ELEGANT & EFFORTLESS

Two brides, string lights galore and a surprise fireworks show at a stunning summer wedding.

À§ É ’§ Õ §ª© or a colour scheme that mattered to Jessica Regan and Shelley Moore when they began planning their wedding—it was about creating a space where everyone felt comfortable. Everything from the long tables at dinner to the seating chart was designed to help people mingle and have a great time. “It kind of felt like you were coming for Sunday night dinner,” says Regan, a teacher and facilitator of an apprenticeship program in schools. Moore put her professional skills as a

consultant on inclusive education to work by creating an elaborate, colour-coded seating chart for 280 guests. “We rearranged the whole wedding seating plan so that every table had a combination of Jessica and Shelley people and a connector,” says Moore. Guests said they loved it and got to meet new people comfortably. “Mission achieved,” says Moore with a smile.

Both brides made a list of their top three priorities for their wedding, but beyond that they didn’t have a big-picture vision for the day. Moore and Regan valiantly attempted to plan on their own for four days, but it didn’t quite work out. “The reality hit of the school year and there was no way we were going to do it without help,” says Regan. They enlisted the team at Smitten Events—who were “worth their weight in gold,” according to Moore— to create their dream wedding at North Vancouver’s Pipe Shop. With the directions to keep things simple and incorporate greenery, planners Jordan Maxey and Devon Dunn exceeded the brides’ expectations, bringing in string lights and lots of greenery from Our Little Flower Company to enhance the natural beauty of the space.

DANCE IT OUT Queer as Funk was a no-brainer for their wedding band. “We wanted Queer as Funk because they are very much a connector. They make people comfortable,” says Moore, who also happens to be friends with the band (inset, middle right). After tearing up the dance floor until about 11 p. m., everyone went outside to watch the Canada Day fireworks over the water.

FAMILY STYLE “I wanted people to feel like they were coming over for dinner with us,” says Regan. But the cost of family- style serving was “astronomical” so they made do by serving dinner bu  et-style with a long-table seating arrangement (right).

DRESS TO IMPRESS Regan eschewed a white wedding dress in favour of a custommade gold skirt and white top by Pure Magnolia. Moore flew all the way to Brooklyn to have her suit custom made by Bindle and Keep (opposite, left). Regan also got a custom-made suit that she changed into for the reception (opposite, bottom right)

COAST TO COAST The Pipe Shop was the perfect venue that appealed to both their backgrounds (centre)— Regan is from B.C. and Moore grew up in Alberta and lived in New York City. “It had a B.C., West Coast-feel, but it had Alberta heart, and it had New York City class,” says Moore. “It kind of brought everything together.”

MAGIC MENU “I am the cook of the house,” says Regan, so food was a top priority. Tru  les Fine Foods put on an impressive bu et that included mushroom risotto and butternut squash dishes. For dessert? Fresh, handmade pies from Savary Island Pie Company.