Gastown Vancouver and Hycroft Manor Elopement // Alia + Shawn
It was a gorgeous summer day in Vancouver for Alia and Shawn’s intimate urban elopement, which was perfect because Alia and I had been talking about golden hour photos for a year leading up to their big day. For the pair, coming from their current home in Ontario, the West Coast is where they knew they wanted to get married. After immigrating from Cairo as a child, Alia grew up in Vancouver and her immediate family still lives here. The couple has been living in Toronto for the past seven years, where they met while both attending Ryerson, but they have always planned on moving back to BC eventually, so they wanted the city they would get married in to be the same one that they would make their forever home.
Alia attended a meeting at Hycroft Manor before the pair got engaged and immediately fell in love with the look of the space. She sent pictures to Shawn and he agree that it was a beautiful space for a wedding. They initially worried that the grand location would be too big for an eight person wedding, but it was a perfect venue, with so many intimate pockets, that it never felt too large. After booking the venue, Alia found her long sleeved, vintage-inspired dress at Davie & Chiyo which matched the aesthetic of the manor perfectly.
To say that I was just a little nervous and intimidated to shoot Alia and Shawn’s nuptials would be an understatement. Alia is super talented, fellow photographer who I have been following on social media for a while. I need to take a moment to talk about the incredible work she’s been doing because then you’ll understand why I was anxious to do justice to their wedding story. In 2016, Alia created The Sisters Project, a photography series that showcases the unique stories of Muslim women across Canada, in order to combat negative stereotypes and create more inclusion as well as strengthen the connections within the community. Her work has been featured in many well known publications (including Elle, VICE, Oprah Magazine, and the Globe and Mail) and her commercial images have also been displayed internationally. Please do yourself a favour and check out her work!
I met Alia at a Airbnb in Gastown where she was getting ready with her mom and sisters (also all incredible, talented women, it must run in the family!) and we spent some time taking portraits and hanging out before the first look. The pair wanted to see each right away so we did their first look in the courtyard of the Gastown building. We thought that it would be perfect to have a combination of urban portraits with the more formal and lush grounds of Hycroft so we started off by exploring the Gastown area, which Alia and Shawn agree was one of their favourite parts of the day. Another highlight for them was their private vows which they exchanged in the garden at Hycroft before the ceremony. They told me “Our private vows meant a lot to us and we love that we had a chance to spend that time together before the evening began. You made us feel so comfortable during those moments, that we were able to fully connect and be with each other.” (another reason why I sneak around in the bushes, trying to make as little noise as possible)
After their private vows, we met with the rest of the family and had a small ceremony in the Rose Garden officiated by the amazing Jane Halton of Young, Hip and Married. Then there was a mocktail toast and family photos before the group headed back inside for the couple’s first dance and intimate dinner. I heard that dinner included a heated game (which apparently resulted in an even tie in points) and a delicious meal prepared by the team at Hycroft. The group was so stuffed they had to save their delicious cake for another day!
Alia and Shawn were so much fun to work with, I loved being able to bounce ideas off of them and have them participate in creating the gorgeous portraits that we captured. Their families were both so kind, and even though it can sometimes feel weird to have a photographer around with such a small group, they really embraced it and welcomed me into the day. Before I left for the night the couple gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers, which brightened up our house for days! Thank you so much for choosing me to document your special day Alia and Shawn, I hope we get to reconnect when you move back to BC!
Vendor Credits
Ceremony/Reception Venue: Hycroft Manor
Alia’s Dress: Davie & Chiyo
Shawn’s Attire: Moores
Hair / MUA: Shermin Makeup & Hair
Florist: Our Little Flower Company
Officiant: Jane Halton of Young, Hip & Married
Cake: Jenny Bakes