MAKING CHOICES
Wedding coordinator: MB&COMPANY (mbandcompany.ca)
Wedding date: July 21, 2017
Location: Old Timers Cabin (9430 Scone Rd. NW; oldtimerscabin.net)
Photographer: Jessica Fern Facette Photography (jessicafernfacette.pixieset.com)
Guests: About 150
Designer: Cory Christopher Design (10525 111 St.; corychristopher.ca)
First Dance: What are Words, by Chris Medina
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When Nicolle and Geoff Shedden determined they wouldn’t have a mountain wedding, they settled on the next best thing: a forest wonderland inside the rustic Old Timers Cabin nestled in the river valley.
For them, it was perfect. They love camping and being in the outdoors. And green. Nicolle’s favourite colour is green. Her three bridesmaids wore dresses in different shades of the hue.
And their florist and designer, Cory Christopher, adorned the already rustic and beautiful venue with so much greenery, vegetation and moss that the space rivalled a pyramid in the nearby Muttart Conservatory.
Into the woods, enchanted forest, green goddess — whatever you want to call it: Christopher nailed the lush, forest vibe they’d envisioned with a plethora of succulents, trees and bark.
“I think there was even an artichoke in my bouquet,” says Nicolle.
Nicolle and Geoff met just over two years prior at a Jurassic Park movie marathon at a friend’s house. Only 21 and 24, respectively, at the time, they were set up by friends who thought they’d be good together. They went on a movie date shortly thereafter.
“And after that,” says Nicolle, “I think we just saw each other every day.”
At the time, Nicolle was a nursing student at NorQuest College and Geoff was an apprentice electrician (he’s now a journeyman). Within three months, they knew this was the real deal, and it didn’t take Geoff long to propose.
About a year after they started dating, he put his plan into motion. The couple was visiting Calgary, and Geoff arranged for his sister, Stephanie — a photographer — to set up some flowers in Prince’s Island Park.
“We went out for lunch, and went to the Calgary Tower, and then we went from there down to the park,” says Geoff.
“Nicole saw the flowers and she was like, ‘Oh! Somebody set something up for a proposal!’ And I said, ‘Ahh, let’s keep going that way.’ Meanwhile, my sister is taking pictures of us.”
When he eventually got down on one knee, Geoff says Nicolle was crying before he could get any words out. But he did get them out. And she said yes.
Pretty quickly, the couple realized they wanted to get married in Edmonton.
“We were young, and a lot of our friends were in school or just graduated,” says Nicolle. “We wanted to have the Banff or Jasper experience, but it’s expensive for people to come all the way there and pay for accommodations.”
The Old Timers Cabin was the first venue they checked out.
“We liked the old-time vibe and rustic look,” says Geoff. “We liked it right away.”
Other benefits to the venue? “You got that mountain vibe, but you also got the urban city view, as well,” says Nicolle.
Indeed. After their 1 p.m. ceremony — during which they asked all the couples in the audience to hold hands and reiterate their vows to each other — the couple took pictures with the Edmonton skyline as their backdrop.
Afterward, they proceeded downtown to Churchill Square for Taste of Edmonton for snacks and more photos. Two little girls stopped Nicolle and asked her to take a picture with them. (They thought she was a princess, natch.)
Later, back at the cabin, the wedding party and their guests indulged in a family style dinner from Stir Catering. For dessert, instead of cake, the couple opted for pies from Fife N’ Dekel bakery. And Geoff’s mom baked apple pie for the head table.
The party followed. “Nicolle danced all night with her cousin’s little daughter, who was two or three years old,” Geoff says, chuckling. “She wouldn’t leave her alone.”
The day was long and full of friends, family and location changes. But Geoff’s highlight was just between him and Nicolle.
“It was probably when she walked in,” he says. “She looked beautiful. It was a special moment for me. I got to see my new wife coming down the aisle.”
Sitting beside Geoff over dinner, Nicolle was touched by her loved ones, who filled the cabin.
“We looked at each other and I just looked at all the people around us and I just couldn’t imagine how many were celebrating us,” she says.
“I think it was nice to be surrounded by people you love. It’s just all good feelings. There were no bad feelings during the whole thing.”
