Milner Gardens & Cuckoo Trattoria Wedding | Mecca & Mark

This day was a complete show stopper. It's easy to imagine things that couples have planned and put together a rough version in your head- but these two blew me away. Every detail, every touch and every-thing was so thoughtfully put together, beautifully designed... and honestly? This day will live forever in my head, rent free.

Not only did Mecca & Mark have an absolutely stunning wedding, they were so sweet, loving and truly present on their day. Their moments together and with family and friends made for an incredible experience and heartfelt images to go along with it.

Putting together an amazing team of wedding vendors, it truly made for a day where no stone was left unturned and every detail was taken care of. From planning to photos, to florals, food and everything in between- their celebration was top notch.

The day started with getting ready at Milner Gardens in the beautiful cottage overlooking the ceremony location. We made our way through the forest to the quiet space and it started off amazingly.

From there it was time to get ready for their first look. We planned to head out to a quiet shady spot not to0 far from the cottage and soak in those quiet moment together before the busy parts of the day started. I got them set up on this beautiful bridge surrounded by greenery and stunning nature. It was heartfelt, emotional, and just downright gorgeous. One of those see for yourself moments. I can still picture this beautiful moment as if it was yesterday.

After their first look we explored all the beautiful places Milner Gardens has to offer. You really get it all here. Ocean views, forest, a gorgeous pond and beautiful greenery and gardens. We had time for portraits of just the two of them before moving on to their wedding party photos and preparing for the ceremony. A photographers dream through and through, so much beauty.

It was time for the ceremony to start and it was a very warm July day, but everything was looking spectacular. Their ceremony was emotional, fun and filled with more beauty. Always one of the best moments of the day.

After the ceremony we got in their family photos and more portraits of the two of them before running off to Cuckoos for their reception! They had such a fun mix of locations and looks for their portraits and I was 100% there for it.

When we arrived at Cuckoo's I was truly breathless at the stunning vision that had been created. Mecca and Mark chose beautifully. The Italian inspired reception fit the location perfectly and the team at Blue Lily Events put this together so wonderfully. They had the seating space closed off until dinner time which is so perfect to get all the finishing touches together and allow me to get in there and take pictures of everything while it is still pristine. A detail photo I took during this time is now the cover of the most recent edition of Edible Vancouver Island.

M & M also had a private viewing of their space together which is another beautiful opportunity for photos and a lovely quiet moment for the bride and groom.

Just have a look for yourself, the lighting was perfection, the details were exceptional. The mix of rich browns, greens and the crisp white was a total vision.

After these two had a peek at everything, they joined in cocktail hour which was full of lovely, candid moments. Dinner service went off without a hitch, the food at Cuckoo's Trattoria in Coombs is outstanding. Dinner flowed into speeches & parent first dances effortlessly and having this reception entirely outside while still taking advantage of the daylight was amazing. It made for the best soft evening light and an impeccable atmosphere.

Dessert (also out-of-this-world) was served and before we snuck away for golden hour photos, an impromptu dance party broke out when Taylor Swift came on and it was one of the sweetest moments. I love when things like this happen. Couldn't be planned, still so special and a pleasure to document

Sneaking off with these two newlyweds was next and we had some quiet moments just the two of them around the grounds of cuckoos. There are so many incredible little spots that make for the best portraits.

It was time to close out the evening with their first dance as newlyweds and party the night away. It had been such an amazing day and a real testament to maximizing your photography coverage. Having the 10 hours they did, everything from the getting ready moments to the later evening dancing was covered and this gallery truly tells the story of their amazing day. So much love to this couple :)