Weigh West Resort in Tofino--wedding venue..

I have just secured a wedding in the newly renovated Harbour Room at Weigh West here in Tofino and this is the view from the inlet facing windows. This is a great option for couples looking for reasonable pricing for their food and still have a view and the room can handle 80-90 guests. I have white chair covers that fit the chairs here perfectly that can add a touch of elegance to any room.

Still more bookings for December Weddings

If you are feeling the stress of organizing your Wedding give me a call.. Your time is valuable and I know the ins and outs of the services available here in Tofino and Ucluelet. Hiring a planner saves you time and money and look after your best interests which in turn takes the pressure of for you to enjoy your day

December Weddings!

Last Minute Weddings still being booked for December! 

This is gonna be a Good Month!

Snowy Wedding Special in Tofino

How about a White-out Wedding in Tofino? We have the Snow! I will make all of the arrangements. You bring your outfits and rings..This Special Offer won't last long so quick call me.....

Tom and Megan November 6th

You are My Island!

Tom and Megan were really lucky with yesterdays  weather, forecast was wet/windy but instead they got not too cold, bride was bare shouldered, little wind, no rain and huge tides. All this gave an amazing backdrop for Marilyn McEwan to take some gorgeous pictures.

Thats My Guy

Once again Shades of Purple was the choice of colour for the bride's bouquet designed by Flowers By Sandra in Ucluelet, she is quite surprised at the majority of her weddings this year all choosing purple.

High Tide

No Sun today but also No Rain for another Tofino Wedding

So the rain stayed away today for the wedding of Megan and Tom until just after we had finished taking the last photo with 
So the rain stayed away today for the wedding of Megan and Tom until just after we had finished taking the last photo with Local photographer Marilyn McEwan. Gael Duchene performed the ceremony and emotions were high. Happy Couples make my day!apher MariSo the rain stayed away today for the wedding of Megan and Tom until just after we had finished taking the last photo with Local photographer Marilyn McEwan. Gael Duchene performed the ceremony and emotions were high. Happy Couples make my day!lyn McEwan. Gael Duchene performed the ceremony and emotions were high. Happy Couples make my day!So the rain stayed away today for the wedding of Megan and Tom until just after we had finished taking the last photo with Local photographer Marilyn McEwan. Gael Duchene performed the ceremony and emotions were high. Happy Couples make my day!

The Sun Was shining on April and Mark in Tofino!

Can you believe it, the sun came out for the best backdrop possible for April and Mark as the celebrated their wedding vows on Cox Bay. They united their lovely family with a Sand Ceremony; Purple, Yellow, Blue, Red and Orange grains of sand were poured into a beautifully etched vase individually and then together..

I had the pleasure of having the biggest dog ever at any of my weddings and so well behaved--meet Stella!

There is definitely a Sparkle in her Eyes!

The waves crashing behind the ceremony were spectacular....

April and Mark in Tofino Saying "I DO"

Well I am still crossing my fingers for sun as my lovely couple are doing a Sand Ceremony with their 3 lovely girls and it would be much better if there was no rain...

Rain Rain Go Away, Tofino needs a Sunny Day!

I am needing someone to do a Sun Dance as I have 2 Weddings in the next 2 Days.

My Wedding Family who are getting Married tomorrow have come prepared with Gum Boots all around but would still love some SUN!

November Beach Weddings in Tofino

Sealed with a Kiss!

Busy Weekend coming up, hope the weather behaves! Wedding on Friday and Saturday

Flower choices for Bouquets!

Flower choices for Bouquets and Boutinnieres. 

Now some would say that anything works but here where many of my weddings are on the beach I would recommend that you choose a flower that can handle being without water for a while and one that is a little sturdy as sometimes beach weddings involve more movement than a church wedding. 

Such as venturing over rocks or dipping your feet in the ocean and so Gerber's, Calla's, Orchid's and Roses are fine as long as they have a few stems of greenery to support them but on their own a bit fragile. 

I also find Roses are a bit too heavy for Boutinnieres and tend to fall over or droop.

Wedding cakes from local baker in Ucluelet

The bride requested purple calla's and soft pink roses to cascade down her small 2 tier Wedding Cake, one was 8 and the other 5 inches.

Local cake maker Jeni Christie suggested alternating layers of chocolate and vanilla with vanilla and lemon for the bottom tier (one layer each) and chocolate and orange for the top tier (again one layer each). 

