Brides Magazine featuring the Chloe Dress
Amber and Cameron are die-hard adventurers who met by complete chance at a youth hostel in France in 2004. "What makes it even more incredible is that I'm from Canada and Cameron is from New Zealand!" says the bride. The amazing coincidence led to a long romance and, in 2012, Cameron got down on one knee on top of a volcano in his native New Zealand and asked Amber to be his wife.
In addition to their love of travel, Cameron and Amber love to sail, so the pair infused their wedding day with a nautical theme. "We didn't want to get too formal with our theme," says the bride, who chose an un-fussy palette of ivory, steel blue, and blush. "Our goal was simply for people to be relaxed and have fun." On August 9th, 2014, they wed in front of 113 guests at Brock House Restaurant, a venue Amber has loved since childhood.
Rebecca Amber Photography captured every airy detail, brought to life by Jessica Minnie of Petite Pearl Events.
The bride carried a bouquet of dahlias and roses studded with eucalyptus seeds. Florist Olla Flowers used nautical-inspired buttons to secure the ribbons around the handle.
The five bridesmaids wore pink chiffon dresses made by Hrissa Soumpassis, a friend of the bride and designer of Elika in Love.
A toddling two-year-old flower girl was given a wreath of roses to wear with her white dress and Mary Janes. "But she refused to wear it!" Amber recalls. "It didn't matter — she was adorable nonetheless."
The couple wed beneath a towering tree with views of the Pacific Ocean behind them. Guests were given cones of rose petals to toss as the couple recessed. The cones, made by the mother of the bride, were assembled from nautical charts.
On an oar — so fitting with the nautical theme — Amber and Cameron hung a brass bell, on loan from the bride's father. The officiant rang the bell as he pronounced the couple man and wife, and it continued to clang as they walked back up the aisle to "Safe and Sound" by City of Colour.
At the reception, held beneath an open-sided tent, wooden oars served as runners along banquet tables dotted with mason full of blackberries, arranged by Amber's mother.
Instead of chargers, each place setting included a crossword puzzle designed by the bride. "I wanted to get guests talking to each other," she explains.
n between trips to the dance floor, Amber and Cameron took time to relax on Brock House Restaurant's outdoor furniture, which they decorated with nautical-themed pillows.
Reflecting on their wedding day, Amber has this advice for soon-to-be brides: " Keep things simple so that you can focus on the things you enjoy. The most important thing is that you, your husband and your loved ones have fun. Everything else is secondary."
Ceremony & Reception Venue: Brock House Restaurant || Day-Of Coordination: Jessica Minnie of Petite Pearl Events || Hair & Makeup: Kelli of Sweet Styling Space || Bridesmaids' Dresses: Elika in Love || Groom's Attire: Burberry || Florist: Olla Flowers || Cake: Soirette || Photography: Rebecca Amber Photography