Lily + Solomon
#&FLREALBRIDE FEATURE
THE AULDYN
Beneath the majestic mountains of the Canadian Rockies, Lily and Solomon exchanged vows in a perfectly intimate elopement at Banff National Park. Both passionate travellers with a sense for adventure, the pair said I do under a sun drenched palette of perfect fall tones of reds, yellow and golds, and a duck egg blue sky.
Forgoing a large guestlist due to Covid-19, Lily and Solomon made the decision that either everyone had to be there or no one would. They quickly changed course 6 weeks before their original date, and decided to make the moment about them, and only them.
Lily chose our AULDYN gown in linen for her elopement, with a pair of classic vans hidden under her gown so she could hike with ease. With a pale pink shawl wrapped around her arms to keep away the autumn chill, and a family heirloom in her hair, the look was relaxed, romantic and adventurous, creating the perfect balance of effortless style and wild, natural beauty.
The Deets:
Bride:
Lily
Hubby
Solomon
Photographer
Brittany Esther and Sam Hugh
Location + venue
Bow Lake, Alberta Canada
Bridal boutique
& FOR LOVE
Accessories
Earrings : ‘Minnie by Monique Lund’
Hair piece: family heirloom that my Nanny made for my Mom’s wedding
Hair/makeup
Self
Shoes
Vans ‘Old Skool Platform’
Cake
Le Fournil Bakery- (we didn’t plan for a cake but our Photographers surprised us with a gift of pastries!)
Flowers
Banff Mountaintop Flowers
Describe you and your guy? How did you meet?
We are nature lovers, always seeking the next great adventure! We love to hit local trails on weekends with our dog Ellie, and plan backpacking treks to remote places for vacation. We met in high school and have been together for 11 years.
How did you know he was The One?
We met when we were young and in our early twenties, went through a brief chapter of not being together. That time apart, learning more about ourselves, made me realize what a perfect fit Solomon is. We have similar passions in life, but we are also wildly different in other ways- it makes us constantly curious about the other person in a way that we learn from one another on a daily basis.
Describe yourself. What do you do? What is your regular street style?
I am a professional dancer, actor, and Pilates instructor. I love my career as a performing artist, and Pilates keeps my body in tune for performance and stimulates the part of my brain that loves movement science! I am a boho girl at heart who wishes for the fall season all year round- give me a mustard yellow wool sweater or floral print dress anyday!
What was bridal style?
Boho, classic, no fuss.
What made you fall in love with your &FL dress and where did you find it?
I’m friends with Angel and got my gown right from the designer! I fell in love with the Auldyn gown’s perfectly puffed sleeves. My die hard favourite book series as a kid was Anne of Green Gables- if you know Anne Shirley you know of her fascination with puffed sleeved dresses.
Describe your wedding- any inspiration or themes were your drawn to when planning?What was the vibe?
An elopement in the Canadian Rockies. We decided six weeks before our wedding that we were going to elope in Banff. Originally we wanted to do our wedding where we fell in love- Sandbanks Provincial Park. Family camping trips hold a lot of meaning for us and we dreamed of a casual camping weekend with friends and family for our wedding . The pandemic created challenges for large gatherings, and family travelling from the States. We decided it was all or nothing-either everyone is there or nobody. Turns out elopements are incredibly romantic and being in the mountains was symbolic of our mutual passion for hiking and adventure. We are lucky our families were so supportive. Next year we are going to celebrate with everyone and have a vow renewal in my parent’s backyard.
Fave thing about your day? Any surprises?!
Our wedding photographers took us on a little tour through parts of Banff National Park and Takakkah Falls in B.C. to take our wedding photos. It felt really special to spend the day with them and be taken on a tour of beautiful sites and nature! The beauty of our elopement was that the day was truly just about the two of us, so spontaneous plans and adventure were easy to fit in!
What does marriage mean to you?
Marriage means a constant commitment to growth, both individually and as a couple. Life inevitably throws big challenges our way, and being able to navigate that while still laughing and enjoying life together is important.
What's the one piece of advice you could give to brides?
No matter what, your wedding day is going to be one of the happiest days of your life. Trust that you and your partner will make the right decisions for the big day, and try not to sweat the small stuff. Together you are going to cherish the most amazing memories of love, and joy!
Life post-wedding means ....
Finding ways to celebrate our love even though the wedding day is over, whether that looks like a quiet night in or an adventurous weekend on the trails.
Words by Lily