The Llewellyn’s Wedding at Calgary’s Hotel Arts

Grant and the Guys Getting Ready

We met up with Grant and Tysha at Hotel Arts, a creative luxury boutique hotel in the heart of downtown Calgary. The hotel places importance on innovative design and has forged strong relationships within the Calgary’s art and design community. The designer rooms were a pleasure to photograph in with contemporary fixings throughout each suite. We began in room 502 with Grant and his groomsmen, where they were all getting ready and enjoying a dram of scotch whisky before the big moment. We took a few photographs of the details, including the groom’s bow ties and colourful socks, before taking a selfie shot with the guys in front of the bar.

Tysha and the Women in Room 914

We packed up and moved up a few floors to room 914, where the girls were done up with hair and makeup by Chrissy of Top Knot Brides. Chrissy is one of the founders of the company, whose aim is to improve the beauty experience with excellent customer service and art directed beauty.

We hung Tysha’s beautiful Essence of Australia gown from Novia Mia Bridal Boutique on the bed frame and photographed it next to Tysha’s sparkling shoes. After a few shots of the women admiring the dress, we had Tysha get into it, leaving that last 10% undone so her bridesmaids could lace the rest. The girls took a few selfies, and we moved Tysha to the window for under-the-veil photos. As we were wrapping up, Tysha’s mom and dad joined us, and we finished the shoot with the three of them together.

Their Ceremony at Hotel Arts Front Room

Downstairs in the main ballroom, the ceremony was set up, and the entire space looked incredible. Shannon Collins and the Chair Flair team created an extraordinary scene, with beautiful purple linens and broaches on Chiavari chairs, and brilliant backdrops. Philip Chong Flower Bar punctuated the space with massive white balls of roses sitting atop tall glass vases to frame the couple as they shared their vows. Lining the walkway, big bouquets of white and purple flowers led the way to the altar, and would later serve as centrepieces at the reception.

Tysha walked down the aisle to Christina Perri’s ‘A Thousand Years,’ before settling on stage with her groom. Officiant Jack Ashby began with an announcement, and the couple shared vows and rings before following Filipino traditions. First, her mother’s veil was placed over the bride and groom, symbolizing the two houses coming together. Next, a cord, symbolic of the couple’s bond, was put on top of them, signifying that Tysha and Grant are no longer two people, but have become one cohesive unit in their new life. Long and prosperous marriages run in both their families: Her parents have been together for 45 years, and his for 47! They got up and signed their documents, and her talented brother sang a song to them. They then shared their first kiss as husband and wife, and proceeded back down the aisle to thunderous applause!

Once everyone had exited the room, we re-entered while the hotel set up the reception, to shoot family photos. We photographed them all in front of the gorgeous Chair Flair sheer backdrop, and then the bride, groom, and their wedding party popped into the limousine!

The Creative Formals in the East Village

The limo took us down to the edge of East Village, along the Riverwalk that overlooks the Bow River. We pulled up to the Simmons Building, a 103-year-old mattress factory that has since become a beating heart of East Village. It reopened in 2015, to become home to three of Calgary’s gastronomic gems: Charbar Restaurant, Phil & Sebastian Coffee Roasters, and Sidewalk Citizen Bakery.

Around the side of the building, we used the red brick wall as the backdrop for shots of the wedding party, shooting a variety of combinations of the newlyweds and their friends.

After parting with the rest of the group, we took Tysha and Grant over to the George C. King Bridge on the Bow River. Another iconic feature in East Village, the bridge is famous for its ground-breaking design, graceful arches, and views of the downtown core. Colloquially called ‘the Skipping Stone’ due to the way it jumps across the Bow River and onto St. Patrick’s Island, the 3-year-old bridge is the perfect place for pictures. We photographed the newlyweds on the beautiful bridge and moved into a patch of decorative wheat sheaves for some more intimate shots. To wrap up the creative formals, we walked Tysha and Grant onto the quiet cobbled street of Confluence Way, before hopping back into the limo to return to the Hotel Arts.

The Llewellyn Reception at Hotel Arts

Grant and Tysha were introduced by her brother the emcee and made their grand entrance into the immaculately decorated ballroom. Dinner began swiftly, and the four-course meal by Hotel Arts was delicious. The first course was a tasty soup, followed by a salad, with beef tenderloin, potatoes, and veggies as the main. Dessert of a strawberry macaron atop berry sorbet and meringue was incredibly tasty and seemed to disappear off everyone’s plates rather quickly.

