A colorful wedding with a pink pantsuit and a disco wedding dress

Offbeat partners: Chantelle and Chris

Date and location: City Hall and Backyard elopement in Owen Sound, ON – 07/30/2022

Our colorful disco wedding at a glance:

The theme for our wedding was fun, funky, and colorful. We've always liked to do things in a non-traditional way and we knew our wedding would be no different! Much like our home, we wanted to incorporate lots of color, and keep things happy, bright, and not too serious.

We knew we wanted to have the reception at my parents' home since it's always been such a big part of our lives, and since they live a block away from city hall it seemed like a no-brainer to have a low-key ceremony there.

We didn't have a lot of money to spend on the day so we DIYed or thrifted all the décor, and brought in a food truck to keep the “party” feel to the day consistent!

Tell us about the wedding ceremony:

Chris and I have been together for almost 13 years, and while we have so much love for each other – sharing our private feelings so publicly felt very uncomfortable for us. We opted for a short and sweet ceremony with all the legal necessities, and then shared vows we wrote for one another more privately.

At city hall we had our immediate families, grandparents, and closest friends there to watch us make things official! We had a pretty “laissez-faire” attitude toward the venue and were happy to work with the space and décor we were given. It ended up being very sweet and intimate. Conveniently, city hall had just been renovated so the space we were married in had windows all around us where we had a view of the town we grew up in, which was so lovely.

Tell us about the colorful disco wedding reception:

Our reception was colorful and bold – we really wanted our guests to have fun and to show up feeling at ease. My dad converted one of his sheds into a tiki bar, and we had disco balls and fringe hung up around the tents! After cocktail hour, I had an outfit change, and Chris and I had our first dance to The Wonder of You by Elvis.

The food truck helped keep the vibe casual and our guests still talk about how great the food was!

We didn't have a formal wedding party and we didn't want our loved ones to feel pressure to give speeches or participate in traditional wedding activities but a few of our family members shared some lovely sentiments (and tears) which ended up being very special to us.

One thing we were sure to rent was a dance floor… and we certainly got our money's worth from it!

What was the most important lesson you learned from your disco wedding?

I'd say there were 2 key lessons I took away. The most important lesson I learned was to go with the flow. I'm very Type-A and had been working on décor and details for a year leading up to the day – but when the time came to set up, we had to make many pivots, and I didn't let myself dwell on things not being how I pictured.

While details may feel SO important while you're planning your day, many of them are things your guests don't even consider. As long as there's good food and drink, they're happy to be there to celebrate you and your partner!

The second lesson I learned was to stay true to ourselves. When I opted out of wearing a traditional wedding dress I found myself doubting my decision as the day grew closer. I started to feel pressure as I compared details to other weddings online and I had to remind myself why we made these decisions in the first place! Ultimately, our day represented us perfectly and I couldn't picture myself wearing anything else.

Our colorful disco wedding vendors

Photographer: Madeline Kimberly Photography | @madelinekimberlyphotography
Veil: Made by the bride
Disco wedding dress: ASOS
Bride's Suit: Zara
Groom's Suit: Zara

Disco wedding gallery