Wedding Trends 2019

SIMCOE COUNTY | MUSKOKA | PARRY SOUND | GREY BRUCE | 2019 EDITION

TRENDS 2019 SIMCOE COUNTY | MUSKOKA | PARRY SOUND | GREY BRUCE | 2019 EDITION

Real Weddings TO IN S P IRE

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Real Weddings

6 | Stephanie & Dustin

10 Caitlin & Aaron

14 Amy & Michael

20 Jennifer & Trevor $5.00

24 Jessica & Louis

28 Laura &Publisher Aaron

30 Leigh & Dan

Manager, 33 LauraGeneral & Jason

36 Raeanne & Daniel

40 Ashlee & Matt

47 Laura & Erik

44 | Cheryl & Mark

50 Lauren & Michael

48 | Eryn & Vince

54 Chantelle &Allan

53 | Emma & Scott

58 Krystal Brenda & Andrew Boon

63 Josie & Ben Advertising Inquiries:

66 Kim & Steve

71 Ashleigh & Braden amakaroff@simcoe.com

72 | Kaitlyn & Adam

74 Lindsay705-435-6228 & Chris

76 | Katheryn & Andrew

78 Danielle & Bretton Barrie | Innisfil | elise allain

80 Ashleigh & Jeff eallain@simcoe.com

83 Melissa705-726-0573 & Joel

12 | Mallory & Daniel 16 | Leazel & Ryan 21 | Kimberly & Matthew

Real Weddings 27 | Linsey & Jacob 32 | Samantha & Ben 37 | Amanda & Andrew 40 | Elizabeth & Sean

56 | Carmen & Alex

72

60 | Sarah & Jamie 64 | Brooklyn & Nathan 68 | Laura & Chris

80 | Hillary & Behn 84 | Amy & Brad 87 | Krista & Matthew

56

t r e n d s 2 0 1 9

Dana Robbins

Simcoe / york / muskoka Shaun Sauve Editor

Elise Allain

Graphic Design Dyon Surujpaul

Alliston | Angela makaroff

87 Raquel & |Ryan Collingwood PAmela amero

93 | Sarah & Stephen

pamero@simcoe.com 90 Sarah & Blake

96 | Tolu & Tunde

94 Lindsay & Kyle

Midland | Orillia | KYLA BARRON 97 Mikayla & Joseph

90 | Lauretta & Jonas

705-444-1875

kbarron@metroland.com

100 Lesley & Nevine 705-329-2058 104 Jamie & Robert

Muskoka | Parry Sound | jack tynan

107 Rachel & Frank jtynan@metrolandnorthmedia.com 111 Bryanna & Scott 705-789-5541 114 Tara & Ronny Editorial Contributors Patti Vipond

32 64 on the cover:

Brooklyn & Nathan Photos by Holly Bodkin

Metroland North Media 21 Patterson Road, Barrie, ON L4N 7W6 Phone: 705-726-0573 | Fax: 705-721-8859 follow us: @WeddingTrendsmag simcoe.com | muskokaregion.com

Statements opinions and point of view expressed are those of the writers and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher, advertisers or Wedding Trends Magazine.

Wedding Trends Magazine is published once a year.

4 Wedding Trends 2019

Wedding Trends FEB21 100pgs.indd 4

2/14/19 9:56 AM

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Stephanie and Dustin SEPTEMBER 29, 2018

6 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Family Wedding Celebration

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY SHANNON BONDI, BONDI PHOTOGRAPHY

I

t could be said that when Stephanie Whiston and Dustin Ewart said their vows and became husband and wife this year, their relationship had come full circle. The couple met at the wedding of Dustin’s sister Jodi in July 2007. They noticed each other but only spoke briefly at the end of the festivities. Like most true love stories, this one had a complication.

“There was a year of Dustin asking friends about me, how I was doing and if I was seeing anyone,” says Stephanie, who worked with Jodi at the time. “Finally, I gave my number to Jodi to give to her brother.”

Five years later, it was time to propose to his love. Dustin appropriately chose to pop the question where they met, namely the South Shore Centre in Barrie. On Christmas Eve, he surprised Stephanie with a trip to the Centre and a beautiful engagement ring. They decided to have a fall wedding for the season’s beauty and because their youngest daughter Harlyn would be 1-year-old and could walk down the aisle with Hailey, her 3-year-old sister.

“The whole wedding was very much about our family,” says Stephanie.

The Farmhouse Restaurant’s cosy upstairs loft room was chosen as the couple’s reception venue.

The Barrie restaurant was the perfect intimate space for 60 guests. Stephanie created the reception décor using burlap table runners, mason jars with burlap-wrapped lids to resemble jam jars, white pumpkins and fall lanterns. The centrepieces held one white rose with baby’s breath.

“We made sure there were ten roses in the decor for the amount of years we have been together,” says Stephanie. “My bouquet had nine roses and Dustin’s boutonniere was the tenth. My bouquet also had two carnations, one of each of our daughters.”

The bride-to-be chose a lace fit and gradual flare wedding gown with a sweetheart neckline. Her daughters were adorably outfitted in lace dresses that were similar to their Mom’s dress and worn with white cardigans. The girls made their parents proud at the ceremony.

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 7

“They were both so good at the wedding,” recalls Stephanie. “They walked down the aisle holding hands until the oldest let go of the youngest one’s hand to throw rose petals.

Someone had to help the youngest down the rest of the aisle, but they both did really well.”

Doing a first look for Dustin with her daughters was very special for the bride.

“We were at home where there’s 11 acres of farmland and a pond,” Stephanie recalls.

“Dustin was standing under the big maple tree in our backyard in front of our pond. In the photos, it’s really cute because he wasn’t seeing just me. He saw our family. It was a lovely private moment. I think he was mightily surprised.”

Guests gathered at Northwest Barrie United Church for the wedding ceremony led by Rev. Phil Dallimore.

“Rev. Phil has done a lot for our family including a funeral, the marriage of Dustin’s brother Brady and his wife Faith, and he baptized our daughters,” says Stephanie. “It meant a lot to us to have him perform our ceremony.”

Stephanie and Dustin’s wedding party was also a family gathering of siblings, their daughters, a niece and a pair of nephews. A pianist played “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol as the bride walked down the aisle to her love.

The groom chose a black tungsten wedding band, while the bride had a custom family ring made with everyone’s birthstones. The ceremony included a special moment with their daughters.

“We each took one of our daughters to light a candle,” says Stephanie. “At the end, Dustin and I took the candles we lit with the girls to light a unity candle.”

At The Farmhouse, guests enjoyed a casual cocktail reception with such delicious appetizers as maple syrup smoked trout on house-made chips with horseradish cream, pulled pork and bacon potato skins, salt and pepper wings with cucumber dill yogurt and Feltis Farm fries with mayo dip. A special triangular Hungarian layer cake called Hungarian Dobos Torta honoured the bride’s late maternal Hungarian grandmother.

“This chocolate Hungarian cake is the dessert she always wanted to have at special occasions,” explains Stephanie. “I had her Hungarian embroidery wrapped around my bouquet.”

Stephanie created the reception’s playlist based on her picks and requests made by guests with their RSVPs. Everyone were treated to a rendition of a Pink song belted out 8 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

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by the bride, her sisters, girlfriends, Mom and stepmom. The newlyweds’ first dance to “Then”

by Brad Paisley soon turned into a family dance with their children.

In keeping with the theme of their wedding day, Stephanie and Dustin plan to take a ‘family moon’ trip in 2019.

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Bride’s custom family band: Jeff Walters Jewellers, Barrie Groom’s band: Peoples Jewellers DRESS SHOP Best for Bride TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Le Chateau CATERER The Farmhouse Restaurant, Barrie CHURCH/HALL Northwest Barrie United Church The Farmhouse Restaurant, Barrie

49 Morrow Rd. Unit 1, Barrie, ON 705 . 733 . 0080 | 800 . 597 . 7454 www.tiffanypartyrentals.com

MUSIC/DJ Bride’s playlist with requests from guests’ RSVPs HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: Mel D’s Hair Studio Makeup: Bride’s sister/bridesmaid Jessica INVITATIONS Print Three, Barrie FLORIST Loblaws, Barrie PHOTOGRAPHER Shannon Bondi, Bondi Photography TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Linlor Farm, Hastings - pure maple products WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Holtz Leather Co. & Etsy

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Mallory and Daniel AUGUST 4, 2018

12 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Portugal Beach Proposal

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY MIA PURDY, YOUBYMIA PHOTOGRAPHY

D

aniel Milne took no chances when planning his proposal in Portugal to Mallory Rosendale.

He asked her best friend what kind of engagement ring Mallory wanted, bought it and brought it along on the trip. Daniel also arranged for his grandmother Lucia and his mom Rachelle to be there when he popped the question.

“Because Daniel’s mom and grandmother were there, I didn’t think a proposal would happen,” says Mallory, who accepted her love’s offer of marriage on the second day of their ten-day trip to Portugal. “They asked if we would like our picture taken by the water. I love pictures on the beach and Danny had picked a very beautiful one to visit that day. As his mom took pictures as Danny proposed."

After coming back home to East Gwillimbury, the spouses-to-be fell in love with Collingwood’s Bear Estate on Georgian Bay as the venue for their wedding ceremony and reception.

“It had the most beautiful outdoor ceremony spot in a little cove overlooking Georgian Bay,” says Mallory. “Lovely flower gardens surrounded the ceremony space and beyond the arbour dozens of white swans were swimming in the water. Huge willow trees gave plenty of shade for our 170 guests.”

The bride’s family, bridesmaids, groomsmen and friends arrived on Friday to decorate the spacious Bear Estate reception hall. Danny’s cousin created wood chargers for the centrepieces and Mallory and her mom Joanne topped them with Mason jars decorated with burlap and lace, filled with flowers and surrounded by twinkle and tea lights.

Mallory’s gorgeous strapless lace wedding gown with sweetheart neckline and extended train was the third dress she tried on at Kleinfeld’s, the first store she visited. The bride wore a separate mesh and lace skirt in a peplum style for the ceremony. To honour Danny’s father’s Scottish heritage, the

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 13

men wore kilts. The bridesmaids were chic in quartz-hued dresses, a mix of dusty rose and lilac.

The couple both attended Cardinal Carter Catholic High School, but had their own groups of friends. Nine years after their 2004 graduation, they crossed paths at a local bar in Aurora called Aw Shucks.

“Four years later, he snuck an engagement ring into his camera bag and proposed on a beautiful beach,” says Mallory.

