A Dinosaur Provincial Park Wedding
Our first Dinosaur Provincial Park wedding! Such a cool location… (especially for rock and dinosaur nerds.) Jade and Kai decided this otherworldly badlands park would be perfect for their outdoor wedding ceremony. The only worry was weather, which in Alberta can be pretty much anything from a full-on winter-like blizzard to a summer-ish heat wave.
Getting ready in Brooks and the Family Ranch
Jade and Kai opted not to include wedding day bride and groom interviews, but they were exchanging personal vows so we knew we’d still capture some good story content. The day began in Brooks, filming Kai and his groomsmen getting ready. From there it was on to gravel-road country and the family ranch, to film Jade getting ready with her Mom and bridesmaids.
Both groups were relaxed and enjoying themselves as the day got rolling. With Jade running a little behind schedule, we split up the Dream Day team with Dan staying to film the final preps and Robert travelling ahead to get set up video and audio for the ceremony.
Dinosaur Provincial Park Wedding Ceremony
The ceremony venue was an outdoor amphitheatre in Dinosaur Provincial Park. And they couldn’t have picked a more perfect day. More like July than October, with clear blue skies and warm temperatures. The surrounding landscape was absolutely stunning, with layers of cretaceous sedimentary rock gouged into deep canyons. If you’ve never been, it’s a must-visit. The place is world famous for its dinosaur fossils.
The wedding theme was country. Not surprising, since Kai is a real cowboy and over the course of their 8 years together has turned Jade into a cowgirl. They opted not to have a First Look before the ceremony, so the first time Kai saw Jade was when she appeared at the top of the aisle. After an emotional wedding processional, with Kai fighting to hold back tears, they exchanged legal vows and the more personal ones they’d written themselves.
Creative Video in the Badlands
Jade was super keen on having family photos and her creative photo and video session with the wedding party in Dinosaur Provincial Park. And we were more than happy to oblige. It was an incredible spot to capture some amazing footage of the happy couple and their friends. Jade standing with her bouquet atop a hoodoo with a brilliant blue sky in the background looked Goddess-like.
After a few hours in the park, it was back into the limo-bus and off to Cassils Hall in Brooks. It’s about a 45-minute drive, so a great opportunity to relax and cool off before the evening’s festivities.
Filming the Wedding Reception in Brooks
Cassils Hall is located just a little west of Brooks, Alberta. We’ve been lucky to film a number of weddings there over the years, including that of Kai’s sister Lindsey. It was great to see her, her husband Chase, and their growing family again!
Highlights of the reception included the grand entrance, the MC’s hilarious head table introductions, a song written by Kai’s brother Trey (with advice for the groom on what NOT to say to his bride), and of course the First Dance. The Brooks Hotel catered an amazing buffet dinner. With the formal part of the evening out of the way, the party really got going as the sun dipped below the open fields east of the hall. Congrats to Kai and Jade!
Cinematography | Dream Day Films
Ceremony Venue | Dinosaur Provincial Park
Reception Venue | Cassils Hall near Brooks Alberta
Officiant | Brenda Frances
Photography | Sweet Light Photography
Make-Up Artist | Makeup by Kailee
Hair Stylist | Dawn Entz
Florist | Brooks Greenhouses
Bakery | Cake & Spoon Co.
Catering | Brooks Hotel
DJ | Dally Up and Dance
Music | “You Changed Everything – feat. Marie Hines” by CHPTRS and “She Can” by Leaving Austing. Licensed through Musicbed.