Bodega Ridge Galiano Island Wedding

Bodega Ridge // Galiano Island Wedding

Christina + Ben

Everything with love and intention.

Christina + Benjamin’s Galiano Island wedding in Dionisio was a dream to shoot. Family and friends flying in from all over the US, Canada, and as far as Australia to be with them in this heartfelt and emotional ceremony that was unique in every way.

Guests biked, canoed, hiked to get to this unique part of land, walking through burning sage to create 2 circles for Christina and Benjamin to enter. Christina canoed over with her journey women to be received by her parents to enter the circle where their close friend Aileen conducted a beautiful ceremony that included many readings and the passing of their rings, each held and given love and support before being placed on Ben and Christina’s hands. They then placed flower crowns on each other and celebrated their union.

Ben’s vows in particular were beautiful – he spoke of finding his soul mate again – as if they knew each other in another life – only to be reconnected in this life and the love and familiarity of finding Christina again was so powerful. Big thanks to Jesse and his team at Bodega Ridge for running such a smooth ship with incredible food at a jaw dropping setting. Hats off to you guys. 

Bodega Ridge is a one of a kind venue on the West Coast with their panoramic views this private 22-acre property makes way for some amazing shots. I can’t wait to return to Galiano Island for another Bodega Ridge wedding. 

Finally, thank you to all of the guests who made me feel so welcome and really a part of this incredible weekend .. and a huge congratulations Christina + Ben, thank you so much for including me on your wedding day.

I caught up with Christina after the ceremony and this is what she had to say about their day

“The most important aspect of our wedding was the ceremony. We believe in the sacred and powerful space of a ceremony and we spent a great deal of time imagining what that would look like. One key component was the idea of the ceremony being in a circle. This is common in many ceremonial structures, but for us it symbolized how we were held by our community. We wanted to express appreciation to those who helped us on our journey up to this point and will walk forward with us. This is why we kept the ceremony small and each guest had a moment to connect with us.

We considered all aspects of the ceremony as symbolic – the smudging, readings, stones, altar, flowers used, etc. We also allowed for space for things to spontaneously arise. Our friends were given free creative license to create our circle space with objects found on the beach and it was amazing.” – Christina

There’s so much to share from this Bodega Ridge wedding ..

After the wedding, Christina and Ben created a physical album for their memories

“The album is so special. We invested in having Sachin as our photographer and we were intentional about finding someone with a journalistic approach. Sachin could not have been more perfect for us. The album allows us to relive the beauty of our weekend. An event like a wedding continues to have meaning beyond the specific weekend and the album allows us to not just be nostalgic but uncover deeper meanings as time goes on.”

A huge thanks to the Bodega Ridge Wedding team and Jesse..

“We chose Bodega Ridge because we felt connected to having our ceremony in Dionisio Park. We wanted an event that people were together for a weekend so that we could spend lots of time with our loved ones. Bodega gave us that retreat feeling and allowed us to eat delicious food, stay in beautiful cabins and have access to the hiking, biking and paddling of Galiano Island.” 

Christina on their favourite memory from the day..

“Being paddled in and seeing our community gathered, waiting for us. Feeling the power of the ceremony.”

Ben + Christina with some advice for future couples in preparation of their wedding day..

“It’s almost impossible to not get carried away by our culture’s expectations around what a wedding should/could look like. Set intentions with your partner and focus on the important part – whatever that may be for you.”

Shout out to these incredible vendors:

Venue + Catering – Bodega Ridge

Hair + Make – Bride

Ceremony Location – Dionisio

Band – Friends of the Groom

Congratulations Christina and Ben!

I always love photographing weddings at Bodega Ridge, it has the perfect location on Galiano island with mountain views and is great for an outdoor destination wedding ceremony and party with your closest family and friends. I would absolutely jump at the chance to shoot here again. If you’re getting married or know someone who is and you like what you see above, then please get in touch via my contact form or by emailing hello@sachinkhona.com. I’d love to get to know you and hear more about your Bodega Ridge wedding photography and your big day!

www.sachinkhona.com

Wedding Photographer based in Vancouver, BC

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