Tofino Wedding guide
by Jan Brubacher, Tofino
There is something about the wide expanse of sandy beaches and rolling surf that inspires romance in the hearts of lovers. It is no wonder that brides and grooms arrive here in great numbers to exchange vows and celebrate love in this landscape of beach, old growth forests, and raw wilderness.And out of this wild landscape has emerged a plethora of services that pamper and fulfill desires and whims. From spa treatments to luxury rooms to fine dining - and lots of special extras for that wedding day. Tofino is a perfect host to wedding parties of all sizes and styles. From the elaborate weddings that some of the larger Tofino resorts host to the simple wedding on the beach and a night in one of the local B&B's.
I spoke with one couple who were married in late February at Long Beach Lodge. What they were looking for was a relaxed, informal setting where they could have an intimate wedding with a few family members. "It is such a special place... it is good to visit with people over a longer period of time, something you don't get with a traditional large wedding." This couple wanted a beach wedding but it was too wet and cold so the ceremony took place inside in the Great Room were they had a panoramic backdrop of rolling surf.
What about the rain? A Spring wedding on the beach is a lovely thought, but for the rain. This might be the only deterrent in this grand picture of westcoast weddings. And what could be more westcoast than rain? The muted tones of sandy beaches meeting soft green gray water and frothy white surf meeting blue gray sky. A bride in white lace walking barefoot by the ocean hand in hand with her beloved. Both soaking up love and that light wet spring rain. Romantic--n'est pas? In truth it is all cold and wet--but thankfully there are many lovely indoor venues available as a backup to that rainy beach. And regardless of the weather there are ways to grasp a moment for a photo opportunity with that incredibly stunning beachy backdrop or a quick stroll under the canopy of old growth forest.
So were does a couple begin in this grand scheme? Find a place to stay and most resorts and B&B's offer useful information for help in planning that special day and offer alternate spaces for the wedding ceremony to take place in the event of rain.
The internet is a great research tool as well — in addition to the following links, also check out the Tofino Wedding category in our Tofino directory.
Wedding Commissioners
There are two wedding commissioners to officiate over your ceremony in Tofino.
Rene Gibson
250 725.3470
rene@seaviewcable.netGael Duchene
250 725.4277
gduchene@island.net
Westcoast Weddings & Events
Suzanne moved to Tofino 20 years ago from her native home of Scottland. During her time her she has worn many hats in the hospitality industry. Her heart lies in making others feel the magic of the area and to help organise their most special events.
250 725.2213
www.westcoastweddingsandevents.com
info@westcoastweddingsandevents.com
Studio One
Julie and the girls offer special wedding day services at a Aveda Concept Salon. They offer high quality hair, make up, nails and waxing services in a relaxed professional environment.
250 725.3450
1180 Pac Rim Hwy
Smashing Glasses
High quality event rental company supplying tables, chairs, glassware, flatware and more. Beautiful tents to shade you from the sun on the beach, or protect you from the Westcoast rain! Full production with set up and tear down to make your special day that much easier.
250 266 8409
www.smashingglassesevents.com
info@smashingglassesevents.com
Tofitian Productions
A local company offering full service entertainment production service, sound systems, djs, visual projectors and more. Live entertainment booking is also available whether you're looking for solo event accompaniment or a full band party atmosphere.
250 726.5363
adam@tofitian.com
Crabapple Floral
Camilla does flower arranging for special occasions and is particularly well set up for providing a westcoast atmosphere for weddings. Camilla gets flowers from various sources: she orders some in, picks from her garden and on occasion calls up a friend to see if they may have a particular shade of flower. She adds herbs and forages for salal, bear grass and such to bring a westcoast feeling to her arrangements.
250 725 2911
www.crabapplefloral.com
crabdock@island.net
Beach Petals
Janice offers tailored floral designs, from westcoast to contemporary. Wedding packages come with a free 1 hour consultation and a complimentary toss bouquet for the bride. Her focus is on quality and freshness and she maintains this with her walk in flower cooler.
250 725.4490
www.beachpetals.com
info@beachpetals.com
Chocolate Tofino
Gordon Austin of Chocolate Tofino makes delicious chocolate truffles, wedding cakes, and cake toppers crafted from chocolate. He specialises in chocolate art: "If you want it in chocolate, I can pretty much do anything." And he can --wood grain, seashells, salal leaves, hummingbirds and more. His focus is on westcoast themes.
250 725.2526
www.chocolatetofino.com
info@chocolatetofino.com
Sweet T's
Tracy Crocker brings 30 years of baking experience to the table when creating his baked delights. He can create specialty items to order with your inspiration as a guide. All baking is done with wholesome quality ingredients and organic and vegan are available on request.
250 725.2151
sweettcp@island.net
Brideshooter
Born and raised in Tofino, Jeremy Koreski brings an intimate connection to this environment to his shots. Working mostly within a very successful career as a surf and sport photographer, Jeremy first became a wedding photographer as a service to his friends. Now he finds it to be one of the most rewarding aspects of his career.
250 725.8045
www.brideshooter.com
info@brideshooter.com
Coast Image
Wedding photographer Chris Pouget has had a strong interest in photography since a young age. He worked in the graphic design industry for 10 years doing newspapers and freelance. For him it's about what emotion you can bring out of someone and the sharing of a moment.
250 266.0713
www.coast-image.com
christopher.pouget@gmail.com
Waterman Photo
Stephen Mayor is a graduate from the Glenn Fishback School of Photography in Sacramento, Ca. He has delved into all aspects of the art from black room finishing, framing and shooting. He spends much of his time shooting surfing but enjoys the class and aesthetics of wedding photography very much.
250 266.2005
www.watermanphoto.ca
stephen@watermanphoto.ca
Vesta Productions
Jan Brubacher offers digital video coverage and full non-linear, computer editing of the day's events giving a moving memento that captures the humour, spontaneity and feeling of the wedding day. Choose simple wedding video coverage or stock footage of the area edited into a final tape. Many extras are available from video shorts for the wedding website to a dvd combining video clips with stills resulting in a layered treasure box of memories. Whether it is impromptu or planned your wedding will be captured in style. Various packages are available.
250 725.8183
vista@island.net
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Tofino wedding guide with updated info for Tofino weddings: Listings of Tofino wedding commissioners, wedding planners, photographers and Tofino florists.