On August 4, 2018, Mallory’s bridesmaids walked down the aisle to the instrumental version of “Latch” by Sam Smith. As the bride appeared, the song seamlessly transitioned to the lyric version. The wedding ceremony was very meaningful for the couple.

“We did a crossing of the hands and arms to form the sign of infinity, and the minister read a lovely poem we had chosen,” says Mallory. “We also selected some readings for the minister.”

After exchanging vows and becoming Mr. and Mrs., the bride and groom walked back up the aisle to the lively dance version of “Latch”.

“It was really fun and had all our guests joining in on the excitement,” says Mallory.

Following the ceremony, guests gathered and chatted during an outdoor cocktail hour.

A plated dinner followed with cranberry salad, chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and roasted red peppers with mashed potatoes and vegetables. Dessert was Living Water Resort’s famous cheesecake plus wedding cake and a sweets table. Gourmet pizza and a warm chip dip station were late night treats.

Photos were a memorable part of the day for the bride and groom. A local Collingwood fire hall’s fire truck and its crew made an appearance for a photo op. Unfortunately, a call midway through the session had the truck pulling away with the siren wailing.

“Because Danny is a firefighter, I arranged with his friend, who is a local fire fighter, to have this as a surprise for him,” says Mallory.

“He didn’t know about the truck until it rolled up.”

A quiet, romantic photo session at sunset just for the newlyweds happened in perfect weather.

“We went out with our two photographers who are family friends,” recalls Mallory. “It was a lot of fun to have them there. It was the first time with just the two of us having photos taken and it was very nice.”

The groom cherishes another private moment that happened with his bride.

14 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

“At one point in the night when all the speeches were done, we took five minutes to go outside and be alone, away from the noise,” says Daniel. “That was the first time we got to relax and enjoy everything.”

Mr. and Mrs. Milne honeymooned in Hawaii for a week, visiting Pearl Harbour and the Jurassic Park movie filming sites before flying to Maui for a second week of beaches and fine food.

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Corona Jewellers, Toronto DRESS SHOP Kleinfeld – Hudson’s Bay, Toronto TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP The Scottish Company - kilts HONEYMOON/TRAVEL AGENT Flight Centre, Toronto CATERER Bear Estate/Living Water Resort, Collingwood CHURCH/HALL Bear Estate, Collingwood MUSIC/DJ Jason Rolland - Bounce Productions HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: Trish Granato – Bride’s long time friend & local hairstylist Makeup: Sarah J. Sauve – SarahjMakeup & Brows – Bride’s long time friend INVITATIONS Vistaprint FLORIST Wendy Bannerman-Clark - Paperwhite, Collingwood PHOTOGRAPHER Mia Purdy, YouByMia Photography TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Small Mason jar with scented candles, name and table number on jar Centrepieces by Bride & Groom – wood chargers, lace and burlap-wrapped Mason jars with twinkle lights & baby’s breath

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2019 WEDDING TRENDS 15

Leazel and Ryan SEPTEMBERT 15, 2018

16 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Camp Muskoka Celebration

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY MICHAILA CHODUR PHOTOGRAPHY

T

hough Leazel Seemann and Ryan Friedrich’s first date was skating on the Ice Trail at Huntsville’s Arrowhead Provincial Park, they promised their futures to each in a far balmier

place.

In February 2017, the couple chose Cuba as the destination for their first trip together. Leazel noticed her love was acting a trifle oddly, but a proposal was not on her radar. On the second day of their vacation, Ryan secretly set up a camera on the beach and suggested they do some stargazing that evening. On the secluded shore, Ryan proposed to an enormously surprised Leazel.

“Since it was the second day of the trip, I always joke around now and say ‘What if I had said no?’” says Leazel, who happily said yes and married Ryan on September 15, 2018. “He proposed at night because he didn’t want to do it during the day in front of people. He used one of his grandmother’s rings instead of the real engagement ring in case it got lost. At first, I didn’t say yes or no but ‘How did you get the ring here without me seeing it?’ He said, ‘Is that a yes?’”

The search for a wedding venue took the couple to a number of places. But when someone told them it was possible to get married at a kids’ camp, they changed their focus. With Leazel’s love of working with children and Ryan’s love for adventure, Camp Muskoka near Bracebridge was a perfect fit. With plenty of room for guests to stay and the beauty of Muskoka in autumn, the couple planned a full weekend of wedding festivities. Fifty of their 120 guests happily stayed at the camp for the entire weekend.

“We enjoyed the whole weekend because we got to spend time with everyone,” says Ryan who with Leazel welcomed guests with a bonfire on Friday night. “Our families got to know each other and merge. That was our favourite part of the weekend, everyone making connections and truly becoming a family.”

The couple’s waterfront wedding ceremony before guests seated on chairs on the beach happened to be on the warmest day of September. After discovering the venue was not air conditioned as promised, and with temperatures climbing above 30C, a quick trip was made to Bracebridge to buy 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 17

every fan available. Meanwhile, Leazel donned a fit and flare gown imported from Australia with detachable ball gown overskirt. Her bridesmaids wore lovely burgundy dresses that almost didn’t happen after the original store forgot to order them.

“We were told the dresses weren’t available anywhere in Canada,” recalls Leazel. “We searched all day to find a new style. Luckily, at Laura Petites in the Georgian Mall we found the original dress in all the right sizes.”

The couple’s first look began with the bride laying down in a car and driven to a little pathway by the ceremony site without being seen by strolling guests. The chicanery was worth it. This was one of the couple’s favourite moments of the day.

“I’m really glad we got to see each other alone and have the opportunity to cry like babies before everyone else could see us.” says Leazel. “Ryan waited patiently in the heat while I was late, as usual. I wore my dress without the overskirt, so Ryan got to be surprised at the First Look and at the ceremony.”

During a visit from her grandfather two months before the wedding, Leazel said she had a surprise for him and gave him a present to unwrap. Inside was a handkerchief inscribed with the words, “Grandpa, I don’t want you to miss me too much. Would you do me the honour of walking me down the aisle?”

Surprised, he asked, “Is this real?” With a hug and an “of course” from his granddaughter, he happily said yes.

Leazel walked down the aisle with her grandfather, a proud Scot in a kilt, to her favourite song, “From This Moment” by Shania Twain. At the end of the aisle, both Leazel’s father and stepfather awaited to give her one final hug and kiss before passing her to Ryan.

The bride’s uncle Donald Seemann performed beautiful music during the wedding.

After the sweet, short ceremony, the newlyweds lead everyone to a casual camp reception with fabulous food by Camp Muskoka. Dinner featured prime rib, chicken parmesan, a family recipe for Caesar salad requested by the bride, and donuts for dessert.

The Camp prepared stellar food all weekend long including buffet breakfasts and bbq lunches. When dinner was done, dancing was the main attraction. Everyone was up and 18 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

moving to a mix of country and 90’s pop tunes.

The bride and groom danced first to “What’s Mine is Yours” by favourite artist Kane Brown.

The song was chosen after they heard it in concert.

In the midst of the party, the newlyweds snuck off for a moment alone outside.

“That was my favourite part of the night,” recalls Leazel. “The day goes by so quickly, that it was nice to be together and take it all in, in the moment.”

A few days later, Leazel and Ryan escaped to Tobermory and Manitoulin Island to relax and enjoy being newlyweds. A honeymoon in Europe is planned for spring 2019.

Let’s get your Smile ready for that Special Day!

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Bride’s ring: designed by Sheldon East, Brunel Jewellers, Midland Groom’s ring: Yorks Jewellery Design - Etsy DRESS SHOP Kiera’s Bridal Wreath, Barrie TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Timpano Suit and Tux, Barrie CATERER Camp Muskoka, Bracebridge CHURCH/HALL Camp Muskoka, Bracebridge MUSIC/DJ Bride’s uncle: Donald Seemann HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Danielle Matthews, Hot Cutter Salon (owner) Amy Cain, Penetang INVITATIONS Midland Copy Shop FLORIST Fresh by Leanne, Midland RENTALS Muskoka Party Rentals Muskoka Event Services Pure Elegance PHOTOGRAPHER Michaila Chodur Photography VIDEOGRAPHER Danielle Morandini TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Shot glasses – Wedding Star Handmade paddles WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Camp Muskoka hoodies Jewellery – Etsy: Pearland88, Airy Loft & Divine Bridal Shop

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Kimberly and Matthew

REAL WEDDINGS

J U N E 1 6, 2018

New Marriage, New Lives

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY BROOKE NIKOLOV PHOTOGRAPHY

S

ince their wedding on June 16, 2018, Kimberly McEachern and Matthew Snape have dealt with more than the usual changes couples experience as they begin lives together as spouses. The newlyweds moved to a new city, both started new jobs and became first-time homeowners soon after the “I Dos” were done.

“We’ve been really busy this year moving from Newmarket to Windsor, getting used to being homeowners and finding new jobs in Windsor,” says Matthew, who met Kimberly in person in January 2015 after starting to talk to

her online via Tinder in December 2014. “We basically got married, packed up our apartment two weeks later and moved. It feels like we’ve crammed a couple of years into the last year. A year ago, we were in a very different spot.”

“It’s even weird to think back to when we got engaged,” adds Kimberly. “It was only two years ago, but it feels like four years now.”

In the fall of 2016, Matt planned a getaway to Deerhurst Inn in Huntsville with his love to propose. He had already asked for and received permission for his love’s hand in marriage from

her parents Clayton and Judy.

“We had looked at rings but I kept leading her off course by saying things like maybe we should get engaged next year,” says Matt. “We were sitting in a gazebo at Deerhurst, watching the stars over the lake. She looked at me and said, ‘It would be so nice if you proposed right now.’ I was actually ready to do it, but I wanted to catch her off guard. When we got back to the room and proposed. We enjoyed the next three days together at Deerhurst.”

Being a florist, Kimberly was naturally drawn to a wedding date when flowers are in bloom and the weather is beautiful. The couple chose June 16, 2018 as their date and the Southshore Community Centre in Barrie as the venue for their ceremony and reception.

“Matt’s stepmom recommended this venue to us,” recalls Kimberly. “We looked it up online and fell in love instantly with the view. It reminded us so much of Deerhurst where Matt proposed. That set the mood for our wedding.”

Both family and friends were invited to be in the couple’s wedding party. The bride asked friend Alanna to be maid of honour and her sister Stephanie, sister-in-law Sarah, Aunt Amanda, cousin Cheryl and friends Charlotte and Jade to be bridesmaids. Ella was the couple’s junior bridesmaid, and Julianna and Noelle were adorable flower girls. Matt asked his father Stuart to be best man. For groomsmen, he asked friends Dan, Chris M., Chris D., Mike and Rakesh and had Logan as ring bearer.

