Pacific Spirit Park Intimate Wedding Photos | Florence + Stefan | Vancouver, BC

Vancouver is known for its proximity to nature, and Pacific Spirit Park is one of its not-so-hidden gems: a huge swath of forest inside the city limits with trails winding throughout.

When Stefan and Florence got in touch and said they were planning an intimate wedding ceremony in the park, it was pretty much all I needed to hear.

When I arrived at their home to capture some of the preparation, the first thing I saw was a hatchback absolutely bursting with flowers. One of their closest friends, a florist from the Sunshine Coast, had brought flowers she’d grown on her property to make the bridal bouquet, boutonnieres, and florals for the ceremony.

This kind of generosity and community spirit was in abundance throughout their celebration, and when I saw these flowers bursting from the trunk knew I was in the right place, in more ways than one.

In terms of venues for intimate ceremonies or elopements, it doesn’t get much better than Pacific Spirit Park in the summer or early fall.

The soft, warm light coming through the forest canopy makes for unique, beautiful wedding photos, and it’s an incredibly serene backdrop for an intimate wedding.

Although it was an intimate affair, Stefan and Florence’s families came from all over to celebrate with them - England, Toronto, and Eastern Europe, to name a few. As Stefan had recently lost his mother, his family honoured her by creating a shrine of ferns and lighting a candle for her. Florence’s dad walked her down a winding path to meet her partner, a classic moment in an otherwise nontraditional celebration.

It was a ceremony full of heartfelt moment, tears, and lots of laughs. The whole thing had the feeling of a truly collaborative effort - their officiant was a friend who was also a member of city counsel who they knew through activism work; the same friend who brought all the flowers also gave speeches and helped set up the space for the ceremony, and family members could be seen carrying chairs, assisting the older guests and making last-minute adjustments.

There were readings of poetry by Mary Oliver, quotes from a speech given at the wedding of Frieda Kahlo and Diego Rivera, and music by a live violinist.

The ceremony concluded with the couple exiting through a path with their friends and family on either side, throwing handfuls of dried flower petals, a beautiful alternative to rice or confetti, and much more environmentally friendly (whatever you do, don’t steal this idea for your own wedding *wink*)

The evening continued with a stroll along the beach at Spanish Banks for some portraits of the newly married couple. Stefan and Florence were eager to get back to their friends and family to celebrate, so we made it a quick photo session, and i encouraged them to take a little time for themselves, without worrying about posing for photos, to take a few deep breaths and really take it all in.

The reception took place at a funky log-cabin style house just on the edge of Spanish Banks beach, and the collaborative spirit of this community continued, with beautiful homemade pavlovas, an incredible spread of cheese, crackers and other goodies, and plenty of grappa.

It was a real privilege to be a part of an intimate wedding celebration full of so much love, community and welcoming spirit. These folks really did it right and I hope it’s given you some inspiration for a similar intimate wedding or elopement, taking full advantage of all the incredible outdoor spaces that make Vancouver what it is.

Ready to plan your own intimate wedding or elopement? My name is Galen, and I own Bowline Photography. I love helping couples create celebrations that are as unique as they are, and I’d love to hear about what you’ve got in mind! Let’s plan something beautiful together.

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