A Whimsical Travel-Themed Beach Wedding in Victoria, British Columbia

Laurin and Manuel chose a travel-themed wedding because of how they met—while backpacking ten years prior in Costa Rica. "Manuel is German and I'm Canadian, and a lot of our life together has been travelling as well as living in different countries around the world," Laurin shares.

Inspired by living on an island and Laurin growing up on Salt Spring Island, the couple chose to get married on a beach at The Beach House restaurant. Because of this, it was only natural to incorporate soft, relaxed beach colours, which included light turquoise and mint, with white and gold and greenery. "We wanted the entire look to be relaxed, fun, and representative of who we both are and who we are as a couple," Laurin shares.

The signage, calligraphy and DIY decor were some of Laurin's favourite details. "I did all the graphics and stationery myself, but when it came to the chalkboard signs, I was a little shaky and handed it all over to the fabulous Ximen of XM Calligraphy, and she did not disappoint," Laurin says. "I hand-painted 5 globes for our ceremony and reception decor, including a globe for our guests to sign as a guestbook and I just love the way they turned out, plus they were so fun to do. They now adorn our house—we need more space to display them all."

Opening up the dance floor at the reception was a highlight of the evening. "I've been to so many weddings and you usually get about half the guests up if you're lucky, but when ours opened up, 99% of the guests jetted to the dance floor and started to bust a move," Laurin recalls. "Everyone was laughing and smiling and so happy, it was just amazing to have everyone that mattered to us in one room, happy and having a fantastic time."

Laurin Kelsey and Manuel Schriek, August 30, 2019, Victoria, British Columbia.

Photography courtesy of Ashley & Brandon Photography.

Vendors
Venue: The Beach House Restaurant
Wedding planner: Abby Stratton of Memory Laine Events
Bridal gown: Truvelle from The White Peony
Bridesmaid gowns: Shades of White
Groom's tux and groomsmen attire: Moores
Hair: Erin Bradley
Makeup: Erica Harris
Flowers: Thorn & Thistle
Guitarist: Jill Cooper
DJ: Chris Poynter