The Bride loved this idea and asked to have butter-cream icing on the outside with a little swirl for decoration.

Here is a pic of a Mexican Fiesta themed wedding at Tin Wis last week. Those are my white Chair Covers that I rent out--pretty

Jennifer and Victor October 10th, 2010

Hi Suzanne,

Thank you for organising it, especially the weather!

Regards,

Jennifer & Victor

Storm Weddings in Tofino

Even in a storm Tofino and Ucluelet are great Wedding Destinations! Imagine the scene: You and your Loved One saying "I Do" with a backdrop of crashing waves, some brides even wear fancy Gumboots under their Dresses

Busy Wedding Season in Tofino even in October

Busy Times, 3 Weddings in October, a couple of Gift Basket Deliveries, Turkey Dinner Deliveries and 5 more booked weddings-----I am loving my Job!

A beautiful couple!

Hey Suzanne,

We just wanted to write to thank you for planning our wedding.  You
did such an amazing job, and went well beyond the call of duty to make
sure that every little aspect was taken care of.  You made our day so
special.  You made our huge, complicated wedding run so smoothly.
Whether it was setting up the entire hall by yourself or driving the
bride back to the hotel for her forgotten veil, no aspect seemed too
large or too small for you to handle with the utmost care.  And it's
that care that makes you so dear to us, and makes you so good at your
job.  We didn't get a chance to raise a glass to you during the
toasts, but now that the fog has cleared, we look back on that magic
weekend and we we really want to thank for
making it all happen. Thank-you so much for the fabulous memories that
will last us our entire lives.

Sincerely,
Michael and Carrie-May

Rain did not stop wedding! Just delayed it

The joy of small weddings is that in case of rain (which there was a lot of recently) we can change times so that Mr. Sun came shining through.
Congratulations Yvonne and Brent and a beautiful wedding at Green Point...

Storm Weddings

I have been busy booking weddings for Storm Season.
Great for small intimate Elopements, where the bride can wear gumboots under her dress and paddle in the ocean and no-one is going to try and talk her out of it.

Sooo Cold !

Wedding Season In Tofino

Waters Edge

It has been a great wedding season and I have met some amazing couples some of whom will remain friends. I couldn't ask for a better job. I love it!

Destination or Home to have your Wedding?

Reply to a bride unsure of whether to choose Tofino (maybe in the rain) which she loves or home!!!!

Couple from Germany!

 I am a wedding planner here in Tofino and do many weddings a year here for the same reason you love, it is a great little town and couples fall in love with it and want to share it with their friends and family. May can be a great month and it can also be a bit wet, we cannot determine that, however the beauty of Tofino is still there no matter what the weather. I do not know how many guests you would like to be at your wedding but there are great places that do not need to break the bank and that you can still see the view and not be in the rain. This year I have had more Elopements than in previous years and that is due to the fact that Tofino can be too expensive for all guests and also due to the fact that couples have more extended families these days and this can bring it's own set of problems. So many couples decide to get married in the place they really love either by themselves or with a few friends/family and then go home and have a backyard party! I must say the pictures taken from couples Eloping are stress-free, fun, spontaneous and the couples feel happy as they had no pressure to have a wedding that was not really their vision.
Please feel free to call me for anything I can do to help you plan "Your Wedding".
Suzanne @ West Coast Weddings and Events--250-266-2094

Elopement Specials!

Last Minute Elopement Specials!

Give me a couple of days and your dream wedding can be all set-up, no stress no fuss but lots of smiles and great pics.. then go home and have a backyard party-----yeah!

3 weddings in a week!

What a week!

My couple yesterday came from Vancouver and climbed all over rocks and barnacles on Chestermans Beach to get just the right background for one of Chris' panoramics, in high heels to boot! Brett and Michelle just called me on Thursday to see if we could pull this wedding of by this weekend and sure enough we did.

sinking in the sand!

Cold Feet !

I had so much fun with Amanda and Mike, some couples come through a lot to be where they are and i am so thrilled to be a part of their Happy Day. Rev Joan has an amazing way with words, Chris Pouget did his magic with his camera, it almost seems like an extra appendage and the weather co-operated as you can see.



Claudia and Dirk came all the way from Germany!
This couple have been together for 16 years and boy did they emanate fun and love, Chris Pouget did not have to work too hard to make them smile or pose as they were naturals. This is why so many couples are electing to Elope, they can relax, and have fun....