A Perfect Mix of Humour and Emotion

Trixie, one of Tysha’s bridesmaids and best friends, got up for the first speech and delivered an emotional oration about the bride. She explained that Tysha functions as a life coach of sorts, not only for herself but for everyone around her. Trixie was grateful for Tysha’s continuous presence in her life and thankful for her help through some of life’s big decisions.

Then, the grooms’ party got up, each sharing a funny story about Grant, including a tale of fights, eggs, and new shoes. After groomsman Ab was struck during an argument with an older man, the boys decided to egg that man’s house. Well, the man noticed, and chased the boys off the lawn. The quickest way to the van was through the long, damp grass, but Grant had just bought a pair of shoes. So, instead of taking the fastest route, he sprinted up the sidewalk, barely hopping into the vehicle before his pursuer caught up to him.

After the groomsmen, Tysha’s parents stood up to share the story of the day Grant asked for permission to marry her. He rang their apartment intercom, and through the crackling static, her parents thought he was a stranger named Ryan. Worried, they called Tysha, and she told them they should call the police. After a few confused minutes, Grant called Tysha’s brother, who hastily rang his parents to explain that it was Grant, not ‘Ryan,’ downstairs!

Next, Raquel and Eve, Tysha’s bridesmaids, did their speeches. Raquel mentioned that Tysha has been having trouble sleeping this last little while, and cleverly quoted Dr. Seuss to explain the phenomenon: “You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.”

His parents welcomed Tysha to the family. They commented on what a great mother she is to her son Christian, and how amazing a young man he is. Then, the newlyweds got up to thank everyone, and Tysha’s brother sang another song to wrap up the speeches.

After speeches, Grant and Tysha cut their 5-tier, tufted fondant and purple rose cake by Judy Crowe of Cake Sensation. It was then time to move out onto the floor, where they kicked off the rest of the night with their first dance. Tysha and her father, and Grant and his mother, next paired off for a turn around the room. Finally, DJ Third Degree started the party with music and glow sticks, and the rest, as they say, is history.

We had such a fun day with Grant and Tysha, and we hope they love their images as much as we enjoyed creating them!

Online Gallery

An online gallery of all their images is available for the next 90 days. From the online gallery you are able to favourite images, order prints and share the gallery with your family and friends. The gallery can be accessed via the link below and you can contact the couple directly for their secure password.

The Llewellyn Wedding Day Slideshow

Above you will find the Wedding Slideshow that we created from a selection of the best edited photos that we captured on their special day.

Additional Blog Posts for Grant and Tysha

In addition to their incredible wedding day celebration, they also have other blog posts you can enjoy. Click the links below to check out those posts.

We are so fortunate to have had the opportunity to share this special day with them and all their family and friends. We wish them many years of happiness together.

Want to share in the experience? Contact us today for a free consultation or click here to book a portrait session! We also have a wickedly fun Calgary Photo Booth that is great for any event as well as Corporate and Event Photography for all sorts of events and corporate functions.

Calgary Wedding Photographers – JM Photography © 2018

The Llewellyn Wedding Credits

Date | 8.19.17
Officiant – Jack Ashby
Ceremony & Reception Venue – Hotel Arts
Hair and Makeup – Chrissy Straub with Top Knot Brides
Wedding Cake – Judy Crowe with Cake Sensations
Stationary – Glimpz
Florist – Philip Chong with Philip Chong Flower Bar
DJ – DJ Third Degree
Videographer – Donny with 12twelve Productions
Photography by Jeremy Martel & Muhammed Alsalim

Learn more about our studio

JM Photography offers Calgary brides the very best in wedding photography! Our unique style and best in class experience is one of a kind. Each wedding is treated with the greatest of care and creativity, resulting in breathtaking imagery. We also offer Calgary newborn photography, capture maternity sessions as well as family portraits.

We are one of the top studios in Western Canada, servicing the Calgary area, including but not limited to, Canmore, Banff, Cochrane, Chestermere, Airdrie, Lethbridge, and Red Deer. We also offer coverage in Edmonton, Vancouver and to destinations worldwide.