Westwood Plateau Wedding: Joyce and Nathanael

January 16, 2019

Olympic Village Vancouver Wedding Photos

Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club: Joyce and Nathanael

The last time I saw these two were for their cherry blossom engagement session. Did those two ever have a good time! It’s a bittersweet moment to be writing this blog post, with Joyce and Nathanael being my last wedding of the year. Their Westwood Plateau wedding was a perfect way to end. Having it been my third time here this season, it’s only fitting I ended here. This rustic Coquitlam wedding venue is truly one of the best in the Lower Mainland with its elegant interior.

Forecasting the weather days before is always tricky. Arriving early to the Vancouver Metrotown Hilton to meet the bridal party, the overcast was something I was thankful for. Leading up to the traditional Chinese door games, Joyce was finishing up her final touches with Vimo Beauty, before sliding into her beautifully designed red Chinese dress with the help of her mom. This moment is so special for the parents, and one of my favourite things to capture. The joy you see on the mom’s face, helping their daughter one last time, before one of their biggest days. It was evident throughout the day how close Joyce and her parents were. In fact, Joyce even used two dolls from their parent’s wedding and used it as a decor piece for their car to honour them.

As Joyce finished up, Nathanael and his groomsmen came knocking on the door ready to receive the bride. Never easy, Nathanael and his groomsmen had to overcome some challenges. From folding paper airplanes to eating saltine crackers in a timely manner, drawing with different parts of their limbs, and showcasing their athletic skills, they successfully passed, with Joyce observing everything from the other room through Facetime!

Meeting with Joyce and Nathanael, months before, what I admired most about these two was the love these two showed for each other, but most importantly to God. These two are faithful, and throughout the day, it showed with the people they surrounded themselves with. As Nathanael received his bride ( his smile says it all), these two took a moment to pray before the big day.

Glad Tidings Church Ceremony and Olympic Village Wedding Portraits

Following tea ceremonies on both sides, Joyce and her bridesmaids placed the final touches. As the boisterous group of friends and family members departed from Nathanael’s house to the ceremony, Joyce and her bridesmaids took the time to slowly get Joyce in her beautifully designed dress.

Arriving to the Glad Tidings, the overcast from the morning changed into heavy rainfall. Just as expected for an October wedding. I prayed and crossed my fingers that it would stop raining after the ceremony, hoping we didn’t need to use our backup spot for portraits. Sure enough, God answered our prayers, giving us a mini-break in the weather right after the ceremony. We took this opportunity and rushed straight to Olympic Village, for some portraits. Just enough time with these two before the rain had started to come back down. Reading the news the following day, that whole area had flooded shortly after we had left. The portrait session couldn’t have turned out any better.

Rustic Coquitlam Wedding Venue

There’s something about Westwood Plateau that gets people up and dancing. All three weddings this year had the bride and groom’s parents rocking the dance floor. Surprising the guest, Joyce’s dad led the charge with a mini flashmob that got all the guests in laughter! The rest of the evening had friends and family members sharing their personal stories of Joyce and Nathanael. As you probably guessed there were only fantastic things said about these two about their personalities…even from the older brother of Nathanael who embarrassed Nathanael just a bit first. Wishing these two the very best in the future and may God bless you two in your relationship!