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A Rustic, Elegant Wedding In Calgary

May 26, 2015

| By Virginia Mashingaidze

Megan says Dan is the king of big, romantic gestures. For their first date he flew Megan to San Francisco! "He proposed on a beach outside of San Francisco six years after taking me there for our first date," she explains.

While planning their big day, the couple put a lot of thought into creating a memorable experience for their guests. "There is a quote I’ve always liked by Maya Angelou: “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel," Megan shares. "At the beginning of our wedding planning, Dan and I sat down and created what we dubbed 'the vibe document': basically just a simple list of the ideal feel of our big day -- how we wanted to feel and also how we wanted our guests to feel."

In terms of decor, the couple went with a rustic, elegant theme. "We are both big foodies and we wanted our wedding to be a dolled up version of the type of dinner parties we normally throw. Having the ceremony be at such a beautiful restaurant was an easy choice and we based a lot of our decor and neutral colours on the venue’s natural setting," Megan says.

Handmade and personalized details also filled the celebration. "I especially loved the cake’s special touches," says Megan. "My mom lovingly grew the succulents for the decorations and the wood slab the cake was displayed on my dad sawed off and sanded down from a fallen tree on the farm where I grew up," she explains. "We used our m+d monogram to personalize everything we could including the place cards, seating chart, and the embroidered bag for the ring-warming ceremony. It was a favourite detail because it made our day truly have our stamp on it."

Megan and Dan agree that their ceremony was a high point of the day. "Our justice of the peace asked the audience if they vowed to support us in our marriage and hearing the loud and joyous 'we do' in response was a highlight," says Megan. "We wanted our guests to feel like participants versus spectators in our ceremony and we felt so touched to look around the room and see people from all the various chapters of our life supporting us in building a marriage and a life together."

Megan Marshall and Daniel Clark, February 1, 2014, Calgary, Alberta.

Photography courtesy of Sarah Vaughan Photography.

Vendors
Ceremony and reception location: River Café
Bridal gown: Mikaella from Ethos Bridal Groom’s tux: Bespoke suit from Giovanni – The Tailor Shop Flowers: The Nosegay Hair: Alta Moda Makeup: Trena Laine
Stationery: Plush Invitations