A Breathtaking, Ethereal Wedding in Fort Langley, British Columbia

Shakeira and Roman met through their dance class. Although they had the class on different nights, they had a mutual friend who attended both and invited them to her performance. At the show, the pair got to know each other and built a platonic connection. "We were friends for a while before the romance started," Shakeira shares.

Roman, who is a video director and mixed media artist, planned a surprise proposal. "It was common for him to be a consultant on unusual projects," Shakeira explains. "Leading up to the engagement he told me that he was working on a secret contract." This 'unusual' project turned out to be a romantic video compilation of the highlights of their relationship. The day of, Roman enlisted Shakeria's cousin, who is a makeup artist, to get Shakeira glammed up under the guise that it would be for a portfolio. With the help of a friend of the couple's who owned a wedding venue, Roman conjured up an elaborate sequence of events, including video viewing, for his fiancée-to-be. "As we were driving over, he called me to let out some steam and emphasized that seeing me would be a nice break from his stressful work day," Shakeira recalls. To her surprise, Roman and his close friends greeted her, and kicked off Roman's plan by telling her all the things they appreciated about her. After the compliments and video, Roman dropped to one knee as a lettered sign that said "Will You Marry Me" was unveiled.

For the wedding theme, the couple had certain words they knew they wanted associated with their wedding. "Our key descriptors for our wedding were ethereal, intimate and romantic," Shakeira explains. They had no fixed colour palette, but would constantly refer back to their descriptors to see if each wedding aspect matched their vision.  For florals the couple allowed their florist to do whatever she thought would best fit the space. "I really trusted our florist, so I gave general direction but didn't really know how it would come to life," the bride says. The exception to this was the baby's breath installation that the bride received for free from a local store. "They were just going to throw it away, so they gave it to me for free and I stored it for seven months in my parents' garage," Shakeira laughs.

One of the bride's favourite moments of the day was her and her father's first look. "My dad can be compared to Liam Neeson in Taken, so seeing him blubber like a baby was so sweet," Shakeira says. He also gave a speech later that day expressing love for his daughter and his new son-in-law. The couple had a slightly unconventional wedding timeline: instead of having the ceremony and the reception, the couple had their reception in the afternoon, leading up to their twilight vows, which they exchanged amidst candles and their loved ones sitting on blankets and pillows in the grass.

The most emotional moment of the day happened before the wedding even started. The couple woke up in their home, they put on soft music  and drank coffee to begin their emotional day. "My younger sister Chantal passed away in 2014," Shakeira says. "The feelings of loss were tangled into all of the other excitement and happiness of the day." As she began to feel overwhelmed, Roman rushed over to embrace her as she cried into his shoulder. "I love this moment because I think it epitomizes so much of what our marriage will be," Shakeira shares. "The good, the bad, the support and love."

Shakeira MacLean and Roman Magbanua, July 14, 2018, Fort Langley, British Columbia.

Photography courtesy of Shari + Mike.

Vendors
Ceremony and reception venue: Family friend's home Wedding planner: Briar Johnston and Joey Greene of Epic Events
Bridal gown: Galia Lahav from Bisou Bridal
Flowers: Heather March of Greenstems
Sundae bar: Earnest Ice Cream
Caterer: White Table Catering
Favours: The Collective You