Liana + Dave's Backyard Valley Wedding

I met Liana (Lee) in a Theology & Arts class in 2016. It was my first semester in grad school, and she was the friendliest: thoughtful, persistent, initiatory. We shared pour-overs and research notes, and weekends on Galiano Island. When I moved to Montreal for my English MA, we wrote each other letters. I was homesick, and she wrote about our west coast home with such attention. I was excited to return to her friendship, and when I did, I got to hear all about Dave. From first coffee at Old Hand to his shared love of Wendell Berry, the stories she told signalled their perfect compatibility. No one was surprised when this marriage came into being.

Home is a shared value for Dave and Lee, and touches of home were woven into the day: backyard flowers picked that morning to line the church hall, olive branches to symbolize a word Liana grew up with—shalom, little trinkets from home sprinkled throughout. After getting ready at home, we headed to Eben-Ezer Mennonite Church for a ceremony officiated by Lee’s dad.

Lee and Dave’s day was filled with benediction, big feelings (Lee’s face is beautifully expressive), bright gold light, poem readings, bubble wands, fading mountains, and a good feast. After the ceremony, we visited Old Hand Coffee for some time in their favourite spot. We then headed to their childhood park for portraits, before arriving at the reception, which took place in Dave’s childhood backyard.

Since food is incredibly valuable to both Lee and Dave, this wedding had a big taco-centred spread, bottomless sunny beer (take me back to saison season!) and fruity pour-overs by Jack Coffee Bar for the after-dinner hour. The quality of speeches reflected another huge value of these two: relationships. From best friends to parents and childhood pastors, each person on the microphone reinforced the calibre of this couple’s character. Both Lee and Dave brought care and intention to this day, which is no surprise to anyone who knows them.