We are so excited to share that for the 5th year in a row, a Young Hip & Married officiant has taken home the title of Best Wedding Officiant in BC from the BC Wedding Awards!
Officiant Jane won Best Wedding Officiant 2018 and Officiant Shawn was one of the finalists. As well, our amazing elopement photographer, Emily Nicole Photos, was a finalist in the Best Wedding Group Photograph category. Way to go, YH&M team!
Check out the wedding stories that earned us the Best Wedding Officiant title:
Jane’s elopement with Niki & Steve
In April, Jane officiated Niki and Steve’s intimate elopement. This was a special ceremony, as Niki and Steve wanted to honour Niki’s grandparents by getting married at the same church where they were married, St. Andrew’s Wesley Church. However, they didn’t actually want a church wedding. So we decided to do their elopement on the stairs of the church where Niki’s grandparents wed 72 years ago.
To make the elopement even more special, Niki and Steve brought along a photo of her grandparents so they could be a part of the wedding. We recruited a passing couple to serve as witnesses, and they totally loved every moment of the elopement. And everything was beautifully captured by Erica Miller Photography!
Shawn’s wedding with David & Lejla
Usually brides take a lead role in wedding planning, but for this wedding, David wanted to do something special for Lejla during their ceremony. He shared with Shawn how daffodils were important to their relationship: David and Lejla met at the Daffodil Ball, it was the first flower David had given Lejla and daffodils were going to be a central decor item at their wedding. In addition to daffodils, David also wanted to play a little prank on Lejla. What’s a wedding without a little fun and games?
Shawn was totally on board and worked with David to craft the perfect ceremony that told their story, incorporated the daffodil, and even had a little prank. David and Shawn arranged for the guests to take part in a ring warming ceremony, where rings are passed between the guests before making their way to the couple, but with a twist. The twist? There were no rings! A guest, who was in on the prank, pretended to put rings into a box which was then passed around.
When the “rings” reached the front, Shawn announced that the rings were missing. Everyone had a moment of panic before Shawn let them in on the prank. He said, “Don’t worry folks. Just like how Lejla & David met at the Daffodil Ball four years ago, magically, randomly and surprisingly, love surprises us all and appears in the most mysterious places. And the tangible symbols of their love once again reveal themselves in the daffodil.” Shawn then pulled the real rings out of a daffodil and the rest was history!
Emily’s Group Photo
We also want to shout out our amazing elopement photographer, Emily, who was a finalist in the Best Wedding Group Photograph category. Michaela and Rob were married at Stanley Park Pavillion and did their photos at the Vancouver Art Gallery. How awesome is this shot of Michaela, Rob and their wedding party on the rooftop? That is one stylish and fierce wedding party!
Congratulations to Jane, Shawn, Emily and all of the other winners and finalists! We’re so excited to celebrate a great year of weddings alongside our friends in the industry.
