A few years ago, Meg + Daniel set off on an adventure to Medellin, Colombia for a friend’s destination wedding. They were so taken with the lush + vibrant surroundings that—when they started wedding planning themselves—they just couldn’t shake the memory of the unforgettable colors + atmosphere they fell in love with in the tropics.
That’s how this moody, tropical wedding day came to be!
Bride Meg White is no stranger to the wedding world. Her work as a stationary designer for Vancouver-based event design + rental company Bespoke Decor means she’s been part of many couples’ special days. With her wedding to now-husband Daniel in the works, Meg turned the day’s design over to her colleagues at Bespoke Decor and the planners at Smitten Events. From there, this swanky, botanical celebration took shape at The Wallace, a blank canvas of an industrial venue in North Vancouver that functioned as the perfect backdrop for the day’s cohesive + immersive design vision.
The color palette was rich. The floral arrangements were full of tropical greenery + blooms. The decor was packed with creative details. And! There was a piñata.
We cannot get enough of the gorgeous pictures from The Apartment Photography. Let’s take a look!
“Our florals were from Encorce Florals, who worked alongside Bespoke Decor to surprise us and we were obsessed with all of the details,” says Meg. “From the bouquet, to the statement ceremony pieces, to the tablescape florals featuring fresh fruit (many of our guests kept asking if it was real), the florals truly took the looked out of this world.”
The First Look: Pt. I – Meg + Daniel
How did bride Meg find her lovely, lacy, butterfly sleeve wedding gown? “Surprisingly I was influenced by an Instagram ad from Vow’d Weddings for my wedding dress about a year prior, and after some research, video consultations, and ordering it online, I knew it was the one.”
Save The Date Beauty created Meg’s wavy, intricate half up half down bridal hairstyle.
Also, we are loving Meg’s chic white pointed toe wedding boots from Lulus! Boots always pair so well with a boho wedding dress vibe.
The First Look: Pt. II – The Venue!
“We were lucky to have *two* first looks – one with each other and with the venue before guests arrived,” says the couple of the special part of the day when they got to see the space for the first time.
“We let the Bespoke Decor team take lead on the design and completely surprise us day-of (they rocked it!). They designed all the decor areas from the ceremony, to the reception space, to the lounges, to the bar and decor vignettes. We were blown away by the details and how it all came together to create a moody ambiance.”
Loving all of the different rich colors and textures that Meg’s crew incorporated with their looks.
If you’re loving the earthy tones in this tropical color world, check out our collection of the best sage green bridesmaid dresses!
The Reception
“For the seating chart, Bespoke Decor designed a seating chart vignette with custom vinyled pillars (that glowed!). They incorporated pops of colour with drape, tropical plants, and custom printed seating chart artwork,” remembers Meg. “I had some fun playfully incorporating a celebrity into each table (unless a friend truly brought Pedro Pascal as their +1).”
Not only did Railtown Catering provide the celebration’s amazing meal, they also tended this gorgeous green tile backdrop bar during cocktail hour and throughout the night!
Nothing like a champagne wall! Guests were invited to snag a glass of bubbly from these moody + modern dark metal shelves full of plants + glowy candles.
“We incorporated some non-alcoholic options with mocktails and beer,” says Meg of the wedding’s tasty tropical drink menu, “and also had Mai Tais and Negronis as our signature cocktails. They were big crowd-pleasers!”
We love the way this recurring moody tropical floral pattern created a visual anchor for the entire day’s design. And! How fun is this wall calendar wedding guest book idea!
“The wall was the true work of art,” says Meg of this inviting seating banquette’s wall decor. “A half-circle of the pattern found throughout the decor, a “We Are The Party” neon sign from Stevenson Creative, and lastly a graphic projection created by the groom himself! Daniel has a background in visual effects, and wanted to use his talents in making something for the wedding, using the pattern florals as inspiration, the projection was on a minute loop and played through the whole night.”
Check out our collection of the best boho wedding dresses if you’re loving the lacy + effortless silhouette of Meg’s wedding day look!
Our Advice To Those Planning Now To be honest, we didn’t have a 'traditional' wedding party and we're so glad we did it this way. We were still surrounded by our friends from getting ready to the end of the night, and still felt the support. It also allowed us to prevent any awkwardness for choosing people, and also our friends all got to sit with their significant others and choose their own outfits.
We’re also so glad we put trust into our vendors, they know what they’re doing and it allowed us to sit back and enjoy the day, rather than worry about the little details. We came in with no expectations, which allowed us to not stress about what could have been.
For the Survivor fans out there: Meg + Daniel were gifted custom Survivor Buffs during the reception as a symbol of merging their two families!
It’s Not a Party Without a Piñata
“Before the dance floor, I wanted to incorporate a piñata as it’s been a tradition at many of my birthdays,” Meg says, “so we ordered a heart-shaped one and added Just Married as a fun, new take on the traditional wedding cake.”
Grab your own custom white heart wedding piñata to embrace your inner child and incorporate Meg + Daniels new wedding reception tradition!
Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding Some of our stand out moments were on the dance floor, whether it was having our guests join for the last third of our first dance (great way to start the dance floor), or having us dance together being surrounded by our favourite people.
photography: The Apartment Photography // venue name: The Wallace, North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada // event design: Bespoke Decor // planning: Smitten Events // florals: Ecorce Florals // wedding dress boutique: Vow’d Weddings // bride’s shoes: Lulu’s // bride’s ring: 100 Ways // hair stylist: Save the Date Beauty // makeup artist: Save the Date Beauty // groom’s ring: 100 Ways // paper goods: Meg White Designs // handmade details: Meg White Designs // catering: Railtown Catering // desserts: Rain or Shine Ice Cream // tabletop rentals: Bespoke Decor // furniture rentals: Bespoke Decor // linen rentals: Bespoke Decor // specialty rentals: Bespoke Decor // music: About Town Entertainment // custom neon sign : Steveston Creative