Rehearsal Dinner

Wedding Day

Welcome

Ceremony

Cocktails

Dinner

Dancing

Sunset Toast

Calgary Family Reception

Our Wedding

in 2011, mal went to a party with friends. another friend of theirs, robyn, was at the same party. mal thought robyn’s thick, white-framed glasses were pretty cute. robyn forgot meeting mal entirely. for the next ten years, mal and robyn saw each other around. mal went to parties robyn was at; robyn dated a roommate of mal’s friends; robyn sat in front of mal at a vancouver symphony orchestra event; mal joined the softball league robyn played in. the two remained friendly acquaintances, always saying hello and never hanging out. in 2021, after pandemic park closures, vancouver parks opened softball diamond bookings halfway through june. the mabel league scrambled together a half-season for anyone willing to play. mal and robyn each joined a friend’s team and rediscovered the joy of running around outside in the sun during the height of the pandemic. at the end of season banquet, they got a ride home together because, unbeknownst to them both, they lived 30 metres from each other across their shared back alley. they reconnected that summer and the timing was finally right. now they’re getting married.

2011 - 2021

we were together about two and a half years before mal proposed. robyn had always wanted to be proposed to in one of two ways: either on the jumbotron at a sports game, or while pitching a softball game in front of both teams. mal didn’t want to wait til summer (or incur the wrath of an umpire), so in february 2024, she surprised robyn with a business class flight to regina and a stay in the beautiful, historic hotel saskatchewan, where - coincidentally - the canadian and USA women’s olympic hockey teams were staying to play a rivalry series game. after pushing robyn to get a photo with superstar forward sarah nurse, they went to the game - canada won! - where mal proposed near the end of the second period to band of horses’ “no one’s gonna love you” as the crowd cheered.

the proposal

in january 2025, our beloved cat mika was diagnosed with a massive meningioma brain tumour. without surgical intervention, she was given 6-10 weeks to live. we made the decision to spend our entire wedding budget on a lifesaving surgery, which - thankfully - mika survived and recovered from. we now affectionately call her our “brain surgery potato”. this unexpected expense did mean we had to reconsider our wedding budget, which is why we are having such a small event.

the wedding budget

we are delighted to be celebrating at the beautiful home of our generous and kind friends sophie and dennis near duncan, bc. their palace in the forest is the perfect cozy, intimate space in nature for us to make our commitment to each other official.we are also getting married on the summer solstice. the solar solstices, equinoxes, and cross-quarter days have always been significant for mal, and the symbolism of the summer solstice is especially poignant for this ritual. the longest day of the year reflects the longevity of our love and regard for one another. the cycle of the solar year reminds us of our commitment to choose each other anew each day of our lives together. the length of light on this special day represents us looking at each other with generosity, understanding, benefit of the doubt, and kindness, always seeing the best in one another.

the wedding

Our Story

Wedding Party

TRANSPORTATION

We will be arranging a shuttle between the Oceanfront Suites and the wedding venue. Please let us know if you intend to use it so we reserve enough space.

Hotel Block

We've blocked a variety of suite types. Feel free to ask the hotel which rooms are blocked for us. The hotel is a 13 minute drive from our venue. Rooms must be booked by March 19 to qualify for the discounted rate. If you'd like to book a different type of room than what is available, you'll need to connect with Cori at <a href="mailto:cori@oceanfrontcowichanbay.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">cori@oceanfrontcowichanbay.com</a>. Call the hotel at (250) 715-1000 and tell them you're booking for the "Hamilton-Culley Wedding", or book through the <a href="http://oceanfrontcowichanbay.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">hotel's website</a> and enter the case-sensitive code: June20Wed If you book on a third-party site (booking.com, tripadvisor, etc.), the hotel will not be able to adjust your rate or refund you. We recommend booking on their website or by phone call using our group booking code.

Oceanfront Suites at Cowichan Bay

Cowichan Bay is roughly equidistant from Nanaimo and Victoria, so you can get there via any of the following ferry routes:- Tsawwassen to Swartz Bay: A 1h35m ferry ride followed by a 1hr drive to Cowichan Bay- Tsawwassen to Duke Point: A 2h ferry ride followed by a 53m drive to Cowichan Bay- Horseshoe Bay to Departure Bay: A 1h35m ferry ride followed by a 1h drive to Cowichan Bay If you are driving, we recommend making a ferry reservation at least two weeks in advance. Reservations are mandatory from Horseshoe Bay, and highly recommended for all other routes. BC Ferries is extremely busy in the summer months and unreserved vehicles often wait multiple sailings to board. If you are walking on and need a ride from the ferry, let us know. We can try to arrange rides with other guests.

Getting there

Travel

Book a tour or design your own by visiting any of the beautiful wineries of the Cowichan Valley. Blue Grouse Estate Winery is only a 9 minute drive from the wedding venue.

Cowichan Valley Wine Tours

Tickets required. Complimentary parking. 34 minute drive from the wedding venue.

malloreigh & robyn