On the big day, the bridesmaids gratefully had a beautiful breakfast at Matt’s mom’s home before getting dressed for the wedding.

After the couple’s 170 guests were seated and ready for the wedding ceremony, the groomsmen walked in to a string version of “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri.

Bridesmaids soon followed to “Build This Love From the Ground Up” by Dan and Shay.

Radiant in a stunning gown, Kimberly was walked up the aisle by her dad Clayton to an 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 21

acoustic version of “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran.

Before the ceremony, father and daughter had shared a sentimental first look beside the lake.

“I’m close to my dad and loved the first look photo,” says Kimberly. “The Southshore Centre is all windows, so the photographer had to find a pocket where no one could see us.”

When asked about his favourite moment of the day, Matt said it plainly - getting married.

“As we signed the registry, my aunt and cousins sang and played ‘Bless The Broken Road’ by Rascal Flatts on keyboard,” said Matt.

After vows were exchanged and the bride and groom became wife and husband, everyone gathered for a cocktail hour to start the celebrations. Guests raved about the delicious appetizers prepared by Kim Dermott Catering of Beeton. Finger foods included caprice salad on a stick, hummus and veggie cups, smoked salmon and bacon dip on a crostini.

“Kim’s staff was awesome at making sure everyone got something to nibble on,” says Kimberly.

The main meal choices reflected something personal about both the bride and groom. Roast beef honoured Matt’s English family heritage. It was served with salads, seasonal vegetables and delicious garlic mashed potatoes. To recognize Kimberly’s love of Italian food, chicken in a white wine sauce (called Kim’s Chicken) was served with pasta on the side. Smoochies Cakery in Bradford created the couple’s lovely wedding cake.

During the dinner, a slide show of baby and childhood pictures of the newlyweds became a fond wedding day memory for Kimberly and Matt. After the guests danced the night away, the evening ended with the bride and her new mother-in-law singing a rousing karoke version of “Don’t Stop Believing” and a dance by the bride with her mom.

For guest favours, the bride chose heartshaped seeded paper with help from her stepmother Cindy. When planted in soil, the seeds grow into wild flowers.

“We got extra seeds and had a planter box at our wedding,” says Kimberly. “People planted seeded hearts and we had wild flowers growing this summer.”

22 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Enjoy one of the best wedding locations you will ever find. Tucked away in Tottenham, Ontario, only 35 minutes from the top of Toronto, amongst tall pines and overlooking the beautiful Woodington lake. With the natural warmth and beauty of the Muskoka’s (without the long drive) and the grandeur and elegance of a downtown venue.

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Engagement ring: Michael Hill Wedding bands: Peoples Jewellers DRESS SHOP Gown Go Round, Newmarket TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Timpanos Suit and Tux, Barrie CATERER Kim Dermott Catering WEDDING CAKE Smoochies Cakery, Bradford

Email: maryann@travelworld1.ca

CHURCH/HALL South Shore Community Centre, Barrie MUSIC/DJ ROBERT BOYLE, BEETON

www.travelworld1.ca Stonebridge Centre 191 Hurontario Street, 3 Market Lane, Unit 5, Wasaga Beach Collingwood

705-429-4292 705-445-6370

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What’s So Unique About Us? Air Conditioned Banquet & Meeting Rooms Single Event Venue Booking ~ Scenic Outdoor Event Space Charming Timber Frame Banquet Hall ~ Various Wedding Package Options On Site Wedding & Event Coordinator ~ Panoramic Photographic Settings Gourmet Meals Prepared By Our Executive Chef

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24 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

RENTALS Ace of Hearts Catering PHOTOGRAPHER Brooke Nikolov Photography TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Seeded paper hearts to plant – Botanical Paper Works Planting pot – Dollar Store WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridesmaids: silver knot bracelets & note “I couldn’t tie the knot without you” – Etsy Bride’s father: engraved tie clip TOTAL COST OF WEDDING $25,000

Give Your Guests The JW Treatment Flawless Service, Delicious Food, Spacious Accommodations and Scenic Lake Rosseau Views Trust the experts at JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort & Spa to make your destination wedding flawless year-round.

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Corporate Events, Evergreen Store, Nursery and Landscape Services

26 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Linsey and Jacob

REAL WEDDINGS

S E P T E M B E R 24, 2016

Waterfront Vows at Honey Harbour

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY TAERA MCLEAN PHOTOGRAPHY

W

hen home is where the heart is, it’s also the perfect place for a wedding. That’s why Linsey Goulding and Jacob Grisdale knew they wanted to have their wedding at Linsey’s parents’ waterfront home at Honey Harbour.

“We love it up there,” says Linsey, who became engaged to Jacob in April 2015 and married her love on September 24, 2016. “The year before we married, my parents, Michele and Rob Goulding, bought their retirement home just down the street from our family’s cottage. My parents had their new house about

a month before we asked if we could have our wedding there. They graciously said yes.”

A huge natural rock on the waterfront of the stunning Georgian Bay property was the perfect place for the couple’s wedding ceremony.

Lindsey’s late grandfather had built a swing on the rock whose frame became a romantic and sentimental arbour for the bride and groom.

“We couldn’t think of a more “us” place to get married than by the water on the property that is going to be in our family for generations to come,” says Linsey.

Everything started with a late evening proposal by Jacob to a very surprised Linsey.

She arrived home about 9:30 p.m. after a late shift in her work as a nurse. As usual, their dog ran up to greet her but the usually collarless dog wore a collar.

“Jacob said, ‘Our dog got a new tag today, check it out,’” recalls Linsey. “He had put my ring on our dog’s collar. He got down on one knee as I was figuring out what was going on.

He had bought the ring that day and knew he couldn’t keep it secret.”

For her bridesmaids, Linsey asked friends Olivia Greaves, Jillia Cheyne and Nicollette Di Benedetto, her cousin Sydney Dundar and the groom’s sister Elisha Grisdale. Jacob tapped Tyler Mostaard as his best man, and his brothers Isaiah and Joshua, the bride’s brother Bryan and his friends Kyle Hamacher and Chris Allan as groomsmen.

Jacob and Linsey grew up in the town of Hillsburgh and have known each other most of their lives. Their first ‘official’ meeting happened when they were about 12-yearsold while snowmobiling in the fields at Jacob’s uncle’s house. Snowmobiling remains a favourite winter pastime.

Linsey ordered her beautiful wedding dress online. "My co-worker and friend Sharon Yandt is an amazing seamstress who made my dreams come true with a few changes to my dress.”

Under sunny autumn skies, the ceremony began with the entry of the bride’s gramma escorted by the best man, the groom’s grandmothers on the arms of his brothers, the groom’s grandfathers walking together, the bride’s mother with the bride’s brother, and the groom flanked by his mother and father. The family group walked in to “You Should Be here”

by Cole Swindell in honour of grandparents who had passed.

Wearing short one-shoulder teal dresses, the bridesmaids walked in to the song “Dibs”

by Kelsea Ballerini. They stood with the 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 27

groomsmen, who looked handsome in tuxes and teal ties. The groom switched it up with a grey tie. Linsey was escorted down the aisle by her father to John Legend’s “All of Me”.

The short but moving ceremony was conducted by Gerard “Gerry” Wilson of Barrie, who passed away this year. The couple greatly appreciated his occasional humour during the ceremony that calmed their wedding nerves.

“We wrote our own vows and didn’t share them,” says Linsey. “What was cool was we had similar things to promise to each other and one funny one.”

Following the ceremony, Linsey rounded up their 100 guests for a fabulous group photo on the waterfront rock. Afterwards, guests headed to the party tent for cocktail hour while the bridal party and families had photos taken by Taera McLean.

After a sumptuous dinner by ELM Catering, guests were treated to a delicious “wedding cake” set on a three-tier cake holder made by the bride’s father. Two tiers held white iced cupcakes. On top was a vanilla cake with a cake topper from the bride’s maternal grandmother’s wedding in 1958.

“It’s a bride and groom with a semi-circle arbour and some lace behind them,” says Linsey. “My grandparents were in my life a lot growing up, so I wanted their topper on our cake.”

After short, sweet speeches by family and friends, the bride had a memorable dance with her father.

“My dad is quite the character,” she says, smiling. “I told him he could pick any song except Cotton Eyed Joe. Every time we that song is played, he grabs me and we dosey doe around the floor. I was on the floor and saw him laughing. Cotton Eyed Joe came on. We did dosey doe but the song quickly ended and the real song he chose was played. That’s purely him, 100 per cent our relationship.”

For their honeymoon, the newlyweds fulfilled a wish to go to Nashville and the Grand Old Opry. Favourite singer Brad Paisley gave them a magic moment when he sang their wedding song, “Then”. The couple happily welcomed daughter McKenna Isabelle in October 2018.

28 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

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Stems Glassware Hand Painted Glassware by Margaret Eagan White

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Griffin Jewellery Designs, Orangeville DRESS SHOP BRIDE BOUGHT DRESS ONLINE Alterations by Sharon Yandt TUXEDO SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Broderick’s, Fergus CATERER ELM Catering, Tiny Township Cakes and cupcakes: Pretty Little Bakery, Erin CHURCH/HALL Bride’s parent’s home, Honey Harbour Officiant: Gerard “Gerry” Wilson, Barrie MUSIC/DJ Alex O’Rourke HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: Rachel Rodgers Makeup: Sydney Dunbar (bride’s cousin)

Margaret Eagan White • 416-209-5041 www.facebook.com/stemsglassware • margaret_m_white@yahoo.ca

INVITATIONS Hand made invitations & RVSPs: Paula Wall, Top of the Hill Creations FLORIST Silk flowers: Michaels Centrepieces, bouquets, boutonnieres & corsages made by bride, bride’s mom & grandmother RENTALS Tent, tables & chairs: Barrie Tent & Awning Glassware, napkins, tablecloths, podium, plates & cutlery: Tiffany Rentals PHOTOGRAPHER Taera McLean Photography TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Saplings WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Etsy

30 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Weddings and More…

Lora Bay

Lora Bay is the perfect place for you and your partner to say “I do”, any time of the year.

A wedding at Lora Bay is the perfect way to begin your “Happily Ever After”. Nestled between the quaint towns of Thornbury and Meaford, Lora Bay boasts natural and serene vistas of the Blue Mountains, the Niagara Escarpment and the majestic shores of Georgian Bay.

