Dustin & Jeff’s Intimate Library Room Wedding at The Empress

On May long weekend in 2019, Dustin and Jeff tied the knot in the historic Library Room at the Fairmont Empress. Surrounded by 14 of their closest family and friends, their celebration had all of the elegance and details of a large wedding, but with the intimate feeling of an elopement. A micro-wedding at its finest.

A year ago we didn’t know that intimate weddings (also know as micro-weddings!) and elopements would be taking over 2020 and Dustin and Jeff certainly set the bar high with this incredible day. Check out more details, beautifully captured by our talented friend, Taylor Roades, below!

Dustin and Jeff started their day off in their respective suites at the Fairmont Empress. It was a beautiful sunny day and the view from their rooms was of the busy inner harbour, bustling with people ready to celebrate Victoria Day. The morning for the girls was perfectly relaxed as Dustin, her mum, and her best friend spent the morning getting ready with Erin Bradley.

As Dustin and Jeff got ready, our team was in the Library Room. Overlooking the water, the Library is a stunning room, filled with antique books and a large fireplace. It was the perfect place for their ceremony and long table dinner reception. First thing to go up was the amazing floral installation on the fireplace by Thorn and Thistle. All shades of blush, cream, white, lots of greenery surrounded the fireplace. The concept with the florals for this design was to make it look like they’ve been there all along – almost as if you were walking into a secret library in a secret garden. They seriously made it look spectacular!

With all the dark wood and traditional accents in the room, we went with soft feminine touches – candles, shades of blush, and fine patterned linens, but we also wanted to mix in some masculine features as well. Leather chairs, gold accents, and of course all the books really tied the whole room together. The lounge was provided by Bash Specialty and the pieces complemented the Library beautifully.

Dustin and Jeff had their first look on the rooftop terrace and were too adorable for words!

The ceremony followed shortly and it truly was something special. Even though there were only 14 guests, the love and admiration for Dustin and Jeff filled the room. Dustin and Jeff spoke deeply personal vows – the only interruption was when the marching bands started practicing across the harbour for the big Victoria Day parade!

Following the ceremony, the guests enjoyed the sunshine and drinks at the Q-Bar while Dustin and Jeff took portraits with Taylor!

Once photos were complete, our team quickly got to work to transform the Library from ceremony to dinner spot. With 14 guests, Dustin and Jeff opted for one long table dinner. It was the perfect fit for intimate gathering. There were elegant place settings for each guest featuring the floret collection from Tabletop Curated Rentals and gorgeous linens from Faire La Fete.

Emma Allen designed Dustin and Jeff’s gorgeous invitation suite and we worked with her on the custom frosted acrylic signage and stationery for the day. She even included a drawing of the Empress and a special logo for Dustin and Jeff to display in their home after the wedding. It was the perfect keepsake!

Guests were wowed when they came back into the Library for dinner and saw the transformation. Erin Sharpe and her accompanying musicians played beautifully and everyone loved all the intricate and personal details throughout the room.

As the night went on, there was no set timeline. With such an intimate group, they were comfortable going with the flow and doing whatever felt right. When it came to speeches, only a few people originally planned to speak, but soon enough everyone seated around the table stood up to make a special toast to Dustin and Jeff.

After the delicious multi course dinner, the cake was cut as the sun was setting and then Dustin and Jeff had their first dance. One of the most best moments of the night was the dance that Dustin and her best friend shared. The rest of the night was spent mingling, enjoying delicious food and drinks, and simply enjoying quality time together in the gorgeous candlelit setting.

Dustin and Jeff’s wedding was certainly a day to remember and you can be certain that even with the intimate guest list, their day was so full of love and fun!