Fernie British Columbia Wedding Tara Whittaker Photography | Via MountainsideBride.com
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Sweet and Peachy Fernie Wedding in the Mountains

Fernie British Columbia Wedding Tara Whittaker Photography | Via MountainsideBride.com

Janelle + Jody’s beautiful late summer mountain wedding  in Fernie, British Columbia is the perfect picture of rustic elegance. The peach and gold details, unstructured greenery and woodland details came together beautifully. Tara Whittaker captured every sweet detail and poignant moment.

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Janelle + Jody
Fernie, British Columbia
September 12, 2015

Wedding day weather: Sunny with a slight breeze, around 27 degrees celcius
Number of guests: 120
Your budget: $25,000 CAD
Biggest splurge: Hiring a Wedding Co-ordinator
Biggest savings: Having Drink Tickets instead of an Open Bar

Why did you choose the Mountains for your wedding?

We love escaping to this little mountain town whenever we can. Whether it’s in the summer to go camping at the lake or in the winter to brush up on our snowboarding skills & cosy up in a cabin. We love the serenity, the community, the fresh mountain air and all of the things to do in Fernie. So when we got engaged it was an easy choice. Plus, the scenery is incredible no matter where you are or where you look.

Wedding day theme:

Rustic Elegance – a mix of woodsy-inspired decor mixed with a touch of lace and sparkle.
Our colours were light grey and soft peach with copper/mercury accents mixed with wood & white decor.

Where did you find your inspiration?

I scoured many websites of wedding photographers looking for inspiration in terms of colours, decor and photo ideas.
I also spent many hours browsing Pinterest and purchased many little touches from Etsy including the cake topper, bridesmaids’ jewelry and wedding favours (match boxes).

How did you choose to personalize your wedding?

We met while travelling through Australia and continue to share a passion for travel together. We were able to include personal touches through the table numbers which had photos of us in different countries around the world and doubled as our “kissing game” as our guests guessed where the photos were taken in order to get us to kiss.
We also bought an old, second-hand globe to have our guests sign instead of a traditional guest book – something we now proudly display in our home.

What was your favorite part of the reception?

The speeches made by our Best Man, Maid of Honour and Parents were all very thoughtful, creative and memorable – we certainly felt the love in the room!
Also, my father-daughter dance was incredibly special to me (we danced to “Dance Baby Dance” by Chris Cagle).

What are three things you’re super glad you did?

Hiring a wedding co-ordinator was at the top of the list – Rachel from Mountain Bride brought our vision to life down to the last detail. She also kept us on track in terms of planning the wedding and eliminated all stress that could have been involved in our wedding day had she not been there.

We rented two beautiful houses on the ski hill in Fernie – one for the groomsmen and their significant others and one for the bridesmaids and their significant others. Given this was a mountain escape for our wedding party, many of whom traveled from across Canada, we wanted to ensure they had an awesome time as well. So rather than have everyone individually book hotel rooms, we were able to all stay together – spending quality time together creating new memories. It also worked out to be a bit less expensive for everyone and much easier to coordinate getting the bridal party together and where they needed to be.

We wanted the reception to be in a room that was beautiful on it’s own – not something we would have to cover up with lots of decorations. The clubhouse at the Fernie Golf and Country Club is simple and well set-up, with a stunning view of the mountains and nothing that needed ‘covering up’ (i.e. ugly carpets, tacky paint, out-dated decor). Because of this, we were able to keep the decor simple and just accent the beauty that was already there. We were thrilled with how it turned out.

What was the biggest challenge in planning your mountain wedding and how did you overcome it?

The fact that the wedding reception venue was open to the public until about noon on the day of our wedding and again first thing the morning after. I didn’t know how we would find the time or man-power to set it all up and tear it down within that time frame.
We decided to hire a wedding co-ordinator to overcome this – essentially someone who set up, decorated and tore down every last detail to do with our wedding ceremony and reception. She also sorted out all of the logistics, kept everyone on schedule, and co-ordinated all of the vendors involved. It was the biggest relief not to have to worry about a thing on our wedding day and to be able to take it all in and enjoy every moment.

How did you find and choose your vendors?

We tried to work with as many local Fernie vendors as we could and given it’s a small town there weren’t many to choose from, which made it easy! Luckily they were all fantastic and extremely professional – from the party rentals company and florist to the cake-maker and hair stylists.

The coordination company we worked with, Mountain Bride, also had a Rolodex of vendors to choose from which was really helpful.

But mostly we looked online – which is how we found our photographer, Tara Whittaker, for example. I believe I stumbled across her name on a bridal blog and immediately connected with her style.

What is your best piece of advice to other mountain brides who are planning their weddings?

Try to enjoy the process and have fun with all of the planning – if you’re stressed out along the way you’re not doing it right. Think about what’s truly important to you and go from there. If your budget allows it, hiring a wedding co-ordinator will probably be the best money you’ll invest in your wedding day. Also, don’t be afraid to ‘let go’ and delegate tasks.

Fernie Wedding Vendors

Wedding PhotographerTara Whittaker | Venue: Fernie Golf & Country Club | Wedding Coordination: Mountain Bride | Party Rentals: Patti’s Party Tent Rentals Wedding Cake: Piece of Cake Fernie Wedding Cupcakes: Crave Cupcakes | Florist: The Green Petal | Hair Stylist: Sparrow For Hair | Linen Rentals: Celebration Creation | Shuttle Bus Rental: Mountain High Shuttle | Live Music: Cadillac Junkies Bride’s Dress: Eddy K  | Groom’s Suit: Harry Rosen | Bridesmaid DressesDonna Morgan | Groomsmen Suits: Tip Top Tailors