When historical charm meets creativity, the result? Perfection. This DIY masterpiece held at the ever-amazing Aberthau Mansion is truly inspiring. With a plethora of creative details and sweet intimate atmosphere, Samantha & Guillaume’s wedding shows so much heart. We are head over heels in love with this bride and her whimsical, creative DIY ideas. She literally planned all the details and handmade everything, including the venue decorations, wedding favors, cake topper, bouquets, boutonnieres, garter, and even her own veil. It’s downright amazing. The talented Roxana Albusel Photography captured all the gorgeous details of the day flawlessly. Through Roxana’s natural and romantic style, we see the true joy glowing from the bottom of the couple’s heart. Let this personality-packed pretty-fest brighten up your day.
The love story
From the bride (Samantha): Guillaume and I met in our undergraduate degree at university. We became friends quickly and after I graduated, we continued our friendship, becoming best friends. We began our courtship in 2012 and were engaged in January of 2013. Guillaume is now attending Optometry School and I have followed him to the United States to support this phase of his education.
Wedding planning general information
Wedding theme: soft, vintage and romantic
Color palette: light pink and white
Number of guests: 70
Budget: $10,000
Favourite moment from the ceremony: their kiss during the ceremony.
Favourite moment from the reception: Having Samantha’s dad playing in a classic rock band during the reception was a huge favourite with the crowd.
Favourite details: The white picture frame chalkboards made by the couple, and the crystal vases (borrowed and bought from various thrift stores)
Thoughts from the photographer
Roxana Albusel Photography: What made this wedding the most special is the fact that the bride did everything herself and I mean EVERYTHING. From organizing every single detail, to making all the decorations and centerpieces, styling her own hair and make-up, creating all the wedding favors (which were gorgeously scented soaps), making the cake topper, boutonnieres, bouquets, garter and even her own veil! She also made gorgeous white picture frame chalkboards. I have never shot a wedding before where the bride was so directly involved and did such an amazing job with such a low level of stress! To say this is a DIY wedding is an understatement! Throughout the whole process, Samantha was so incredibly organized and easy to work with!
Roxana Albusel Photography: Also special was the gorgeous venue. Wow, what a beautiful venue. Aberthau Mansion has maintained its old charm over the years and it is so much fun to photograph inside. From the gorgeous rustic library, to the beautiful staircase and the amazingly lush grounds, there was definitely no shortage of photo opportunities.
Gorgeous DIY Details
Samantha did all of the wedding planning on her own, extending to decorations, flowers, hair and make-up, wedding favors, DJ’s music, providing the wine and making the cake topper, boutonnieres, bouquets, garter and veil.
About Roxana Albusel Photography
Roxana: I’m Roxana and I run Roxana Albusel Photography by myself. My love of photography started on a backpacking trip around Europe in 2009, where I had the opportunity to see endless beautiful sites and take thousands of photographs that I was lucky to share with friends and family through social media. The joy I had in playing with photographs, coming up with creative angles and editing them afterwards, helped me identify photography as a huge passion and embark on this wonderful journey as soon as I arrived back in Vancouver. Based on my travel photography and my eye in seeing the world around me, I started having requests for weddings, family and engagement photography, and the rest is history. I am so deeply in love with what I do and I cannot wait to see what the future has in store.
I’ve been very lucky to have a lot of support along the way and work with a lot of wonderful people. I’m always trying to evolve my style and learn more with each wedding I photograph, while also maintaining my natural style and my ability to keep my clients comfortable and relaxed. I have been shooting weddings for over three years and am lucky to have passed 40 weddings at the end of this year. My style is soft, candid and dreamy. I love capturing soft, intimate moments between couples while encouraging them to be themselves but also offering direction if they need it. The large majority of my couples love how comfortable I make them feel during sessions and that’s one of the things I’m most proud of.
Find the photographer:
Roxana Albusel Photography Website | Facebook
Vendor information:
Venue: Aberthau Mansion, West Point Grey Community Centre | Second Shooter: Joanna Moss Photography | Dress: Sottero & Midgley | Catering: Catering Visions | Live Music: The Bluz’rs (with guests) | Wedding Cake: Melissa Grosart (Bridesmaid and friend of the bride)
