Are you ready for a love story that proves some people are simply meant to be? Annie and Duncan’s story begins seven years ago, in Turkey. She was backpacking with her best friend and Duncan was backpacking on his own. While staying at a hostel near the beach (where the rooms were all tree houses!) one of the staff informed the girls that a guy from Vancouver had just checked in. “I was less than excited – I was traveling the world so that I could meet people from anywhere other than Vancouver,” says Annie. She agreed to meet to be polite and at a roofless bar under the stars and a few drinks in, they were introduced. Within minutes they were dancing and lip syncing to ‘Jenny from the Block’ as the speakers blasted into the night sky. They were both off their separate ways the next morning but exchanged email addresses, keeping in touch for a few months until they both met up again at home in Vancouver.
Their wedding, at the rustic, Mediterranean style God’s Mountain Estate in Penticton, BC is so beautiful that, I admit, I’ve included more photos in this post than any other all year. I simply couldn’t resist. The natural beauty of the location paired with the elegant rustic / vintage details infused with Annie and Duncan’s personalities is breathtaking. I hope it inspires you as much as it has me. Congrats Annie and Duncan, and thank you Well, Hello Photography for sharing this marvelous wedding with us!
From the Bride…
The Proposal:
We spend time at a magical place called God’s Mountain in Penticton, BC every year. A close family friend of Duncan’s owns the bed and breakfast. We have both spent a couple of summers up there living on the property and working on the vineyard and it is a very dear place to us. Last summer in August we were spending our vacation there. It was a gorgeous balmy night and we took some of our favorite local wine out into the vineyard to watch the sun setting. We were taking photos trying to capture the colors in the sky when Duncan set up the camera on the timer function. We posed with the pink sky and Skaha Lake behind us, and I was grinning at the camera when I noticed he wasn’t looking in the same direction. I turned to him and saw that he was looking at me instead. Soon he was on his knee spouting beautiful loving things to me (of which I remember none) and pulling out a ring box. I started crying once I realized what was happening and said ‘yes’. After the initial shock wore off Duncan said to me, ‘Oh and I had the camera set to video.’ So we have the whole thing recorded! God’s mountain had always been special to us and now it was even more so. We knew we had to have our wedding there, too.
Wedding Day Inspiration:
Inspiration for the wedding came mostly from the beauty that is already at God’s mountain. The property is 110 acres of Mediterranean bliss. Towering rock face surrounds it and lush vineyards lead down toward the whitewashed stucco buildings. There are olive trees swaying and always a warm breeze blowing in the summer. The guesthouse is filled to the brim with antiques and eccentric furniture and the whole place oozes with romance. It is an inspiring place to be and set the perfect tone for a rustic wedding with a little vintage elegance.
Most Memorable Moment:
Our most memorable moment of the wedding was really a series of moments at our dinner table. We sat at one long table with all of our guests and a stunning view behind us. We drank fabulous local wine and were served amazing seasonal food from local farms. Our friends and family stood up to make their speeches and we were overwhelmed at the love in their words. It was a very special time.
Advice for future couples:
Your wedding day should reflect the two of you as a couple and what is important to you. There are no rules and your day should be a personal as possible. Our venue held special meaning to us, our officiant was a close friend, the food was served by a catering company I used to work for, and the wine was from the winery Duncan used to work for. We made our own playlist for the dance floor and we had our beloved dog as our ring bearer. Anywhere we could, we put ourselves into the wedding and it made everything feel so like ‘us’.
Photography: Well, Hello Photography / Ceremony & Reception: God’s Mountain Estate / Wedding Dress: From Bella Sposa / Flowers: Budget Blooms / Cake: Cake by Annie / Shoes: Vera Wang Lavender / Veil: Gilded Shadows / Bridesmaids dresses: Asos, ModCloth, & forever2 / Hair and Makeup: Michelle Miller / Groom’s Suit: J. Crew / Caterers: Joy Road Catering / Cellist: Martin Kratky