Whimsical Summer Wedding

Jamie’s brothers were friends with Gerhardt, but their meeting was purely serendipitous. They did not meet until they were introduced at a friend’s wedding—a wedding that Gerhardt nearly did not attend. They visited throughout dinner and enjoyed casual small talk. When Gerhardt left, Jamie persisted until he returned. It appeared she had a crush on him—a feeling that was mutual. When asked if it was love at first sight, Jamie gushes, “yes, it was.”

The youngest of six children, it would be an understatement to say that Jamie’s four brothers and father are a little protective. As fathers and brothers do, they would often give Gerhardt a hard time, but the Brochu men quickly saw Gerhardt for the amazing man that he is—they, too, fell in love with him.

The Proposal

After several years of dating, marriage had become a topic of discussion and upon traveling to Panama, for what would be yet another friend’s wedding, Jamie was beginning to become disappointed that it was not yet her turn. Little did she know, Gerhardt had a plan. They booked a couple’s shoot, but Jamie thought it was simply for an experience. Unbeknownst to her, the photo shoot would turn into their engagement photos the moment that Gerhardt proposed. They wandered through the Yaya waterfalls and while Jamie was overwhelmed by the view, Gerhardt signaled to the photographer that he was about to propose. He shook with nerves. At the edge of the waterfall, Gerhardt knelt down on one knee and proposed to the love of his life.

The Big Day

Jamie has always been a fashionista and an antiquer, so it was suiting that décor was her favourite element of planning. Jamie travelled to Phoenix to find the gown of her dreams and wore different accessories for the ceremony and the reception, including a custom headpiece. From pieces of her grandmother’s jewellery that were wrapped around Jamie’s bouquet, to old doors that she had found at thrift shops, vintage finds surrounded the reception. Numerous custom built pieces were found throughout, such as a fabric backdrop behind the head table, a backdrop of vintage doors behind the sweetheart table, a large wish tree, and a unique backdrop for their photo booth. To suit their eclectic tastes, they opted to have three coordinating styles of reception tables. The reception was made complete with some of their favourite foods: a caesar bar and McDonald’s cheeseburgers alongside Pizza Hut for late lunch.

Favourite Moments

Ultimately, the ceremony is Gerhardt’s favourite: “standing in front of family and friends, holding Jamie’s hand, and exchanging our wedding vows.”

First Dance

Serena Ryder — “What I Wouldn’t Do”

Advice from the Newlyweds

“Make sure you plan and have a wedding planner who is going to help you, because [time] can get away from you. Start early and have a really good plan of what you want. It’s all you do and all you think about and suddenly it’s over. It goes by so quickly, so enjoy it and breathe.”

Honeymoon

Mexico