Keeping with a cherished family tradition, Brittany and Ben were married in front of some 200 friends and family at St. Leopold Church, in Victoria B.C., on a September 21, 2019. Neither the groom nor the bride are particularly religious, but it was important to Brittany’s family for the couple to get married in the Croatian Church.

“My parents got married in this church in 1986 and were actually the first couple to get married there. Many of my other family members have gone to do the same and my grandparents even held their 50th wedding anniversary there!” - Brittany

The groom donned a modern yet timeless Strellson royal blue suit, while the bride looked elegant in a smooth french crepe gown from Pronovias, set off by her mother’s veil with custom design from Lily Kennedy.

“When Ben and I got engaged, my mom pulled out her wedding dress, veil and shoes from her wedding in 1986. I knew I wanted a cathedral-length veil to go with my super long train, so I asked my mom if she cared if I cut the lace off her dress. I got Lily to remove the lace appliques of my mom's 1986 dress and use them to create a custom cathedral-length veil. It was the perfect way to re-purpose something from my parents' wedding in my own modern way that fit my vision.” - Brittany

The wedding colours were simple neutrals of light pinks and creams, with lots of greenery, and accented with gold and some pops of peachy burgundy.

“Our reception had a Geography theme - all the tables were named after places we have been together. We met during our masters in Geography and share a love of travel, places and maps!”

The couple had a unique twist on the traditional wedding cake: ice cream delivered by Victoria’s one and only Cold Comfort Ice Cream!

“We live on the same street as Cold Comfort and we go ALL the time. We should have shares in that company! Since we're not really into cake and weren't concerned about doing a traditional cake cutting, ordering Cold Comfort for us was a no-brainer! We also felt that because it was one of our favourite treats to have together, it was something we could share with our friends and family on our special day, that was more unique to us than a traditional wedding cake.” - Brittany

Brittany and Ben’s advice for future couples planning their wedding:

“It's so hard to balance the expectations of your friends, family and yourselves. So pick the most important things that you want to stay true to, and don't worry about fighting for all the minor details. Also - everyone wants a task, so think of things that you can delegate out!”

(Vendor List below gallery)