What do you get when you combine a foosball table, a neon sign, a pedi-cab, a sun drenched courtyard on a perfect September Saturday, and one really awesome couple? Amee and Matt’s modern industrial wedding at the Fort Common!
When Amee and Matt first sat down with us, we knew this wedding was going to be a fun one. Being two creatives themselves, these two had some super fun ideas! They wanted their wedding to not only look great, but they wanted the feel of the day to match their own relaxed downtown style, while still being a wicked party. Just our style.
Amee is a wedding photographer herself and knew immediately that she wanted fellow wedding photographer and friend Kim, of Kim Jay Photography, to capture the day. To say Kim took some epic photos would be an understatement and it was SO hard to narrow it down to just what you’ll find below! Seriously every photo from this day was STUNNING!
Now! On to the day!
Amee and her bridesmaids got ready at a heritage home in James Bay. Amee’s sister and one of her bridesmaids are very talented hairdressers and made sure all the girls looked fabulous.
The boys got ready at the Parkside Hotel and looked very dapper!
The ceremony took place at the Fort Common, a beautiful enclosed courtyard right in the heart of downtown Victoria. Exposed brick and overhead Edison bulb lights make the space ready to go for whatever design touch you want to add. Amee and Matt are some of the coolest people around, so naturally their aesthetic was modern, hip, and fun! For their ceremony they had a custom built, geometric ceremony back drop which Brown’s the Florist dressed up with gorgeous tropical greenery.
Amee and Matt’s ceremony was made official by JoAnn Reid and it was a perfect reflect of these two. There was laughter, tears, and lots of cheers!
During cocktail hour, guests enjoyed a beautiful charcuterie board display from Little Piggy, as well as a pretzel station (because the only thing these two love more than each other is pretzels!). This pretzel station was a huge hit!
Twist of Fate Craft Cocktails did what they do best and served up some delicious signature drinks including a margarita and a delicious martini. The fact that we did a tequila run at the end of cocktail hour is proof that these were VERY much enjoyed. During cocktail hour guests enjoyed the cozy lounge area and a few (hundred!) games of foosball.
While guests were sipping margaritas in the sun, our team jumped to work flipping the ceremony space from vow ready to dinner ready! We planned for 60 minutes and nailed it out in 45. Urban, industrial, modern, hip, laid back, relaxed. There are so many words to describe Amee and Matt’s completed reception design, but we’ll let the photos do the talking.
Let it be known, this was one of Emma’s favourite designs of the season (and probably ever!).
During the flip, Amee and Matt snapped a few photos with their bridal party and then were off on an epic photo adventure around the downtown core. These photos are hands down some of our favourites from their day, as Kim took them to all the best spots, including a quick trip to their old stomping grounds at Lucky Bar.
Favourite details: Everything about this wedding was perfect for Amee and Matt. From their taste in music, to their taste in cocktails, everything they planned was about sharing their favourite things with their loved ones! Amee is a very talented graphic designer and made all her own signage. The signage included her and Matt’s inside jokes, their favourite Yeah Yeah Yeah’s song lyrics, and a custom unplugged ceremony sign to remind their guests to be present. There was even a custom “Matt + Amee” neon sign!
Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Amee and Matt went with their favourite sweet treat – donuts! Empire Donuts makes some of the best donuts in the city and is just down the street from the Fort Common – guests couldn’t get enough of them. Matt’s sister even built the custom donut display.
Best. Sister. Ever!
Favourite moments: There were so many to choose from! Here’s three of our favourites.
- It was Amee’s dad’s birthday, so the whole wedding sang “Happy Birthday”, much to his chagrin.
- Matt was a groomsmen in his best friend Keenan’s wedding in 2018 and at Jessica & Keenan’s wedding we had witnessed Matt deliver a pretty epic best man speech. We loved watching Keenan return the favour standing up as Matt’s bestman – he may have been nervous about topping Matt’s speech, but he definitely did. It was heartfelt, meaningful, and we cried (we are suckers for a good bromance over here! ?).
- THE SPEECHES. All of Amee and Matt’s friends delivered heartfelt, hilarious, and tear jerking speeches. They were surrounded by love everywhere.
Amee and Matt are huge fans of music, and have attended many music festivals together. Their music selection for the night perfectly reflected their taste. Their first dance was to “All I Need” by Radiohead, followed by the parent dances. Matt and his mom took the dance floor to “Loves Me Like A Rock” by Paul Simon and they had some MOVES! Everyone was so impressed!
We can’t wait to be back at the Fort Common again this coming wedding season. We seriously love this venue so much and having worked on three incredible weddings here now, we can definitely say this magical downtown courtyard really attracts the coolest couples. Congratulations Amee + Matt, thank you for letting us be part of your incredible day.
Vendor team:
Photographer: Kim Jay Photography
Venue: The Fort Common
Stationery: Amee Nijjar
Groom’s attire: Outlooks for Men
Bar: Twist of Fate Craft Cocktails
Catering: Little Piggy
Florals: Browns The Florist
Rentals: Tabletop Curated Rentals, Trend Decor, The Wise Co., Decorate Victoria, Scene About Town
DJ: Paul from Request the Best DJ
Donut Wall: Miranda May Creations
Donuts: Empire Donuts
Hair Stylist: Amanda of Ramblerose Hair Studio (bride)
Hair Stylist: Stevie of The Guild Salon (bridesmaids)
Makeup: Rachel Patterson
Bridal Boutique: Shades of White Bridal Boutique
Dress: Galatea in Titanium – Willowby by Watters
Custom Leather Jacket: ScrittoUK