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Brabary’s Guide to Honeymoon Lingerie

Y

our honeymoon is a time to relax, celebrate, and embrace your inner seductress. Leave your tattered straps and boring beiges behind – let a professional fitter help you choose from high quality brands that feel as good as they look! Here are some of our honeymoon lingerie musthaves: 1.

A sexy lace lingerie set (or two!). There’s nothing sexier than beautiful lace lingerie. We will help you select the best style for your shape and size from brands like Empreinte, Aubade, and Chantelle. And don’t forget the matching panties! This is a French golden rule - a bra should never travel without its bottom half.

2.

LACE • STRAPLESS • CHIC

A strapless bra. Honeymoon getaways almost always include flirty dresses and tops, so it’s essential to have a quality strapless bra. We can help you find the perfect one to stay in place without any sliding from brands like PrimaDonna, Fantasie, and Marie Jo. All of our strapless bras come with optional straps you can use to wear your bra in three additional ways (classic, racerback and halter). This will help you hide straps so you can look flawless in just about anything!

3.

A chic t-shirt bra. A woman must always be comfortable while travelling. We can help you look for a seamless bra made with breathable, curve-hugging fabrics in fresh, feminine colors. Many women think they are limited to dull beiges for under their whites. There’s actually a variety of shades that can be worn under white, even including red! Let us prove it.

4.

Bedtime Lingerie. Look for sensual fabrics, touches of revealing lace, and flattering silhouettes. Discover beautiful items from Christine of Vancouver, Coemi and Hanky Panky in our stores.

At Brabary we are dedicated to promoting a sense of “I’m worth it” to women of all ages by providing excellent service and quality products. A little lingerie can go a long way to helping you feel effortlessly sexy every day including during one of the most exciting trips of your life!

32 Wedding Trends 2019

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2/14/19 12:09 PM

Samantha and Ben

Real Weddings

Ju ne 2, 2018

Prize Winning Wedding

By Patti Vipond • Photos by CRISTI MACBURNIE, C. MACBURNIE PHOTOGRAPHY

S

amantha Jarvis and Ben Sattler had a rule about the holidays. They were definitely not getting engaged at Christmas or New Year’s.

Too cliché.

“I knew a proposal was coming, but I didn’t know when,” recalls Samantha, who lives with husband Ben near Orillia. “We had planned a trip to Europe in the spring. I assumed it was going to happen then, not right after Christmas.

But he totally surprised me! He proposed at home on January 6, 2017. There was just the two of us and it was very nice.”

The proposal was the crowning of a relationship that started as friendship when they were students at Georgian College in Barrie. Samantha and Ben dated other people, but reconnected four years later. Romantically speaking, they never looked back. With 92 family members and friends looking on, they exchanged vows on June 2, 2018 at Vespra Hills Golf Club in Minesing.

“I was at a wedding show and Vespra Hills was the first venue I looked at,” says Samantha.

“It had the perfect elegant and country vibe we

wanted. The food tasting sealed the deal. They had just started offering weddings for nonmembers, so it’s a new hidden gem. I looked at their photos and booked an appointment.”

Much of the wedding’s expense was suddenly covered when the couple won an amazing wedding package in a contest by Linen Lust, a linen and décor rental company in Barrie. The prize was about $10,000 in wedding services and covered items such as flowers from 19 Melrose Flower Studio and a wedding cake from Cakes By Design.

“Linen Lust wanted to know your venue, colours and how many people were going,” recalls Samantha. “They had hundreds of entries. Our wedding colour was burnt orange, so it was different from the coral and blush themes that are in right now. We were picked because it was on the edgy side of colour schemes.”

Cakes By Design in Barrie created a wedding cake similar to the one at Meghan Markel and Prince Harry’s reception.

“It was gorgeous with four different cakes iced in off-white buttercream,” says Samantha.

“They put flowers all around and on top for colour. We had a banana and a vanilla caramel cake and they were both delicious. Later in the evening, we had poutine and a pierogi bar. For me pierogi is a food group all its own.”

After having a first look with her Dad, Samantha, wearing a beautiful lace mermaid gown, waited with him as bridal party Kelly Desjardins, Melissa Key, Em Roy, Katie-lynn Jarvis and Brooke-lynn Jarvis walked the aisle in lovely burnt orange Infinity dresses. Flower girl Paulina Wegemund and ring bearer Colton Jarvis made their way towards groom Ben, Best Man Matt Baldock and groomsmen Marcus Griffin, Brennen Rhodes and Mike Barrett. The men looked handsomely casual in black pants, white dress shirt, suspenders and ties.

Two-year-old Paulina travelled with parents Jennifer, the groom’s sister, and Benjamin Wegemund from Germany for the occasion.

2019 Wedding Trends 33

Wedding Trends FEB21 100pgs.indd 33

2/14/19 12:15 PM

Guitarist Nicholas Elliott provided beautiful music during the ceremony.

At the festive reception, guests dined on stuffed chicken or beef tenderloin and listened to live music and speeches by the bridesmaids and best man. Months of dance lessons by the bride and groom at Lakeside Dance in Barrie proved well worth the time when they hit the floor for their first dance.

“We had lessons every two weeks and lots of practice at home for our choreographed dance,” says Samantha. “It was fun to really dance in front of everyone instead of doing the standard rocking back and forth. We danced to “Holy”

by Florida Georgia Line. The speeches were all great. The bridesmaids and best man outdid themselves.”

Guests danced the night away to country music and Top 40 hits played by DJ Tyler Handy.

The newlywed’s honeymoon took them to Paris and then Germany to visit Ben’s grandparents who had been unable to come to the wedding. It was the bride’s first trip to Paris and the couple explored every nook.

“It think we walked 20 kilometres everyday,” recalls Samantha. “Paris was very cool.”

34 Wedding Trends 2019

Wedding Trends FEB21 100pgs.indd 34

2/14/19 12:37 PM

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Each couple deserves lifelonglove!

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Ceremonialist & Licensed Independent Non-Traditional Minister Specializing in Weddings & Handfastings ~ Uniquely written for you! ~ www.facebook.com/Rev.JoanneDeGasperis/ joanne@bellalunassacredcircle.com 705-812-7728 Five-time Winner of the Wedding Industry Experts Awards Voted #1 Most Popular Celebrant/Officiant, Barrie Area, #1 in Ontario, #1 in Canada

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 35

36 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Amanda and Andrew

REAL WEDDINGS

S E P T E M B E R 22, 2017

Wedding on Georgian Bay

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY KATE HOOD PHOTOGRAPHY

A

ll it took for Amanda Diver and Andrew Martyniuk to decide on their wedding venue was one look at Bear Estate’s gorgeous ceremony location on Georgian Bay. Located in Collingwood, the venue went on to tick all the boxes for the couple.

“The reception space was modern enough that many different colour schemes would work,” recalls Amanda, who married her love in front of 130 guests on September 22, 2017.

“The lighting and windows were beautiful and the staff were very accommodating. They

provided linens and we created our own table runners and log slab centrepieces with a lantern and Mason jar filled with flowers. For candleholders, we hiked through the bush to look for downed birch trees to make pillars.”

The couple’s initial meeting online in 2014 led to Andrew’s proposal to his love in March 2017. The location posed a unique problem for him.

“I wanted to propose on a bridge that overlooks Collingwood,” says Andrew. “But it was a suspension bridge. All of a sudden, I

became terrified of dropping the ring through the gaps. We were 300 ft. up, and I managed not to drop it. Originally I wanted to make our hike a full day, but the weather was bad.

It actually worked out well. We went for a walk, had the proposal, walked a little more and went to a winery to celebrate.”

With Bear Estate being adjacent to Living Water Resort, most of the couple’s guests stayed for the weekend after the Friday festivities. This gave the newlyweds a chance to talk and relax with everyone.

“We had the grand idea that at the reception, we would go to each table to say thank you,” says Amanda, with a smile. “We only made it to two tables! So, it was great to have the rest of the weekend to be able to thank people and get to see them.”

Though cool weather was anticipated for the late September wedding, the warm day made a waterfront wedding very welcome.

In a gorgeous lace gown, Amanda walked down the aisle to Dylan Lock performing an instrumental version of ‘Hallelujah’. Dylan also sang, and played during the reception.

“Dylan was absolutely amazing,” says Amanda of the Midland musician. “ I saw him play locally years ago. The first time I heard him, I told him I would love him to play at my wedding even though I was single at the time. Andrew and I saw Dylan at different places. When the time came, he was definitely our choice. We chose two wedding songs. He mixed them together and sang the mix live. He also made a recording for us. The songs were Ed Sheeran’s ‘Perfect’ and ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love With You’ by Elvis.”

Following the romantic waterside ceremony, the newlyweds had some alone time during an outdoor photo session. It is a fond memory for the bride.

“I was so happy that everything went great timing-wise for the ceremony and group photos which allowed us to have more 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 37

time for pictures with just the two of us,” says Amanda. “We reminisced about what just happened and how it all went down.

Our photographer Kate was phenomenal at keeping everything according to our time line, getting the photos with family and friends that we had requested and making sure our photos were natural and candid.”

During the cocktail hour, guests sampled a variety of delicious finger foods chosen by the bride and groom. Dinner featured a choice of stuffed chicken, baked salmon, mushroom ravioli or polenta vegetables. Apple crumble and cupcakes ended the meal sweetly. A late night snack of pierogies and polish sausage honoured Andrew’s Polish background and satisfied appetites forged on the dance floor.

Dylan had everyone dancing to his live song performances.

“It took a while for our guests to realize that he was the one singing and that it hadn’t been pre-recorded,” says Amanda. “They were amazed. He is phenomenal.”

The couple fulfilled a mutual bucket list wish with a May honeymoon in Greece.

38 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Engagement ring: Hake Jewellers, Barrie Wedding bands: Phoenix Jewellers, Midland DRESS SHOP Helen’s Bridal TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Moores, Barrie CATERER Bear Estate/Cranberry Resort, Collingwood The Little Elephant, Barrie – cupcakes Groom’s parents – polish sausage CHURCH/HALL Bear Estate/Cranberry Resort, Collingwood MUSIC/DJ Dylan Lock HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: Vicky Juneau Hair & makeup: Vanessa Montieth INVITATIONS Vistaprint FLORIST Fresh by Leanne, Midland

HELEN‘S BRIDAL 22 DUNLOP STREET EAST, BARRIE // 705-734-0680 // HELENSBRIDALBARRIE.COM // CONTACTUS@HELENSBRIDALBARRIE.COM

Best Ever Day

RENTALS Kerr Events and Design, Gilford PHOTOGRAPHER Kate Hood Photography WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridesmaids: Robes made by Groom’s Mom, diamond earrings Groomsmen: Moores - shirt, socks & tie; deep sea fishing excursion

MuskokaWeddingVenues.com

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 39

Elisabeth and Sean M AY 5 , 2 0 1 8

40 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Country Elegance

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY VISUAL ROOTS PHOTOGRAPHY

E

lisabeth Holloway always knew when the time came, she wanted to marry in a rustic barn.

