weeks after Christmas. "It had everything. It was on the water but still in a meadow setting with a forest area for photos," Gemma notes. When it came to selecting vendors, it was truly a personal a'air. A friend of Gemma's acted as the day-of coordinator, and almost every vendor was known personally to the couple. "It made the whole wedding more fun for everybody because there were no strangers at all," says Gemma. 'e hall was decorated with handmade banners of colourful fabric strips and twinkling lights, but the standing ceremony took place outside, beneath the trees. Gemma had reservations about the chair-free con"guration initially, but in the end, she loved it: "Because everyone was standing, they were gathered closer to us. It felt like everyone was part of the wedding, and not just watching it." A vintage chandelier hung from one of the branches above, and the bride and groom gathered in front of a reclaimed, ¡ower- adorned door to exchange their vows. Gemma wore a soft, ¡owing Oleg Cassini gown and glittering gold heels, while Matt looked dashing in a pale peach shirt with navy-blue pants. A casual, playful menu celebrated the couple's favourite foods: guests