Real Weddings

Elegant Winter Wedding in Calgary, Alberta

Not only is today’s classic winter wedding from Calgary wedding photographer Tkshotz a knockout, the bride is wearing a custom wedding gown that she designed herself, together with her mother. How unreal is that?! A total winter wonderland wedding, this wedding has a candlelight ceremony,  romantic woodland shots and the perfect lakefront wedding venue. Highlights our hearts are loving include the perfect design of the mantle piece that acted as the backdrop for the wedding ceremony, the bride’s wedding dress (how could we not love that back?!) and her elegant casual hair as well as the woodland inspired wedding tablescapes. Hear more from the bride and meet the entire Creative Team after the jump!

Bride in white dress smiling holding white bouquet Bride in white dress holding white bouquet standing in snowy field Bride in white dress stands away from man in black suit on snowy pathSuperimposed white flower bouquet over bride in white dress and groom in black suitBride and groom embrace on snowy forest pathBride and groom embrace bride holding suit jacked and white boutonniere Candle lit wedding reception with black benches with white bows facing large white fireplace Candles and white bouquets placed on old white fireplace and mantle Candles and white bouquets placed on old white fireplace and mantle Bride walks with man and woman smiling while linking arms Bride in white dress and veil embraced by man in black suit by fireplaceGroom smiling looking at bride in white veil with groomsmen in backgroundOfficiant reads while bride and groom stand apart and audience watches Bride and groom kiss while embracing by candle lit fireplace Bride and groom walk holding hands down aisle as audience applauds at sides Bride and groom kiss underneath antler chandeliers as guests applaud

From the bride:

Daniel and I got engaged in November, in San Francisco. We had the crazy idea of getting married in Calgary in a couple of months so that my grandmother (who had a terminal illness) might be able to make it as well as other family members who were in Calgary who couldn’t travel. My parents were both born and raised in Calgary so I have spent a lot of time there and have a ton of family and friends there.

We always wanted to get married outside, but in February in Calgary that wasn’t an option. So we looked for places with big windows and were looking for something rustic. We found the Lake House and were sold! Since we were planning the wedding from afar, we wanted a venue that had the wedding thing nailed down so the Lake House was perfect. They even had an in-house pastry chef that made our cake.

As for the dress, I had always wanted to make my own wedding dress with my mom. We had made my prom dress and a couple of others over the years. My mom had always thought/wished I was kidding. Hah! I was serious. So over black Friday we pulled the trigger on 26 yards of satin. I wanted satin twill and a clean simple look with a big full skirt/train. We don’t live in the same place so we were traveling back and forth from San Francisco to Orange County to work together on the dress. We spent New Years in SF designing a template, and then many weekends in January making a mockup. Finally, in February we started with cutting the white satin, the first cut was so terrifying! But in the end, it turned out exactly how I wanted it! Complete with pockets! … We finished it at the last second though, I was sewing the tails onto the bow literally before we got on the bus to go take pictures!


The flowers were done by Daniel’s mother and sister. She is a retired florist and his sister is trained in wedding florals/design specifically. I have always loved what they put together so I gave them full control. I didn’t even know what flowers they ordered until I got to Calgary!


In the end, the dress turned out better than expected, the flowers were gorgeous, both of my grandmothers were able to attend the wedding, and it snowed!! All of which Calgary wedding photographer Todd Kwiczak and his team at Tkshotz Photography did an amazing job capturing!

Bride in white dress holding white bouquet Bride and groomm kiss as bridesmaids and groomsmen celebrate arms raised Bride and bridesmaids walk arms linked holding burgundy and white bouquets Bride and bridesmaids hold maroon and white bouquets in line Bride stands behind groom looking back in snowy forest clearing Bride standing in white dress holding white bouquet to side in snowy forest fieldBride and groom clink glasses in front of candle lit fireplace Groom holding bride waist holding white bouquet in front of candle lit fireplace Large wood black house with snowy shingles on cloudy sky Wooden wedding sign on wood aisle under candle lit and antler chandelier Black wood chairs seated around long brown tables under dimly lit candles and antler chandeliers Small wedding gift coaster on burned wood beside place setting and green table runnerBride and groom embrace at the end of candle lit table in front of fireplaceBride and groom toast table as guest lift glasses Bride and groom drink from can on one knee in front of fireplace and podium Bride and groom on one knee celebrating in front of podium and fireplaceGroomsmen holding grooms arms smiling in snowy forest field White wedding cake with maroon floral accents and flowy fondant Bride and groom kiss underneath large circle chandeliers Bride and groom kissing overtop bride spinning large white dress blurred Bride and groom kiss holding hands underneath large circle chandeliers Bride and groom embrace under large circle chandelier Guests dance and laughing under dimly lit chandelier lights Bride and groom kiss outside large black cabin while snow falls around them

Sources

Tkshotz Photography/The Lake House/Paper Doll Weddings/The Lake House/Bride and Mother of the Bride/Bellamore Beauty/Happy Wife Happy Life Entertainment