The heavens smiled upon Shannon and Jordan’s wedding over the Thanksgiving weekend of 2020. The weather forecast called for howling winds and rain. Instead the sun shone and the shifting sky throughout the day made for dramatic photos and miraculously the rain held off. They exchanged their vows in an intimate ceremony, on French Beach, in front of their closest friends and family - and their beloved seven month old puppy:

“Including him was a point of debate through the whole planning process. How are we going to get him there and back? Is he going to ruin my dress accidentally? Will he be barking and wanting to see us as we are saying our vows? After careful consideration, we caved and declared he is our baby and has to be a part of this special day. At the end of the ceremony we raised our hands in celebration and went straight to love on our puppy. We got some of the most adorable photos together as our family of three that are filled with true joy!” - Shannon

Shannon wore a fairytale Willowby by Watters gown from Shades of White Bridal:

“The dress was more than I even dreamed of. When it came to the criteria for the perfect dress, it needed to have an open back, a bow, tulle bottom and be A-line. This dress ticked all of the boxes and took a modern spin on it that made it the perfect match for our west coast wedding.” - Shannon

The vegan reception was held at the gorgeous private The Cove at Otter Point and celebrated the flavours of Thanksgiving. Since the beginning of wedding planning the bride wanted to embrace the themes that surround that holiday, as they represent the core values of the couple: gratitude, family, and good food.

“Our catering company, Little Piggy Catering took our vision and brought it to life - all our guests despite not being vegan like us, commended the food even after the day had passed. It was truly amazing to share a meal, as a newly united family around the same table. Ooh La La Cupcakes outdid it with the perfect vegan, semi-naked rustic wedding cake.” - Shannon & Jordan

The day included some more unexpected moments, including passing whales during the bridesmaid’s photos, and the cake knife snapping mid-cake cutting:

“We were so excited to dig into our beautiful vegan cake, with a special cake cutting set that was gifted to us at the shower. As we began to cut, it was a bit difficult, because it turns out this knife was more decorative than functional. Halfway down the cake the handle snapped! OPA! And we all laughed. Until we realized there was blood on the broken knife - the groom was bleeding from the break and hadn’t noticed! Apparently this cake cutting ceremony turned into a blood shedding ceremony?” - Shannon

What advice can you offer couples that are just starting to plan their wedding?:

“Well if you think planning a wedding is difficult, try planning a wedding in 2020! The goalposts keep moving, orders from the province are crashing plans and there is not a whole lot of certainty. If we learned anything, remember to go with the flow and keep your focus on what truly matters - the union between bride and groom!” - Shannon + Jordan