Gastown Wedding // Kara & Justin

Gastown Wedding

Kara and Justin’s Gastown wedding in Vancouver was a celebration that captured the energy and character of one of the city’s most historic neighbourhoods. Gastown is the oldest part of Vancouver, with cobblestone streets, Victorian architecture, exposed brick interiors, and a creative community that gives the area a distinct personality. For a wedding, Gastown provides an urban backdrop with genuine texture and warmth, and Kara and Justin used it to its full potential.

Vancouver’s Historic Neighbourhood

The area around Water Street and the steam clock is the heart of Gastown, and the narrow streets and heritage buildings create an atmosphere that feels more European than typically North American. The venues in the neighbourhood tend to occupy converted warehouses and heritage spaces, with high ceilings, large windows, and industrial details that provide a strong visual foundation for wedding photography. Kara and Justin’s celebration took advantage of both the interior venues and the surrounding streets, and the transition between the two gave the day a variety of moods that kept the photography fresh throughout.

As wedding photographers working in Vancouver, Gastown is one of our preferred areas to shoot. The light in the alleys and side streets changes throughout the day, and the mix of old and new architecture provides contrasts that work well in both colour and black and white. The neighbourhood is compact enough that everything is walkable, which means couples can move between locations without losing momentum or energy.

Weddings in Vancouver

Vancouver offers an extraordinary range of wedding settings within a single city: ocean waterfront, mountain views, urban architecture, and lush parks are all accessible within minutes of the city centre. Gastown provides the urban, characterful option, and for couples who want their wedding to reflect the creative energy of the West Coast, it is an ideal choice. Get in touch if you are planning a wedding in Vancouver or anywhere in British Columbia. See more of our destination weddings: Redwood Forest, California, Nelson, New Zealand, Marrakesh, and South Iceland.

Way back when in 2010, we crossed paths with Kara as we photographed her sister Krista’s wedding. It was one of our first gigs, and still a favourite.

Fast forward six years and we’re with the same crew. Slightly older, still young at heart.

Kara and Justin’s wedding was like a tropical rainforest inserted into a nightclub. When people think Gastown wedding in Vancouver, they’re not really connecting that with a tropical rainforest, but this crazy idea definitely worked.

Putting such an ambitious idead together required equally ambitious talents, and working alongside Filosophi Events and Cahoots Creative was a pleasure. They turned Imperial into that rainforest Kara had hoped for, and were recognized for the effort by winning 2016 Best Wedding Decor at the BC Wedding Awards. Congrats team, and congrats Justin and Kara on a magical wedding!

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Kara’s dress is by Manuel Mendoza Couture, based in Vancouver.