Meika and Andrew got married in Andrew’s parents’ backyard. They added so many personal details to each aspect of their day, from the little white cones that Meika hand rolled and strung (which made for the perfect backdrop for their ceremony), to the hand written name tags placed on each place setting, and so much more (which you’ll see below)! They truly had a dream wedding!
How did you get engaged?
Andrew and I first met in the fall of 2010 at U of C. For a brief time he was “#11” from the Men’s Volleyball team and I was “the girl in the blue shirt” who had been sitting with some of his friends at a Dinos basketball game. We officially met at a friend’s Halloween party (our costume choices shall remain undisclosed…). I first knew Andrew was a special guy when he came over to the student house I was living in with hot chocolates for me and my roommates. He started talking about the canoe trips he did at camp and how he used to go camping with his family in the badlands and look for fossils. In the 7 years since, we have enjoyed traveling, camping, fierce scrabble games, eating delicious food, and paddling together. -M
When I first saw Meika at the Dinos basketball game, I was immediately interested in who this new girl was. I asked my teammate Blake Giles if he had met her before to which he replied “Oh, thats Meika… She’s from Yellowknife.” I needed to meet her. As fate would have it, we met later that weekend at a party hosted by our mutual friend Robyn Gibson. I attempted to woo her with my best dancing moves and she found me agreeable. A month later I finally got the nerve to ask her on a real dinner date. We had deep conversations about volleyball, trains, and metal detecting. I’d never talked to a girl who would humour me and my hobbies with such patience. 7 years later, she is still listening to my rambling, but I have learned to ask her a few questions as well. -A
How did you get engaged?
Andrew proposed while we were up in Yellowknife visiting my family, he planned for us to go for a hike to Cameron Falls. It’s a beautiful hike loved by locals and tourists alike that leads you to a rolling waterfall. This is a place that I went to at least once a summer as a kid with my family and one of the “Tourist” destinations I took Andrew when he came North the first time. We cross the bridge above the falls and go right to the edge to watch the water crash against the rocks, I turn around and I literally cannot process why Andrew is down on one knee. And it was in that special place that Andrew asked me to spend the rest of my life with him.
What is the most memorable moment from your wedding?
The ceremony. Andrew and I were both so nervous about messing up (or Kim K ugly crying throughout the whole thing) but when the moment arrived we both felt at ease. We realized we had spent a year preparing for it, that everyone there was there to support us and it wasn’t some kind of performance. It helped too that our officiant is a good friend of ours and helped us shake off any nerves!
If you could give one piece of advice to couples planning their wedding, what would it be?
Decide on 3 things really matter early on and STICK TO IT!!! Ours were:
1. that and the end of the day we were actually married!
2. that our special people were there
3. that we had good food and wine
It’s easy to get sucked into caring too much about silly things that in the end won’t make a huge difference to your enjoyment/meaning of the day…also try to set a limit on when wedding planning happens. For us, at 9 pm no matter what we were doing, we would try to shut it down in order to maintain some sanity!
What was your most favourite wedding detail, and why?
Andrew’s wedding band. It is made from a 1945 silver Canadian 50 cent coin. His Oma and Opa were living in Holland during WWII and were liberated by Canadian soldiers in 1945, making it a meaningful year for Andrew’s dutch side of the family.
Vendors: Bride’s Dress: Mikaella Bridal // Boutique: Novelle Bridal // Shoes: Harriet Wilde // Jewellery: Dellalangan Jewelery // Makeup: Michelle Shampaign // Hair: Highest of Times // Groom’s Suit: Indochino // Shoes: Lloyd Shoes // Videographer: Elora Braden Creative Studios // Caterer: Food Works
Well I’m a complete wreck after going through this. Such amazing moments you captured and I know that Meika is absolutely thrilled with each and every picture. I would say more but I have to go blow my nose. Amazing.