Today, my husband and I are celebrating our first wedding anniversary. We were married on a sunny Saturday in a beautiful Vancouver heritage mansion surrounded by American, Canadian and South African friends and family. It’s true what they say, at least it was for me: no matter how much stress you feel during the final preparations, when your wedding day finally arrives, the imperfect suddenly seems…perfect.
I feel so lucky to be married to a person who makes me laugh and think and grow and who still makes my heart skip a beat. To celebrate what was one of the most memorable days of my life, I want to share a few of my favorite snaphots.
We chose our wedding photographers–the fun, uber-talented husband and wife team Bebb Studios–not just for their ability to take beautiful pictures, but because they have a knack for capturing tiny, important moments, the kind of moments that will always take us right back to the imperfect perfection of our wedding day. Here are just a few…
I’m off to drink champagne and eat year-old wedding cake. Sending some love your way on this happy day…

A very happy anniversary to you and Grant!
Happy anniversary!!! Husbandio is South African! I LOVE South Africans!
Absolutely gorgeous day :) Happy Anniversary!
Beautiful and the photographer did just as you desired, captured wonderful snapshots of a moment in time, showing just how perfectly imperfect…but above all, happy. I can feel the happiness and love in those photos. I also like the one of you holding the itty bitty baby in a sea of people. Happy Anniversary, Rian. Many blessings to you and yours.
Die Idee ist doch eigentlich gar nicht so schlecht, könnte auch Ersparnisse im Gesnidheutssystem bringen, wenn nicht mehr jeder zum Blutdruckmessen & Co gleich zu Arzt rennt
Wow. Those are amazing photos and you looked beautiful! Happy Anniversary!
Happy anniversary! You look beautiful (and happy!) in these photos!
Happy Anniversary – btw – you two are gorgeous
Spectacular photos! I love quirky wedding photos. Our photographer was great at those shots too and they are some of my absolute favorites. Thanks for sharing with us. Happy anniversary!! Enjoy the bubbly!
Simply stunning! Enjoy your day!
Gorgeous photography and kudos to the great photographer who captured all that was there to capture…you and your happiness. It shines through – thanks for sharing a bit of your day with us…and a very happy anniversary! How was the cake? Be truthful :)
It was stale and kind of gross but full of happy memories ;) Luckily, the champagne washed it down nicely.
That’s what counts..the memories! Glad you saved it and carried out the tradition…and the champagne is the perfect touch! congrats :)
What a stylish wedding you had, wow! I like everything: your simple yet elegant- and sexy!- dress, your hairstyle, the mansion and of course, the husband ;-)… Some inspiration for my upcoming wedding. Happy anniversary.
Are you getting married, Cécile? How exciting! When and where is the big day? I’m glad my wedding is Cécile approved–if it doesn’t offend the tasteful French sensibility, then it’s a success in my book ;)
I see a lot of potential for this “Cécile Approved” seal :-)
I’ve been engaged for more than a year but the wedding won’t be before 2014. We found a lovely venue in Villefranche sur Mer, a little village by the sea near Nice. Now we have plenty of time to think about it!
Absolutely gorgeous photos…and happy anniversary!
Happy Anniversary and what beautiful pictures!
Lovely moments, congratulations happy couple!
I am not a fan of wedding dresses, because I am super picky, but I love your dress.
Thanks, Becca! Picking a dress was more difficult than I thought it would be–I felt like a fluffy meringue in most of them, so I went for simple with a twist.
Beautiful photos, and happy anniversary!
these pictures are magazine worthy, really beautiful day indeed.
Happy Anniversary! Here’s to a lifetime of love!
Happy Anniversary and many more, Rian! Today is my first born’s birthday so today is incredibly special for me as well! I wish you and your husband many more years of love and happiness! May God Bless!
Happy birthday to your daughter–I hope she had a wonderful day!
Congratulations! Looks like it was a wonderful day – and STUNNING photos – they’re definitely ones to treasure x
Happy Anniversary! What a beautiful couple that you are!
it is so beautiful to see a bride smiling! You were beautiful
Happy Anniversary! A great example of how important it is to invest in a superb photographer!
Happy anniversary.
super congrats!! you both looked so happy and everything was beautiful. best wishes and much (blogger) love to your life together!! :D
now go forth and eat cake and make merry, without such revelry, life sucks! :D
Beautiful wedding! I love the outdoor groomsmen photo :)
Happy Anniversary!
I love the look on your mum’s face as you are checking out the back of your dress. You can tell she loves you and thinks you are beautiful. It’s one of those motherly, “My little girl is all grown up” looks.
Cheers,
Laura
That’s one of my very favorite photos. When my mom saw it, she said, “Now I know what absolute love looks like on my face.”
It is just lovely to see. :)
Beautiful, of course! What else would it be?
What absolutely gorgeous photos!
Such gorgeous photos! Thanks for sharing Rian :-)
Congrats. I’m getting married at the end of October and got SO excited looking over your lovely photos!!
