Jeffrey + Martha
Calgary Charbar Wedding

Jeffrey and Martha’s day was so marvellously centred around family and friends’ experience. The speeches from their mums and wedding party literally had me in tears and having to consciously hold myself back from laughing to ensure image quality, their thoughtfulness in timeline allowed for the entirety of the afternoon to be spent mingling and enjoying the perfect Calgary July day. A heartfelt day of simple elegance with the greenery and white florals from Fleurish.

The morning was spent apart. Jeff at his parents’ home, where a reference to Savage Garden resulted in his mother conjuring two of their two CDs for everyone’s listening pleasure, and photobombing of the most delightful type by the couple’s dog Remy. Martha and her ladies prepared with champagne and notably less 90s pop.  Then we met in Inglewood, and in a landscape that is akin to river valleys in the prairies the two first saw each other – Jeffrey’s expression says it all.

Charbar is a delightfully unique venue for Calgary weddings with its rooftop views of the downtown core and Bow River, a space that transforms seamlessly from a ceremony spot to cocktail lounge, to dancefloor with the interior honouring the historic nature of the Simmons Building with industrial charm. As with mountain weddings, perhaps rooftop weddings also come with their challenges, in this day’s case, temperamental gusts of wind, that may have made for some spectacular moments. As each pairing rounded the corner to the aisle they were greeted with a gust resulting in laughter, dresses and some hair out of place, each making a full recovery at the front. Well, perhaps a windswept vow was temporarily lost a touch later but that’s just how weddings go.

Now, about those speeches. The groomsmen from each part of the groom’s life each gave tribute, save for one which a note may allude to, ending with a song in Martha and Jeffrey’s honour. The bridesmaids spoke of sisterhood, stories while travelling, and their delight of them finding each other. Martha’s mother (with the help of a signs indicating when sentiment and humour was happening) talked of her character, her quick wit even in her younger years, and the first time she met Jeffrey at a medical school function which may have resulted in a hand accidentally gracing the bottom of a future son-in-law. Then there was Jeffrey’s mother, which from previous speeches was clearly a mother of sorts to all of the men at the head table. She took her place and subsequently roasted her son, and her other boys, in what can only be described as a love letter. Lastly was Martha and Jeffrey, after meticulously thanking everyone who contributed in even the smallest way to their day she surprised everyone by presenting her bouquet to her mother who will be married in the coming year, a beautiful alternative to a flower toss.

We took to the rooftop once more for a first dance as the sunset. Martha took her mother’s hand for the parent dances and Jeffrey’s mother took her husbands. Leaving Jeffrey solo on the dancefloor. At least momentarily, before he chased her down much to everyone’s delight. The bar opened and the evening was underway.

Congratulations you two.

Planning | Aimsley at Julianne Young Weddings in Calgary . Venue and Catering | Charbar in Calgary . Florals | Fleurish Flower Shop in Calgary . Hair and Makeup | Stacey and Crystal at The Pretty Haus . Cake | Martha’s Sister . Dress | Jaymes gown from Alexandra Grecco . Suit | Indochino .

To see more documentary wedding photography, see Rubeeta and Narendra’s Toronto wedding here.