What she didn’t know was that in a beautiful barn at Belcroft Estate in Gilford, Ontario, Sean Richardson would be the groom standing by her side at their wedding ceremony.

“Our fathers worked together.” recalls Elisabeth, who started dating Sean after they reconnected as adults in 2014. “After our engagement, we began ‘Googling’ barn venues. I loved Belcroft Estate immediately. Belcroft Estate only had a few select dates left in 2018, so after much debate, and not wanting to wait until 2019, we chose May 5.”

The couple’s countryside wedding started with Sean’s Georgian Bay proposal on July 13, 2017.

After work, Sean picked up his love at the dock in their new-to-them boat and they headed out on the water. Interestingly, when Elisabeth tried to open the passenger side glove box, it was locked.

Sean said he would look for the key when he got a chance, and off they went fishing. Mysteriously, Sean suddenly ‘found’ the glove box key as darkness fell.

“I should have clued in right then,” laughs Elisabeth. “After fiddling with the key and not being able to open the glove box, I finally did.”

Inside was a beautiful engagement ring positioned in its box with the lid open. Apparently, Sean had purchased the ring back in January but was waiting until they did something that was “new” to them. So, out enjoying the new boat was a perfect situation. Elisabeth and Sean readily informed Sean’s parents of their engagement. However, Elisabeth’s father and brother were in the United States and Elisabeth’s mother was working an overtime shift, so she had no one to immediately share her news with.

“When my parents finally messaged back, I told them over the phone,” says Elisabeth. “I was too excited to wait.”

The day before the wedding, Friday May 4, was presented as a “weather watch” day with severe thunderstorms and predicted winds of 60-100 km/hr. Howling winds knocked power out in many 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 41

places. As a result, the couple’s rehearsal BBQ, at the bride’s mother’s home, was romantically illuminated by candlelight. Happily, the power returned after seven hours.

May 5 dawned a gorgeous and balmy 20C spring day. At the ceremony, Elisabeth waited as her five bridesmaids, wearing long larkspur blue chiffon gowns, walked towards her groom and his five groomsmen. The men were dressed handsomely in light grey suits. Wearing a Stella York classic romantic sparkling beaded lace gown with high neckline and buttoned illusion back, Elisabeth walked down the aisle to her groom to “Ho Hey” by The Lumineers strummed on guitar by two of the couple’s friends.

Meanwhile, the bride’s talented cousin had decorated the barn with a country elegance theme. After a moving ceremony, the 150 guests were seated at tables decorated with criss-crossed burlap runners topped with an elegant lace runner. Enhanced chalk Larkspur blue painted mason jars held a fresh arrangement of baby’s breath, hydrangeas and 42 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

greenery from Costco’s bulk flower service.

The buffet-style dinner featured chicken, beef, mashed potatoes, vegetables and salads.

For dessert, guests could savour cupcakes by Rach Bakes and/or cheesecake. Pizza arrived later for late night snacking. After the meal, touching speeches by the bride’s parents, groom’s parents, the maid of honour and the best man were followed by a surprise slide show of the couple created by Elisabeth’s mother.

A much quieter moment is now a cherished memory for both Elisabeth and Sean.

“After the ceremony, we went out in a canoe on the pond, just the two of us, with the photographers,” recalls Elisabeth. “I loved it because it was so much fun and relaxing.

Going in the canoe and being on the water are things Sean and I both enjoy doing. The photographers let us paddle around. We did our own thing, it was so magical and serene.

I also loved it because it was a ‘him and me’ moment. We said, how cool is this? It’s our wedding!”

love it?

JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Peoples Jewellers DRESS SHOP Bridal Boutique, Brantford TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Moores, Barrie CATERER Wildwood Hospitality, Barrie CHURCH/HALL Belcroft Estate, Gilford MUSIC/DJ Keep Them Dancing, Barrie HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Rinaldi Salon & Spa, Barrie FLORIST Bouquets & boutonnieres: April’s Flowers, Orillia Centrepieces: Homemade with Costco bulk flowers RENTALS Kerr Events and Design, Gilford PHOTOGRAPHER Kate Gass & Andrew Essig, Visual Roots Photography, Tiny WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridesmaids: Pandora bracelet, Bath and Body Works Thank You candle, floral satin robe and a handmade card Groomsmen: Larkspur blue wedding ties, personalized socks with a fun design chosen by the groom; cigars, and of course, beer

It’s Your Wedding Day! Book your Transat dream destination wedding today & get: • Complimentary Wedding Planning Trio • Group Rates • Price Drop Guarantee

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www.marlintravel.ca/1207 | brenda.chapman@marlintravel.ca *Some conditions apply. Ask your Marlin Travel Professional for complete details. Marlin Travel is a division of Transat Distribution Canada Inc. ON Reg. #50015084. BC Reg. #23567. Head Office: 191 The West Mall, Suite 700, Etobicoke, ON, M9C 5K8.

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 43

Cheryl and Mark S E P T E M B E R 3 0, 2017

44 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Mountain Top Marriage

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY KELSEY & KASSANDRA, TWENTY-TWO STUDIOS

M

ark Squires’ fondest memory from the day he married Cheryl Pinder was when his bride came from behind the trees, escorted by her two sons, as they walked her down the aisle on top of Blue Mountain.

“It was a very touching moment for me,” says Mark of seeing the 9 and 15-year-old groomsmen at their mother’s side as she approached him. “That picture stayed with me a long time. Overall, it was just the perfect day.”

Having her sons walk her down the aisle was also very special for the bride whose Dad passed away the previous December. Her boys also escorted Cheryl’s mom down the aisle. It was important to the bride to have that moment.

“What we really liked was that the friends in our wedding party have been our friends for 15 or 20 years,” says Cheryl. “We’ve been through a lot with them and they have supported us through many, many things.”

“The speeches at the reception were a touching moment for us,” adds Mark, smiling. “Our friends and family really put a lot of thought into what they shared. A lot of heartfelt things were said in the speeches. My son Matthew, who was 16, didn’t plan on doing a speech but decided spontaneously to do one. It pulled at the heartstrings. Now my son has two brothers that he can rely on.”

Cheryl and Mark met in 2007 when they both worked at IBM as sales managers. However, they only started dating in 2014 after a friend convinced them to go on a date. Mark’s proposal to his love combined the romantic elements of Old Montreal ambiance with a slow ride in a horse-drawn calèche.

“I wanted to make it very romantic, fun and something that would make it unique,” says Mark. “We had a nice ride around Old Montreal. I had already called Cheryl’s Dad, told him my intentions and got his support. I was happy that he got to see us engaged.”

“It was perfect,” agrees Cheryl. “My parents lived in Belleville at the time, so we stopped in there on 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 45

the way back to Pickering to celebrate and have dinner with them.”

Having a mutual love of autumn, the couple chose September 30, 2017 as their wedding date. It also honoured Mark’s late mum who also married on September 30. Choosing Blue Mountain in Collingwood as their venue was also a sentimental decision.

“Blue Mountain was the first trip Mark took me on when we started dating,” recalls Cheryl.

“It was a weekend getaway for our birthdays, both on May 29. Blue Mountain is a special place for us. We have taken our boys there for family getaways in the summer and go often with friends.”

Though monsoon-like weather on Friday scrubbed the outdoor rehearsal, Saturday dawned sunny and beautiful. At the couple’s mountain top ceremony, guests enjoyed songs performed by singer Emer O’Driscoll and guitarist Dan Volchok. Cheryl and her sons walked down the aisle to Adele’s “Make You Feel My Love”. The bride, groom and their children took part in a unifying sand ceremony while “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri was played.

After the vows and the kisses, the newlyweds happily walked up the aisle to “Best Day of My Life” by American Authors.

Before joining their guests for a reception at the Blue Mountain Inn Café, the new husband and wife strolled through Blue Mountain Village, taking photos and receiving congratulations.

“A lot of people had their pictures taken with us,” says Cheryl. “A man was singing on the village’s stage at the time, so Mark and I jumped up on stage with him and started dancing. It was a lot of fun.”

At the Blue Mountain Inn Café, the wedding party burst into the room to lively music. Each person had a shot to start the party, followed by the couple dancing their first dance as husband and wife to Ed Sheeran’s “Thinking Out Loud”.

For dinner, guests enjoyed a four course plated meal. Multiple visits were made to the martini bar and a popcorn and candy bar that featured popcorn from Kernels. Late night dancing appetites were satisfied by a buffet of assorted thin crust pizzas and a Quebec-style poutine station.

A buffet breakfast at Blue Mountain the next day brought family and the wedding party together for a relaxed meal and time to chat.

Cheryl and Mark returned to Blue Mountain 46 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

recently to celebrate their first anniversary.

“A wedding was happening that same Saturday,” says Cheryl. “It was neat to go back and reminisce, to think back to everything.”

Flowers by Ms. Design

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Custom engagement ring & wedding band: Trapezus Diamonds, Toronto DRESS SHOP Kleinfeld Canada Custom hairpiece: David Dunkley Fine Millinery

Specializing in Wedding Flowers and Décor, All Occasions, Vintage Décor Rentals & Back Yard Staging

TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Tuxedo Royale CATERER Dinner: Blue Mountain Inn Wedding cake: Cakes By Design, Barrie Buffet breakfast/day after party: Blue Mountain Village Rehearsal dinner: Firehall Pizza, Blue Mountain Village CHURCH/HALL Top of Blue Mountain Officiant: Carol O’Kane MUSIC/DJ DJ MasterMix – Mike Roberts

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SET ON THE SHORES OF BEAUTIFUL MANITOUWABING LAKE, THE RIDGE AT MANITOU OFFERS AN EXQUISITE SETTING FOR YOUR WEDDING.

PHOTOGRAPHER Kelsey & Kassandra, Twenty-Two Studios TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Fudge cups Tables decorated by Fresh Events WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridemaids: Jewellery – Vivah Engraved jewellery boxes – Sears Engraving Personalized champagne glasses – Etsy Personalize Starbucks cups – Etsy Wraps Flower Girl Jewellery – custom made by Hedy Huk, My Beading Art Groomsmen: Watches – Guess Personalized whiskey glasses - Etsy

For more information please contact:

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Imagine your vows exchanged overlooking a breathtaking lakeside view. Our majestic timber frame clubhouse offers floor to ceiling windows and a field stone fireplace in our dining room and lounge where you can enjoy dinner and then dance the night away. The splendour of the setting is matched only by the highest standards of service. Our Executive Chef offers casual or sophisticated menu selections using fresh, seasonal and local ingredients.

