Love, in its Sunday best. Kristyn and Ben's Cecil Green Park House wedding fell on the first Sunday of October, at a historic house on the cliffs of Point Grey where the lawn runs toward the water and the mountains sit across the bay. They wanted it to feel nostalgic, timeless, and raw. Ethereal in the portraits. More than anything, they wanted every person in that house to feel cared for.

They got all of it. Plus a Paebaek I'm still thinking about.

Friends first, on a dog walk

Kristyn and Ben met through their dogs. Walk after walk, they became friends before they became anything else. There was never any pressure to impress. They were just themselves from the start.

Faith was the other thing they connected on right away, and it ran through the whole day. As a bi-racial couple, they've spent years learning each other's cultures. Their wedding was built so both families could see themselves in it.

The dogs didn't make the trip to Vancouver. They were in the story anyway.

Private vows before anyone arrived

Kristyn got ready in the library, the one room in the house kept just for her. Ben and his guys came over from their Airbnb already dressed, so we made a few frames of them in the Solarium before the first look.

At 2:00 they saw each other for the first time and read private vows. No guests. No audience. Just the two of them in a house that was still quiet.

The second floor at Cecil Green is reserved for the couple, so that's where we went for portraits. Then the wedding party joined us. Bre, Michelle, Zoe, Trinity, Sarah, and Emily. Michael, Wil, Chris, Riley, Connor, and Ryan. Getting all of this done before the ceremony meant the rest of the day belonged to them.

A Cecil Green Park House wedding ceremony set to "Oceans"

Before anyone sat down, framed portraits of their grandparents went out on the chairs. I photographed them while the room was still empty. Some people can't be there in person. They still get a seat.

At 4:30, Kristyn walked in to "Oceans." Michael TenBarge officiated. Half an hour later they were married, and everyone drifted into cocktail hour while we moved through family photos on both sides, biggest groups first, so people could get back to the party.

A prayer, a first dance, and no seating chart

The reception opened with welcome remarks and the wedding party entrance. Then their first dance, the parent dances, and a prayer. Ben's brother-in-law Richard blessed the food before the stations opened.

There was no assigned seating. Just food stations, games, and people wandering from table to table. Right as everyone settled in with their plates, I pulled Kristyn and Ben outside for fifteen minutes of golden hour. Nobody noticed they were gone.

Then the speeches. Bre and Michelle, Kristyn's sister and her best friend. Michael and Wil, Ben's best friends. Kristyn's dad, Derek. Ben's sister, Catherine. Kristyn's brother, Justin.

The Paebaek

At 8:00, Kristyn and Ben changed for the Paebaek, a traditional Korean ceremony centered on family. Lucy, Ben's cousin and the coordinator who held the whole day together, guided everyone through it.

They bowed to their parents. They served them drinks. They listened to their words of wisdom. Then the dates and chestnuts came flying, and the two of them tried to catch as many as they could. Tradition says that number is how many kids are coming. After that, the fun part: a date bite, a love shot, a piggyback ride.

Thirty minutes, protected in the timeline from day one. It's one of the best parts of any wedding I get to photograph.

Ice cream and the dance floor

After the Paebaek they changed back, the Earnest Ice Cream cart opened, and Kristyn and Ben said a few last words to the people who came all this way for them. Then the dance floor opened. Late night food came out. The Mr. and Mrs. signs went up on their chairs.

If you're planning a wedding in Vancouver, or anywhere that means something to you and your people, I'd love to hear about it. I travel for couples who want their day kept exactly the way it felt. Tell me about your day.

INQUIRE FOR JENNA

Vendor team

Photography: By Jenna Roden
Film: The Film Lyrics, Avery Chatman
Venue: Cecil Green Park House
Coordination: Lucy Chung
Officiant: Michael TenBarge
Hair and makeup: LOVE Team
Catering: Sage Catering
DJ: Andy Soul Entertainment
Florals: Ben's aunt and cousin
Dessert: Earnest Ice Cream

Cecil Green Park House Wedding in Vancouver | Kristyn + Ben