A Sunset Ceremony in Osoyoos, British Columbia

Ali and Jody Graham had known each other since high school. The two remained in each other’s social circles throughout adulthood, during their respective first marriages: “He actually coached my son’s hockey team,” Ali says, “and our kids were friends.” After not seeing each other for five or six years, the two ran into each other at a ski hill in January 2020, “and we’ve been together ever since.”

The couple got engaged about six weeks after the ski hill reunion — on March 22, 2020, just when the Covid-19 pandemic had shut down most of North America. But, to hear Ali tell it, the pandemic didn’t stymie their wedding planning much. “We had picked July 2021 for our wedding date right from the beginning,” she says. “We picked the venue, we booked the photographer, and we figured that, by summer 2021, the pandemic would be over.”

Of course, that wasn’t quite the case. Luckily for the two, Ali herself is an event planner — she’s part of the team behind Whispering Details in Penticton, which runs weddings as well as other events and gatherings — so she was well-versed in making a few last-minute pivots. “It was still quite stressful!” Ali says, laughing. “We needed to learn to just go with it, and to adapt to whatever was being thrown our way.”

In the end, the wedding, which took place at the Spirit Ridge Resort in Oosoyos, had a guest list of 50 — down from 150 — and revolved around a sunset theme, with the wedding ceremony itself taking place on the resort’s rooftop at sundown, with the gorgeous Okanagan Valley as a backdrop. The reception didn’t feature a sit-down dinner; instead, guests mingled over Tequila Sunrise cocktails and snacks, then enjoyed a pared-down party by the resort’s pool, as capacity restrictions prevented the reception from continuing on the resort’s rooftop past 9 p.m.

Take a look at more photos from the couple’s sundown ceremony —from the rooftop reception to the poolside party — below:

Photography: Life & Love Photography

Vendors
Planning + Design:  Whispering Details 
Venue: Spirit Ridge Resort
Florals: Janine Cumberland at Enchanted Florist 
Food/Catering: Adam Bailey at Spirit Ridge Resort 
Cake: Kaswa Cakes 
Officiant: Carole Bird
Dress: Lisa's Bridal
Suit: McPhail Kilt Makers
Hair/Makeup: Beyond Beauty