The Ridge at Manitou Clubhouse can accommodate groups or weddings of up to 105 people in the main clubhouse. Wedding ceremonies take place outside between the clubhouse and Lake Manitouwabing. If the weather isn’t ideal for an outdoor wedding ceremony we have the option of moving it inside our screened in porch or into the clubhouse.

This area also has pull down clear plastic sides to protect everyone from the wind.

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 47

Eryn and Vince SEPTEMBER 7, 2018

48 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Paradise Wedding

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY SHIVANI VARMA, PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHIVANI

W

hen bride-to-be Eryn Fuscaldo and her fiancé Vince Goobie were looking for a venue for their September 7, 2018 wedding, they settled for no less than Paradise. They found it was conveniently located in Concord, Ontario.

“We fell in love with the architecture and stunning chandelier at Paradise Banquet Hall and Convention Centre,” says Eryn, who lives in Innisfil with husband Vince. “The chandelier initially drew us to the venue. They have a beautiful private garden for the ceremony and a gorgeous selection of ballrooms for reception. Being able to have our ceremony and reception in the same place was important to us.”

Deciding on a Friday for their wedding, the couple started firming up details for their day.

When it came to what DJ they should hire, the choice was easy.

“John Gerlings, the father of Vince’s best man, DJ’ed our wedding,” says Eryn. “He owns Do You Wanna Dance DJ service in Sutton. When he started playing Top 40 hits, people streamed out to dance.”

Eryn and Vince met at Leon’s Furniture in Newmarket when she worked in the front office and Vince worked in the warehouse. After they randomly met at a bar on New Year’s Eve 2012, their love story began. Love led to a proposal up north.

“We were at my friend’s cottage in Parry Sound, hanging out on the back patio,” recalls Eryn. “Suddenly, Vince got down on one knee and asked me to marry him in front of two of my friends who recorded the proposal. They, of course, hadn’t told me that they knew this was going to happen.”

“It took about a month to plan how I was going to propose,” adds Vince. “I had bought an engagement ring because I knew it was time. We had known each other five years. We

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 49

had ring shopped a couple of years prior, so I knew what she liked. Eryn sent me pictures as little hints.”

Though the weather had been humid, the couple’s wedding day dawned with gorgeous weather. Their 83 guests gathered in Paradise Banquet Hall’s secluded private garden for the outdoor ceremony. An elegant white colonnade provided a stunning backdrop for the nuptials.

Meanwhile, the bride did something that would become one of her favourite wedding day memories.

“I loved our sneak peek before the wedding,” says Eryn, with a smile. “It was just Vince, me and our wedding party. We didn’t feel any pressure and I got to absorb that moment. I loved this intimate moment with each other. We went to a park very close to my Mom’s house. I used to go there often when I was a kid to play soccer and watch fireworks. It’s a special spot for me.”

Eryn wore a classic ivory A-line gown with a beaded bodice and straps crossing dramatically in back. She and her attendants carried bouquets of white roses, blue thistle and eucalyptus in keeping with the wedding’s blue, and white colour theme.

The best man and groomsmen were chic in grey suits with vests and steel blue ties.

To match his bride’s gown, the groom wore an ivory tie.

“I was pretty nervous because it was a big moment standing there at the front,” recalls Vince. “When I was waiting for Eryn to walk down the aisle, all the bridesmaids walked up and hugged me. I didn’t know they were going to do that. I broke down.”

“Our officiant told me this was something other brides were starting to do - having the bridesmaids hug the groom or give him a kiss on the cheek to lighten the mood,” explains Eryn. “It lets the groom know how important and loved he is.”

In the ballroom, which was decorated in a steel blue, light blue, and white palette, guests were treated to a meal of Italian food and lots of it. Late night snackers could chose from poutine and funnel cake stations.

Fun, dancing and laughs with the bartender went on all evening.

“The bartender was great,” says Vince. “ I think he had more people at his bar than there were on the dance floor.”

50 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

“He made a shot for us called ‘The Broken Down Golf Cart’,” says Eryn. “Everyone at the reception must have had one. It was delicious.

We have no idea what was in it.”

“We’re still trying to figure that out,” says Vince, who took his new wife to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for a relaxing honeymoon.

Intimate Weddings Inn Muskoka Let us attend to every detail, so you can enjoy your special day to the fullest.

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Engagement ring: Spence Diamonds Wedding bands: Charm Diamond Centres DRESS SHOP Wedding Dress: Best for Bride, Barrie Bridesmaids: David’s Bridal TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Moores CATERER Captain Robert’s Table – Discovery Harbour

Inn at the Falls has earned a reputation for providing the perfect setting for weddings. Excellent food in a beautiful setting, along with unique accommodations make Inn at the Falls the right choice for a wedding in Muskoka.

8 Mahaffy Court, Bracebridge, Ontario 1.877.645.9212 • 705.645.2245 reservations@innatthefalls.ca • www.innatthefalls.ca

CHURCH/HALL Paradise Banquet Hall MUSIC/DJ John Gerlings -Do You Wanna Dance, Sutton HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: Elisha Let me Do Your Hair, Barrie Makeup: Makeup By Lee, Collingwood INVITATIONS Vistaprint FLORIST Lavender Floral, Innisfil RENTALS Your Moment Rentals PHOTOGRAPHER Photography by Shivani – Shivani Varma TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Bottle openers WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridemaids: Robe, necklace and mirror Groomsmen: Beer mug and flask TOTAL COST OF WEDDING $17,000

dings d e W te a m ti n I When intimacy and romance count, The Trillium Resort & Spa is your four season location for the perfect wedding.

848 Clearwater Lake Road, Port Sydney, Muskoka 1.800.263.6600 / 705.385.1212 • www.trilliumresort.com 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 51

Town’s Jewellers Buy a gold or platinum gent’s wedding band from Town’s Jewellers and receive a free gent’s sports tungsten band.*

We believe that a precious time deserves a precious metal.

*gold band must be over $500

www.TownsJewellers.com | 51 Mississaga Street East, Orillia | 705-326-2441

52 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Emma and Scott

REAL WEDDINGS

A U G U S T 11, 2018

Fun, Games and Vows

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY TYLER KNIGHT, KNIGHTVISION WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY & BRITT SUGDEN

O

ur two goals at our wedding were to make sure everyone had a good time and to have it reflect us as a couple,” says Emma McIsaac of her marriage to Scott Hammond on August 11, 2018 in the backyard of her parents’ home near Orillia. “I think it definitely did.”

Having attended ten weddings over the past two years, Emma and Scott had seen some things done over and over. They decided their wedding would be a fun experience for their guests. An easy way to do that was to use their

fun-loving personalities to guide the festivities.

“We like junk food and a very relaxed atmosphere, so we had an idea about getting food trucks or hamburgers or some kind of meal that wasn’t very structured,” says Emma.

“I make soft pretzels and sell them at a booth in a farmers’ market. It hit me that I wanted the wedding food to feel like different farmers’ market booths where people go around and grab what they want, sit down and then go back for more. Our dinner was two hours of 170

guests doing just that.”

The couple chose to have the same anniversary as the bride’s parents who married on August 11, 1984. The parents celebrated their 34th anniversary on their daughter and son-in-law’s wedding day. The importance of family was also reflected in the wedding party.

Emma’s sisters Sam and Mandy, and cousin Katherine were her bridesmaids. Scott chose his sister Katy as his best man.

Scott was Emma’s next door neighbour when she moved into her first apartment in 2012. They instantly became friends and spent all of their free time together.

“In 2014, Scott broke through the ‘friend zone’ and we started dating,” says Emma.

Two and a half years later, Scott proposed to his love on Valentine’s Day. As on previous Valentine’s Days, Scott asked Emma to go for a walk.

“He always makes me something out of metal for Valentine’s Day because he is a machinist,” says Emma. “The first year, he made me a little metal cube from Mario Kart because we really like that video game. We went to the dock in Orillia where we had our first kiss. He proposed to me with a wedding band he had made. In fact, he made both of our wedding bands. Later, we chose my engagement ring together.”

Beautiful weather set the stage for the couple’s outdoor wedding. But it was the bride that set the stage for comedy during the ceremony. Emma asked her friend Tasha to do a Rick roll as one of the readings. Rick-rolling online tricks someone into clicking a link that takes them to singer Rick Astley singing his 1987 hit “Never Gonna Give You Up”. Instead of a regular wedding reading, Tasha read the lyrics to the song.

“Scott had no idea I had done this,” says

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 53

Emma, with a laugh. “Tasha was half way through when Scott realized what was happening. After she said ‘I’m never going to give you up’, we got lots of laughter.”

To avoid having guests sitting and waiting, the bride and groom made sure everyone had a game to play or something to do. A hit at the cocktail hour was the game “Guest Who”, modified by Emma with a picture of every guest in the game. The game gave everyone a way to get to know each other.

“The dinner hours were just chaos,” says Emma. “It was so great to look around and see everyone enjoying themselves and going back for more food, eating so much they were about to explode. I think a highlight for both of us was a Mario Kart game set up with a projection screen. That game was how we started the friendship that led to our inevitable marriage.

When the reception dance started, Scott and I went and had our first race. Guests went to it all night.”

The dinner food stations were the stuff of dreams for many people. The Captain Cook de Fries truck served french fries and Sunshine BBQ offered hot dogs, sausages and hamburgers. Other stations included a poutine bar, candy bar, donut wall, dessert table, cotton candy machine, hot chocolate bar, snow cones, cold and Caesar salads, tacos, pizza and three flavours of popcorn. For good measure, an ice cream truck pulled up, music playing, later in the evening.

“Everyone got as much ice cream as they could eat,” says Emma. “McDonald’s catered our morning after breakfast. We had 150 Egg McMuffins and hash browns. We put them in the chafing dishes from the reception. We ate them all!”

Quirky touches included having the bride’s face on the white wine bottle labels and the groom’s on the red.

“It was a lot of silliness, but that’s because the wedding was a reflection of us,” says Emma. “It brought out the inner child in a lot of people to be able to eat like that and play games. We got so much positive feedback. Even both sets of grandparents said they had a blast.”

The festivities ended with a dazzling meteor shower in the clear night skies.

54 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

love it?

JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Engagement ring: Lee City Design – Etsy Wedding bands: custom made by Groom DRESS SHOP Loveinprom - Etsy TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Goodwill CATERER Captain Cook de Fries – fry truck Sunshine BBQ – hot dog cart Tops Pizza – pizza Shaws Catering – salad Mr. Cool – ice cream truck CHURCH/HALL At the Bride’s parents’ home MUSIC/DJ Spotify HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: Cavana Spa Makeup: Makeup By Lee INVITATIONS Super Mario invitations - Vistaprint RENTALS Orillia Complete Rentals PHOTOGRAPHER Tyler Knight, KnightVision Wedding Photography Britt Sugden TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Donuts WEDDING PLANNER Fresh Events, Barrie WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridesmaids: Leggings – Lululemon TOTAL COST OF WEDDING $15,000 - $17,000

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2019 WEDDING TRENDS 55

Carmen and Alex AU GU S T 2 5 , 2 0 1 8

56 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Northern Wedding Weekend

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY WENDY MACCRIMMON, WMAC PHOTOGRAPHY

W

hen it came to planning their wedding celebration, Carmen Liscio and Alex Marit knew they didn’t want a big ballroom or a one-night bash that was quickly over. They considered a destination wedding until an uncle and aunt told them the best wedding they had ever gone to was held over a weekend.

“That idea clicked with us,” says Carmen, who lives with husband Alex in Oakville. “Then, we came across the Northridge Inn in Sundridge. We went up to see it and immediately fell in love with it and the idea of a weekend party. Camping in Algonquin was a big part of both our childhoods and we wanted to find a location that allowed everyone to be reminded of the beauty of Northern Ontario.”

As is usual for weddings at Northridge, the entire inn was made available all weekend for Carmen and Alex’s celebrations and their guests’ accommodations.

“When we were walking around during the weekend, we knew every person who was there,” says Alex. “Our family and friends all had the time to get to know each other.”

The couple’s 90 guests met and mingled at a welcome bbq on Friday night to start the weekend long party. After Saturday brunch, interested guests participated in a flower arranging class led by Northridge staff to create wedding centrepieces in a colour scheme of fresh greens, whites and wood tones.

“People thought it was fun,” says Carmen. “It was also great because the day was wet and it was a nice activity to do under a covered porch with rain in the background.”

Alex and Carmen met through mutual friends at a party when they were students at the University of Guelph and McMaster University respectively. Six months before their trip to Thailand in 2016, Carmen began planning to propose to Alex on the vacation.

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 57

“I was trying to figure out how to bring a ring that I didn’t have to hide,” recalls Carmen. “I always wear a ring that is an heirloom from my parents, so I didn’t want to bring it in case it got lost. In Thailand, I told Alex I needed to find a cheap ring to wear because it felt odd not to be wearing one. I bought one at a market and wore it constantly because I didn’t know where or when I was going to propose. I wore it until the moment came and then took the ring off my finger and proposed with it.”

At sunset in beautiful Pai Canyon, Carmen asked his love to marry him and Alex said yes.

The newly engaged couple went shopping for real engagement rings after they came home.

Being close to their siblings, the couple decided their wedding party would be their brothers and sisters. To further the family theme, Alex’s sister-in-law Jessica performed the wedding ceremony alongside an officiant. For his brother and sister’s gifts, Carmen chose a compass as a symbol of how much they mean to him. His brother received a leather compass-embossed journal.

“My sister and I always go to each other for direction, so I got her a compass locket and had it engraved with ‘I’d be lost without you’ as a reminder,” says Carmen.

Alex gifted his sister with a sushi set and gave a potato cannon to his brother.

“The potato cannon was a symbol of our relationship growing up,” explains Alex. “I have fond memories of building potato cannons with him and playing together.”

Though rain caused the wedding to be moved from the Northridge’s waterfront pier to its cosy covered porch, it was a spectacular ceremony.

“It was beautiful because the rain was coming down softly and everyone was covered so it felt more intimate,” says Carmen.

After recessing to the song “Home” by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, the newlyweds led the way to the party. To the sound of 60s tunes, guests dined on delicious buttermilk fried chicken, mashed potatoes and carrot gravy, or prime rib with mashed potatoes and chickpea coconut curry.

“Chef Luca, the head chef at the Northridge, is incredibly talented and blew it out of the park with the food,” says Alex.

Excellent speeches from their siblings, parents and a friend created fond memories for the couple. Everyone happily danced to oldies, hip 58 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

hop and Top 40 hits by DJ Drew until 3 a.m.

Having everyone get to know each other on the weekend was a highlight for Carmen and Alex.

“You could see my friends hanging out with my uncles and talking,” says Carmen. “That was special for me, seeing the little interactions.”

On Sunday, everyone recounted the previous day’s festivities over a casual brunch. The newlyweds travelled to a Bed and Breakfast in Niagara -on-the-Lake for a mini moon of wine, shows and relaxation. They plan to go to New Zealand in 2019.

MOON RIVER LOOKOUT Weddings • Private Parties • Rehearsal Dinners Catering • Special Occasions Over 20 Years In Muskoka

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER David Yurman TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Indochino CATERER Chef Luca – The Northridge Inn, Sundridge CHURCH/HALL The Northridge Inn, Sundridge MUSIC/DJ Drew – Supreme Djs FLORIST Centrepieces: From flower arranging class for guests with Northridge Inn staff Bouquets & boutonnieres: Northridge Inn staff

info@moonriverlookout.com Bala Falls Road, Muskoka

705.762.2393

www.moonriverlookout.com

New Beginnings in a New Home

PHOTOGRAPHER Wendy MacCrimmon, wMac Photography TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Bride & Groom made donation to a favourite charity WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Inscribed compass locket – Carmen’s sister Leather journal embossed with compass – Carmen’s brother Sushi set – Alex’s sister Potato cannon – Alex’s brother

With its ever-changing architectural and demographic landscapes, a new discovery is always just around the corner and I am excited to be your guide. The heart and soul of a community makes the neighbourhood while you and your family will make a house your perfect home

Janine Dezotti Sales Representative

Cell 705-528-3885 • Office 416-628-1357 110 Avenue Road,Toronto, ON M5R 2H4

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 59

Sarah and Jamie SEPTEMBER 1, 2018

60 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

A Wedding Festival on Sparrow Lake

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY JESSIE SIMMONS PHOTOGRAPHER

A

s a young cottager spending summers on Muskoka’s Sparrow Lake, Sarah Hunt didn’t spend much time daydreaming about having a wedding. When she did, the ceremony was never traditional.

“Jamie and I were excited to plan a wedding that was fun and casual – more of a big party than a typical wedding,” says Sarah, who grew up in Orillia but was living in London, U.K. when she met husband Jamie Langan at a beach festival in Croatia. “ In August 2017, Sarah introduced her love to the family’s cherished Sparrow Lake cottage. Jamie asked Sarah if there was anywhere on the lake that she would like to be married. Her aunt suggested Delmonte in the Pines, a historic family-operated resort on the lake.

“We went over to see Delmonte and loved it,” recalls Sarah. “We sent pictures to our friends in the U.K. They said it looked just like the set of the movie “Dirty Dancing”. They urged us to have our wedding there so they would have an excuse to see Canada. The owners were very casual which was great. We didn’t want a seating plan or a sit down dinner. We just did it our way and it worked really well.”

With approximately 40 of the couple’s 100 guests arriving from Britain, Delmonte’s tradition of giving the bride and groom and their guests exclusive use of the resort let the wedding become a four-day wedding festival over Labour Day weekend. By the third day, everyone knew each other.

People from the U.K. made plans to see the rest of Canada, and those who were previously strangers grouped together to go places.

As well as their September 2018 wedding celebration, Sarah and Jamie had a Christmas time wedding in Florida in January 2018 before becoming parents in April to beautiful baby girl Scarlett.

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 61

The couple was visiting Sarah’s brother and his wife, along with her parents, when they held the surprise nuptials on the shore.

“We told them to meet us on the beach for a surprise,” says Sarah. “They had no idea because we were already planning to get married at Delmonte. We didn’t want to deal with paperwork at the resort, so we found a lady who did informal beach weddings and she made our marriage official. She had very nice casual vows written, so we used some of them and wrote some of our own. When we got home, we casually told our friends that technically we were married, but there’s going to be a wedding.”

The international wedding appropriately started with an international proposal. The couple and Sarah’s parents went to Menorca, Spain for her 40th birthday last June. A few days after her birthday, Jamie took his love to cliff side caves on Menorca’s coast. What Sarah thought would be a birthday celebration turned into a marriage proposal at a bar on the cliffs.

“We had only been together a year, but we knew from the start the relationship was serious,” says Sarah. “We got to tell my parents the news in person instead of over the phone.”

The Sparrow Lake wedding festival started Thursday when friends and family decorated Delmonte’s main hall and garden ceremony space. Guests arriving on Friday received a welcome package in their room that included a wristband and lanyard. In the evening, everyone gathered for a waterfront welcome bbq and bonfire on Delmonte’s beach.

For her Saturday wedding ceremony, Sarah wore the gorgeous purple dress she found at a local shop in London about two weeks before she left for Canada.

“Usually the fiancé doesn’t see the wedding dress beforehand, but Jamie and I went to the shop together with Scarlett,” says Sarah.

“Afterwards, we went out for Mexican food to celebrate finding the dress.”

The groom, looking sharp in a suit by Charles Tyrwhitt of London, entered the ceremony to “The Diary of Horace Wimp” by Electric Light Orchestra. His bride joined him to the joyful “You Make Me Feel Like Dancing”

by Leo Sayer. With a predetermined rule to keep their ceremony short and sweet, Sarah and Jamie were soon husband and wife. When it was time for the groom to kiss the bride, the song “Love Is In the Air” followed which turned out to be a hit.

62 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

“Everyone in the garden started dancing around for a few songs and then headed down to the dock,” recalls Sarah. “We had cocktails, appetizers and speeches by the lake.”

In the resort’s main hall, North Catering from Gravenhurst provided a fabulous casual meal of vegetarian and meat lasagne, garlic bread and salad. Midnight appetites were satisfied by the delivery of 20 large pizzas. After dinner, guests partied and danced to the DJ’s tunes. In the midst of the festivities, a massive lighting storm broke over Sparrow Lake.

“Everyone stood on the big porch outside the dance hall gazing out on the lake,” says Sarah. “People said it was like we had planned fireworks. All the young kids stayed up all night.

It was so neat to see everybody who meant a lot in my life in one place together.”

