“Joey and I went to the University of Alberta together. We were in the same undergraduate physics lab but didn’t really know each other. I always thought he seemed so nerdy because he would leave the lab before I was even halfway through the task.
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We truly met each other on a Halloween pub crawl a year later. We exchanged numbers that night and ended up going on a date after the said pub crawl. We lost contact for years as I moved to Ontario to pursue a second degree. But funny how fate drew us together again years later… and we started dating!
After 6 years together, Joey proposed to me in Edmonton before we left for a trip to Asia (before he had even met my extended family!). He decorated a gazebo and hung up lights. It was cold and snowy in Edmonton that day and I remember I saw a fiddler playing and thought we were intruding on the fiddler’s performance. I assumed the fiddler was recording something for Youtube or Tiktok! But Joey ended up getting down on one knee that night and I’m pretty sure I muttered “finally!” under my breath at one point.
I didn’t expect to throw a wedding until 2021 but with COVID-19, everyone seemed to postpone their wedding, so Joey and I decided to elope and make it official! We planned everything in less than four months.
As for my wedding dress, I actually visited 6-7 different bridal stores in Edmonton. I probably tried on more than 40 dresses but didn’t quite find the one. I knew exactly which style I was looking for when I saw this dress online, it was Ronald Joyce’s Carlotta and I knew it was what I was looking for. I took the plunge and ordered the dress online from Butterfly Bridal Boutique in the UK without even trying it on. I had faith I picked “the gown” because I had tried on similar dresses but none of them were quite perfect. This dress caught my eye because it was the perfect mix of classic, romance all with a touch of glamour. I wanted my dress to reflect who I was, and this dress suited my personality perfectly. To accessorise I purchased earrings from Swarovski and pumps from Valentino. I had a plain cathedral veil as well.
The ceremony was at Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta, Canada. When I was a little girl, Lake Louise was the most beautiful place I set my eyes on. I remember I was in awe when the sun hit the lake, the water would sparkle like diamonds. It was always the place I imagined myself to walk down the aisle.
We also wanted to have some adventure mixed into our day, so we went on a helicopter ride through Rockies to get some epic wedding photos.
Planning a wedding is stressful but during COVID, it was even more stressful because things kept changing day-to-day. I knew I wanted the day to be about us and to celebrate our love. We ultimately decided to only have immediate family as we saw our marriage as a union of two families and didn’t want the rest of our families and friends to have to travel from afar.
My top tip for brides-to-be is to celebrate without judgement!! The day flies by fast! Cherish every single moment. Don’t let the small things weigh you down and just enjoy the day with the people you love most. At the end of the day, nothing really matters but the love you have for each other.
The best part of the wedding was spending the day together, even though I was freezing the whole time when we were taking photos. I also loved our pilot, Ralph who took us around in the Heli. He made sure I kept warm in between photos and even offered me his mitts!”
Many congratulations to you both! We are so pleased you loved your Ronald Joyce wedding dress, thanks for letting us be a part of your special day.”
Photographer: Darren Roberts Email: photography@darrenroberts.ca Instagram: @Darrenroberts
