If rain on your wedding day is good luck, what about when it hails?

So you’re having a wedding in the Pacific Northwest. It’s on the cusp of spring but the forecast has been all over the map the whole week leading up to your day.

Wednesday? Sun + rain.
Thursday? Scattered showers + wind.
Friday? You fall asleep to buckets of sideways rain.
Saturday? Are those birds chirping? You stir a little more. Behind closed eyelids hoping it’s not a trick register it’s brighter than expected. Opening your eyes slowly you realize the sky outside is bluer than the expected. Much bluer. A few clouds and some windy trees but did I mention BLUE SKY?

Isn’t it ironic.
Don’t chya think?

You plan + fret + hope + buy umbrellas + pray + freak out + stress + cross your fingers + toes. And the weather doesn’t care. It really will just do what it’s going to do no matter the day.

But what about on a Leap Day? It turns out the sky had more in store for Chelsea + Jonny this February the 29th.

These two decided to play boldly and get married in winter on Vancouver Island. On a day that doesn’t normally exist? Sounds like fun.

The skies held off during their ceremony only to begin lightly hailing as soon as they popped outside to celebrate having tied the knot.

Thanks for this beauty of a behind the scenes photo, JM! - Photo by Jon Mark Photography

Only a light dusting of frozen hail and it was a neat combination we had yet to see before at a wedding. Along with our good friend/photographer, Jon-Mark, we all realized it as something neat and moved on with the rest of the day as planned.

Next up? Creative portraits and good times at Arbutus Cove Beach. We had a great time playing on the beach getting some snappy images and having a time with the bridal party.

A little more time to spare before the reception? (Nice planning, Chelsea). Let’s grab a couple of shots on the dock at Elk Lake on our way to the party.

What happened next was a thing of pure chance and beauty that could have only happened on a Leap Day like this…

Amongst dark clouds and slivers of sunshine, a storm lay in wait so we wasted no time in getting onto the dock at Elk Lake. Amazingly, no one else was in sight. Chelsea strolled along the dock, and as we captured her bridal portraits what happened next, is an artist’s dream.

The sun turned golden in the sky between the clouds + a beam of light began to shimmer in the distance. It started from the other side of the lake and was approaching much faster than expected.

We could feel that something special was happening but couldn’t quite place what it was until it hit us.

The hail had returned and this time it was no gentle visitor. Starting as a light glimmer and proceeding to hammer down on this freshly married couple.

At precisely the moment Jonny re-joined her, and without hesitation, the two ran along the dock fully embracing this perfect storm. Hail swept across the lake towards us, as if the two were inside a perfectly lit snow globe, caught inside a once-in-a-lifetime moment.

Our advice? Leave the umbrellas in the trunk. The best moments happen when you’re facing whatever weather life has to throw at you – together.

Who would have thought? It figures.

xo
Grady + Breanna

ps. thanks for the inspo, Alanis, you will always be turned up way too loud for road trip sing-a-longs.

“Wedding filmmakers? You two must love Valentine’s!”

Absolutely. But not for the gushy traditional ways you might expect for a couple who crafts love stories for a living. We’re all for spending quality time, and most importantly:

we value creating experiences over buying things

So with V-day, we wondered, what are some ways we can make the most of your time with people that matter to you?

1. The easiest and often most overlooked thing you could do? Call home to catch up with those who loved you first. Valentine’s isn’t only about you and your boo, it’s a little reminder to spread joy to those you care about most.

Discover & share this Phone GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

2. Pay it forward by treating the stranger 2 people in line behind you at the coffee shop by covering their drink. Plus side? You’ll both get the warm and fuzzies. Single? Pick the stranger who’s boots you like most and let’s see where this could go.

3. London Chef sold out (again?!). Line up a dinner date at home with inspo from your favourite foodie blog! Make a point of going somewhere together outside of the norm to gather locally curated ingredients. Our favourite spots in Victoria? Farmer’s markets and the Zero Waste Emporium. A Vancouver local? Check out the Granville Island Market (with a visit to Lee’s Donuts) or NADA Zero Waste Grocery.

Still need inspo to visit a market and make something delicious together? Check out this video we created with Lizzie from Vancouver with Love!

4. Get outside together by borrowing a dog from a friend or your local animal rescue to head out for a hike with a fun pup and your fave person.

Bonus swoon points for surprising them on this one if they’re a dog person (and who isn’t?).

Oh wait, they’re not a dog person? Ditch your date and go for a hike with just the doggo, you can thank us later.

Discover & share this Story GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

Whichever way you choose to spend Valentine’s this year, we wonder what could happen if we all put a little more focus on connection vs. consumption?

After spending a few amazing nights in Seattle, we hit the road to explore the North Cascade Mountains in Washington.

Lucky for us, Lone Fir Campground happened to be about a 2 hour drive from the big city.

With the sun setting we opted to load up at Fred Meyer (ps. Coconut Chocolate Luna Bars are my #1 hiking treat!). We packed enough gear to legitimately camp but made the newbie mistake of not anticipating the drop in temps as we climbed higher into the mountains.

The great part is we had no competition in this beautiful campsite nestled between a stream and the mountains. Views ranged all around us and we were hungry for more!

The morning after our stay in the truck, priority #1 was coffee. We drove another 25 minutes east to the friendly mountain/ski town of Mazama.

It was like heading back into the 80’s, with a fuel station attached to an adorable little shop. They had artisan bread, local wine + cheese and COFFEE!! We bought them all. Kidding - we don’t often buy bread, we make it!

Pre-hike, we loaded up with 2 Americanos and a full tank to set out for our hike.

It was pouring rain. We arrived in the parking lot Venturing parallel to the Pacific Crest Trail (the PCT) made famous by Cheryl Strayed, played by Reese Witherspoon in the film Wild. Side note the PCT extends into Manning Park, which I saw in July when I embarked on a 10K trail race with my sister.

There’s a reason people load up their packs and head into the forests for months on end. A certain solitude and serenity awaits. Sure, there’s the threat of bears and mountain lions, but the beauty of your surroundings are next level.

As we geared up with our full pack of essentials, snacks, water and our camera, we layered up in preparation for the wet trails waiting ahead.

Sometimes it’s best to go with the flow of the weather.

Originally planning to spend another night camping in the North Cascades and with the rain only getting heavier, we did a reality check-in. It was still light out and if we pushed it, could make it across the Canadian border with just enough time to catch the last boat back home to Vancouver Island.

So with a soggy boot on the gas pedal, we wove our way down from the mountains in time for one more Fred Meyer stop with all the Coconut Chocolate Luna Bars we could carry.

We ended up making it on the 9pm boat with a satisfied look on our faces having just completed a microadventure of our own making.