Aga Khan Gardens is one of the Edmonton area’s newest and most in-demand outdoor wedding ceremony venues. An open amphitheatre nestled within the forest, its mandate is to provide a peaceful gathering space to develop human connections.

It was such a pleasure to provide Wedding Day Management services for Khadija and Dan, who held their ceremony at the Aga Khan Gardens followed by an intimate celebration at Khazana Restaurant. See more of their wedding in Blush Magazine as part of the 2019 Venue of the Year feature.

Credits:

• Wedding Day Management: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Ceremony Venue: University of Alberta Botanic Gardens, Aga Khan Garden
• Reception Venue: Khazana Restaurant
• Photography: Jade Gabrielle
• Ceremony Catering: NAIT Catering
• Ceremony Music: Josh Sahunta
• Reception Music: DJ Vijay
• Florist: Tickled Floral
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
• Hair + Makeup: Calvin Alexander

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Suzanne, Lead Planner | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Day Management

Many people have the impression that destination weddings are easier and less stressful than planning a wedding at home – but that’s not always the case. Here are 5 important factors to consider when planning a destination wedding

1. YOUR GUESTS
Destination weddings ask a lot of your invitees: the cost of travel, of course, and depending on the location guests may have to take time off work to attend your nuptials. You’ll likely have friends or family who cannot attend or choose not to attend for various reasons. Be prepared for some loved ones to miss the occasion and don’t take it personally.

Tips:

• • Provide accommodation options at different price points to suit a range of budgets.

• Setup a wedding website to convey travel information to your guests to make it easier for them to attend.

2. PLANNING FROM AFAR
If you have “Type A” tendencies, a destination wedding may not be a good fit! Unless you’re able to travel to the location before the wedding to scope out venues and meet with vendors in person, you may find it difficult to make all your plans remotely, especially when cultural differences and language barriers come into play. In some destinations it can take weeks to receive email responses – not every bride has the patience to deal with that pace of planning.

Tips:

• Do your research! Search for real photos from travel review sites or destination wedding blogs to avoid unwelcome surprises.
• Engage the services of a Wedding Planner experienced with weddings in the area.

3. BON VOYAGE BUDGET
It is a common belief that destination weddings are much cheaper than celebrating at home, however tropical resort packages can be deceiving as they are often for a very small number of guests and do not include a private reception.

A weak Canadian dollar can affect affordability of destinations abroad, so why not consider a beautiful destination closer to home? Canada boasts incredible locations throughout the Rocky Mountains, Okanagan Valley and West Coast.

Tips:

• Look off-resort for great local venues that will give you more flexibility in customizing your wedding and choosing your suppliers.
• Some locations may offer better rates for weekday and/or low season weddings.

4. THE UNEXPECTED
Destination weddings are more likely to be affected by factors beyond your control. Examples include extreme weather, such as hurricanes, snow storms, floods and forest fires (we’ve had weddings affected by all of the above); health outbreaks like Swine Flu and most recently, Zika Virus; and foreign political unrest.

Tips:

• If you’re heading somewhere tropical, check when that area is most likely to experience severe storms – in other words, don’t have your wedding during hurricane season!
• Look into getting traveller’s insurance and wedding cancellation insurance.

5. MAKING IT LEGAL
Each country has their own legal requirements for marriages. Some countries mandate blood tests and may require that you’re in the country for a specified number of days before the wedding takes place. In Canada and the U.S. marriage licenses are issued by province / state, so be sure to check the particulars for your wedding location.

Tip: 

• Consider getting married legally at home shortly before or after your destination wedding, and have a symbolic ceremony abroad. This can look and feel exactly the same as a legal ceremony so your guests won’t know the difference – and you may save yourselves some headaches.

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As published in the Fall/Winter 2016 issue of Blush Magazine.

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Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design wigs

This wedding is very special to our team as the beautiful bride was one of our own. Kelsey began working as an intern at JBW and learned quickly, taking on the role as Assistant Wedding Coordinator. She met Dean as part of her own whirlwind love story and moved to Northern Alberta to be with him, sadly leaving the JBW team – but we were so happy for her new adventure! A couple years later we were honoured to be asked to coordinate Kelsey + Dean’s wedding at Buffalo Mountain Lodge in beautiful Banff, Alberta.

Kelsey + Dean chose to do a first look and take their photos before the ceremony. This is a great idea for a destination wedding, as it allows guests to enjoy their day and explore the local attractions. After the most touching and heartfelt ceremony (for real, we were blown away!), guests enjoyed cocktails while we transformed the Wapiti Room for dinner. Ash grey linens and wooden chiavari chairs complemented the rustic setting, while gold mercury accents and soft blooms in creams and blush added romance and elegance.

