About Chantal and Laren
Occupations: Chantal is a Contract Coordinator in the Telecommunications field and Laren is in the Oil & Gas Industry.
How they met: Laren and I met through friends in 2008 when I moved to British Columbia. We had gone to a few mutual events, and ended up really hitting it off during a night at the Armstrong Fair. We were inseparable not long after that.
What attracted Laren to Chantal: I grew up in a town where the majority of the females weren’t down to earth or very “real.” Chantal was a breath of fresh air. She was very down to earth, very real. What you see is what you get with her, and I love that about her the most. She is always so positive, no matter what life throws our way, and I needed that in my life.
What attracted Chantal to Laren: When I met Laren, I was attracted to his appearance at first; he is a very good looking guy. Then I got to know him, he was always making me laugh, we had so much fun together. Even when we were apart, he was all I could think about. He was like no one I had ever met. We have a crazy connection.
Engagement story: We had been discussing taking the next step for a long time. We had recently moved to a new city, and were so busy settling in that there never seemed to be the “right moment.” The weekend he proposed, my sister had flown out to spend Thanksgiving weekend with us. The weekend was packed with the typical touristy stuff – visiting landmarks, shopping, etc. On the Sunday night, we stopped at home to walk the dogs before we went to dinner. Laren told me he would meet me outside with a doggy bag for Thor, so I went outside and patiently waited. After 5 minutes I was getting restless and impatient so I walked back into the house to do it myself, and there I found Laren bent down on his knee. I was confused, extremely surprised, and speechless to say the least. Laren proceeded to stutter through so many heartfelt words, and all I heard was “will you marry me?” My sister was in the corner the entire time (crying too much to be able to take any photos). She was beyond grateful to be able to witness her big sis get engaged. I can’t forget to mention that Laren had called my father a few weeks prior to ask his permission to marry me – so cute!

The Wedding Day
Wedding date: November 10, 2014
Number of Guests: 33
Chantal’s most memorable moment: My most memorable moment was walking down the aisle towards Laren; my father had my arm and was trying to calm me down. I was on the verge of an ugly cry; the amount of emotion that came over me was unexplainable. The other moment that I will never forget, is probably Laren’s most embarrassing… When it was time for Laren to say his vows and follow the Reverend’s words, instead of saying “I thee wed” Laren spoke into the microphone “I be wed”. The cutest blooper EVER. hahaha
Laren’s most memorable moment: My most memorable moment was walking Chantal walk down the aisle towards me, seeing how beautiful she looked. It finally hit me that she was going to be my wife.
Their advice to others: Take the time to enjoy the day. You work so hard for what seems like something that takes forever to plan… this perfect day. Honestly it just FLIES by! Make sure to allow yourself to enjoy the small things, and remember to smile, no matter what all eyes will be on you. Take the moments with your new spouse and make them last, this is about the two of you and the next chapter of your lives.
Wedding song:  Our first dance song was All of Me by John Legend with Lindsey Stirling playing the violin.
Favourite wedding detail: My dress – it was everything I was hoping it would be.
Signature Drink: There wasn’t really a signature drink that day, but I do not think that I have ever consumed so much champagne in a 24-hour period.
Most unexpected moment: Making friends in the washroom while I was trying to lift my mermaid shaped corset dress to be able to use the toilet. It took my two best friends and two women that I had never met to help without having to take the whole thing off (This needed to be avoided, because it took 20 minutes to put back on).
Honeymoon:  Laren and I went to the Secrets Pueblo Los Cabos resort for a week.
The day in three words:  Amazing, Emotional, and Memorable

Wedding Info
Ceremony location: On the beach at 2pm
Reception location: Our reception dinner was at the steak house overlooking the beach, then the dance portion was at a private function in the onsite Disco
Chantal’s gown: Marianne by Maggie Soterro
Bridal party attire: Groomsman wore – Khaki pants from Banana Republic and their choice of white shirts. Bridesmaids – Light tiffany blue dresses from Guess
Laren’s outfit: A linen vested light coloured suit from Le Chateau
Music:
The Bridal Party:  Jason Mraz – I’m Yours
Brides Entrance: Sam Smith/Daniel Jang – Stay With Me – Violin Cover
Everyone Exits: American Authors – Best Day Of My Life
First Dance: John Legend & Lindsey Stirling  – All of Me
Father Daughter Dance: Tim McGraw – My Little Girl
Flowers: White Calla Lilies and Coral Roses

Fun Stuff
Astrological Signs: Chantal is a Capricorn, Laren is a Taurus
Type of Ring: Multi-diamond wedding band in white gold
Wedding Colors: Coral, Gold, light Tiffany Blue
Chantal’s Shoes: Glitter Ankle Strap Tapered Toe Dress Sandal by Caparros
What was borrowed? Chantal’s sister in-law’s Promise Ring
What was new? Chantal’s Tennis Bracelet
What was blue? Laren’s mom passed away unexpectedly a few months before the wedding. We used her favourite blue scarf and pinned a piece of it to the inside of my crinoline in my dress
Most romantic moment: Our kiss after cutting the cake. It was playful and fun, reminded me why I had just married the man of my dreams.

Tell us about your wedding planning experience: Working with Antoinette was a great experience. I was very nervous when we decided to have a destination wedding, I didn’t want to lose out on any of the amazing moments because we were going to a destination instead of doing the wedding at home. I was timid about putting trust into people that I had never met when it came to making decisions. Antoinette made it feel like I could call her at any moment and she would help. She made sure that all of my needs were met and that I was as stress free as possible. I was able to reach her easily through email, and I would send her pictures of my ideas and she would reply with great feedback. I could not have asked for a better coordinator to work with.