Choosing to get married in 2022 meant that Samantha and Evan were going to be one of MANY weddings that their guests would be attending that summer. So, the two put a lot of thought into how they could make this a night to remember. Answer: It’s ALL about the details. Samantha works in the color industry, Evan works in the light industry, and color is NOTHING without light! The day needed to be as vibrant, fun, eventful, and nothing that their guests had ever seen before (including the couple!) Music plays a huge role in the couple’s lives and relationship, so their theme of “Stairway to Evan” needed to be prevalent throughout the day. When analyzing the sequence of the day and the experience they wanted to create, each minute of the agenda was carefully thought out to bring as much detail about S + E (as a couple) alive.
The team of wedding planners at Soiree Event Planning made this day happen and photographers Joel and Justyna captured every special moment. Oh and just WAIT for the breathtaking floral details from Stone House Creative based out of Winnipeg Canada…An absolute dream! Let’s check it all out shall we?
All You Need is Love
Loving these LOVE wedge heels by Aminah Abdul Jillil!
This rockin’ invitation suite by Two Fold Paper Co. couldn’t have gone any better with this couple’s wedding theme!
Okay STUNNERS! How epic are these bridesmaids in their matching tiger print pajamas?! Talk about a squad!!
The bride first saw this dress in 2016 on Berta’s Instagram. It was one of those moments, even though she had only been dating Evan for a year, where she saw it and went “that’s the dress I’m going to get married in.”
Samantha shares with us that she’s not a fan of tradition, and she thinks we’ve all seen enough white wedding dresses to last a lifetime!! Her first piece of advice she wants to share?
Get creative. Every decision you make about your wedding ask yourself why. Is it because you think you’re supposed to do it that way/tradition? Have you seen it done before? Does that decision tie into you as a couple? Make it YOU, not what the industry, your parents, in-laws, etc are telling you to do. Live a little, and think BIG. Also…COLOR! The more color the better. Let’s put an end to this white wedding narrative.
“Not long after Evan proposed, I went on a crazed internet search to hunt-down this dress that was no longer available. I ended up finding it from a fashion influencer in South Korea, and thankfully once it arrived, it fit like a glove. The only down-side was that the train had been cut-off which was a very important piece to me.
Thankfully, we have a Godsend seamstress and haute couture art embroiderer in our city, Cathy Wiebe, and she beaded the ENTIRE train back on! She also designed and made the veil, which incorporated custom embroidery citing “Stairway to Evan” at the bottom.” How fun and personal!!
First Looks For All!
Before the bride shared her look with her husband-to-be, she first showed her bridal party for the sweetest reveal!
Another piece of advice from the bride:
Your wedding party members are NOT your servants. Don’t expect anything from them except their love and support. Express your gratitude to them every chance you get. After all, they’ve been by your side to help you become the person you are on your special day. And let’s stop putting your bridesmaids in the same color or style, it’s 2022 for God’s sake!
A Breathtaking Outdoor Ceremony
Talk about a gorgeous venue! The wedding took place at Samantha’s family property in Winnipeg, Canada along the Assiniboine River. Upon arrival, guests walked through the house while rock ‘n’ roll ballads were played on the family’s grand piano by Carlin Lemon of Big City All-Star Band. They entered the backyard where they were handed a spicy margarita and walked down to the river where the ceremony was taking place. Here, they enjoyed being serenaded by the Luminous String Quartet before the ceremony began
This colorful floral arch lit up the ceremony space and we are totally obsessed!
Processional: Stairway to Heaven – Led Zeppelin
Recessional: Raise a Little Hell - Trooper
First Dance: I Would Do Anything for Love – Meatloafii. Paradise by the Dashboard Light – Meatloaf6
Fun fact!! Guests were encouraged to wear color and Elton John-inspired sunglasses!
Before the wedding started, the MC went to the front to address the crowd about our unplugged ceremony. He brought out a costume whip and reminded guests that he would “whip them, and he’d whip em good” if their phones were taken out of their pockets!
During the ceremony, Samantha’s brother threw on a costume Pope hat and instructed the crowd to sing Meatloaf’s “I Would Do Anything for Love” while Samantha and Evan exchanged vows through the lyrics. How fun is that?!?
Dogs in weddings are one of our favorite things of all time! Look how cute this pup looks with a white floral collar!
Rock on! These two are MARRIED!
