Original Article by Lauren Balingit for Once Wed

If you’re planning an intimate wedding, then Megan and Patrick’s romantic waterfront wedding in Tofino, BC will provide the perfect inspiration. Planned in just 2 short months, the couple wanted to focus on the region and the way it makes them feel.

Read on for more from the bride:

“Patrick and I met through close friends and immediately became best friends in Chicago; we said “I love you” as friends even before our first kiss. I was fortunate enough to meet his family, fall in love with him, and have all mutual friends before we realized we were each other’s halves. We spent two years dating in Chicago, and living out our 20s with the most talented and fun-loving group of friends one could imagine.

When we made the move to St. Louis, I knew I would miss the city I called home. Fortunately, Patrick planned a weekend in Chicago in September of 2015; he proposed in the flower gardens of Lincoln Park, and then surprised me with all of my closest friends and family at our favorite Irish bar. It was perfection.

Our first vacation as a couple was to the Pacific Northwest. We traveled from Seattle to Vancouver and then to Vancouver Island, where we instantly fell in love with the surroundings. Tofino is a small beach town on Vancouver Island, accessible via ferry and then a 3 hour drive. It is a jaunt to get to but is the most magical place. We planned a wedding in Mexico for December of 2017, but realized it just wasn’t our style, and decided last minute to plan a wedding in Tofino (in 2 months!). Our closest friends and family members made the trek from all across the country to this tiny beach town.

I am lucky that I didn’t have to plan much with the wedding; Wickaninnish Inn is a phenomenal resort and Danielle planned most of the event. We went zip lining and hiking the day before the wedding and enjoyed a treehouse yoga session on the morning of the day. Our ceremony was in the rainforest and the reception was on a serene private beach. I can’t stop thinking about the amazing chefs that prepared local crab, lobster, oysters, and fresh herb salads. Tofino is a place that will always feel like home, and we will venture back to our favorite place every year, to celebrate life and love in beautiful British Columbia.”