The Kelowna Wedding at Laurel Packing House

Update: Full gallery at https://www.drahtphotography.com/gallery/the-laurel-packing-house-wedding/

Kelowna has a lot of places to shoot wedding formals, you just have to look for them. They’re hidden away, like the location just above. It was tough to choose just one header image. So, here’s the runner up.

So, you might already be thinking, “Hey, I recognize those two!” And you’d be right. We had an amazing engagement session last year, even though it rained.

No rain today, though. That’s the beauty of a March wedding. At 13º it was feeling just right. Not too cold, and not too hot. I arrived at our groom’s house a little after 9.

It was a lovely little corner apartment, filled with charming knick-knacks from wall to wall.

The groomsmen were busy – laying out tiny bottles of alcohol, polishing shoes, and writing out speeches. Very important jobs for very important people.

The hard work paid off, the boutineers were arranged, and we had a handsome groom ready for the day. It would seem that way.

I made my way to Antidote Hair, by the waterfront. I had no trouble identifying my bride.

The mood was light. Everyone was cracking jokes, and our incredible bridesmaids made sure they party didn’t stop. Custom pineapple drink jars could be found everewhere.

We were having fun. Drinks and snacks were being passed around, and the music put a bounce in our step.

Soon enough, we made our way to the Coast Capri Hotel. This is one of my favourite parts of my job – getting to see the dress before anyone else does. I’m an absolute dress nut. I started with my detail shots.

Time was moving far too quickly, approximately four times normal speed if I were to hazard a guess. Our bride took her dress to get ready. Outside, I made small talk with her father. Daddy-daughter first looks can be tricky. Some people are expressive, and other people are not. He turned to look outside the window. His daughter, now a bride, walked up behind him to tap him on the shoulder.

His face said a thousand words. She spun for him, and they hugged. I can’t describe the feeling in the room at the time. It was intense.

We were ready to head to the Laurel Packing House for the ceremony.

It exceeded my wildest expectations. Edison bulbs hung from the ceiling, and everywhere I looked, I saw candles and fairy lights. It was like something out of a dream. Look at the detail on that arch!

The ceremony was absolutely thick with feeling. Hand written vows, inside jokes they’d both laugh at.

And then, soon enough, the kiss and the recessional.

We made our way to a nearby park for the formals. An air of solemness and dignity was appparent.

And the wind….

It was time for my favourite time, time for the bride, groom, and I to sneak off at get some photos. Just the three of us. Their time is the most valuable on this day, I consider it such an honor to have this opportunity.

I had scouted out a few locations a week before. I liked this one for the colour theory and leading lines. And, then we have smoke too.

And would you look at this train….

We were almost late to the reception. Once we got there, some fairly unique cake-toppers awaited us.

Unfortunately, though, this is where I’ll have to leave you.

Keep in mind, this isn’t all the photos. This is a sampler, 37 of the photo taken today. There’s a full album coming out in about 3 weeks, though. It’s a wonderful story, mesmerizing in every moment.  This is simply a sampler, a selection of a few favourites throughout the day to show you.

If you personally know the bride and groom, feel free to contact me by clicking here. Let me know who you are, along with the bride and groom’s name, and I’ll make sure you get a link to the finished album!

If you know someone who’d like to see this sneak peek, feel free to click one of the share buttons on the top or  bottom of this entry, to share and tag them! Although I try to get the word out, a lot of family members and amazing bridesmaids and groomsmen don’t know about these samplers!

Thank you for reading this far. I put a lot of time and work into these sneak peeks so it’s great that you’ve taken the time to read all this!

If you’d like to keep a picture, even on mobile, just click it and it will open in a separate window. You can save it from there.

Lastly, if you’d like to stay updated, feel free to follow me on Instagram, facebook, twitter, or Tumblr for frequent updates. Talk to you all in a few days!