Our Ten Year Vow Renewal

“Jennifer Jean, what a decade it’s been. We met each other on January 5, 2012 and my life was forever changed from that point on. You came into my life like a ray of sunshine and you’ve continued to bring light into everyday of my life and into the lives of everyone around you. I am so happy to celebrate this day with you.” These are the words I heard as Tom began his vows: my heart racing, my chin quivering, and butterflies dancing in my stomach even though we’ve been together for ten amazing years. I feel so blessed to have found a man like Tom. As I concluded my vows to Tom I said: “there is a quote I reflected on a lot when we were dating and discussing marriage. It goes: “Aim high, but do not aim so high that you totally miss the target. What really matters is that he will love you, that he will respect you, that he will honour you, that he will be absolutely true to you, that he will give you the freedom of expression and let you fly in the development of your own talents. He is not going to be perfect, but if he is kind and thoughtful, honest and full of faith, the chances are you will not go wrong and that you will be immensely happy.” Thomas, thank you for loving me and respecting me. You have made me so immensely happy. Thank you for honouring me and my freedom of expression, and for believing that sameness does not equate to oneness. Thank you for choosing me, everyday. I can honestly say there is no one else on this planet I feel more unwavering love from. Thank you for loving me unconditionally. I remember the first time we kissed I was smiling so big that you kissed my teeth. 10 years later and I still can’t stop smiling. Loving you is easy. Like the lyrics from our first dance song say, “I have loved you for a thousand years, I’ll love you for a thousand more.”

I am so used to capturing everyone else’s special moments, memories and events. It felt so weird to have the roles reversed as I celebrated my 10 year anniversary with a very intimate vow renewal at Sanctuary Gardens. For context, Tom and I got married as wee little babies! We dated for 6 months, were engaged for 3 months, and married by 9 months of knowing each other. I was fresh 20, and my hubby 23 when we tied the knot. Tom and I have been chatting how the past ten years have seemed to go by in the blink of an eye, but at the same time the beginning of our relationship feels like a lifetime ago. Time is a funny thing. The thing about getting married so young is that Tom and I got to grow up together. We navigated adulthood together: university degrees- together. First “real jobs” together. First house, together. We have been a partnership and a team as we’ve grown up. I’m so grateful I get to navigate life with Tom. It truly was SO special to ponder on the past ten years and celebrate each other and how far we’ve come in our relationship.

If it wasn’t for my friend Angela Wong who is the fiercely talented woman behind Lovella Lifestyle, this vow renewal never would have happened. She was the mastermind behind this and really encouraged me to do something big to celebrate my 10 year anniversary. Typically Tom and I would just get a babysitter for a couple hours and go out for dinner, but Angela was convinced we needed to do something bigger for our 10 year. I’m so grateful for her encouragement and support to make this special day happen for my husband Tom and I. I’ll spare with you all of the details for my love for Angela but I will say that pulling this off required lots of details aligning perfectly, and a lot of hard work.

My love for ethereal and whimsical details is alive and stronger than ever. We decided for our vow renewal we wanted to use our original wedding colors, soft pink and blue. We wanted to create an elevated fine art version of our original wedding day. Soft colors, delicate details, carefully crafted florals, pretty jewelry and of course the love of my life, our boys and some close family members.

We said our vows overlooking the most picturesque mountains of Sanctuary Gardens in Kelowna, BC. The sun was shining and the wind, just enough to blow through my Anthropologie dress that I am SO utterly obsessed with. The off-the-shoulder moment, and sweeping floral, diaphanous organza is fit for a fairytale. I was lucky enough to have Teryn Lee Photography and Nory Films come to document this day. It was magical! I am forever grateful and will cherish these memories with my family for a lifetime.

VENDORS//
Photographer: @terynleephotos
Videographer: @nory.films
Venue: @sanctuarygardens
Florist: @lovellalifestyle
Stationery: @studiodukesa
Vow books: @featherandinkletteringco
Cake: @flourandcake
HMUA: @cassidywattmakeup
Dress: @anthropologie
Shoes: @lulus
Jewelry: @oliveandpiper
Menswear: @rw_co