The stone fireplace was covered in candlelight, and the wedding party sat in front of it at a grand King’s Table – which only partially collapsed due to a faulty table leg! We can laugh about it now as no dresses were harmed during this incident – and what’s a wedding without a funny story to share!?

Before departing, guests were invited to enjoy Sunday brunch with the newlyweds. It was the perfect mountain wedding weekend for the most deserving couple! Enjoy these beautiful images by Nicole Ashley Photography.

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Banff Wedding Day Management

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Credits:

• Coordination: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photographer: Nicole Ashley Photography
• Ceremony Music: Kyle Sand (Guitarist)
• Invitations/Stationery: Minted
• Officiant: Barbara Parker
• Pie Table: Buffalo Mountain Lodge
• Hair + Makeup: The Pretty Haus
• Florist: Willow Flower Co.
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
• Transportation: Banff Transportation Group
• Gown: Pronovias from The Bridal House
• Wedding Veil:  bestweddingveil

Living in Alberta, winter is something you must embrace, or you’re in for a long 5 – maybe 6, sometimes 7 – months! Erin and Adam chose to do just that by holding their February wedding in one of Canada’s most spectacular destination wedding locations: Lake Louise. Their two main priorities for the wedding were to extend the festivities over the course of an entire weekend, and to provide guests with a quintessential winter experience in the Canadian Rockies.

The weekend began Friday morning with a chartered motor coach driving Edmonton guests to The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. Following a delicious rehearsal dinner in the Alpine Room, guests gathered for hot chocolate and s’mores by the lakeside fire pits and ice bar. On the morning of the wedding, Adam and his groomsmen hosted a pick-up hockey game on the frozen lake, while the ladies enjoyed a leisurely morning in their suite getting ready for the big day.

After exchanging vows in the Victoria Ballroom, the newlyweds went off for photos with their wedding party while guests departed on horse-drawn sleigh rides! Our team spent the next few hours transforming the ballroom with long wooden tables, lush greenery runners, tons of candlesticks and gold accents. The party continued in the Glacier Saloon where late night snacks including poutine and sliders were served, and dancing in hotel slippers went on until the early hours of the morning.

This truly stunning winter destination wedding is featured in the Spring / Summer 2017 issue of Weddingbells Magazine, so grab a copy and enjoy the images below captured by the very talented Brittany Esther Photography.

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Lake Louise Wedding Planning + Design
Rocky Mountain Wedding Planners

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Credits:

• Wedding Planning + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Brittany Esther Photography
• Photo Booth: Creative Photo Booth
• Officiant: Robin White
• Florist: faBLOOMosity
• Pie Table: The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals Banff
• Stationery: Pinkpolka Invitations & Stationery
• Ceremony Music: Music Mosaic
• Reception Music: Premiere DJs by Urban Metropolis
• Transportation: Brewster Travel Canada
• Sleigh Rides: Brewster Adventures
• Hair + Makeup: Botega
• Gown: Delica Bridal

J+M’s August wedding was the perfect blend of romance and celebration! We designed the day to be timeless with a lush garden theme. Fittingly, the ceremony was held at the beautiful Devonian Gardens and featured a stunning chuppah covered in greenery, curly willow, vibrant florals and fruit.

The reception was held at Edmonton Country Club – a gem tucked away in the River Valley with outstanding service and food. We setup a tent on the patio over the dance floor, creating a most excellent outdoor dance party setting. Inside the event space long rectangle tables were covered with lush greenery, gold candelabras, florals and fruits, including pears, apples, grapes, strawberries and plums. Gold Chateau chairs, ornate glass charger plates and timeless stationery completed the table design.

This wedding incorporated several different cultural traditions: a traditional Chinese Lion Dance for the couple’s grand entrance, a Ukrainian dance performance by the Cheremosh Dance Company to kick off the party, and Jewish Hora dancing to continue the celebrations. It was such a delight for guests to see these unique customs woven together to celebrate the newlyweds!

Jennifer + Team | Jennifer Bergman Weddings
Edmonton Wedding Planning + Design

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Credits:

• Wedding Planning + Design: Jennifer Bergman Weddings
• Photography: Infused Studios
• Officiant: Tammy Banting
• Ceremony Music: Wildrose Quartet
• Reception Music: Premiere DJs by Urban Metropolis (Harman B & DJ Kwake)
• Invitations/Stationery: Pinkpolka Design
• Florist: faBLOOMosity
• Cake: Over the Top Cakes
• Rentals: Special Event Rentals
• Transportation: Esquire Limo
• Photo Booth: Ready, Set, Booth
• Entertainment: Cheremosh Dance Company, Hong De Cultural & Athletic Association
• Hair: Patricia J
• Makeup: Sen Studios (Susan Gill)
• Bridesmaid Gowns: Addwigs
• Bridal Gown: GroupDress (Fabiola)

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