Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met at university but were just friends. When the pandemic hit, we started to hang out and become closer as friends. Rees had to move to Calgary for work, and we kept in touch throughout the whole year they were apart. Rees eventually moved back to Vancouver and says it was for a new job opportunity but really it was for Hannah. We started dating pretty much as soon as Rees got back, sparked off by a night of wine and dancing.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We wanted our wedding to feel industrial and “city”, and had been fans of the Monte Clark Gallery for a while, going on dates there each time they opened a new exhibition. When looking for a venue, we realized we could rent out the gallery for a day, and we knew this was the spot. Since it is an active gallery and not a wedding venue, we had to bring in every single thing used during the wedding. This ended up being a huge perk for us, as we had control over each and every aspect of the wedding, and were not locked in to any defaults that a typical wedding space requires. We were given a blank canvas, and we built our dream wedding from the ground up.
How many guests did you have?
120.
Tell us about your outfits.
Despite having the wedding in autumn, Hannah had always dreamed of wearing a short wedding dress with a cathedral length veil as the “train”. The moment she saw the elopement style dress online, she knew it was a perfect mix of understated, modern, chic and timeless. The long bow in the back is her favourite detail!
When trying to decide on a suit to wear, Rees spent hours looking through reference photos and ultimately found himself drawn to the wool suits worn in Jazz Clubs in the 60s. This was the main reference point for the suit, which was designed by Rees and his Dad with suit maker Blair Shapera. Rees’ Dad has a few suits designed with Blair, and this was a special heritage moment between a father and son. The Tom Ford textured tie and Blackstock + Weber Loafers were chosen as they both are also contemporary designs reflecting that era of clothing.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
We are both very detail oriented and had a strong vision for our wedding, so we took a lot of time and care to think through every little detail to make sure that not only was our vision achieved, but also that our guests were comfortable and enjoyed every moment. We designed the order of events and seating arrangements to make sure we created an inviting atmosphere for our loved ones which felt like an experience.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
The art gallery venue was intentionally chosen because of the way we could manipulate the space to create an experience. We were given a blank canvas and had to bring in everything, which was tons of work but allowed us the freedom to make every single choice.
We envisioned the altar flowers to be a sculptural installation. These were pretty much our only decoration, and it was beautiful to say our vows and also eat under them.
The lighting for the dance was designed to get people in the mood for dancing, without giving our grandparents a seizure. Rees and Benton (the DJ) went to a techno show a few months before the wedding and they lit the venue in solid red lights. Since red was a touch too harsh for a wedding, we chose a cobalt blue for our dance.
Rees designed the wedding website, invitations, wayfinding signage, menus and seating chart, drawing inspiration from cocktail lounge branding. We spent hours looking over fonts and paper stocks in order to find the perfect mix of timelessness and beauty for our guests to enjoy.
Rees and Hannah designed the drink menu with Rees’ Mom Alyson, who got into cocktails over the pandemic. Alyson then handmade each and every drink, batching them the morning of the wedding.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Our advice would be this: Remember what the wedding is about. At the end of the day, all that matters is you are marrying your person. The details, last minute problems, or cancellations just fall away and you are left standing with the one you chose to be with forever.
Another piece of advice: It is not your responsibility to entertain your guests the whole day! Everyone you have invited is there to celebrate the two of you and to just witness your love. You only have so much energy to give everyone, and people understand that.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Firstly, it was really really special for us to have all our vendors be people in our community, people who we have personal relationships with who all came together to create such a beautiful event.
Nicole Plett captured our wedding with such effortless beauty and we feel so blessed to have had her use her talent to photograph our wedding.
Aimee from Florals in Progress, our florist, did such an amazing job of curating our florals. Fall florals are a tough ask and she chose beautiful and unique arrangements that filled the space with beauty.
Benton Robertson, our DJ, was Rees’ roommate when Hannah and Rees started DJing. Benton and Rees had a DJ setup in their living room, and would often spend nights spinning records. Benton used these skills to keep the dance floor packed all night long, playing an eclectic mix of underground techno, UK grime, Kendrick Lamar, Taylor Swift and Ice Spice.
John Matson, our production lead, spent hours drilling our lighting rig into the ceiling and beautifully crafted the audio and lights to create an atmosphere.
Michael, our officiant, gave us a beautiful message laced with poetry about love during the ceremony.
We love all our vendors!
Photographer : Nicole Plett @nicole.marie.plett | Ceremony + Reception Location : Monte Clark Gallery @monteclarkgallery | Celebrant : Michael Chinchilla @itsmchinchilla | Planner : Patricia Toti @toti.patricia | Flora : Florals in Progress @floralsinprogress | Catering : Belgard Kitchen @belgardkitchen | Beverages : Alyson Morgan | Stationery : Rees Morgan @reesmorgan_ | Illustrations : James Caruso @james__caruso | DJ : Benton Robertson @flowerbomb.ca | Production Design : John Matson @audio.yvr | Dress: Harriette Gordon @harriettegordon | Hannah's Second Outfit : A Bronze Age @abronzeage Suit: Blair Shapera @blairshapera.customclothing | Veil: Jane Rhyan @janerhyanthecollection | Hannah's Engagment + Wedding Ring : Kinn Studio @kinnstudio | Rees' Wedding Ring : Faris @farisjewelry | Hannah's Shoes : Prada @prada | Rees' Shoes : Blackstock + Weber @blackstockandweber | Bag + Headband : A Bronze Age @abronzeage | Tie + Cologne: Tom Ford @tomford | Wedding Party Attire : Uniqlo Pants + Shirts @Uniqlo + New Balance Shoes @NewBalance, Park + Fifth Dresses @parkandfifthco