Sherri & James’ wedding is simply everything that makes us joyful. A wedding this amazing grabs a hold of our hearts in an instant. Not only because of its breathtaking beauty and creative details, but also the natural love circling around the couple. And this bride? She deserves a standing ovation, and it only takes a quick peek at all the pretty she created for her special day to see why. Her passion and creativity made their gorgeous wedding dreams a reality. It’s truly a labor of love all captured perfectly by the talented photography team RF Weddings. Join us as we share Sherri & James’ wedding story, you are guaranteed to find heartwarming detail after another filled with love.
When Sherri met James
From the bride, Sherri: We met on a blind date back in 2008. Instantly there was a connection. We both knew it, and it was not long before we went on our second date. From there, our relationship quickly took off. Talks about our future were discussed early on, and it was something we knew would someday happen.
The proposal story
Sherri: In April of 2011, James took me to Florida for my birthday April 11. To throw me off the day before my birthday, he told me he had a surprise for me.
He blindfolded me and took me on a 30min car ride to an unknown destination. I honestly had no clue where we were going. We were nearing the destination and I could hear airplanes above. He led me still blindfolded to a helicopter pad. He was surprising me with a helicopter ride of Miami! But before we could go on the ride he knelt down and proposed! I was so overjoyed and in tears! We continued with the romantic helicopter ride around Miami but honestly the whole time I was staring at my ring!
That was it! We knew we wanted to commit our lives to each other and marriage was something we had always talked about. I knew the proposal would come some day.
Most memorable moment
Sherri: The best moment was meeting each other at the altar. Indescribable joy and happiness to marry your best friend!
Loving friends & family
Sherri: To add to our joy, we had our friends and family behind us. We had the biggest wedding party anyone has ever seen! Two Bestmen, Two Matrons of honour, 6 Groomsmen and 5 Bridesmaids! In total there was 15 in our party. We couldn’t leave anyone out and having everyone really made for interesting group photos!
The planning process
Sherri: I am an organization fanatic. From the get go, I was on top of everything! Early on I started a wedding binder and enlisted in our friend Tracy Chu who was already a certified planner to help us out. She was mostly there to coordinate “day of” wedding events. Other than that, I take credit for the rest of the wedding planning.
I had a special vision for my wedding right down to the little details! The whole planning process I really enjoyed. I really wanted my wedding to have an overall theme and seem complete. I didn’t want it to feel like a mismatched wedding, so I tried my best to ensure every aspect of the wedding flowed together. It was just me and James making all the decisions without any outside influence, which really cut down on the stress level. If I could do it over again, I would!
Challenges
Sherri: A few moments of tears did happen of course during the planning process. My bridesmaids dress seamstress got into a car accident and was unable to continue making the dresses 3 months before the wedding. Thankfully she was ok, but I was scrambling to find another seamstress. I eventually did find one, but she came with a hefty price.
As well, the original photographer we had turned out to be a flake – cancelled our engagement session date 3 times, and did not return phone calls or emails. This guy just kept making excuses, and one month before the wedding we dropped him and decided to go with RF Weddings. Best decision ever!!!
General wedding planning information
Budget: $30,000 (CAD)
Number of guests: 200
Wedding theme: Vintage Elegance
Gorgeous wedding design
Sherri: I would describe our wedding to be “Vintage Elegance”. I went with more neutral pastel colors. Timeless colors you could say (I wanted to be able to look back at our wedding and not regret the colors I chose). The main colors I chose included a mixture of pewter, and a soft pastel pink. I added some bling here and there as well to give our wedding that modern look. I opted out of the usual fabric backdrop and chose the crystal columns.
Wonderful Vendors
Sherri: One key factor that really helped bring our vision to life was the venue: Pinnacle at the Pier. Although a fairly new hotel, it really set the mood for how we really wanted to portray our wedding. That place is breathtaking and beautiful! The city views, the room décor (especially the chandeliers), food and the service are really commendable! Everything we could have ever asked for.
As well, helping our wedding come to life: Rf Productions. They really captured “our wedding”, giving us memories to last a life time!
Thoughts from the photographer
RF Weddings: Our team is always excited to attend weddings with professionally created decor. It is what makes the difference between a dinner party, and the most important night of your life.
To our surprise, the bride mostly planned everything herself! Throughout the whole day, I haven’t seen her stress about any of the details even once! The personal touches is amazing as it shows how much Sherri cares for her family and friends. The reception was beyond a celebration of Sherri & James, it felt like we were experiencing Sherri’s very heart and soul.
About RF Weddings
With dedicated in-house photographers, movie makers, and post production team, RF Weddings provides faithful and artistic photography and short movies that capture the most important moments in people’s lives in its truest and most beautiful form. The RF team offers a wealth of experties and experience to ensure that your life’s most precious milestones are faithfully documented, and that your memories last forever.
The showcase
Sherri: We really wanted to showcase us as a couple on our wedding day and really have elements of our personalities and interests showcased to our friends and family.
James usually plays rhythm guitar in his band. But on our wedding day he wanted to step out of his comfort zone. He sang the lead for the first time in front of an audience for me and really rocked it out! It was a good start to get everyone up and dancing for the night.
I’ve always been a DIY kinda girl and a passionate baker. I really wanted to showcase my talents and love for sweets with my guests. Two days before the wedding, I spent hours baking to create my very own desserts table. My passion for baking was also seen in our guest favours. Cookie mix in a jar! Our guests could take my baking home!
Find the photographer:
RF Weddings Website | Facebook
Other vendor information:
Videographer: RF Productions | Ceremony Venue: St. Helen’s Catholic Church | Reception Venue: Pinnacle Hotel at the Pier | Bridal consultant: Tracy Chu | Bride’s dress: Lisa’s Bridal | Hair and Makeup: Mink Makeup & Hair | Groom’s outfit: Hugo Boss at Harry Rosen | Stationery: Making Memories with Scrapbooking | Bouquets and Boutonnieres: Proline Trading | Tall Centrepieces: Precious Pear Floral Design | Cake: Shaya’s Sweet Creations | Crystal Columns Décor: Ina Designs | Dessert Table and Wedding Favors: Vancouver’s Sweet Designs | Linens and chair covers: Chair Décor
