Questions You Need to Ask Your Wedding Celebrant

Choosing the right wedding celebrant or officiant for your wedding is essential. You’ve found the partner, the dress, the venue and the photographer, but what about the person who will actually be there to officiate you saying ‘I do’? It’s an often overlooked part of wedding planning, but an important and personal one that can change your whole ceremony and the vibe of your Sea to Sky wedding festivities. Your celebrant will be the person who will guide you as you plan the ceremony and walk you through all of the legal stuff, so choose someone that makes that process easy. 

Photo by Steve Stemmler

Here are 5 questions to ask your Sea to Sky celebrant before you decide to choose them to officiate your wedding:


1. Are you local to my wedding location? 

It seems like a no brainer, but choosing a local celebrant will save you time and money. You don’t want to be stressed that your celebrant is caught in traffic or worried they won’t find the field or garden you rented out for your wedding. Choosing someone who is local to the area will also mean you save money on travel fees and are giving the business to someone who knows the venues, locations and suppliers around your chosen wedding destination. 

2. What’s your ceremony length & style?

Some officiants are funny and tell jokes, some like to keep it sweet and romantic, others add in readings and others keep it short and simple. Ask your proposed celebrant to tell you how they describe their ceremony style. Make sure you feel comfortable with them and that their style matches with what you had envisioned. Take note of their cadence and how at ease they make you feel about the planning process and your questions.

Photo by Emily Serrell

3. What venues do you work with?

Some officiants work specifically with some venues, where others will work at any venue or location. It’s also good to know if your celebrant is familiar with your chosen ceremony venue and if they have officiated a wedding there before. They can often have suggestions for where to stand, the layout of the ceremony/aisle and recommendations on the flow of a ceremony in a particular location. 

Photo by Leah Kathryn

4. How do you personalize a ceremony to a couple?

This question can really help you get to know your celebrant and see how they are willing to work with you to create the ceremony you have envisioned. Finding an officiant who treats each ceremony and couple as unique as they are and who listens to the requests and ideas of the couple is ideal. Your couple story is personal and you want your ceremony to feel comfortable and authentic to you as a couple.

5. Do you offer any other services?

Some celebrants are also photographers, make up artists, or hair stylists or offer other wedding services that might save you time finding another vendor.  If you like your celebrant and they offer other services - why not hire them in other aspects of your wedding too? That means less vendors to communicate with and these services can often be packaged to help you save money. 

If you want to ask me these questions and get to know if I’m the right celebrant for you, please reach out, I’d love to meet you!






5 Reasons to Host Your Wedding in Squamish, BC

Beautiful Squamish is an increasingly popular location for hosting your wedding in the Sea-To-Sky area. With its gorgeous mountain backdrop, proximity to both Vancouver and Whistler, the possibilities are endless when it comes to wedding planning. If Squamish isn’t on your radar yet, we’ve got 5 reasons to host your wedding, elopement or vow renewal in Squamish, BC. 

Squamish wedding venue, the perfect location. Wedding officiant, wedding celebrant and hair and make up artist in Squamish.

Photo by Emily Serrell


1. Convenient Wedding Location

Located right in the middle between popular Whistler and city-life Vancouver, Squamish is an ideal location for both your guests and vendors to find their way to your wedding. Only one hour from Vancouver and 40 minutes to Whistler, Squamish as a wedding location is an ideal middle man. Squamish offers easy access for Vancouver local guests or those traveling from abroad, and a quick trip for your guests up to Whistler for a visit to continue the good vibes and extend their vacation if they wish. 

Photo by Steve Stemmler and Tara Lilly

Squamish wedding venue, the perfect location. Wedding officiant, wedding celebrant and hair and make up artist in Squamish.

Photo by Steve Stemmler and Tara Lilly

2. Amazing Local Vendors 

Finding local and reliable vendors who know your wedding location is key. Squamish locals and those who’ve moved there, often visit once, fall in love and never leave. There are so many hidden locations that only a local is aware of and choosing a local officiant, make-up artist, hair stylist, venue and photographer will make your wedding seamless and unique. Local Squamish vendors often know each other and love working together, so make sure you ask your first vendor if they have any recommendations. Some vendors even have all inclusive packages that will make the planning process a breeze. 

Photo by Tara Lilly
Squamish wedding venue, the perfect location. Wedding officiant, wedding celebrant and hair and make up artist in Squamish.

Photo by Tara Lilly


3. Multiple Photo Opportunities

Squamish is aptly nicknamed ‘where the mountains meet the sea’ and you can see why. Surrounded by the Tantalus mountains including Stewamus Chief, if you’re a hiker there are magnificent viewpoints and if you’re not, the mountains boast an amazing backdrop. Squamish also has access to the north end of the Howe Sound as well as the Squamish River. So whether it’s mountains, sea or river (or all three!) you want as your wedding photo backdrop, Squamish has it all!


