When it comes to planning your wedding, you’re allowed to want it all—and The Greenhouse Venue and BC Helicopters delivered just that for this Abbotsford wedding. Moira and Thomas celebrated in private with their family, kept nature in view, and even after rain delayed their helicopter plans, they still managed to get the newlywed adventure they envisioned. It was the best of all worlds and I’m going to tell you exactly why.

Read it all or skip to something specific—you choose!

What Makes The Greenhouse Venue a Top Small Wedding Venue in BC

Details Behind Moira and Thomas’ Day (And How We Handled the Hiccups)

Why Scheduling An After-Wedding Adventure Session is a Great Idea

The Greenhouse Venue: A Photographer-Approved Wedding Venue in BC

There are so many incredible wedding venues around the Vancouver area that it can be hard to decide which is best for you. As a local wedding and elopement photographer, I do have some opinions on which venues truly stand out from the rest. Without a doubt, The Greenhouse Venue is 100% photographer-approved.

Here’s why:

All of the natural light!

If you know anything about photography (and if you don’t, that’s okay, now you do!)—lighting is everything. When it comes to indoor wedding venues, this can be a tricky thing to navigate! The Greenhouse Venue's wall-to-wall glass panels create incredible lighting scenarios, giving even the cloudiest days this soft, romantic glow that makes everyone look great!

There’s no need to worry about weather, rain, or battling the elements.

With plenty of greenery, clear glass panels, and its location on a charming little farm just an hour from the city, you get the outdoorsy vibe without actually being outdoors. And let’s be honest, when you’re getting married in BC, is a game-changer! The venue even has subtle heaters to keep everyone cozy, plus a covered area for dinner that's protected from any wind while still maintaining that connection to nature.

Their decor gives you the freedom to personalize.

The venue is essentially a blank slate (lots of whites and grays), giving you the freedom to make it your own with florals of any colour palette. It's a versatile space that can transform to match whatever vision you have for your day. And trust me, those colourful florals really pop against the clean, monochromatic backdrop!

It’s a great option no matter the season.

While spring and fall are particularly magical here (and perfect for that unpredictable shoulder season weather), I've photographed December weddings that were just as stunning. The climate-controlled space means you can have a stunning greenhouse wedding any time of year without worrying about the temperature. Though I do imagine on sunny days in the summer, it could get quite warm in there! So that is something to consider.

A central yet secluded location.

The Greenhouse Venue is located in Abbotsford, just about an hour's drive from the city of Vancouver. So whether you’re local or planning an intimate destination wedding in BC, getting there is easy! And because it’s a bit outside of the main city, there are plenty of options for a bit of exploring. Moira and Thomas opted for BC Helicopters for their adventure, but here are a few more ideas close by!

Overall, The Greenhouse Venue has such a unique atmosphere I love, which is why it made my list of the Best Small Wedding Venues in BC as well. So if you’re on the hunt for a space for your intimate wedding in BC, make sure to check out that carefully curated list!

Behind-the-Scenes of The Planned (and Unplanned) of Moira and Thomas’s Wedding Day

When they first reached out to me about their wedding, they were caught between two visions: Thomas really wanted a helicopter adventure in the mountains, but they also wanted to celebrate intimately with their families. Instead of choosing one over the other, we planned for both! I mentioned The Greenhouse Venue because it sounded like it could fit what they were looking for and they had actually already looked into it! The original plan was a traditional micro wedding followed by a sunset helicopter session. But as any BC photographer knows, weather often has its own plans.

Their day began at the home of Moira’s parents in Abbotsford. From the very start, I could tell how much thought they had put into their day. Moira wore a lacy top handmade by someone at their church and requested to have it in some of the photos. One of my favorite moments was watching Moira sit at the piano, playing a piece from Pride and Prejudice while her dad teared up. Fun fact: I never cry at weddings, but this moment almost got me!

Wedding planning tip: Make sure you take time to do things you love on your wedding day. Whether that’s music, instruments, spending time in nature, or sharing morning coffee—whatever it is, it’s worth it I promise!

While steady rain meant postponing the helicopter session, the Greenhouse venue proved to be the perfect rainy wedding day spot. The ceremony was intimate and romantic, family photos were a breeze away from the weather, and dinner was catered in a cozy atmosphere in a covered outdoor space.

Oh and the speeches! These reminded me why I love intimate weddings so much. Thomas's five siblings and Moira's sister shared stories that had everyone alternating between tears and laughter—including an inside joke about Thomas's clumsiness that led to someone gifting them a first aid kit! These are the moments that often get lost in bigger celebrations or don’t happen at all during elopements, but in this small setting, it felt like everyone was able to share their love and joy together.

And even though not every little thing went as planned, it was a beautiful, charming day spent celebrating exactly the way they wanted to. I wouldn’t change a thing about how it all worked out in the end, but I do want to share something Moria and Thomas’s wedding has kept me thinking about!

Why Scheduling An After-Wedding Adventure Session is The Best of Both Worlds

While postponing their helicopter session was not exactly what Moira and Thomas had planned, it’s actually something I’ve started inviting couples to consider. I know the feeling of wanting to pack everything special into your big day, but scheduling an after-wedding adventure session can take the pressure off of your plans. Especially if:

You don’t want to worry about rearranging plans.

If you’ve built an adventure session into your wedding day and bad weather strikes, it can be difficult to reschedule with an entire guest list or team of vendors. When you plan an after-wedding session, it’s just little ol’ me (or the photographer you hire) you need to worry about and it makes it a lot easier!

You want less stress and worry on your wedding day.

No one wants to get a call from an adventure company that their excursion is cancelled on their wedding day. I know Moira and Thomas were both bummed when they couldn’t do the helicopter tour as planned. Separating the two takes the pressure off of both (and then you can enjoy them even more!)

You imagine more time spent with friends and family.

On their wedding day, Moira and Thomas could fully focus on their loved ones who had travelled far to be there. No rushing off for portraits, rushed wedding timelines with events to check off or sneaking away from dinner for sunset photos.

You want to get those Pinterest-worthy photos.

Waiting for the perfect conditions is worth it. When we finally did their helicopter session with BC Helicopters, we got the most glorious sunny day and even caught a sunset—something that would have been nearly impossible to time perfectly on their wedding day.

You love the idea of two celebrations.

They got to dress up twice and create two completely different sets of memories (and two super different image galleries to remember them by)! For Moira and Thomas, their wedding day was full of teary-eyed toasts, speeches with inside jokes, dinner as a whole family, and a beautiful ceremony. During their private mountaintop moment, they shared personal vows that were just for them. It’s double the fun and double the love! A win-win if you ask me.

One Last Reminder—You Can Have It All on Your Wedding Day!

You might think I’m just a Vancouver wedding photographer, but pro-probelm solver belongs on my resume, too. Moira and Thomas’s day may not have gone entirely to plan, but in the end, we worked it out and came out with something even better!

But here’s what I really want you to take away from their story: you don't have to sacrifice one vision for another. Want an intimate celebration with family AND an epic adventure? Do it. Want to feel connected to nature without worrying about weather? It’s possible! Want to celebrate with loved ones AND have a private moment to share personal vows on a mountaintop? Why not??

The "rules" about what a wedding day should look like? They don't exist anymore. Your day (or days!) can be exactly what you want them to be. Whether that's saying "I do" in a greenhouse surrounded by family and then jetting off for a helicopter adventure another day, or something completely different—I'm here to help you make it happen.

Contact Me for more info