Real Wedding: Family In The Park

Lee and Tenille had a perfect wedding day, complete with outdoor ceremony and a reception the very first weekend after restrictions partially lifted. This summer wedding in Swift Current was so much fun!

Before we dive in, a big thanks to Nikki Hartog of Captured Photography for the gorgeous (as usual) photos.

THE STORY

Tenille and Lee hired me to do their day-of coordinating after having to reschedule their original date. I am so glad they did because it was a joy to spend the weekend with their family, bringing their wedding to life!

This wedding was right in the middle of the phases of pandemic restrictions being lifted. It had already been rescheduled once from 2020 to 2021. Now, the two of them were determined to stick to their new date with whatever public health would allow them to do! Thankfully, things started to open up just in time. Tenille took two weeks off from her job as a teacher to make extra sure she wasn’t a close contact of any sick students (nothing ruins a wedding like a quarantining bride!). We were able to successfully navigate through the ever-changing guidelines, with the Plan A and Plan B venues Tenille had secured, and make it all come together for a beautiful day full of family and friends. Needless to say, I am so glad I was on maternity leave through 2020 and that this was my only true pandemic wedding!

The day started off in the usual way, much earlier for the ladies than for the gentlemen! Nikki did a fantastic job capturing the intimate moments of the morning.

Wedding morning preparations. Photos from Captured Photography by Nikki.

The ceremony went off perfectly at Riverside Park. I love working here because there are so many options for layouts, and the creek is right there to sneak in some photos. You can even stop for ice cream! I’ll do a venue review post soon.

Wedding ceremony at Riverside Park in Swift Current. Photos from Captured Photography by Nikki.

The wedding party headed off to the river hills, where they met some horses! Melissa (my day-of right hand) and I recruited some help to move the beautiful arch over to the Legion hall for the reception, and cleaned up before heading off to make sure everything was ready for the evening.

Wedding photos in the Saskatchewan Landing hills. Photos from Captured Photography by Nikki.

The reception turned out wonderfully, even with masks between tables. It was a joy to be a part of people seeing each other in person for the first time in so long!

STEAL IT

Flexibility: While you hopefully won’t be dealing with gathering restrictions that are constantly changing, you will have to navigate at least a few things that don’t go the way you had expected. Take a lesson from Tenille. Make a backup plan, and then go with the flow. Know what your deal breakers are, and let go of the rest.

Wedding speeches backdrop. Photo from Captured Photography by Nikki.

Backdrop For Speeches: This is so simple, but makes your photos and videos so much better. Put a nice backdrop behind the podium so everyone giving toasts looks great in all the shots!

Dad and his girls. Photo from Captured Photography by Nikki.

Time With Family: One of the reasons I was brought on for this wedding was that Lee & Tenille had a lot of family coming from out of town and they wanted to be able to spend time with them. If spending quality time with your friends and family is a priority for you, then a day of coordinator is definitely something to consider! There’s a balance. Tenille did all her own decorating, but for the rest of the weekend she (and her family!) were able to relax and soak in every moment.

What a wonderful day and people to spend it with! Thanks to Tenille and Lee for allowing me to share in their perfect wedding day.