A Coffee Encounter
Jessica and Matt were married on August 13, 2011 in Vancouver, BC. The first time they laid eyes on each other was while waiting in line at a Starbucks. A coffee turned into a walk, which led to dinner that same night.

“One morning last August I awoke to find a box tied with ribbon on our coffee table. Inside the box
was a custom-designed plane ticket with hints about the destination (climate, appropriate attire, etc).
Two weeks later Matt flew me to Spain. Our first stop was the island of Ibiza. On our first evening there we
shared an amazing dinner overlooking the ocean. After finishing a bottle of champagne, Matt suggested we take a midnight walk along the beach. A short distance later, we turned a corner to find a circle of pre-lit candles on the beach. Before I knew what was happening, Matt knelt down on his knee and proposed to me.
Once my tears subsided I was finally able to say ‘of course!’ ” recalls Jessica.

Jessica wore two gowns on her wedding day. Her wedding gown was “Freida” by Vera Wang
which she paired with a Vera Wang Swarovski-encrusted crystal sash. A pair of grey Manolo Blahnik heels
peeked out from underneath. She changed into a second gown (the “Dotty”– a strapless party dress from Betsy Johnson) for dancing at the reception. Her hair and makeup were styled by Nadia Albano.

Matt, an RCMP officer, wore a tuxedo by Ermenegildo Zegna with a shirt by Armani
and shoes by Churches England. He briefly changed into his Scarlet Serge (the dress uniform
of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police) for a few photos at the reception.

“Our favourite moment of the day came when we saw each other for the first time. We chose to do so
in privacy so that we could enjoy the intimacy of the moment. Before the ceremony Matt waited for me at the
center of the hedge maze in Van Dusen Gardens. My bridesmaids helped me carry my gown through the maze
and shortly before I reached Matt, they stopped and let me go on alone. As soon as I stepped into the center of the maze, he turned around and I forgot everything and everyone else and my heart just melted.”

Matt: “When I first saw Jessica step around the corner, she looked so incredible that time really did
seem to stand still. It was truly the most perfect moment I have ever experienced.”

Bridesmaid Style
Jessica’s bridesmaids wore strapless sweetheart dresses in rose, tied with black sashes. Each girl carried
a bouquet of soft pink roses, tied with silver ribbon.

A Milestone Event
The couple hired Tanya Peters from Milestone Events to plan their wedding. Tanya also provided full-service design, decor and floral services for the wedding and reception.

Jessica and Matt were married in front of Heron Lake in Van Dusen Gardens (complete with swans in the lake
and willow trees swaying in the breeze). Crystal chandeliers and dangling Swarovski crystals hung from
of the willow trees. The aisle was lined with a carpet of pink and coral rose petals and ended with
two large floral arrangements to frame the ceremony. Jessica carried a bouquet of
pinky-coral large-bloom garden roses, tied with silver ribbon.

Reception Details
The reception was held in the ballroom of the Vancouver Club. “We wanted our reception to be like a
dinner party so we opted for long reception tables. Each table was covered in steel grey linen made up entirely
of roses. On each table there were five silver candelabras and low-lying floral arrangements consisting of corals
and pinks. Each table also had a large number of silver candles and silver chargers. In order to add a modern twist, guests sat in clear Louis Ghost chairs from Salmon’s Rentals. Lounge areas complete with low-lying silver couches and coral-coloured decorative pillows were placed in front of each of the bars,” details Jessica

Each guest had a menu card which was created out of pages from vintage books.

The vintage book theme started with the invitations, which were created by Kerri Efendi Designs. “We wanted the invitations to be romantic and whimsical with just a hint of fairytale. Kerri was amazing. She went to antique bookstores and hand-picked the books. She turned each book into a beautiful invitation and then wrapped them in specialty brown craft paper and sealed them with wax, using our initials,” Jessica says.

For Jessica and Matt, both foodies, the meal was a very important part of their celebration.
“Our favourite past-times include dining out, wine tasting, shopping at Granville Island marketplace and
creating meals in the kitchen together. All of our guests understand how important food and wine are to us
and we wanted to treat our guests to an extravagant five-course meal complete with wine pairings.
Each dish was hand-picked by both of us and so were the wines. (We are very proud of the wines produced in our province and thus all of the wines were chosen from BC.)”

Evening Entertainment
Even the music was chosen by Jessica and Matt to represent the type of music they each listen to on a daily basis,
as well as what type of music they listened to in Ibiza when Matt proposed.

RediviVus Photography supplied a photobooth to provide entertainment (and souvenirs) for guests!

Bruce Patterson of Cloud Nine Creative filmed the event.

As guests departed from the party, they were given warm cookies and milk. The cookie choices included gingersnaps, coconut and Jessica’s famous mint chocolate cookies (upon a special request from Matt). “I specifically requested that the Club use Jessica’s recipe so that I could enjoy my favorite cookies that she makes at home),” Matt recalls.

The pair honeymooned in New York City at the Plaza Hotel. They now reside in Vancouver.

Candy in vintage glassware was displayed on the cake table with a cake by Anna Elizabeth Cakes.
The glassware and desserts were placed upon stacked antique books.

Photography: Bebb Studios
Ceremony Venue: Heron Lake at VanDusen Botanical Garden 
Reception Venue: The Vancouver Club
Wedding Gown: Vera Wang from Pricilla of Boston
Brides Shoes: Manolo Blahnik Satin Pumps from Nordstroms
Wedding Planner/Decorating Company: Tanya Peters from Milestone Events
Florals: Milestone Events
Stationery: Kerri Efendi from Kerri Efendi Designs
Cake: Anna Elizabeth Cakes
Cinema Company: Cloud Nine Creative
Hair/Makeup Stylist: Nadia Albano