Like many 2020 couples, Cherie and Norm preserved through numerous challenges. And like many who chose to elope or have a micro wedding, they were rewarded with all the love and joy they could imagine… creatively reflected and forever cherished with their micro wedding photography. Here’s a description of their beautiful, emotional day at Hummingbird Farm.
Share your thoughts leading up to your micro wedding…
Norm never really thought about getting married growing up, and I spent a number of years saying I would never do it. After a few years of being with him though, I was ready. I started dropping hints and we had many conversations about it before we got engaged. For a while I knew it was coming, so I kept expecting him to propose during trips, or on special occasions, but he totally surprised me while we were walking our dog by the river one evening. We had been together for seven years at that point, but we still chose to have a long engagement. We waited over a year for our big day, which was planned for June.
In March, we had a difficult decision to make. We changed our minds several times about how we would proceed. We originally rescheduled for June 2021, as we couldn’t imagine getting married without our families and closest friends. When our original date came and went, we started to feel kind of sad that we weren’t married. We talked about it a lot, and many tears were shed, but we ended up deciding to just go for it. Miraculously, we pulled all our vendors together for a September wedding. I still don’t know how we got so lucky that everyone we had planned to work with was available at the same time on such short notice. We felt overwhelming gratitude toward everyone we were working with, because everyone was incredibly supportive and flexible. Summer was a bit of a wedding planning whirlwind, and it honestly gave us life during a difficult time. We started to allow ourselves to feel joy around our wedding again, letting it replace the sorrow for what we had lost. Our parents, siblings, family and friends were all encouraging us to enjoy the journey and that helped a lot. A few days before the wedding, I did have a good cry, knowing that it was really truly about to happen, and our people were really truly not going to be there. I allowed myself a day of processing the emotions around this, and then moved forward with a smile on my face. I had been worried that I would cry on our wedding day, but as it turned out, we both spent the entire day sporting the biggest smiles of our lives. I mean, the kind of smile that hurts your face.
Why did you choose Hummingbird Farm for your micro wedding photography?
When scouting a location for our big day, Norm actually came across Hummingbird Farm by way of a sponsored ad on instagram and sent it to me. We feel this was a nudge from the universe, because Lana and Brad Braun have been such an amazing blessing to us. We know we were meant to cross paths with them. It was a cold, snowy February day the first time we went out to visit the farm, and we had to use our imaginations to picture what it would look like in the summer. Lana and Brad had set up an afternoon tea with muffins and orange slices for us, and we sat and chatted about our vision. We learned a bit about what Lana and Brad were all about: organic, sustainable farming practices, and keeping things as waste free and environmentally friendly as possible. This was important for us. I knew within a few minutes of the conversation that we would be working with them, the relationship just clicked immediately.
Lana saw my vision, maybe even clearer than I did. I immediately trusted her to make it come to life, and my gut feeling was spot on. Her passion for what she does is palpable. We worked out the plans together for a year and a half, and by the time our ceremony took place, Lana and Brad were standing there as our guests, sobbing along with everyone else. We formed a real relationship with them, and that is what stands out for us. It didn’t hurt that there are gorgeous sprawling flower fields, mountain views and a riverside ceremony site. Lana and Brad looked after our venue and set up, florals, catering, and planning. We love that they have so much to offer, it made every bit of planning so much easier for us. We would choose Hummingbird Farm over again in a heartbeat, and we hope to hold more events there in the future.
What was the best part of your micro wedding?
Choosing a favourite part of the day is difficult for us both, because the entire thing was just so good from start to finish. Everyone says your wedding will be the best day of your lives, but we really had no idea how true that would be for us. Norm really enjoyed touring through the flower fields with our guests, drinks in hand, and Lana teaching us a bit about all the different flowers and the meticulous care she puts into them. It was fascinating and just so stunningly beautiful. There was a definite feeling of ease among us all, just mindfully and slowly enjoying the flowers, the company, the farm and surroundings. My favourite moment was probably the first look, because all morning I was just so excited to be reunited with Norm and couldn’t wait for us to see each other. When it finally happened, we couldn’t stop smiling! It was a moment full of love, happiness, and anticipation knowing we were about to head down to the ceremony site and get married! I felt excitement like I haven’t felt since I was a little kid!
When I asked Norm what our favourite detail was, we both said “flowers!” Lana just did such an absolutely stunning job arranging all the florals, and especially my bouquet. We and the guests just could not stop staring at them! I never thought I’d care so much about the florals but we were obsessed. We were both really happy with our clothing choices as well, and I was a big fan of Norm’s Toronto Raptors cufflinks that he got on Etsy!
Why did you choose me for your micro wedding photography?
Searching for the perfect photographer was really important to us, and we were strategic about it. We made a big list of all the local photographers, and we spent many hours looking through galleries together to get a feel of each artist’s personal style. I will say, there are some really seriously talented photographers in the Kootenay’s, but Bobbi stood out to us from the beginning.
We knew we wanted to invest in someone we could trust completely, and that we would vibe well with. When she wasn’t available for our wedding date, we just went ahead and changed it, because it was that important to us to work with her. The photographs, for us, are the one big takeaway from the day besides our actual marriage. A tangible thing we can keep, and pass along when the time comes. We immediately recognized Bobbi’s photography as unique, in that she captures raw emotion in a way we didn’t see anywhere else. She conveys a feeling in a photo. As I’m writing this, my friend just sent me a message saying that she could see our “happiness leaping right out of the photos” and I think that’s a perfect description! Not to mention her use of vibrant colour, contrasted by her moody black and white photos. We were sold from the beginning, but every step of the way Bobbi proved to us over and over that we made the perfect decision. She was so supportive throughout all our plan changes, and in the process of being our photographer she also became our friend. We are eternally grateful that we crossed paths with her, and we can’t wait for her to capture every special moment of our lives moving forward!
What advice do you have for couples planning a micro wedding?
For couples thinking about getting married, we would say the most important thing is to choose vendors you feel good about. I had no idea I would form the bonds I did while planning our wedding. If you have solid people to work with who understand you and your vision, everything will fall into place. Pick a couple things to prioritize and invest in, for us it was the photography and the venue. It’s okay to invest in some places and save money in others. I bought my dress off the rack and had it altered, and I couldn’t have imagined a more perfect gown. Take all the help you can get, because it is a lot to plan a wedding. Ignore tradition and do what makes YOU two happy. Let go of some control and let it be what it is, because at the end of the day, you will be married and there is nothing more perfect than that!
Thank you so much, Cherie and Norm. I am so eternally grateful our paths have crossed, and you felt you could trust me with your memories. I look forward to being there for you every step of the way!
If you’re looking for micro wedding photography or elopement photography, please contact me here. I can’t wait to meet you!