WildHearts Weddings will be hosting a micro show with a swap shop on March 28, encouraging ‘intimate and intentional’ connections.
WildHearts Weddings is hosting their show a little differently this year.
Last year, co-host and WildHearts co-founder Mandy Pentland held a diverse expo at the Executive Suites Hotel and Resort in Squamish with over 1,000 guests in attendance.
This year, it will be held on March 28 at House of Lager (37020 Village Crescent) as a micro wedding show that will include around 22 vendors and three panel discussions (third floor), as well as a swap and shop (second floor). Giveaways (prizes include a free wedding ceremony) will take place every hour.
Pentland described the swap and shop as a “full-circle moment” where guests can purchase “pre-loved” wedding items to upcycle and re-use, from couples who have been married.
Admission, from $5, grants access to both the show and shop, run simultaneously but separately in case “one aligned better than the other” for guests.
Pentland defines micro weddings as “going back to the blank canvas;” a wedding with under 50 guests, ideally 30, which differs from an elopement where there is typically only the couple present, alongside a couple of witnesses.
She said micro weddings have been trending since around the COVID-19 pandemic, when people started experimenting with new ideas as they lived in isolation, as well as with an increased cost-of-living.
The average wedding in the Sea to Sky, she said, can cost around $50,000 to $70,000.
“There’s usually this pendulum that happens. Social media has driven huge, fancy experiences, spending lots of money on signage and rentals. Those things are great, but [it’s about] what you really remember.
“People are starting to think, ‘OK, if I scale that all back, what does it look like?’ It’s the raw people at the end of the day. Maybe a small dinner party, but not necessarily a giant experience around it.
“[Micro-weddings are] more about candid moments the photographer takes, or maybe even skipping a photographer.”
After experiencing grief over sudden loss in her personal life, Pentland said her inspiration is “don’t wait to celebrate.” She emphasizes the wants and needs of her clients, encouraging couples to create a “Top 10” list of their priorities, and set a budget according to that list.
“I love people finding what feels authentic to them … I don’t want it to be me,” Pentland said.
For the show on March 28, as with micro weddings themselves, she said it will be “a little bit more scaled back [than last year], on the intimate side and intentional side” with authentic interaction.
Clients will have the opportunity to participate in make-up trials, and create set-ups with their own cameras with businesses, rather than just talking with one another about what they do or want.
Regarding her choice for the show’s venue, Pentland said she is not looking to “rent and repeat;” part of the show is also to “showcase amazing locations in Squamish,” whilst supporting House of Lager, a young Squamish business.
WildHearts Weddings Micro Show will take place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets are available on their website through Eventbrite.
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