A surprise wedding

so you want to know what's makes a Filosophi Dream Couple?

1) They're good people (who are wildly in love)

2) They're mad stylish.

Seriously we can't get over the dream that are Christina + Eric. The embodiment of

you do you

and when it comes to weddings, when you share what you love;

each other

your people

greenery

NY city lofts

aperol spritzes

suprises

live music

dancing

white spot

magic happens

Christina + Eric are two beautiful souls who love each other + wanted to celebrate their love with their people. They just didn't have the time or the passion for weddings to spend a year of their lives making a big deal over all the details. When they met with Erin they told her they wanted to plan an engagement party + have it turn into a surprise wedding. They weren't sure if that was a good plan.

umm yeah. it was a good plan.

It can be hard when you go against what's expected or traditional. People have opinions. They'll tell you that you need to have speeches. And a sit down dinner. And a cover band who plays songs everyone knows all the words to. And order off the menu. And cascading roses. But from now on whenever someone tells you that you need to have some tradition at your wedding, you just show them C + E's dream day - how much fun they had, how filled with love the moments were, how hard the bride + groom were dancing at the end of the night + how all their people were lighting up the dance the floor.

Because, when it comes down to it, that's what it's all about.

Celebrating what makes you, as a couple, special. When it comes to weddings, whatever you want, well, that's incredible.

Erin's biggest job was to let them know that all of their decisions were great. That, yes, you can plan a surprise wedding in a few months + everyone is going to have an amazing time. That hell yes, the Teahouse conservatory + your love of greenery + want for zero floral are all brilliant. That yeah, the Boom Booms, a local Vancouver band playing original music is the best idea ever. And for sure ditching the menu + working with the Teahouse restaurant to make you custom charcuterie boards + passed hors d'oeuvres so no one has to eat at a table is perfect.

And, sure, there was that moment when we found out that even 10 years of wedding planning experience doesn't fully prepare you when there's a new tent company on the scene, Stretch Tents (gorgeous tents.) Despite getting approval to put in stakes in the backyard of the Teahouse... well, those tents have really, really long stakes

no, like really, way longer than usual.

When those really long stakes went into the ground they burst a pipe + turned the venue into a lake + possibly the parks department was called + they suggested they would need to dig up the whole thing immediately. Well, just the guests - nobody knew.

Handled. Flawlessly.

and that's those 10 years of planning. That when even there's a lake in the backyard where there is not supposed to be a lake + you've already thrown most traditions out the window, your wedding day is still going to end up perfect.

Beyond the magic of going outside of the box + reimagining what a wedding could be, working with C + E was all kinds of yasssss. Christina is the owner of Werklab which definitely speaks highly to her impeccable taste + trust in creative people.

And so it should come as no surprise that she + Eric simply shared their vision, and then they just let the vendors do what they do best. And let's be real, that's when vendors do their best shit. When they're told, here's a vision, now blow. me. away.

And I mean.

Yes.

totally. blown. away.

the logistics of pulling off a surprise wedding

Right. We better also explain how this actually worked.

C + E told everyone they were going to elope + that if they wanted to celebrate with them they'd better come to their Thursday night engagement party, because they wouldn't get to come to the wedding. And so, everyone came (these two are loved!)

Christina arrived at the party in like the flyest pant + strapless top outfit you'll ever see + mingled with her guests for a bit, before she peaced out for a minute to get changed into her wedding dress in an office, while Eric had a welcome toast + then told everyone that they were actually just going to go ahead + make it legal tonight.

joy. tears. laughter. moving out of the way as the planners take your seat away because that spot you've been sitting at needs to become an aisle now.

Christina walked out with her dad, and she + Eric exchanged vows that summed up why they were perfect for one another, why this way of getting married was perfect for them + why their love is so worth celebrating.