Rocker Chic Husband and Wife
“When analyzing the sequence of the day and the experience we wanted to create, each minute of the agenda was carefully thought out to bring as much detail about us (as a couple) alive. Once the sun went down, the fireworks went up, and it was the perfect segue for our guests to enter the next theme of the night: the mountain top dive bar where we first met on New Year’s Eve. From there, we danced the night away.”
Paint cans aligned the “getaway” car, a vintage fire-red MG, to signify the Duha family’s 80-year business in the paint industry. These cans were dripped in the color palette for the wedding, which was inspired by the trends from bride Samantha’s business, Color Hive, and the creative minds of Soiree Event Planning.
Rainbow Tablescapes
Color explosion bled from the ceremony into the dinner tent. Soiree Event Planning made custom velvet charger placemats and color-blocked each table in line with the wedding palette; corresponding florals matched each section of the table.
One of our favorite elements of this event design is how each table had its own color theme!!
Samantha notes: If you’re inviting guests, please don’t forget about what the day will be like for them. Yes, the day is about celebrating your love but they’re taking time out of their schedules to be there for you, so the experience should be worthwhile. We have some very strong opinions on this topic such as start time of ceremony (also: no more boring ceremonies!), quality of food, quality of entertainment, variety of beverage options (as weed is legal in Canada a bud bar should be-expected nowadays).
A Creative Guestbook
Guests were asked to sign a custom “Stairway to Evan” snowboard upon arrival, which sat in front of a mountain range mural made of Pantone colors designed and made by Michelle of the Soiree Event Planning team.
Time to Head to the Dance Tent aka Dive Bar
The dance tent, which guests were paraded to by the band as they sang “I love Rock‘n’Roll” by Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, was designed as a dive bar, Snowshoe Sam’s at Big White Ski Resort, where Evan and Samantha first met on New Year’s Eve in 2015. Each guest was handed a custom pair of ski-goggles, and provided their “seasons pass” with their names and photos on them. The dive bar set was designed and created by Creating a Scene.
The bride also did an outfit change!
“This was a custom two-piece dress that was designed by Cathy Wiebe. I wanted something fun to dance in, that could almost be used as an accessory. The French tulle skirt was an epic choice of fabric that was whipped around the dance floor all night. The paired bandeau top was made of high-end crepe with boning to keep the structure. Feathers were added around the top for an extra level of extravagance.”
Big City All-Star Band played the ceremony, cocktail hour, dinner, and dance tent. We strongly recommend having live music during dinner to keep the energy flowing throughout the night!
It’s impossible to pick just one. So instead, we’ll choose the most surprising part of our wedding day: Samantha’s mother and aunts dressed up in Abba-inspired outfits and performed choreography with the live band to Dancing Queen!
Ski-shots, booze-filled coffee provided by Knapsack Coffee, a photo booth with take-home photos, and a bud bar (weed is legal in Canada!) for everyone to celebrate our ‘joint’ union were among many of the features in the Big White tent!
Hire a wedding planner! If your wedding has more than 20 people attending, wedding planners should be non-negotiable. Photography and Videography – also non-negotiable. If budgets are tight, cut from somewhere else, don’t choose one over the other. Videography is just as important as photography
And don’t miss their film by Picture and Poet!
A huge congrats to the happy couple!
photography: Joel & Justyna // event design: Soiree Event Planning // florals: Stone House Creative // wedding dress: Berta // bride's shoes: Aminah Abdul Jillil // bride's ring: Diamond Gallery // hair stylist: LJ Rose at Aevi Salon // makeup artist: Myüz Artistry // groom attire: Danali // groom's shoes: Christian Louboutin // groom's ring: Diamond Gallery // videography: Picture and Poet // paper goods: Two Fold Paper Co // catering: Academy Hospitality // linen rentals: Planned Perfectly // specialty rentals: Creating a Scene // music: Big City All Star Band // lighting: Eventlight // photo booth: 6 Degree Photo Booth // Music: Luminous String Quartet // Event Rentals: Collective Rentals // Chair Rentals: Beyond the Lounge // Coffee Truck: Knapsack Coffee // Reception Look: Cathy Wiebe
Ho my gosh, these colors! Love it! Congrats to this couple for this amazing wedding.
It was such an honour to play at this incredible wedding! Not only were the colours and decorations some of the most beautiful we have ever witnessed, but the love around the room from Samantha and Evan and their friends is what really made it a night to remember. Great article – and thank you for the mentions!
Carlin Lemon & the Big City All Star Band