Britney and Danny’s stunning Eco friendly Azuridge Estate Hotel Wedding.

The night before Danny and Britney’s Azuridge Estate Hotel Wedding I checked my weather app as I usually do and confirmed sunset times for the day, it called for rain.

Azuridge Estate Hotel Weddings being some of my favorite to photograph due to the fact that the venue is just outside of the City in a little hamlet called Priddis, as a result you get the feel of a place that’s in the middle of nowhere but also an incredibly warm and homey feeling. With being secluded this mean there is no “indoor” locations as back ups – except at the Hotel itself.

“well hopefully if it has to rain, it comes after the ceremony”

The Hotel is absolutely stunning but I knew they wanted that nature vibe to go along with their Wedding style, so I crossed my fingers while packing my gear and hoped that the weather would miraculously change course. The next day, the day of their Wedding I checked the weather report again and it said a high chance of rain and thunder showers. I thought to myself “well hopefully if it has to rain, it comes after the ceremony”. I placed my positive vibes into the universe clearly it worked because they made a last minute call to have their ceremony outdoors and not to mention Amy from LFW and the team at Azuridge rocked their set up!

In over a decade I have photographed hundreds and hundreds of Weddings this was an absolute first for me – they decided to have an Eco friendly Wedding. This blew me away! They used a local florist who uses sustainable flowers. All of their materials are recyclable and naturally sourced. How wicked is that? It made for some really unique arrangements and their Chuppah was absolutely stunning. They hand made some of their decor and rented others.

When I first met Danny, Britney was out of town so he came over for coffee and to discuss their Wedding vision and vibe – I knew by the way he talked about their story and her that I was going to absolutely love Britney. I finally got to meet her when we did their Engagement photos – she was an absolute gem of a human. We chatted over e mail a bunch of times so when I actually got to meet her it felt like I already had. But man, this babe has the best laugh and is totally on the same vibe with jokes as me!

I was so excited when I arrived in Dannys Hotel room for Groom prep because as you will see below the room is clean with really thought out accents so it makes grabbing unique artistic shots super fun. They have a wicked balcony so I could grab some cinematic style shots of Danny popping on his shoes – they also have a full length mirror in the closet (this is something that most venues don’t have!) so I could grab really unique angles. Basically to chalk it up, I love Azuridge because its a visual playground for me – you put two amazing humans, a day-o-love and a great space together you get me fully energized and pumped to create some magic!

Britney’s dress – holy smokes. Also, I recently fell in-love with the designer Galia Lahav and Britney’s dress was made by her! I love the texture and unique designs of this dress maker and it suited Britney so well. Also hella flattering to her booty! (If I could have inserted those little clapping hand emojis I would have!).

This day – I think I only cried twice actually. This is a new best for me. I cried a bit when she was walking down the aisle and I captured Danny looking at her and then again during their vows.

Thank God for Jacqueline the JP making everyone laugh because I prob would have had to keep coking back the emotions. I freaking love Weddings and humans and all of it.

I can’t thank Britney and Danny enough for allowing me to photograph their story. It was an amazing day and they have an amazing love and I am so honoured to be part of capturing it. Also another opportunity to work with such amazing vendors in Calgary. Truly the team of people they chose for their day was amazing – if you want to read more from Danny and Britney check out the photos and then at the very bottom of my post you will see a list of vendors and words from this amazing Bride and Groom! Holla!

Want to see more photos of Azuridge Estate Hotel Weddings? Check the tags below!

 

From the Bride and Groom

Wedding theme and colours //

We wanted the wedding to feel like us first and foremost. We wanted it to have personality, which is why we wanted bold beautiful colours to balance out the neutral tones. As a result, we ended up with bright jewel tones and some natural wood, brown and copper elements. The whole thing came together organically and just whatever brought us joy! It just happened to go together without being fully matchy matchy) Our key to our wedding was picking the best venue that allowed it to shine without the need to add too much more.

Approximate number of guests //

115

Vibe //

Ultimately, we wanted the wedding to depict us. There was no guiding theme except that we wanted it to be bright yet neutral (to balance our personalities out) and to feel woodsy and natural.

Top 3 best moments //

1. Seeing each other for the first time! Everyone dreams of this moment and the butterflies are overwhelming as you wait to see one another. It made the day feel real for the first time! It was no longer just a dream, we were going to get married!

2. Our ceremony, specifically when the officiant had the wrong papers and we weren’t legally married walking down the aisle together. Thankfully she had the correct papers in her car so we were able to be married immediately following the ceremony!) Overall, we feel Jacqueline nailed it and made the ceremony feel personal.

3. The speeches were touching, personal and funny! They brought tears to our eyes and joy to our hearts and we felt treasured by those who spoke! Even though we both hate being in the spotlight, we feel our families and our bridal party nailed it! #sorrynotsorry – There are so many more moments it’s hard to pick)

Wedding song //

Crazy Love by Van Morrison. This was a song that we had danced to in the kitchen a few times before and it just brought butterflies to our stomachs!

How did they pick their vendors?!

Wedding Planner // Four years ago, the Bride’s brother got married in Calgary at Hotel Arts and had his wedding planned by LFW. It was one of the best weddings we had been to and we wanted to ensure ours didn’t disappoint. We knew we were in good hands with LFW!

Florist // Danny happened to be a fellow vendor at a local market when he saw the Prairie Girl Flowers truck. The truck caught his eye and he sent it to Britney immediately (who was out of town). We got in touch shortly after, meeting over beers, and we knew that Becky was the florist for us. Her personality and vision for our day was perfect. She seemed to really get us! Then we learned that she was driven by a passion for limiting waste. Then we learned she loved to donate flowers to the children’s hospital or to seniors and it was a done deal! Who wouldn’t want to spread the joy to others! She was the florist for us!

Photographer // After meeting one other photographer, Danny met with Sarah while Britney was out of town. Danny introduced himself by spilling coffee all over her table! Once he went through her work, he thought she was the match for us. He chatted with Britney and after reviewing her work she agreed she was a perfect fit. Then meeting you, it was even more clear! You helped to put us at ease with your sense of humour and yet pushed us a little out of our box in order to achieve some beautiful shots! Plus you are just the cutest!

DJ // Pez Productions was the DJ at Britney’s brother’s wedding. They listened to our desires and helped to create the party we hoped for! We think our guests loved dancing the night away!

Venue // We wanted a venue that had natural beauty and character. We weren’t looking for a ballroom that could be jazzed up with lighting and decor, instead we wanted to celebrate the beautiful features that already existed. After a family brunch at Azuridge, it was the one and only venue we seriously inquired about and landed on! A dream place!

Bakery // We were excited at the opportunity for using our local bakery in Mckenzie Towne.

Kind words //

Sarah is a gem to work with. Her passion for photography is apparent and she is willing to do whatever it takes for the best shots! Even if that means having her assistant hold her as she leans over a creek! She has a positive attitude with a great sense of humor, which really helps put you at ease when being in front of the camera is not your favourite activity. Her art is perfection and we are so excited she was able to capture the true and utter happiness that we share as a couple!