Alejandra and Jason met at a champagne bar in Calgary, Alberta. They were both tagging along with mutual friends – they instantly connected and the rest is history.

The wedding festivities kicked off with a welcome event coined “The Pep Rally,” which was a modern take on a Sangeet. Traditionally, a Sangeet is an East Indian pre-wedding celebration with lots of song and dance. Alex and Jason’s version was held in a newly restored historic building in downtown Edmonton called The Pendennis, with exposed brick and industrial ambiance.

Designed to encourage mingling, the event featured food stations serving Indian fusion cuisine, lounge vignettes and mixed styles of seating. We kept guests on their toes with ever-changing entertainment, including an R&B sax player, traditional South Asian dancers, a dhol drummer and a hip hop DJ!

We only had about 4 months to plan their multi-event wedding week, but we were up for the task and everything came together beautifully. Be sure to check it out here: Part 2, The Wedding Day.

When we began the discovery process with Bethany + Mathew, we quickly learned they wanted to host a wedding weekend to bring together everything that is most important to them: family, friends, food and fun! This lead to the production of three unique events that honoured their cultural and religious backgrounds. The festivities began with an Indian Soirée at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald. Guests were invited to have Henna art done in the Mehndi Lounge while experiencing traditional music and a variety of delicious food stations. The outdoor bar on the Empire Terrace overlooking the River Valley was the perfect place to enjoy the beautiful September weather.