Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/663757
26 real weddings spring/summer 2016 The firsT Time LAuren JOnAssOn and David Alexander met, at an event in Banff, Alberta, both were "taken." When they ran into each other again a year later, single, the spark was undeniable. And, though it was clear from the start that "forever" would be their reality, it took a tiny, unintentional nudge from David's mother to jump-start plans for marriage. "Lauren's parents have a house in Vernon, and we love spending time there – we're both wine fans and, for that, there's no better place to be," David explains. "We were actually in the Okanagan doing some spring skiing with my parents, when my mom mentioned the area would make a nice spot for a wedding. at sort of planted the seed." e next step was the engagement – something David was determined to make a surprise. His sweet proposal included breakfast in bed – Prosecco, orange juice and salmon-stuffed croissants – along with a notebook filled with memories of his and Lauren's relationship to that point. On the last page, he asked if she would marry him. "I had no idea it would happen that day, that way; it was an incredible, intimate moment," Lauren says with a smile, adding that wedding planning, with a vision for a fun, pastel-hued affair in the heart of B.C. wine country, began "pretty much right away." With local venues quick to fill up, the couple felt fortunate to find that Painted Rock Estate Winery – a 60-acre property overlooking the eastern shore of Skaha Lake in Penticton – had a summer 2015 opening. Once their date was booked, they asked Laura Lebbon of Kelowna's English Rose Weddings to help organize their big day. "e challenge of planning a wedding from a distance, from Calgary, was pretty much solved by our decision to hire this amazing, well- connected planner, who knew and could actually recommend the best vendors in the Okanagan to us," Lauren says. "Laura took care of everything… to the point that we knew we didn't have to worry at all." e one element that presented some hurdles, however, was arranging travel and accommoda- tion for 95 guests – nearly all of whom would be coming from out of town.