Ryan + Bethany’s Wedding at The Ellis Building
All images by Aileen Choi Photo. DJed while working for Airwaves Music.
When I moved PopJukebox to Vancouver, it was really scary. I had so many great connections in Edmonton, and the vast majority of my wedding bookings were from word of mouth referrals. How was I going to find clients in a city where I didn’t have any friends, let alone years of wedding performances that kept new couples coming my way?
Enter Airwaves Music. About six months after moving to Vancouver, Airwaves brought me on as a DJ and I was excited but a little nervous about working with an agency again. In the past, agency work was hit or miss - I rarely got to know the couples at all (usually I just got a list of details a few days before the wedding) and didn’t often feel like they were a good fit for me. I can usually make it work, but without that personal connection it’s harder to create that dance floor ✨magic✨ that I love so much.
Ryan and Bethany were the first couple that Airwaves connected me with, and from our first meeting I knew that they were my kind of people. They were funny and lighthearted and had the best taste in music… but it wasn’t until their wedding that I realized just how awesome these two are.
Their wedding was at The Ellis Building, a super cool little spot on Main Street. A former mechanics garage, it has an industrial and urban charm that works remarkably well for a wedding. With just a few tropical florals and some string lights, there was something magical about this place, even before anyone arrived. The flowers were by Foliosa, and here are some of the other vendors who made this day amazing:
Venue: The Ellis Building
Officiant: Beth from Young Hip and Married
Florals: Foliosa
Caterer: Tacofino
Ryan and Bethany had asked for ‘vintage Hawaiian music’ to be playing for their prelude (before the ceremony began). I had never been asked for that before, and even as I was preparing my playlists for the day I wasn’t sure how well it would fit. Their vision was clear, though, and they couldn’t have been more right about this one. I took a lot of inspiration from this Spotify playlist, and trust me when I say that it is the mood music that you didn’t know you needed. In fact, let me embed it here so you can experience it while you continue reading…
Okay, now that we all feel like we’re sipping a cocktail in a tiki bar in the 70s, let’s carry on.
Their ceremony was officiated by Beth from Young, Hip and Married, and she made it so personal and so funny!
Processional Music:
Sam Cooke - Nothing Can Change This Love
Maureen Evans - I Love How You Love Me
Recessional song:
Redbone - Come and Get Your Love
The party began as soon as the ceremony finished, with the space transitioning seamlessly into a casual reception spot. The Ellis Building has a huge garage door in the back, which let in a ton of natural light and created a sweet little outdoor spot to mingle. Oh, and it was the perfect place for their food truck from Tacofino to park to feed their guests a delicious meal.
The soundtrack through cocktails and dinner included more from the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack (as their recessional song was), as that movie and its music is special to Ryan and Bethany. We also included a bunch of soul and classic country. I wasn’t as sure about the country either - Ryan is really into Hank Williams and I didn’t know if it work that well, but all of that slide guitar has a similar vibe to the Hawaiian music we’d enjoyed earlier and it fit just perfectly.
After a few toasts, it was time for the first dance.
First Dance Song:
Willie Nelson - I Gotta Get Drunk
From there it was straight into the dance party, which was a total blast. There was soul, Motown, a little classic country, a bunch of new top 40… a little something for everyone. The night ended with some epic throwback singalongs
Here are a few dance floor highlights that I captured throughout the night…
Looking back at this wedding always puts a smile on my face. From the amazing experience working with Airwaves for the first time, to Ryan and Bethany’s amazing taste in music and their fun and friendly personalities… everything about this day was awesome. I also have to give a shout out to Aileen Choi, who was such a treat to work alongside. And how perfect are her photos of this day? They capture all of the emotion and fun, as well as the effortless style of Ryan, Bethany and their friends.
I can’t thank Ryan, Bethany and Airwaves enough for inviting me to be part of such an unforgettable day!
Here are more photos, again, by the talented Aileen Choi. Enjoy!
