Calgary Wedding Photographer
Deane House Inglewood, Calgary
Wedding Vendors
Venue – Deane House
Coordination – Coco & Ash
HMUA – Sydney Janzen
Florals – Chickweed Florals
DJ – Sounds Unlimited
Rentals – Modern Rentals
Dress – The Bridal Boutique
Bridesmaids’ Dresses – Park & Fifth
Suit – Indochino
Rings – The Goldsmiths
Officiant – Friend and bridesmaid Danielle
A Note from the Photographer
Leah and Sam’s garden wedding at Deane House was stunning, intimate and filled with emotion. It was also so fun, vibrant, exciting and filled with surprises.
Their wedding was a celebration of the life they have built together and of what’s to come.
It was impeccably coordinated by Chelsea at Coco and Ash. The vibrant flower arrangements by Chickweed Florals were spectacular — vibrant is my new favourite. The ceremony officiated by their friend Danielle was heartfelt, beautiful and tailored to their love story. Their bridal party was on point and dressed magnificently. I could keep going but I might run out of fabulous descriptive adjectives! So I’ll just say it was a perfect day and they are so in love.
Now for the surprises.
They came from the speeches and the weather — in the form of well told stories, a very interesting doll brought forth by the maid of honour, a loud helicopter flying a Canadian flag doing loops around us, and a torrential downpour to top it all off. Seeing the staff a the restaurant sacrificing themselves to deliver warm food, the coordinator holding an umbrella over the sound system because the tent set up over it was starting to fail, the DJ scrambling to move the cables and lights away from the rain, and the guests’ amazing reactions through all of it *was eventful* and showed that the people around this bride and groom were ready to do whatever it took!
How amazing was it to have so many friends and family come from all over to be there on your wedding day?
“It was truly such a special feeling. All we wanted on our wedding day was to be surrounded by those that we love. A wedding is a unique opportunity to gather your favourite people in one room and for them to meet each other. We are absolutely amazed by the effort people made to be there, travelling from all over the world. As much as we wish we could have spent more time with each person, I hope everyone knew just how special they are to us.” — L
“It was also amazing to see the level of support that some of our Calgary family and friends showed to out-of-town guests. Many families provided a place to stay for our guests (the hosts didn’t always know their guests before hosting them!), making the trip more accessible and inviting.” — S
How was your overall experience at Deane House?
“Fantastic! I mean, how can it not be fantastic when the staff literally sacrificed themselves during a torrential downpour to make sure that we had dinner! That’s truly amazing.”
What went through your minds when a massive thunderstorm brought a torrential downpour during the speeches?
“That downpour felt magical! It made the night feel even more romantic and real — sometimes when it rains, it pours! When Sam and I went on our first backpacking trip to Southeast Asia together, we often got caught in monsoon-like downpours. Sam taught me how to embrace the downpour and enjoy the moment no matter what. And, that’s exactly what we did on our wedding day! I loved not being worried about my dress getting wet or muddy, and it allowed me to be fully present in the moment surrounded by those I love most.” — L
“One of the themes in those speeches that night (and in my family in general) is “It’s better that way”. This means essentially that it is up to you to determine how you react to adverse events, and when possible it is best to look on the positive side. That was on full display during our wedding day. The rainstorm, the flash-flooding dining hall, the music cut-out during the father-daughter dance. All of these could have dampened the spirits of the party, but the reactions to those adversities were calm, positive, and made for some of my favourite moments of the day.” — S
What was your favourite part of your wedding day — if you can even pick one?
“I’m going to pick two.
A very special moment for me was standing at the back of the tent, with both of my parents, one on each arm, getting ready to walk down the aisle to Sam. Sam and I did a first look, and during it I felt surprisingly non-emotional — I was just so excited! But when I was standing with my parents, that’s when it really hit me that I’m marrying the love of my life and I’m so lucky to have my amazing parents by my side to guide me down the aisle. Another favourite part of the wedding day was the speeches. The speeches were so personal, thoughtful, and touching and they made me feel so surrounded by love.” — L
“Another highlight of mine was the ceremony. It was very very fun to have a whole field of my people there for me and for Leah. I loved Dani’s officiating, Leah’s vows, getting the chance to say my own vows, and then walking down the isle with a bunch of happy-looking people on either side.
Honourable mentions:
- I was glad that my dad mentioned Lisa’s upcoming/ongoing battle with cancer. I did not expect this, but it felt nice to have that out in the open.
- The personalized letters were received well. I had a lot of heart-felt thank you hugs post-dinner. I am glad that we did that.
- Dad’s table-vault fail.” — S
Valerie Richer Photography 
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