DIY Spring Decor

One of the reasons for wanting to have two shows this year is to display seasonly-themed wedding decor. Using repurposed vintage bedding and lace curtains this handmade fabric garland will be on display at the Mini Spring Pop-Up Fair.  To reflect the West Coast spring colours, yellow is our main colour theme at the upcoming show on April 21st.

Cutting fabric rounds of 3-4 inches and sewing them in mixed colours of 10 circles each we are creating beautiful and easy fabric garlands.  Each bundle is knotted along the string to ensure they all stay neatly in place.  All fabric used was collected from thrift shops and given new life.  The wonderful thing about this type of garland is that it can reused to decorate almost any event post-wedding.

The paper pinwheels are cut from pages in an old German book that was marked for recycling.  The text and font are quite exquisite.  The pages are folded accordian style and then 2 sheets are glued together to create the circle.  When cut in different dimensions and used together in a display they create a lovely backdrop. 

All handmade elements and many more will be on display at The Grassroots Wedding Fair Mini Spring Show. 

Article and photos by Shona Dion, sweet earth photographics.

Handmade, Repurposed, Burlaps Coffee Bags

Starting today on our handmade burlap gift bags for all of our guests.  Saltspring Island Coffee graciously gave us their extra burlap coffee sacks.  We shall make good use of them.   We visited their Richmond store and picked up a nice bundle to start with.

We are not like other wedding fair where you receive swag bags full of advertising material.  As we are a homegrown event we try to give all of our guests their own wedding favour as they leave.  In the past we have given away flower seeds and macaroons.  This year we will have a handmade 3D paper heart in our little handsewn bags to give out. 

I will give a shout out now to all my little crafty helpers who really go above and beyond the call in helping me pull all the DIY elements together.

True Vintage Inspirations

Finding vintage table settings and decor is like  treasure hunting.  It is a dedicated pastime which requires a commitment.  Not all of us have time to dedicate to the search.

For those couples wishing to add vintage elements to their wedding need look no further than Aroka Vintage.  Dawna Graham researched and collected for 2 years before opening the first Aroka Vintage in New Westminster.  Aroka Vintage is now located at 2231 Clarke Street in Port Moody in a beautiful old house that is a storefront for not only the incredibly tableware and vintage decor collection, but also a treasure trove of true vintage finds and local artisan creations.  This collection includes themes for 1930′s inspired weddings, place settings of fine bone china for up 150 guests, furniture, a harvest table, quirky novelty items such as antique bingo cages, chalkboards, table settings and more.

Aroka’s new website will be up in April 2012 with photos of this extensive collection.

Dawna Graham has a unique love of vintage and has a passionate, undying love for the past.  She is captivated by the stories that objects leave behind.  The store is still evolving but trust that only true vintage items are found in Aroka.  No reproductions and no claims are made on items unless Dawna is 100% certain.  Aroka Vintage will always offer authentic finds and this will never be compromised.

The few local artisans that Dawna carries in her store have vintage elements in their creations whether the jewelry be reworked or repurposed or items found made into new.  “Inky & Boots“, “Secrets From the Cove“, ” Whatever Lola Wants…” are a few of  the artists Aroka Vintage carries.  ”There is no labour of love” without the upcycling and handmade element in the items she carries.

Dawna herself creates handmade treasures such as an updated 1970′s chandelier revamped with vintage piano sheets or vintage watchpocket faces sitting atop of pinwheels made from antique music sheets.  Everything she creates for the store must also include making something from something old.

By late spring and summer Aroka Vintage will be host to bridal shows, tea parties and small weddings.  With a working kitchen,bathroom and a large backyard along with Dawna’s vintage decor the space will welcome a myriad of visitors. 

Aroka Vintage only has wedding dresses that have passed inspection by Dawna.  All items in the boutique ‘bridal room’ have been scrutinized, are nearly flawless and are professionally cleaned.   Dawna specializes in her vintage finds and does not carry dresses that may compete with other bridal stores.  Her only compromise is carrying the vintage inspired handmade creations of Pure Magnolia.   

The lace gloves and stockings, purses, hats and feather fasteners are near mint. The bloomers, jewelry, handkerchiefs and pillows are all unique finds.  Aroka also has formal dresses which can be worn by the bridal party or simply because of a love of vintage.