How exciting! Remember to enjoy and store away those tiny moments–they really are the only things that matter in retrospect, not the cake or the flowers or any day-of mishaps. Have fun planning!
Thank you!!
Congratulations on one year as a married couple! These photos are absolutely beautiful, as is your entire wedding! Your dress, the mansion, the smiles on your faces…it looks like it was an incredible day! Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos and enjoy that champagne!
Thanks, Amber!
Congrats – Here’s to Next Year’s Adventures – Enjoy!!!
Rian … lovely bride, lovely dress, lovely day! May you have a reason to smile as brightly every day happily ever after! I hope you enjoyed your champagne and cake. Congrats on your first anniversary!
Beautiful photos of a gorgeous couple! Thanks for sharing. Happy 1st Anniversary to you both. x.
Beautiful photographs and happy congratulations…love flowing right back to you x
beautiful :) congratulations, wishing you many years of happiness and sunshine.
At last, sonmeoe comes up with the “right” answer!
happy anniversary! thanks for sharing such a lovely wedding, you looked so beautiful!
Happy anniversary, Rian! Loved the photos! :)
Here’s to many more happy anniversaries! I also hope your wedding cake leftovers never go stale…
Happy Anniversary! Thanks for sharing your lovely pictures. Your dress is absolutely gorgeous!
PS. Our first anniversary is right around the corner.
Happy early anniversary, Sheila!
Happy wedding anniversary! Beautiful photos, oh how I adore weddings <3
love your pics!!! happy aniversary!
LOVE your wedding pictures!!! Isn’t marriage the best thing ever???? Happy Anniversary! Hope you guys have an awesome time celebrating!!! Here’s to many many more;)
Elegant and classy! Happy anniversary and raising a glass high to many more. Marriage is the adventure of a lifetime. Enjoy!
You guys are amazing, and the photographs are unbelievably talented ! Congratulations !
Don’t worry about Meilin. You’ll like her again. And as I mentioned to you in email, if she do7n8&#s21e;t make you cry before the series is over, then you have a heart of stone.
Beautiful pics. Beautiful people.
Happy Anniversary, Rian : )!!! You are incredibly lucky…I am happy for you. Awesomely amazing photos by Bebb Studios.
Thank you for all of the well-wishes! They are so appreciated. We had a wonderful day filled with picnicking, reminiscing and yummy French food. Now onward to year two :)
Goodness gracious! Happy anniversary, Rian! I think these are the most gorgeous wedding photos…well, ever. And so YOU. The detail/decal over your shoulder? Wow. I could go on but it’s starting to sound really breathy and corny in my head.
Felicidades, bellas fotos, me encantan!!
Gracias, Monoli!
You look amazing. What a beautiful wedding. What great photos. Congrats on your one year!
Thanks, Azaf! I love your name and I’m now dreaming of the Maldives, lucky girl ;)
Thank you! I will post some pics of my home so that one day you may want to travel here :)
That looks like a wonderful day. Even from the other end of the world (well, almost – I’m in Denmark) those pictures make me smile! Suddenly I wanna get married, too!
Happy Anniversary!!! My 4 year is on Aug 8th!!! Wonderful month for such a Beautiful Occassion!!!!!!!
Happy Anniversary to you–here’s to many more!
Prismasta muuten saa niitä ihania (kai paahdettuja, ei oo kovia edes) manteleita, joissa on kuorrute päällä mut silti hiilarimäärä jää tosi pieneksi eikä tuu turvotusta eikä minkäänlaista ähkyä, vaikka useammankin maistelisi…Siis ne ei oo siellä suklaapuolella, kun ovat manteleita, sellainen valkoinen peltirasia, johon voi kerätä ihan mitä vaan kivaa, kestää la-sknlapsilleein:p)
Happy Anniversary Rian!! I am so happy to have come across your site (she says sheepishly… very embarrassed she has not seen it before now…) I am relatively new to the blog thing but as an “almost Canadian” (I’m Minnesotan), with an English boyfriend whose friends are all from South Africa, I already know I am going to love reading. Thank you for being one of those inspiring bloggers that keep us newbies going. You have a new avid follower.
Hi, Jess! Thanks for taking a look around–I’m so happy to have you on board :) An almost Canadian American living in Belgium with an English boyfriend and South African friends–wow, you must have a lot to blog about! I can’t wait to check out more of your posts. And congrats on being FP! xx
How gorgeous! I loved the turquoise bridesmaid’s dresses and the photographer did a fantastic job. Funny story…We forgot to eat our wedding cake at 1 year, so we saved it for our second anniversary. It was inedible, but made for a good memory I suppose.
Cheers, Rian! I hope you made some good memories on the special day!
Lovely pictures. My cousin got married at that same location in Vancouver, and my son was the ring bearer. :)
OMG – your dress is amazing! You both look beautiful and happy – congrats!
Amazing pictures. Happy anniversary.
Saffricans are cool!
Very nice! Looks like it was a GREAT day …