      So much Fun!

Recent Wedding

Here is a comment just in from two wonderful families being united as one!

"THANK YOU so much for making our speical union so memorable and so wonderful in every way. The dinner at Long Beach Lodge was wonderful and delicious. Everyone was friendly and we had a great evening. Michael the photographer was amazing and we found so many gems in the extensive photo collection. He really made the event. The commissioner said the ceremony exactly as written. She was quite lovely as well.

 

All to say ... our special union and blending of the cermonies event wouldn't have happened without you!

 

Many many thanks Suzanne. You really make dreams come true.

 

All the best!

Monica and Lee 

Couples from Afar, Eloping in Tofino....

The Look of Love!

In the last week, I have had the pleasure of meeting 2 different couples from England and Germany. Both of them  excited to be getting married in Tofino and having a small, intimate, romantic wedding with no fuss. And today I was asked how fast I could organize a wedding for another couple wishing to Elope. With extended families being more common now, more couples are deciding to get married but their way with no family politics or hassles. Brides are more relaxed and apt to be generally more adventurous with posing for pics that if their families were around would not, they will walk in the ocean, climb over rocks to the perfect beach and smile like no-one is watching. It is very interesting to try speaking German that I have not used since high school or be able to relate to places in Britain that I know from growing up and my visits there. It still amazes me how I ended up finding Tofino, living here and how others wish to say " I DO" here in one of the most romantic venues in the world!

Love Is !

The Look!

Visualize nervous but excited groom standing waters-edge with 2 perfect circles of love nestled deep in his pocket. He looks up and misses a breath as a suddenly shy but loving bride is desperately seeking his look of everlasting Love..These are the moments I witness....Magic moments!

Ryan and Renee

Rosie Bay

 I really enjoyed helping Ryan and Renee get married last week at the amazing sunset Point at Pacific Sands. they had a great room overlooking cox bay and many surfers. Ryan's grampa was certified to marry them, so very small and intimate with just gran and grampa, myself and michael farrow for photography...

Gift Baskets for The Honeymoon Suite

West Coast Gift Basket

One of the great things about my job is that it is versatile. I not only plan weddings for groups of 2 to 300 out here in either Tofino or Ucluelet at a variety of resorts for all budgets and styles. I also can make and deliver West Coast Gift Baskets totally unique as they are all custom designed just for the special person receiving it. The products that I fill the basket with mostly come from local Island Merchants and as fresh as I can get it.
I pick up Tofino Chocolates same day as they are made as well as Humous from Beaches Grocery Store. A fresh sourdough baguette and Qualicum Cheese go well with a chunk of locally Smoked Salmon finished of with a great BC Wine or Beer. This particular basket was for a family so to make it a little more exciting I put in a small chocolate fondue filled with local berries/chocolate/extra fruit for dipping and some Island Port for the Adults..Mmmmmmmm!

Tofino Elopement Wedding for Brittany and Chad

The personal touch of Wedding Decor

Tin Wis--sage/brown

Every bride has a style all of her own and this is showcased even in her reception colours and decor.
Sometimes it comes right at the start of her wedding planning, she knows here fav colours and has an idea on style. Most couples who choose to get married by the beach, they tend to want to have shells and sand as their main theme. Now there are a few ways of doing that, you can have beautiful little glass vases either square or round ( like the classic goldfish bowl) with sand, shells, candles in them or shells/pebbles in water with a lovely blossom floating or floating candles. I myself actually had the shells, 2 goldfish(as i had a tank at home and could place them their after) and a purple Hydrangea floating on top.

Lilac/Brown

Orchids immersed in water in a tall glass vase adds a lovely elegant look and dimension to a room, this is great if you have tall ceilings. The actual table decor is a big market these days, many companies have chair covers in an array of colours and styles and then there are organza or satin sashes that tie in your colour scheme for not a lot of money--usually $1-2 each. In this photo, I had a lot of fun, the colours were sage and brown, so the table overlay is actually wallpaper with a bamboo feel to it, white chair covers with  a sheer sage organza sash, a sand filled vase with local salal greenery to give us some height and then some twinkle around the walls.

I enjoy helping the bride choose her style and have quite the assortment of Rental items to choose from and you don't have to worry about breakage while travelling here or what you are going to do with 14 vases afterthe event is over.  I am currently working on getting my website updated with all of my rentals.

Wedding Weekend coming up!