For those couples who are truly inspired by history and a love of the past, vintage themed weddings are not merely ‘trendy’, but a true reflection of oneself.  For those who have a commitment to hosting a wedding that is eco-friendly and handmade, then take a visit out to Aroka Vintage in Port Moody or come and see the wonderful display Dawna will have on hand at the Mini Spring Grassroots Wedding Fair on April 21st, 2012!

article and photos by: Shona Dion, www.sweetearthphotographics.com

Cowichan Valley Homegrown wedding

 

Photos and article by Kiss My Flash Photography

We met Jenn and Dave at The Grassroots Wedding Fair in 2011 and Eugene and I were really impressed by their vision for their wedding celebration.  It was a real community affair and an incredible amount of love and energy went into every detail.

They were married at Dave’s family home in the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island on August 6th, 2011.  The family spent the months leading up to the wedding landscaping the garden and growing all the flowers and some of the food for the big day.  Their friends and family carpooled in a day or two early and helped with making decorations, serving food, running errands, singing, making speeches, cleaning up etc.. It was inspirational.  Jenn’s mother-in-law, Judy, is a designer and has a large format printer, so she made all the signage and Jenn herself made the pinwheels for the bridesmaids and the “Just Married” sign for Dave’s dad’s gorgeous yellow 84′ Chevy Pickup Truck.  They also made table centre-pieces from photographs of Jenn and Dave growing up and potted plants and herbs from Dave’s aunt’s garden that people could take  later as gifts.  The day before the wedding the bride went tubing in the nearby river with her bridesmaids.  In the evening they had a lovely rehearsal in the garden and a hearty homemade family dinner.

The Big Day.

August 6th was a hot, sunny day with bees buzzing and flowers blooming all over the property.  The whole thing was laid back and beautiful.  The wedding party woke around 10 and after a leisurely breakfast the house was entirely a-bustle with activity.  Eugene and I split up so he could shoot the groomsmen getting ready and I could photograph the ladies.  The guys shaved down by the river and dressed in khaki suits bought at Zara on Robson Street.  They exchanged jokes and shared a cold beer before the ceremony. 

The ladies toasted with sparkling wine and laughed as they did their makeup and hair in the great big mirror in the Bridal suite.  Jenn looked gorgeous in a floor-length ivory modified A-Line with a  trumpet-style skirt, sweetheart neckline and lace back.  She had looked for a 2nd had dress, but she searched and searched and couldn’t find the right one.  She was looking for an informal wedding dress that she could feel comfortable in and she fell in love with this one because it was simple with minimal embellishments and fit her body and hugged her curves just right.

As guests started to arrive they were  ushered to their places in the garden, which was ablaze with colour.  Jenn walked down the aisle on her father’s arm to “You and Me’ by Lifehouse performed acoustically by her cousin Erik.  Their parents were beaming as the couple held hands under the handmade bower at the top of the garden exchanging rings, vows and wishes for their future.

After the ceremony the bridal party took off right away and we spent an hour or two in golden grassland at the nearby Stoltz Pool area of the Cowichan River Provincial Park.  The photographs turned out beautifully.  The six friends were incredibly relaxed and fun.  The lighting was perfect. 

When we arrived back at the reception the tables and chairs had been set out all over the lawn and people were sipping drinks and laughing as the sun set.  The drink of choice was Red Racer beer from Central City Brewing in Surrey and Jenn’s dad prepared a 26oz bottle of margaritas as a special surprise for her.  The dinner itself was just incredible with wild salmon that was bbq’d by Dave’s dad while we were gone.  Much of the food preparations was done by Eatables Unlimited Catering based out of Mill Bay and it was delicious: there were rolls, chicken, salads, humus etc… and to finish a Dairy Queen Wedding cake, an old favourite of Dave’s. 

Eugene continued shooting candid photographs of the party and I ran the photobooth, which was a real hit.  We set up studio lights and arranged an easel, empty photograph frames and a wicker couch.  Jenn and the ladies had handmade cute props like mustaches, glasses and hats.  Guests wandered from the shoot to the dance floor and back as the evening turned to night and the garden started to glow with lights and sparkle with laughter.

One thing that stays with me about this wedding is how even during the busiest moments they still seemed to find the time to create amazing personal moments. To top it all off Jenn and Dave are currently on a year-long honeymoon trip bicycling to South America together.  What an incredible beginning to a fabulous life together.

Catherine McLaren, Kiss My Flash Photography