Three reasons being a guest at Caterina + Mitch’s wedding would’ve been insane: 1) the dress code was “whimsical evening attire”—so fun, right? 2) they are obsessed with nature and animals, which is why they said I Do at a local park an even had s’mores right after the ceremony. And three—it was a total foodie wedding. They love entertaining and trying food and drinks from around the world, so they brought in four food stations and set up an entire dessert emporium, not to mention tons of custom cocktails, for everyone to enjoy. Ready to jump into the screen yet? Thanks to Ampersand Grey for sharing the photos below!
On finding a woodland venue, Caterina tells it, We knew that we wanted to get married in the woods but we also knew we needed bathrooms so we searched until we found a park that was wooded and seemed private but had clean public bathrooms. We also didn’t want to spend much for our ceremony (<$500) so we picked a public park instead of private areas which go for $2000-$5000 around here. Edmonton’s river valley is the largest urban park system in North America so we ended up with some great options. We rented out two very large picnic sites at centrally located Victoria park, which is under 150 feet from the North Saskatchewan River. We got about 2-3 acres in total, so we created the illusion of private space around us. We also picked sites with fire pits so we could have s’mores before/after the ceremony!
The bridal bouquet by Cory Christopher was packed with protea, ranunculus, sweet peas, astilbe, hellebore, roses, purple artichokes, succulents, ferns, and lots more. Check out Caterina’s bouquets Pinterest board for even more inspo!
Love seeing more and more alternative ‘bridal bouquets’ as of late, don’t you?
Caterina couldn’t find a veil she liked within her budget, so she purchased a nude cathedral veil from Veiled Beauty on Etsy and she and her aunt embellished it with silver lace from Lace Fun.
Even more impressive, her wedding gown was a huge labor of love, too. She embellished her Alfred Angelo gown with a DIY sash and close to 100 organza, tulle, and silk handsewn and beaded flowers. Mitch even spent endless hours cutting out petals, while Caterina designed and applied all the embellishments she had sourced via Etsy, fabric shops, and antique stores.
Just a few more highlights of their incredible DIY list…
Wedding website
Save the Dates and invitations
Paper materials and signage
Sourcing and decorating floral arrangements with faux butterflies throughout the venue
Ceremony drinks, bar, and décor
Custom cocktail recipes
S’mores station
Coffee and tea bar
They had four food stations (Morocco, California, Korea, and Mexico) that their 70 guests rotated through every 15 minutes. The dessert emporium had its own room, it was so elaborate! With food being the focus of their reception, they needed a venue that Culina Catering (who they booked first) could work well in, that had lots of space and fit in their budget. They really lucked out with a local community hall, of all places!
Caterina says, We were pretty opposed to community halls because most have no character. But this one had big exposed beams, two floors with a second-floor overlooking the first, lots of windows, and a pond with a fountain and geese. From the outside, it just looks like a big gorgeous neighborhood home. You’d NEVER think ‘hall’! We knew when we walked in it was the ‘one’ because it was rustic, beautiful, and full of character. And it was only $1000 from 9 am till 1:30 am, so we saved big there!
No surprise, coordinating this culinary adventure was one of their biggest challenges in their 18 months of planning with Hitched by Joelle. But the unique schedule was totally worth it.
Even her gorgeous head chain was a DIY project!
Such sweet little drip cakes by Sugared & Spiced in the mix.
Talk about an amazing wedding experience, right? Congrats, C + M!
Photography: Ampersand Grey / Ceremony Venue: Victoria Park in Edmonton, Alberta / Reception Venue: Whitemud Creek Community Hall / Wedding Planner: Hitched by Joelle / Florals + Design: Cory Christopher / Hair: Chelsey Morse / Makeup: Lindsey Waddell / Stationery: Cheri Shaw Design / Catering: Culina Catering / Dessert Emporium: Sugared & Spiced / Bartending: Strong Bartending / Rentals (chairs, linens & tables): Special Event Rentals / Ceremony Musician: Martin Kerr / Bride’s Dress: Alfred Angelo from The Bridal House / Sash & Fabric Flowers: DIY / Shoes: Geox & Call It Spring / Veil: DIY with veil from Veiled Beauty + lace from Lace Fun / Earrings & Hair Chain: DIY / Turquoise Engagement Ring: Nick Lundeen / Wedding Band: The Art Works / Lipstick: MAC Boldly Bare Lipliner under Marc Jacobs ‘Allow Me Enamoured’ Hi-Shine Lip Lacquer / Bridesmaid Dresses: Bill Levkoff, Alfred Angelo, & Social Bridesmaids / Groom’s Tux: Calvin Klein from The Bridal & Tuxedo House / Shirt: Eton / Oxfords: Town Shoes / Ring: Amanda Brittan / Bowtie: The Bowtie Boutique
