wedding stories

Vancouver Rowing Club wedding| Lisa and Leif

When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. For Lisa and Leif made freaking lemon mering

Amanda

February 15, 2023

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5 mins

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When life gives you lemons you make lemonade. For Lisa and Leif made freaking lemon meringue pie! And any other delicious lemon recipes you could think of. These two were handed many wedding curve balls, yet they handled them with grace, love, and laughter.

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Their original wedding plans to get married at Brix and Mortar in Yale town Vancouver got halted when the world was shut down by Covid in April of 2020. There was so much uncertainty during this time but they held onto the certainty of their love for one another and still got married on their original wedding day. They were only allowed their two witnesses, the commissioner, and a photographer. Due to the fact that I live with someone who is immune compromised, I was unable to physically be there in person. I had my second shooter help me out. I stayed home and from the safety of my bedroom, I tuned into zoom on two of my computers so I could capture the reactions of their virtual guests. I think this will be one of the weirdest most memorable things I will ever remember, and share with my future grandchildren.

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Lisa and Leif had to reschedule a few times and finally, their dream celebration with all of their friends and family arrived. It was a rainy July day. We arrived at the Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver, where Lisa and Leif were getting ready. They had joining rooms so their son Garret could go back and forth between Mom and Dad yet Lisa could remain hidden. Lisa had her hair and makeup done by The Glamoury. Lisa had bought a new dress for the celebration and they decided that they wanted to do a first look. Our original plan was to go out in the courtyard which was surrounded by a beautiful garden but the rain just wouldn't stop for us. We found a secondary spot indoors that still gave them some privacy from the busy hotel lobby.

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After their private first look, we went over to their new venue the Vancouver Rowing Club in Stanley Park. Surrounded by the ocean it was gorgeous. We took their wedding party photos and had to improvise with umbrellas and find some unique cover from the rain. The wedding party got the celebrations started with a shot. Meanwhile Junie their coordinator was doing a fantastic job finalizing the reception space and getting their plan B ceremony space ready for them. The rain continued to start and stop making it difficult to make a final decision about where to have the ceremony. Their commissioner arrived and was an absolute gem keeping Lisa calm and being incredibly helpful by drying off chairs. With no luck of the rain stopping the last-minute call to have the ceremony inside was decided. There was only enough space to have only a few chairs and the rest of the guests remained standing for the ceremony. Everyone was so gracious about the situation. The most important thing was everyone was able to be there, in person, together.

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Lisa and Leif were already legally married, their ceremony was a vow renewal. They exchanged vows not only with each other but also with their son Garret to remind one another of their love and promises to each other. After the ceremony we quickly got their family photos done in the same room. Once we were finished the room turned into a play zone for the kids equipped with many games including a giant connect 4. Lisa and Leif hired childminders to hang out in the room with the kids so all the adults could relax and enjoy the ceremony. The numbers on all the tables had a location which reflected a vacation destination that Lisa and Leif had been to. Rather than their guests clinking glasses, they were encouraged to share a story involving one of the many destinations. After the many thoughtful speeches, Lisa and Leif took some time to mingle with each table. Leif's sisters put together the shoe game for them which included their son Garret. They moved on to finally having their first dance. After it had been raining all day the sun finally came out just in time to give us the most beautiful cotton candy sunset.