Kelsey & David
Aug. 24, 2019
The Josie, Rossland B.C.
Photos by Taya Photography
“There is some debate over how we met” says Kelsey about now-husband, David, who laughs listening to the retelling of the story. “We were in business school together. We met at a friend’s hoe-down party, he came up to me and said ‘you’re in my stats class.’ I said: “No, I’m not’.” Kelsey didn’t believe him… until David had convincingly named the teacher, where Kelsey sat, and who she sat next to. “I finally said, ‘Okay, you got me!’,” she laughs. After a bit of will-they won’t-they, love soon blossomed. Flash forward a few years and, after a picture-perfect engagement in Hawaii, the couple started planning their dream wedding.
The couple’s penchant for detail and connection to family set the stage for a rustic-meets-sophisticated wedding in Rossland, B.C. David’s family has deep roots in Rossland where the couple spend time every year. After careful consideration they chose boutique hotel The Josie as their reception venue, an oasis located in the mountainous Rossland Range, but the church, St. Andrew’s, was a no brainer as it was the same church David’s parents were married in 36 years prior.
Photo by Taya Photography
Even though they knew Rossland well, planning a wedding in a different city was an unexpected challenge for the Vancouver-based couple, who credit their wedding planners (Filosophi and Wild Smile Events) for helping make their vision for the weekend possible. “We’re both working professionals and logistically it was a destination wedding, so they helped with bringing people in from different places,” says David. “ I would have never thought you could ship things from different locations, and they made it all possible.”
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya Photography
The couple’s goal for the weekend was simple: to make everything as easy and comfortable as possible for their guests. The weekend kicked off at one of the couples favourite places, local institution The Colander. Located inside an old IGA grocery store, the restaurant is filled with long family-style tables and the kind of simple, delicious Italian food—think plates of spaghetti piled high and topped with perfect meatballs—that feels like home. “It was a really cool way to say hello to everyone, fill their bellies with carbs, get them ready for the weekend of drinking and a good taste of what the Kootenays is about,” says Kelsey.
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya PhotographyThe couple wanted to include as many mementos of their families as possible on their special day. “As people walked in, we’d hung photos of both of our families” explains Kelsey. “I had an old tablecloth that my grandma crocheted that we put on the table that we signed our marriage certificate on. Little things that made the day more special to us.”
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya PhotographyThe Josie, the reception venue, is set at the base of Red Mountain and surrounded by rolling hills and ski slopes in every direction. While basking in the fresh mountain air, guests were served appetizers (including crowd-pleasing fried pickles) after the ceremony and then charcuterie boards (a favourite of the couple) while guests listened to speeches ahead of a family-style dinner. “We had a LOT of food,” Kelsey gushes. “The presentation of the food was perfect. Everything was so, so good.”
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya Photography
“The kids table was one of our oversights,” laughs David. “who would have thought kids wouldn’t want to eat sablefish?” But the staff at The Josie, he says, were perfect. “Without even missing a beat they brought out their kids menu and just brought the kids whatever they wanted.”
Photo by Taya Photography
Photo by Taya Photography
A FAMILY AFFAIR
St. Andrews Church “David’s parents got married there 36 years ago,” says Kelsey. “One of my favourite parts of our wedding was tying as much family and as many memories into the wedding as possible.” When deciding on a wedding location, “it was a no brainer. We’re going to Rossland.”
Photo by Taya Photography
THE BEST MAN AND HIS BEST GIRL
Kelsey and David’s dog, Bailey, was an important part of their special day. “That was one thing that we wanted to make sure we could have at our ceremony. The ring bearer walked her down the aisle and the best man held her during the ceremony.”
Photo by Taya Photography
SPECIAL TOUCHES
One place the couple wanted to bring a few personal touches was to their ceremony venue. “The church hasn’t changed in 36 years. Completely the same, artwork is the same,” explained David. In addition to stunning florals, the couple brought in a number of carpets and rugs to add a rustic, boho comfort to their ceremony.
Photo by Taya PhotographyRECEPTION HARVEST TABLE
“The Kootenays is all about people helping people, and a lot of the things for the day came together through word of mouth and connections,” explains David. “We were trying to find a long harvest table, and [wedding planner] Danielle found someone who knew someone who used one once at another wedding. We would have never been able to have that connection without her.”
Photo by Taya Photography
VENDORS
Ceremony: St. Andrews Church, Rossland, B.C.
Reception: The Josie Hotel, Rossland BC
Wedding Planner/Designer: Erin Bishop, Filosophi, & Danielle Peet, Wild Smile Events
Bride's Dress: Union Bridal, Joanna Delaney Studio
Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo, Chanel
Hair: Sonia Leal-Serafim
Groom's Attire: Harry Rosen
Floral Design: Olivia Jellie
Rentals: Lauren Kraushar, Perspective Event Design
Photography: Taya Photography
Taya is a Vancouver based photographer who specializes in weddings and is always up for travel. She is a storyteller with a love for natural light, little details and capturing passionate moments. Her work has been featured by People Magazine, Style Me Pretty, The Ellen Show, Glitter Guide, The Vancouver Sun and others. tayaphotography.com