Merridale Cidery & Distillery Wedding

Sam & Neil had a unique Vancouver Island winter wedding! They came up from Portland, Oregon to tie the knot at one of our favourite island venues, Merridale in Cobble Hill! We have never been part of a destination wedding that had so many guests come to celebrate! There were over 60 guests who came from thousands of miles away - some from as far as North Carolina! 

We started with a slightly rainy first look at Unsworth Vineyards! One of our favourite parts of the day was seeing Sam, Neil & their bridal party pull into the parking lot at the vineyard - and seeing Neil had been blindfolded...the guy rode up from the Oak Bay Beach Hotel to Unsworth and was blindfolded the entire way...we're still laughing about it! Talk about an exciting first look - at both Sam and the world around him! By the time their first look happened - the rain started to let up, and a wee bit of blue sky was coming through the clouds! We spend some time cruising the gorgeous grounds of Unsworth Vineyards before heading to Merridale to get a few photos in the orchard before proceeding to the nuptials!

The ceremony was cozy in Merridale's warm porch setting, the food was delicious, speeches were hilarious, we finally got a CAKE SMASH, which was delightfully messy, and the dance party was awesome! We stayed for a wee while after to enjoy the poutine bar...Sam & Neil's wedding was a pretty amazing way to cap off an incredible year!

Cheers Neil & Sam! We wish you many years of wedded bliss!

• Photography: Julien Photography
• Wedding Venue: Merridale Cidery & Distillery
• Additional Photo Venue: Unsworth Vineyards
• Florals: Platinum Floral Design
• Hair/Make-Up: Erin Bradly
• Dress: Charlotte's Bridal
• Suits: Mens Wearhouse
• DJ: Hi-Way Productions
• Ceremony Officiant: Anne Brunet

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