Wedding | Syd & Terahn

Tell us a little about yourselves! 

We met on Tinder, and we bonded over music from the very start. Terahn can credit Tinder’s Spotify feature for helping him craft his opening line. One of our favourite early moments was going on a weekend trip to Seattle to see Alex G in concert. Going to live shows is still an important activity that we get to enjoy together. 

Since then, we’ve settled down into the west end of Vancouver and share our life with our wiener dog Hugo. When we’re not working, we’re usually out enjoying all the best parts about living here: long walks on the beach with Hugo, exploring the nearby trails, and skiing in the north shore mountains.

Why did you decide to get married where you did? 

Our families live across the country from each other so it was going to already be a “destination” wedding for some of the group. We looked into venues in Vancouver, but ultimately decided on a venue across the country in Nova Scotia, where Syd is from. 

With only 9 of us total, we were able to book Harbour Mist out for an entire long weekend. Harbour Mist is a private coastal estate with French Victorian-inspired architecture featuring timber beams, spiralling staircases, and pockets of beautifully designed spaces that gave our entire day an elevated, design-centric backdrop. 

We felt it was important for the weekend to feel like a fun and relaxing vacation for our family leading up to the wedding day itself, which included a sailboat tour with the entire family around the surrounding coastline.

How many guests did you have? 

We had 7 guests - just family.

What was your budget? 

Since there were only 9 of us, we were able to be more creative with our planning. One big advantage was that we were able to book our venue as an Airbnb. While this meant we didn’t get help from the venue with furniture/equipment or catering, we did save money that we could use elsewhere, such as for our photographer, Shaina Sterrett, and the dining experience with GourmetGab Events by Pertu.

Tell us about your outfits. 

Sydney’s ceremony dress was the Mabel Gown from One Addington, crafted in antique pearl silk, featuring an elegant bias cut, sophisticated boat neckline, closed back, flowing bell sleeves, and a romantic sweeping train. She paired the gown with simple flats from Repetto, a French ballet shoe company. Later, Sydney changed into a mini dress from Ralph Lauren - the Cape Georgette Cocktail Dress - paired with heels from Jennifer Chamandi for her second look. 

Terahn’s suit was from Suitsupply. No tailoring was needed as the sales associate informed him that he had the “most average male build“.

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding? 

The phrase we kept repeating throughout our planning was “Relaxed, but chic”. We ultimately wanted it to feel easy and intimate, while still putting effort into making it elegant. Most of all, we wanted our families to enjoy a fun, memorable weekend together with great food.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate? 

With such a small group, booking a full catering team didn’t make sense. Instead, we had a unique opportunity to look into private chef options. Splurging on a once-in-a-lifetime dining experience felt absolutely worth it, and GourmetGab Events by Pertu ended up being the perfect choice. We were able to collaborate on a custom, multi-course meal with our own signature cocktails, and wine pairings for each course.

Every detail was perfect, right down to the menus by Paper Chain Stationery, which beautifully echoed our theme: “Where the East Coast meets and marries the West Coast,” tying the entire celebration together. 

Instead of traditional wedding styling, we leaned into a contemporary, editorial look: sculptural, asymmetrical florals in a monochrome palette; sharp contrasts of white and black; clean silhouettes; and subtle nods to the coast woven throughout the day, creating a modern, contemporary vibe.

Any tips for couples getting married? 

Small weddings are great! You can always throw a wedding party with your friends later. Trust yourself and what you want.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about? 

GourmetGab Events by Pertu - GourmetGab are an amazing husband and wife, chef and sommelier duo who bring a gourmet dining experience to your home or venue. They work with you to craft a custom menu for a multi course dinner, as well as signature cocktails for a cocktail hour. Other than the actual getting married part of our wedding weekend, this was the part we were most excited for, and it exceeded all of our expectations. I know every single one of our family members will remember and cherish that meal for the rest of our lives. 

Shaina Sterrett Photography - Since we had such a small number of wedding guests, we have to give so much praise to our photographer, Shaina Sterrett, for effortlessly blending in and making everything feel so natural thanks to her documentary-style approach. Everyone in our family commented on how much they enjoyed the time we spent with Shaina. Of course, we could not be more happy with how the photos turned out. 

Li Fjur - We gave our florist Ellen with Li Fjur full creative control and we were so grateful we did. She did a fantastic job creating unique and beautiful works of art that fit perfectly with our venue and wedding vibe.

Photographer: Shaina Sterrett Photography @shainasterrett | Flora: Li Fjur @lifjur | Ceremony & Reception Location: Harbour Mist @harbourmist | Celebrant: Judy Durkee @judydurkeejp | Rental:

Element Event Solutions @element_event_solutions | Tablescape, Cake, Catering & Beverages:

GourmetGab Events by Pertu @thisisgourmetgab | Stationery: Paper Chain Stationery @paperchain.

stationery | Ceremony Dress: One Addington @oneaddington | Reception Dress: Ralph Lauren @ralphlauren | Suit: Suitsupply @suitsupply | Engagement Ring: Cavalier Fine Jewelry

@cavaliergastown | Wedding Rings: Cartier @cartier | Shoes: Repetto @repettoparis & Jennifer Chamandi @jenniferchamandi