Courtney & Steven's Swaneset Love Story: A Journey of Hearts

Love Story

Let's rewind to the day Courtney and Steven's worlds collided. Courtney reminisces, "I was visiting family in Toronto. I went over to my sisters for lunch on a Sunday and that was the day we met." Steven, totally smitten, even had to splash water on his face to believe it wasn't a dream. Their whirlwind romance saw Steven flying to LA for dates, followed by Courtney's visit to Vancouver. "I felt like I was on a ‘The Bachelor’ date," Courtney gushes about their helicopter ride to a mountain hot spring. The next day, Steven popped the girlfriend question. Two months later, Courtney, Steven, and their Pomeranian Blu became a Vancouver trio.

"We moved into our first home together and he proposed the night we moved in. I did not expect it at all because it was such a hectic day. He said in his proposal that he didn’t want to live here just as girlfriend and boyfriend so I suggested we should just get married at the courthouse then. Little did I know he had a ring in his pocket and got down on one knee right then. I think I cried for about 2 hours straight, it was perfect," says Courtney.

Planning this extravaganza took a year! With 200 guests, they transformed the Swaneset Resort into a slice of France. Courtney shares, "I always dreamed of getting married in a castle in France or something, due to Covid we obviously couldn’t plan a wedding abroad so I wanted to find a venue that felt classic and magical."

The theme? Heavenly and ethereal, with an emphasis on their dream-like journey together. “Our relationship felt like a dream so I wanted the feel to be dreamy and light and very happy with lots of candlelight.” says the bride.

The key moment the couple will remember from the day is “All of our family and friends from Toronto, Vancouver, and abroad all in the same room at the same time, probably for the only time it will happen.”

Morning details

The wedding morning was a flurry of joy and anticipation. Making Memories Stationery crafted the invites, embodying elegance and sentiment. Steven's love for sparkle shone through in their wedding rings. "Steven LOVES bling so he knew he wanted all diamonds on his ring as well as mine," Courtney laughs.

Courtney's ring, a 3.33-carat cushion cut, held a special connection. "It’s my angel number as well as a number that comes up when Steven’s late brother sends signs from above," Courtney explains, her eyes twinkling with emotion.

Bride getting ready

Courtney's bridal transformation was nothing short of enchanting. "It was the 3rd dress I tried on (there is the 3’s again) Every dress I tried on was beautiful but there was definitely a special feeling when I tried on the one. I started crying thinking about Steve seeing me walk down the aisle in it and that’s how I knew," she reminisces.

Adorned in a Lee Petra Grebenau gown, with a blusher veil and diamond earrings, she was the epitome of grace. A blue bead sewn into her dress added the traditional 'something blue'.

The choice of flowers was simple yet elegant, “Anything white, cascading, and in season by Tala Florist,” Courtney shares.

Groom getting ready

Steven's preparations were equally stylish. His choice? A classic Louis Vuitton tuxedo. The condo setting was intimate, with close family adding to the warmth of the moment.

Ceremony

Their first look was traditional yet breathtaking. Steven waited at the altar, his heart racing. When he saw her walking down the aisle, all he could think was “‘Finally".

Courtney, escorted by her father, felt like she was in a dream. "It was an out-of-body experience walking down the aisle with my dad," she says, her eyes sparkling with joy.

The ceremony at St. Francis of Assisi Church was a mix of serenity and giggles. "Sitting beside each other and feeling the support from everyone we love behind us,” was a surreal moment for the couple.

Their unique tradition of triple kisses at the altar added a personal touch. "We always kiss each other 3 times before bed so we kissed 3 times at the altar before leaving (3’s again)," Courtney adds with a wink.

Photoshoot after the ceremony

Post-vows, they jetted off to a friend's stunning house on a private island for their photoshoot. "We went to a family friend's house in Belcarra, BC who lives in a stunning house on a private island on the ocean surrounded by mountains. We love BC for both those reasons so knew we wanted to take our pictures there," Courtney recalls. “Our good friend flew us from the island to our venue in a helicopter - the same friend who took us on that flight during one of our first dates.”

Wedding Venue & Decor

The Swaneset Resort, surrounded by mountains, was their castle in Canada. "We visited a few venues but we chose Swaneset because it is nestled in a valley in between the mountains and felt like a castle. It also could fit the amount of guests we wanted," Courtney says, eyes glowing.

The decor followed a white and gold palette, harmonizing with the venue's grandeur. “Swaneset has big beautiful gold chandeliers so I wanted to tie those into the decor,” shares the bride.

Reception

Their first dance was to Justin Bieber's "Off My Face," setting a romantic tone. Bucking tradition, they skipped the cake. "We didn’t have a wedding cake - we both do not like cake so when we were planning we decided to scrap that tradition because it was not us and we served a variety of desserts for the guests instead," Courtney explains.

The vendors, especially Stefania, the planner-cousin, were stars. "Our planner was our cousin Stefania who literally helped with every single detail and I could not have planned this without her," Courtney adds gratefully.