UBC Boathouse Wedding

Weddings at UBC Boathouse

Charlene + Andrew’s wedding day at UBC Boathouse was special. I took one of my all time favourite couple portraits (the pink sky below with Andrew and Charlene kissing in the foreground) and I had the best time dancing at their reception.

The summer smoke from the wildfires have started to clear up (great news for BC!) and as a photographer, I’m taking advantage of the softer light and moody skies while I can. Don’t get me wrong, I much prefer cleaner skies and air but I love getting creative under challenging circumstances and it worked out so for this UBC Boathouse wedding.

Before I get onto the images, I wanted to say a huge thanks to all these incredible wedding vendors who are some of the Best in Vancouver and were a pleasure to work with on this day.

Venue: One of the top Vancouver wedding venues, UBC Boathouse
Dress: Lisa’s Bridal (brand: Essence of Australia)
Makeup Artist: Vivian Jun / makeupbyvivianjun@gmail.com
Hair Stylist: Coco Manzano
Florist: Christine Wong
Cake Artist: Andrea Yim
Transport: Elite Limousine service
Decor: Jayme Carter
Day of Coordinator: Jayme Carter
Celebrant: Marilyn Knipp of Young, Hip and Married – definitely one of the best Vancouver officiants!

Onto the images…

I met Charlene and Andrew through Charlene’s brother Jon Chiang who is an incredible filmmaker and director here in Vancouver, BC and I’ve had the pleasure of working alongside him as a wedding photographer for other Vancouver weddings. Jon, together with his girlfriend Lauren were amazing emcee’s at the reception. The happiness and joy, as well as tears shared between Jon and Charlene after the ceremony are just some of the amazing memories from this wedding.

Big shout out to Jayme Carter, their wedding planner and she did an amazing job for these two. The John M.S. Lecky UBC Boathouse is an amazing wedding venue. I love that its a fully floating facility nestled along the banks of the Fraser River and for a reception it offers so much space (there were 135 guests at Charlene and Andrew’s wedding), it has a beautiful and modern design and as a photographer, it’s flooded with incredible natural light throughout the day. Oh and its views of the North Shore Mountains are beautiful which impresses any guest and makes for a perfect destination wedding as its just minutes (literally!) from the Vancouver International Airport.

Charlene and Andrew chose to have an unplugged wedding with a modern romantic garden feel – gold accents, lots of white, greenery for their arbour and chandeliers for their reception. The groomsmen chose charcoal suits with navy ties, Andrew wore a bow tie of the same colour and the bridesmaids wore navy blue dresses.

Charlene wanted a more boho chic style of floral arrangements and it suited the day perfectly. All the family photos were taken with the bridal part right after ceremony and we chose sunset to take more images on the floating dock of the UBC Boathouse. Epic!

Then onto Charlene and Andrew’s first dance which was followed by a beautiful father/daughter dance and a mother/son dance. I love getting creative with images during this time .. shooting through reflective surfaces to really isolate the couple is one of my favourite ways to showcase a unique perspective for this moment.

I’ve jumped ahead though ..

Their first look took place within Queen Elizabeth Park in a hidden location I love to use (it’s always free from crowds, even on a weekend day in the summer and most importantly, it’s intimate!). We then took more pictures in Richmond before the ceremony with the bridal party at Iona beach.

The morning included a card and gift exchange while Andrew and Charlene were getting ready and the girls opened up a bottle of champagne to toast the day. Charlene wore her mother’s pearl earrings and looked absolutely stunning. That morning she wrote cards for each bridesmaid and gave them each a gift.

Charlene wore a dress from Lisa’s bridal (brand: Essence of Australia) and told me she loved the lace and the beautiful low cut back and the train which was the main reason she got this dress!

I recently caught up with Charlene and Andrew and they shared the following with me about their special day.

On their favourite memory from their wedding day ..

Where do I even begin? I think it was our first look. It was incredibly special being able to see each other for the first time that day in a private setting. It gave us a chance to spend a few minutes by ourselves before the rush of events that followed soon after.

Advice advice for future couples on planning their wedding day ..

If you don’t end up doing a first look I would highly recommend carving out time in your day of schedule to spend a few minutes by yourselves. It will give you a chance to soak it all in!

On what they loved most about UBC Boathouse ..

Everything! What we loved was the gorgeous view of the water that is enhanced by the floor to ceiling glass. The venue is simple and elegant – exactly what we were looking for. Outdoor space was also important – being able to have cocktail hour on the water was next level!

Congratulations Charlene and Andrew!

I always love shooting at UBC Boathouse, it has the perfect backdrop and is perfect for an outdoor Vancouver wedding ceremony and a beautifully lit and spacious reception. 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. I’d love love to get to know you and hear more about your wedding photography and your big day!

// sachinkhona.com //

Wedding Photographer based in Vancouver, BC

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