Got a busy day tomorrow.
Wedding Rehearsal on beautiful Combers Beach in the beautiful Pacific Rim National Park in between Tofino and Ucluelet. Going to be interesting with Rabbi Mercy coming over from Vancouver to officiate the wedding.
Later on setting up the brand new Ucluelet Community Centre for dinner and dancing, catered by the amazing chef Andrew Springett from Black Rock Resort. Local photographer Michael Farrow is working his magic, wonder what the fog is going to do, could make for some mystical pics....

Tara and Jason, July 24th

Tara and Jason

I had the pleasure of assisting Tara and Jason in choosing a great Venue  in Tofino for their Dream Wedding.

They brought their guests mostly from Alberta to experience the West Coast and all of its bounty, some of whom went to Hot Springs and some took advantage of the great fishing.

As you can see from the picture, the weather could not have been more perfect, we were a bit worried as there had been a lot of fog on the days leading up to the big day.

Rene Gibson officiated and catering was by Sobo and also some family BBQ their specialty venison kebabs--yummy !

The weather was so good that the dinner was set up on the deck and later the guests played Bocci and Horseshoes on the beach.

Sometimes you know when you meet someone, that you will be friends forever that is how it is with Tara-----sincerely,
Suzanne

Foggy Day in July !

                      Isn't this a great shot!

  More and more couples are dipping their toes in the Pacific and doing things that make them smile even down right good old laughing.
                When the cold water hits them, the surprise on their faces makes for such a natural picture.
            I find that couples who come to the West Coast tend to do some stress-free, care-free fun and exciting things that city weddings don't.
      Especially the Elopements, those Bride's and Groom's decide to have their special day as they see it, not as others want to see it and so the pressure is of and the love is easier to capture leaving them with The Wedding Day they had envisioned !

Foggy but Mystical !

Recently, we have had quite a bit of low lying fog which is great for photographers as they would rather have fog than a cloudless blue sky. There is an air of mystique as the fog rolls in and around a Bride in her flowing white dress but most couples do not come to the West Coast to have foggy memories. So the secret to avoiding this usually  is to have a late afternoon ceremony.

Family Pics

My Girls!

One of the things I try to encourage the wedding couple to do is make a list of important family pictures that need to be taken. Most times right after the ceremony the bride and groom are busy being congratulated and maybe toasting with some champagne resulting in them not really thinking about the must have photos to be taken. There is nothing worse than finding out weeks later that great Aunty Gemima did not get her special picture with her favourite niece or that 4 generation once in a lifetime shot was not snapped. So to avoid dissappointment make a list of the "Must Have Wedding Photo's" and give it to someone to organize. I have made it easy for you, just go to my website onto the Getting Organized page and print of the list, fill it in and delegate to someone you trust with the job!

The Ryles 

West Coast Weddings and Events: Family Pics

West Coast Weddings and Events: Family Pics: "My Girls! One of the things I try to encourage the wedding couple to do is make a list of important family pictures that need to be take..."

Getting Married in the Pacific Rim National Park

Some of the nicest sandiest beaches lie in our local National Park and yes you can get

 permission to be married there. 

This wedding was at South Beach 15minutes along the trail south of the Wickaninnish Center. Definitely a bit of a hike and then a few stairs, so before you decide on this being the perfect ceremony venue, think about how able your guests are or are not. 

The further away you go from the parking areas the more privacy you will get if that is important to you! South Beach is quite remarkable as it is more small pebbles and amazing small shells like the Olive shell than sand and it has a few huge rocks that are great for the dramatic backdrop or for the photographer to get some height as in this picture taken by local Jeremy Koreski.

So the wedding venue permit costs $30 and you have to apply to the parks for permission, now that is just to be allowed to use the park as your ceremony site, you still have to pay the park usage fee for all of your guests.The most reasonable way to do this is if you transport in/out your guests by Tofino Bus, this usually adds a little fun to the day as it is a yellow school bus that is the mode of transport--have fun!

West Coast Weddings and Events: Getting Married in the Pacific Rim National Park

West Coast Weddings and Events: Getting Married in the Pacific Rim National Park: "Some of the nicest sandiest beaches lie in our local National Park and yes you can get permission to be married there. This wedding was at S..."

Decor, and Romance!

