Today, we're thrilled to share the magical journey of Bianca and Lennox, a radiant couple hailing from the sunny shores of San Diego. Their love story took a breathtaking turn as they embarked on the most special day of their lives at the iconic Banff Springs Hotel.
Picture this: a last-minute rain call threatening to dampen their outdoor ceremony. But love prevailed, and what unfolded inside was nothing short of pure magic. The Banff Springs Hotel transformed into a romantic haven, hosting a ceremony that radiated warmth, joy, and an undeniable sense of unity. Join us as we dive into the details of Bianca and Lennox's remarkable celebration, showcasing that even unexpected raindrops can't overshadow the beauty of true love.
What was your wedding date?
Thursday, July 20, 2023
How long have you and your spouse been together?
Our first date was January 1, 2019 and we got engaged May 6, 2022.
Tell us your engagement story!
One of the first trips we took together was Zion National Park in Utah. We went there in April of 2019 and that’s where we officially became boyfriend and girlfriend. We stayed at a glamping tent under the stars and hiked Angels Landing. The trip was such an adventure and that’s when we got to know each other more. When you travel you really see how a person approaches life and we both realized, “wow I really like spending time with you and even after being together for 5 days in a row, I still miss you.” So we’ve always had fond memories of Zion. We wanted to go back there in 2020 and 2021 but with everything going on with the global pandemic, we didn’t have a chance to. Then for our joint birthday trip in 2022, we decided to recreate our trip to Zion. We stayed at the same glamping place and had these hikes planned. They even decorated our tent for our birthdays. Then we went to hike Observation Point and at the top of the hike overlooking Angels Landing and the Zion Canyon, Lennox proposed! It was so funny because I was actually sitting down at the cliff edge to take in the view and when I turned around he was down on one knee! I was so surprised and first response was laughing joyfully. I had a feeling he would propose later that year in 2022 but I wasn’t expecting it in May. His mom was also going through cancer treatment at the time. It was a bittersweet time in our lives and we were praying for her and truly believing she would pull through and heal and overcome this battle. The happiest moments at our wedding was seeing our whole family together and Lennox’s mom being there was a true answered prayer.
What was your wedding style?
Romantic and Elegant
When it came to planning your wedding, what was most important to you?
When it came to planning our wedding, we wanted it to be special, intimate, and intentional. We did a small wedding with just our immediate family. We both also wanted it to be as stress free as possible. Our wedding was everything we hoped and completely exceeded our expectations.
What was the best part of your wedding day?
The best part was the whole thing! It’s so hard to pick just one thing because we loved every part of it. The ceremony was so beautiful with the rain and thunder coming down while we said our vows. The reception was so dreamy and truly loved the space, the string quartet, our cake, florals, speeches, and all our families gathering together at this long table. It truly was so special.
What made you choose Day of Diva?
My first time encountering Day of Diva was through their podcast! I was planning a wedding in Banff, Canada while living in San Diego, so I was searching for content about weddings in the Canadian Rockies and found the podcast that way. Then when I was searching for a coordinator, Day of Diva was referred to me and even before Amanda and I had our first phone conversation, I really appreciated the way she communicated. She was so prompt over text message and made me feel heard. Then we had that initial consultation and I could tell she was passionate about weddings and that she was proactive, confident, and detail oriented. It was a perfect match. Our wedding would not have been the same if we didn’t have Amanda as our coordinator.
If you could provide a tip to another couple planning their wedding, what would it be?
Definitely hire a coordinator! In the early planning stages, we thought we wouldn’t need one since we were only going to have 20 guests but we did need one. There was no way we would have had the stress-free and completely present and joyful wedding day we had without a really great wedding coordinator. Another thing I learned while planning is to be really specific with what your vision for things and provide photos for inspiration if possible. I found inspiration photos for all the design aspects and provided it to the vendors and they all exceeded expectations! Something that amazed me too was how everything came together the day of the wedding when you hire trusted, experienced, and professional vendors. As you know, weddings are a huge investment and you really won’t regret going with experienced vendors. I realized the premium price couples pay is for the years of experience and professionalism that they bring.
Where did you say YES to the dress, and what designer did you wear?
I tried on probably 80 dresses! No joke, I actually filmed a video of the whole process and you can watch it at this link here. But I finally found the one at Twice Loved Bridal, a consignment bridal shop in Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, California. The designer was Lee Petra Grebenau and I fell in love with the sleeves of the dress, the backless detail, the intricate beading and layers, and how it would fit into the mountain setting! The dress is actually back at Twice Loved ready for another bride! I felt it was too stunning of a dress to keep in my closet.
Groom/groomsmen attire - where were they purchased/rented from?
Lennox bought his suit from Indochino. They have a location next to his work so it was really simple for him to get his measurements taken and then they worked on making the tuxedo.
Where did you order your stationery from?We used Minted for our save the dates. We also created our website on Minted. For our wedding invites, since it was for our family only, we did an online invite from Paperless Post with all the details needed for travel and other logistics. I love how it was really untraditional and it’s so much easier to have the information online in one place.
When it came to your venue selection, why did you choose to get married there?
We had been to Banff on family vacations in the summer and winter seasons so we really got to appreciate how truly amazing the Rockies were. We went to the Fairmont Banff Springs one of those trips and we loved how it was a castle in the middle of the mountains. When we started looking into venues more seriously, I saw that a lot of other couples had small weddings of about 20 people at the Fairmont so when we learned this, it was a really easy decision! In our early conversations, we also considered a beach wedding at Windansea in La Jolla, California which is where we live. But ultimately, we are so happy we did it in Banff! We have family that live in Calgary, so that’s why we went on family trips there. Lennox’s family came from North Carolina and Colorado so we wanted to show them this part of Canada since they had never been. We’re so happy we got to bring both families together in such a beautiful setting.
Venue: @fairmontbanff
Photographer: @darren_roberts_
Videographer: @castanofilms
Florals: @willowflowerco
Hair: @thehaircobanff
Makeup: @sammarvellmakeup
Cake & Cookies: @bakemydayyyc
Rentals: @modernrentals.ca
Officiant: @marriedbycole
Strings: @uptown.strings
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