Custom Wedding Ceremony at the Edgewater Lodge, Whistler BC

gadbois photography

Meet Ellie and Kirk. Aficionados of Fluevog… Unique soles for unique souls. Yep. These two are unique souls for sure and they wanted their entire wedding day to reflect their personalities. Including their custom Wedding Ceremony. They knew they wanted a Wedding Celebrant, did a search and found Modern Celebrant.

It was love at first sight for me when I met Ellie and Kirk. What a fun experience to vision a wedding ceremony for this hipster couple. They definitely did not want just a pretty ceremony, with rituals and words that looked and sounded nice but were empty of meaning.  A “Boring same-old, same-old” wedding ceremony wouldn’t have suited them AT ALL!

Ellie and Kirk wanted what I am passionate about creating… a wedding ceremony created from the inside, from the heart — through reflection and learning. This thoughtful open-hearted couple shared thoughtful words with me about their vision for their wedding day. They wanted it to “…be a day to savour. A day to slow things down and let everyone who shares our wedding day take stock of the love in their own lives and realize how important they are to us.” For Kirk and Ellie it was also a chance to stamp a certain point in time and say, “This is the one I love. This is US showing our community how much we mean to each other!” Read More >

Real Weddings: Alexandra and Madhavan

“Thank you so much for such an extraordinary ceremony. It was more than we ever imagined. You captured the heart of it all, and the love between our two children. Everyone commented on your service and thought you were so wonderful. With your grace and poise you reminded me of a high priestess! Its amazing what the power of a wedding brings up – the past, the present and the future all are there in the room on the one day. It takes a very special person to bring it all together and you did that with such eloquence.” - From the bride’s mother!

When I welcomed guests to the beautiful and sacred space of their wedding ceremony, I truly meant it. Artists Alexandra and Madhavan are both from creative families. Alexandra’s mother is one of North America’s most talented textile designers and Madhavan’s mother sang a sacred love song during the ceremony. Madhavan is from India where they know how to do weddings! Hilary Miles created extraordinary floral designs to highlight the sacred Indian art and antiquities of Alexandra’s family home. Words fail me really to describe the setting… lush and heart-opening come to mind.

Alexandra was dressed in a beautiful sari with hair ornaments, jewelry, and makeup to match. What a transformation! Vancouver beauty to Indian Goddess. Madhavan too was in a fine traditional Indian suit. Alexandra and Madhavan are deeply connected to each other, and their regal wedding attire elevated what I already had come to know of them over the past months of interviews so I could create their ceremony. I designed a wedding ceremony that was a perfect reflection of them (and the family they so adore). For one of our interviews we did a potluck Indian dinner at their place. Yummy! I really enjoy making meals for or with my clients. Doing an interview over dinner is a wonderful way to get to chat and get to know people better.

But back to the wedding.  In the first photo you see the rose petals laid out so carefully at the entrance by Hilary’s team. The second photo doesn’t do justice to the extravagant draping of richly hued textiles and flower garlands. Modern Celebrant was so HAPPY! And so were the guests. Everyone loved the sacred space. It lent dignity and beauty.

I began the ceremony talking about how we don’t have many collective moments these days. And about how historically the elders of our communities found a suitable marriage match for their children. But times have changed and Madhavan and Alexandra have chosen each other. Some things do not change though… as with most couples Alexandra and Madhavan’s hope was for their union to be supported wholeheartedly by both sets of parents — as happily as if their elders had chosen the match themselves. And so it certainly was.

That Alexandra and Madhavan came together from two countries and two cultures and for their relationship to be so enthusiastically encouraged by their parents was the best wedding gift of all. As Alexandra so wisely says, “Our ceremony will be the glue that seals our families together forever.”

It was wonderfully appropriate that the hearts of the Bride and Groom were entrusted to each other by their mothers and fathers.

This was  ceremony consciously designed to involve everyone in the couple’s storytelling and transformation – from parents, to their global family, right down to the guests who shouted “Mazel Tov” at the KISS.

The Wedding Professional Team

Custom Ceremony and Storytelling by Modern Celebrant (nudge nudge, yours truly)

Flowers by the fabulous Hilary Miles Flowers.  

Catering by Susan Mendleson’s Lazy Gourmet Catering