A Modern Tropical Wedding in Edmonton

Allison was at a party one evening after volunteering at the Edmonton Folk Music Festival when she met Pawel, who also happened to be volunteering for the same event. Like a gentleman, Pawel offered her a ride home. “Upon saying goodnight we both realized we had dead cell phones so had to exchange numbers the old-fashioned way,” Allison says. “I was scrambling to write it down on a paper napkin.” Being true festival fans, their first date was at the Edmonton Fringe Festival, and they have been together ever since.

For their wedding, the couple opted for a ‘modern tropical’ theme with a touch of boho; an industrial vibe with a little glam. They worked with a palette that included black, white and green, with gold, marble and wood accents. For florals, they included monstera, fern, banana leaf and succulents. “It was important to me that the wedding felt like 'us' so I decorated with items that I would and have used in our home,” Allison says. “Some pieces were with some quirky, which is why it doesn’t fit exactly into a theme.”

Perfecting the ideal menu was absolutely essential for Allison and Pawel. One of their caterers, the Art Gallery of Alberta, designed signature cocktails, and they had local Polish beer and vodka for the bar. They also worked with a food truck, The Crooked Fork, which came up with a customized menu for their late night snack. They sourced Pawelek and Heath chocolate bars for the candy bar. “We made sure everything was a favourite of ours, has some meaning and or was locally sourced,” Allison shares.

One of the most memorable moments of the wedding was upholding the Polish tradition. Allison and Pawel had a "welcome bread and salt" ceremony where the parents meet the couple outside of the reception with an offering of bread, salt and vodka. The bread signifies that you never one can never go hungry in their life together while the salt is to remind one of life’s difficulties. There are two shot glasses and one has water, the other vodka – whoever gets the vodka will be the one in charge in the relationship. “Spoiler alert—we both got vodka!” Allison says.

Allison Heath and Pawel Zygmunt, May 18, 2019, Edmonton, Alberta.

Photography courtesy of Pam Kriangkum. 

Vendors 
Ceremony venue: St. Joseph’s Basillica
Reception venue: Art Gallery of Alberta
Bridal gown: Vintage from the bride’s grandmother Reception gown: Xscape from Hudson’s Bay
Bridesmaid gowns: Hudson’s Bay
Groom’s tux and groomsmen attire: Indochino and Simon’s
Hair and makeup: Mai Makeup
Florist: Nature by Design Floral Artistry
Caterer: Art Gallery of Alberta, Zinc Restaurant, and The Crooked Fork
Cake: Aleksandra Zygmunt
Stationery: Beetle and Lark
Custom coasters: GM Designs Co.
Favours: Black Diamond Distillery
Music: DJ Joses Martin
Officiant: Father Roger Niedzieki Limousine: Platinum Limousine
Photobooth: Revolution Entertainment