4. More Venue Options

Squamish wedding venues are like no other. From big open blank canvas spaces such as Sitka Farms & Cheekeye Ranch to spectacular views at the Sea To Sky Gondola to more intimate spaces such as at the Cheakamus Centre and Sunwolf Riverside Resort, Squamish offers wedding, elopements and vow renewals in all venue types. How many people can say they took a Gondola to their wedding venue? 


5. No or Lower Travel Cost for Vendors

When you choose a venue in a location a little further out from a main city such as Whistler for example, vendors often add a travel cost onto their rates to account for the 40 minutes - 2 hour drive they may need to get there from Squamish or Vancouver. When you choose a wedding location in Squamish you reduce that travel cost or completely omit it if choosing local vendors! Weddings can get expensive, booking local suppliers for your wedding will get rid of that unnecessary cost, and Squamish has an amazing group of professional wedding vendors to choose from!


The beauty of this not-so-hidden gem speaks for itself when you book your wedding here. Send us an email to discuss how we can make Squamish your perfect Sea-To-Sky wedding location!



How to have the Perfect Winter Wedding In Whistler

If you’ve dreamt of a perfect snowy winter ski lodge wedding with elegant, romantic vibes, look no further than Whistler, Canada. The Winter wedding season is coming up and the mountains are soon to be coated with a white wedding cozy aesthetic that will make your day magical. We know that even in the most dreamy of wedding and elopement locations, planning your day can be stressful. Here are five things to do to make your wedding day go off without a hitch! 

Winter wedding in whistler 
https://leahkathrynphoto.com/

Leah Kathryn Photography


1. Choose A Great Local Celebrant 

On your day, you want to be surrounded by friends, family and those you trust. Make sure your officiant is counted as one of those people you enjoy being with - they will be sharing one of the biggest milestones in your life with you! Your wedding or elopement celebrant should be there to support you and celebrate you while making the ceremony planning process as easy, fun and organized as possible. Choosing a local officiant within the Sea-to-Sky Corridor means they know the area, they are comfortable with your venue, other suppliers and often will have great tips that will make your wedding special in your chosen destination. 

Squamish Officiant Celebrant Sea to Sky


 2. Keep Your Ceremony Location Close 

It’s winter and you want those beautiful snowy photos! Luckily, in the Sea-To-Sky (Squamish, Whistler & Pemberton) there are countless gorgeous locations coated in snow that are away from the main ‘spots’. While a ceremony atop Whistler Mountain might be your first thought, there are so many hidden spots closer to your reception location that will be just as dreamy. These locations are also more intimate, and mean that your guests won’t be too far from a fireplace to warm up while you’re getting snowy photos. TIP - If winter wedding is your vibe, but walking your heels through the snow isn’t on the top of your list - check out Squamish locations for dreamy white tipped mountains minus the snow underfoot! 


3. Choose An All Inclusive Wedding Package 

Does dealing with multiple wedding vendors stress you out? Picking a vendor who is able to provide you with multiple services is an easy way to reduce the back and forth communication and streamline your on the day coordination. Picking a multi-skilled vendor that can provide hair, make up, floristry and can also be your officiant will mean you are with the same person for your entire day. This reduces the stress of coordinating multiple people when you should be relaxed and enjoying your wedding. Check out our all inclusive wedding packages to take the stress off. 


Whistler winter wedding https://leahkathrynphoto.com/

Leah Kathryn Photography

4.  Bring Clothing Layers 

A Winter wedding in Whistler is beautiful, but frostbite isn’t. Don’t forget to bring winter boots to put on if you plan on being outside for long periods of time. It’s the perfect excuse to buy the new Sorrels or bring out the Uggs for under your dress. It never hurts to have additional layer options whether that be coats, blankets or shoulder wrap to both keep you warm and enhance that cozy winter wedding vibe. 


5.  Water & Winter-Proof your Hair & Makeup

A huge positive of a winter wedding is no humidity. This means that the range of hair style choices is endless! No need to worry about fallen curls throughout the day or frizziness in the middle of your ceremony. When it comes to make up, make sure you talk to your makeup artist about products to use to combat dryness and keep your makeup waterproof in case of snow or sleet. Using a full coverage foundation will help to keep the winter air from making your cheeks and nose rudolf red - and keeping your winter glow. 


Whistler winter wedding hair and make up

Leah Kathryn Photography

 Enquire  for our all inclusive wedding vendor packages for Winter weddings and elopements in Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish.    


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