A Cozy Cafe Medina Vancouver Restaurant Wedding

Weddings

Mar 9

After photographing Seamus and Katherine’s engagement session at an Italian restaurant in Gastown, it made perfect sense that this sweet duo chose another delicious eatery for their Vancouver restaurant wedding, Cafe Medina!

But before we headed to Cafe Medina, we got to enjoy the best of the Pacific Northwest with a slightly rainy outdoor ceremony in New Westminster followed by beautiful portraits in the forest at Queen’s Park.

The overcast weather was a little unexpected for June, but that’s what you get in Vancouver! Luckily, it didn’t stop Katherine, Seamus and their guests from celebrating all day long - plus it made for the perfect PNW moody portraits.

Seamus and Katherine shared many beautiful moments with their family and friends throughout their wedding day, including their large wedding party of 14! As a wedding photographer, it can be a little intimidating working with a big group but everyone was so welcoming and kind. Plus, it didn’t hurt that my superpower is remembering people’s names!

“From start to finish, Aileen was so lovely and we can’t recommend her enough. She captured every family portrait we asked for and so many beautiful candid moments and detail shots from our day that we’ll treasure for the rest of our lives!”

Creating a cozy and chill atmosphere at Medina Cafe Vancouver

Some of my favourite photos from S & K’s day are the candid shots I took at their reception. Medina Cafe Vancouver is such a wonderful venue for a cocktail style reception because everyone can mingle in a beautifully cozy atmosphere.

The venue itself is stunning and photographs super well. I love when an indoor venue allows me to get creative with lighting and flash. Not to mention, the Medina Cafe staff were incredible and the food was delicious!

Throughout the evening, Katherine, Seamus and their guests made the most out of the space at Cafe Medina. I loved how easily people could get up and chat with one another, grab a drink, listen to speeches, fill their plates or hit the dance floor.

“Overall, we wholeheartedly recommend Aileen as a wedding photographer. She captured breathtaking moments, helped us create beautiful memories, and went the extra mile when we needed it the most (including helping me get a red wine stain out of my dress when someone spilled on me almost immediately after entering our reception, haha). If you're looking for someone talented, professional, and genuine, Aileen is the perfect choice. Thank you, Aileen, for making our day even more special with your incredible talent!”

- Katherine & Seamus

3 things to consider when choosing the location for your Vancouver restaurant wedding

If you’re planning your own restaurant wedding, don’t forget to consider these three things:

1. Capacity

You’ll want to check capacity limits for any restaurant you’re interested in holding your wedding at, including how that capacity limit might change based on how you arrange your tables.

But keep in mind that if you max out capacity, it can feel tight. The idea with a cocktail style reception - which restaurants like Cafe Medina are best for - is to provide a seat for everyone but still have lots of room for your guests to mix and mingle.

2. Location & accessibility

One of the things that worked so well about S & K’s Medina Cafe wedding was the location. Medina Cafe is located in the heart of downtown Vancouver and easily accessible by public transit.

Think about how your guests will get to your restaurant wedding venue. Can they take public transit or is there parking available? You’ll also want to consider accessibility inside the venue, such as stairs, bathroom access, seat width, etc.

3. Really good food & drink (duh!)

Hopefully this one is a no brainer, because no one wants to hold a wedding at a Vancouver restaurant that isn’t any good. The whole point of a restaurant wedding is to serve incredible food and drink!

Of course, this is something that Cafe Medina had no problem with. All of the food they served at Seamus and Katherine’s wedding was beyond delicious, including when they brought out their famous waffles for dessert (my go-to order)!

Planning your own Vancouver restaurant wedding? Considering Cafe Medina as the venue? I’d love to hear all about it! Get in touch and let’s chat about your photography needs.