Wedding Decor can be expensive and take up a lot of space that most couples don't have when  coming to a Destination Town . We have a selection of vases, sand, shells, linens, card boxes, chair covers, flower stands that can be rented or set-up for you so that you do not have to worry about breakage or lost items. We can also set-up any room with champagne, rose petals, chocolates, fondue candles etc for Birthdays, Wedding Nights, Anniversaries or just because!

West Coast Weddings and Events: Destination Weddings !

West Coast Weddings and Events: Destination Weddings !: "When you hear Destination Wedding, most of us think Sun, Sand and a Beach in Mexico, Hawaii or Jamaica but more and more couples wanting to..."

Destination Weddings !

When you hear Destination Wedding, most of us think Sun, Sand and a  Beach in Mexico, Hawaii or Jamaica but more and more couples wanting to get married are looking in their own backyard--yes right here in British Columbia, Canada, more specifically Tofino or Ucluelet.

Some very good reasons for that are:

• You get more value for your dollar @ Home
• To get your Wedding License is far easier in Canada
• All you need is your Passport (ID) and $100
• Keeping your Dollar in Canada makes sense
• Tofino is famous for its clean beautiful Sandy Beaches
• And yes we do get a lot of rain but we do get our fair share of hot, sunny, fog-free glorious days
• Ucluelet is known for its rugged dramatic coastline with many amazing backdrops for saying "I DO"

We also  have an airport that you can fly straight from Vancouver to, if you don't like the windy roads!
So, give us a call for a West Coast Wedding that dreams are made of !

my mum and me!

My mum came from Scotland and brought her pretty hat ensuring it did not get squashed!

She also brought me a lucky Horseshoe--a Scottish Tradition!

My bouquet was from Crab Apple Floral and  the Wedding of my Dreams was @ Tin Wis.

And the weather was perfect!

Mothers and their daughters !

Last minutes of advice.
            How many mum's out there think about their little girls wedding day from early on in their childhood--you would be surprised, many of us!

We watch and listen and give hugs when needed, have a tissue close by and bake something sweet for the broken heart.

      Then one day you see that little girl all grown up with a twinkle in her eye for that someone special. And here you have to start letting go and hope that you have done your job of guiding and teaching and that the chosen partner loves her as much as you do.

You think you will be fine on the magic wedding day, no tears, total control, composed and then, you see her putting the final touches to her dress, last lick of lipstick and boom the tears start falling. No idea, no warning sniffles just the flood gates open and someone discreetly places a tissue in your hand. This is when your heart is beating pretty fast and you're smiling through the tears--the moment you have seen in your mind for many a year is here and wow are you so proud! Your little girl is all grown up, here stands a beautiful young woman full of wisdom and love that you shared with her, ready to take on her new role of loving wife and maybe mother.
                Tell her You Love her, you're very proud of her and that She knows where You are if she needs you for anything!

Walking on Water !

There seems to be a new Wave happening --no really!
Brides are getting married their way !
Many of them Eloping with no stress and no fuss.
This results in couples stepping out of their comfort zone and really having fun with the photographer, sometimes going barefoot and walking the surfline---things they would never do if being watched by older parents who had maybe helped pay for that gorgeous wedding dress now heavy and full of sand.

But what joy is captured when boundaries are taken away, you only have to look on these couples faces to see it and feel it.

Cakes and Travelling !

This is just a reminder to those of you bringing your special Wedding Cake over the hills from far away to have it properly packed for the ride with explicit instructions as to its refrigeration once it arrives here on the West Coast.
I saw a very unhappy couple yesterday after their cake had cracked and melted.

Tents on the beach!

I have been planning weddings for 4 years with my own business and for a couple of years before that locally and have been asked many times by prospective clients to please help them have their perfect West Coast Wedding on the Beach with a tent for rain back-up!
Sounds easy but it is not and just in the last weeks Gordon Johns of the Chamber of Commerce has got concrete information about the issue.

• Tents for 12 and under are allowed on the beach as long as there is no liquor!
• Tents for more than 12 people might be allowed but first a request to do this has to be presented to the District of Tofino for approval and stipulations set in place. There is a catch, No Liquor is allowed and the Tofino council only meets about twice in the summer months so your permission request has to be applied well in advance of your preferred date.

So unfortunately this does not work for all of you wanting to have your wedding and  the amazing view in a tent on the beach.

There are a few great places that have views and welcome weddings, whether they are Resorts, Restaurants or Private Houses, we look forward to assisting you in finding the right venue for your Perfect Day in either Tofino or Ucluelet