At a Tiki Bar built by Sarah’s brother, the newlyweds acted as bartenders on Sunday and served Caesars, Mimosas and beer to thank their guests for coming. Music played as everyone swam, socialized, danced and had picnics on the lawn. By the end of the weekend, the newlyweds were pleased to see that the entire group was like one big family.

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Custom made in London, U.K.

MUSIC/DJ Jason Knight DJ

DRESS SHOP Store in London, U.K.

FLORIST Flowers by Bride’s Aunt

TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Charles Tyrwhitt, London, U.K.t

RENTALS Kerr Events and Design, Gilford

CATERER North Catering, Gravenhurst

PHOTOGRAPHER Jessie Simmons Photographer, London, U.K.

CHURCH/HALL Delmonte in the Pines, Kilworthy

MEMORABLE FLORAL DESIGNS F O R

Y O U R

U N F O R G E T TA B L E

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390 ECCLESTONE DRIVE, BRACEBRIDGE, ON P1L 1T9 T: (705) 645-5035 | E: WEDDINGS@SEASONSINTHECOUNTRY.COM

SEASONSINTHECOUNTRYWEDDINGS.COM

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 63

REAL WEDDINGS

Vintage, Rustic and Romantic

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY HOLLY BODKIN, HIPNOTIK PHOTOGRAPHY

W

hen Brooklyn Cenerini and Nathan Phillips were planning their mid-summer wedding, three words ruled the process – vintage, romantic and rustic.

“I wanted everything to fall within that vision,” says Brooklyn. “I love the rustic vibe and Nate grew up in the country just outside of Alliston. The men’s light blue suits and my lace wedding dress fit our theme perfectly. My poppa’s vintage 1950’s Chevy convertible was incorporated into our wedding. He drove me down the long laneway to the venue in that car, and later we used it in our wedding photos.”

Brooklyn and Nate found the perfect combination of rustic, elegant and romantic elements at the Redcrest Golf Course in Newmarket. The spacious clubhouse’s exposed wood beams, cathedral ceilings and wrought iron chandeliers ticked all of their boxes. A stunning marquee tent draped with beautiful white linen attached to the clubhouse was the couple’s wedding ceremony

64 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Brooklyn and Nathan AU GU ST 1 1 , 2 0 1 8

and reception site.

“I looked at barn venues, but soon knew they were not in our budget,” says Brooklyn.

“By researching ‘rustic venues’, Redcrest came up. I didn’t want a golf course wedding, but Redcrest did not look or feel like one. We used the clubhouse for our cocktail hour and had both that space and the marquee tent for the evening. The venue had all the rustic elements we wanted plus the perfect amount of elegance and romance.”

The couple met by chance at an Alliston restaurant on May 24, 2014. Brooklyn and some friends had gone in after work and Nate knew some of the people at her table.

“When we left, Nate asked me to text him,” recalls Brooklyn. “I did, and the rest is history!”

A few years later, Brooklyn asked Nate to plan something special for their dating anniversary on July 13, 2017. Nate decided a scenic picnic at the top of a Collingwood mountain would be the perfect place for a proposal. Unfortunately, July 13 was one of the coldest, wettest days of the summer.

Nate stowed a blanket, chocolate covered strawberries, champagne and cheese – all of Brooklyn’s favourites – in his truck and picked her up. It was obvious that an outdoor picnic was out of the question. A picnic inside the truck became the plan.

“Nate wanted to go outside and get some photos of the view, and talked me into going with him,” says Brooklyn. “I saw a bag with tissue paper in his backpack. When we got to the top of the hill, it was so foggy we couldn’t see. He paced around and then gave me my present. I unwrapped bag after bag with nothing in them. Suddenly I realized and said ‘Is this happening now?’ He said yes, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 65

cried, we hugged, and then I asked him to do it again to make sure it was really happening.”

The couple asked 15 friends and family members to be in their wedding party. After the rehearsal dinner, the party retired to hotel rooms provided by the bride and groom.

When the girls gathered in Brooklyn’s room, her cousin gave her a wonderful gift she had created during the couple’s engagement year.

“It was a stunning scrap book of letters from all of the girls in the wedding party,” says Brooklyn. “They wrote letters about what this day meant to them, how happy they were to be a part of it and their memories over the years.

She printed our vows in the back of the book.

It was so amazing.”

When the couple’s 130 guests arrived at Redcrest, they enjoyed a playlist of the bride and groom’s favourite love songs. The bride and her party walked down the aisle to “Let Love Be” by Brighten, a band Nate introduced to his love when they started dating.

“I jokingly told him if ever we got married, we should use this music for all the important parts of our wedding day,” says Brooklyn.

Jazz, swing and easy listening music

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accompanied the cocktail hour and dinner.

Afterwards, DJ Bob Hawkins got everyone up on the dance floor with 90s hits and country tunes from the couple’s playlist.

“I didn’t leave the dance floor for four hours straight,” recalls Brooklyn.

Another crowd pleaser came courtesy of the bride’s stepdad who hosted the evening as an emcee. He surprised the couple with a professionally enlarged and photo shopped photo of Megan Markel and Prince Harry with Brooklyn and Nate’s faces inserted, since friends and family have joked of their resemblance in the past.

“My stepdad had written fake letters from people or things in our lives,” says Brooklyn.

“Nate is a huge Leafs fan so there was a letter from John Taveres saying he was sorry he couldn’t be there. The photo shopped photo also came with a note from Meghan and Prince Harry. People loved it.”

After the festivities, the newlyweds embarked on a three-week adventure to Ireland, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Nashville, Tennessee.

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Charm Diamond Centre

FLORIST Mid Valley Gardens, Holland Marsh

DRESS SHOP Helen’s Bridal, Barrie

PHOTOGRAPHER Holly Bodkin, Hipnotik Photography

TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Timpano Suit and Tux, Barrie

VIDEOGRAPHER Focus Productions

CATERER Redcrest Golf Course, King

TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Sweet Oven - mini butter tarts

CHURCH/HALL Redcrest Golf Course, King

WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridesmaids: Pandora bangle bracelets, robes, pajama nighties, stemless wine glasses, champagne flutes, Indigo wristlets & earrings Groomsmen: Dress shoes, socks, belts & backpacks

MUSIC/DJ Bob Hawkins DJ Service HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Shear Addiction Hair Studio

TOTAL COST OF WEDDING - $38,000

INVITATIONS Vistaprint

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 67

Laura and Chris M AY 2 7 , 2 0 1 7

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REAL WEDDINGS

Spring Wedding at Discovery Harbour

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY TAKAHIRO SAKAMOTO

A

s soon as the officiant pronounced Laura Tulley and Chris Lepp husband and wife at their waterfront wedding, a boat in the harbour honked its horn in celebration.

“Everyone was already clapping and when they heard the honk, they cheered louder,” says Laura, who married her love in a late afternoon ceremony on the boardwalk at Discovery Harbour in Penetanguishene. “I don’t know if people in the boat were watching or could actually hear our ceremony, but that was really fun. It was perfect timing.”

The choice of Discovery Harbour for their spring wedding went beyond the couple’s wish to be married in a beautiful historic waterfront setting. Laura’s parents met at Discovery Harbour in 1976 while working there as summer students. Also, the bride’s family are long time cottagers in the area, so Georgian Bay seemed the perfect backdrop for their special day. Her parents retired to the Midland area five years ago and built a new home on their former cottage property. Laura and Chris moved from Toronto to Midland soon after they were married.

The couple met through a mutual friend and started dating soon after. Eventually, they decided it was time to get married.

“We had known each other about three years,” says Laura. “We picked out my ring together on Etsy. It wasn’t a formal engagement. We just picked a weekend. Now, we’ve been married for over a year.”

Captain Robert’s Table, Discovery Harbour’s renowned restaurant, was chosen as the setting for the couple’s wedding reception. The rustic post and beam eatery overlooks the waterside boardwalk and broad, blue Penetanguishene Bay. With the ceremony and reception sites settled, Laura and Chris asked her sister Sarah to be the maid of honour and Chris’ brother Rob to be his best man.

The big day started serenely with a family gathering at Laura’s parents’ waterside home. People coming to the wedding popped in and out during the day to chat and hang out with Laura, her

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 69

sister, parents and grandparents. Her dad even did a bit of yard work.

“I remember at some point in the afternoon wondering if we should we be doing something,” recalls Laura. “We had someone come to the house to do our hair, but because it was just my sister and Chris’ brother who stood up for us, there weren’t a lot of people to get through for hair and makeup. It felt really informal but lovely and relaxed. It may seem like an odd thing to have fond memories about, but it felt nice and homey, sort of like a normal day.”

With natural beauty surrounding the ceremony site, decoration was kept to a minimum. The ceremony was held on the boardwalk where it jutted out to a natural point flanked by two wooden barrels.

“We had our florist make arrangements that sat on top of the barrels,” says Laura. “We also did minimal decorating inside Captain Robert’s Table because the restaurant is quite beautiful.

Inside, it’s all wood with high ceilings. I bought 120 rose gold votive candleholders so we would have lots of candlelight. We kept things simple in terms of flowers. They were white and light pink, and very lovely. We also wrapped twinkle lights around the outside railing that goes around the restaurant.”

Seated by the boardwalk under sunny skies, the couple’s 115 guests enjoyed live music by a three-piece band during the ceremony. The bride followed her maid of honour down the aisle wearing a simple but gorgeous shortsleeved lace gown with an illusion neckline and soft overlay that revealed a blush underlay.

The groom wore a handsome solid mid-blue custom suit with a subtle windowpane pattern.

After exchanging vows and getting the ‘thumbs up’ honk from the folks aboard a boat in the harbour, the new husband and wife lead their guests to the reception Captain Robert’s Table.

With perfect wedding day weather, guests could visit the food stations inside and then stroll outside to sit comfortably on the porch to eat. After dinner, many people headed outside to the open-air bar to take advantage of the great weather and scenic view.

The casual reception fare included sushi, sliders and mini grilled cheese sandwiches with the area’s famous butter tarts for dessert.

A poutine bar appeared later in the evening for those whose appetites had returned during dancing.

“Nick Boudouris, owner of the World Famous Dock Lunch, also manages the catering for both Discovery Harbour and Ste. Marie Among the Hurons,” says Laura. “He is 70 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Certified Floral Design and Certified Wedding Planning in one location.

the one who makes the amazing butter tarts that everyone knows about. We met with him after deciding the wedding cake thing didn’t appeal to us. But everyone loves butter tarts! They were a big hit.”

After short, sweet speeches by the bride, groom and their family members, everyone hit the floor to dance in the warm May night to soft pop and jazz tunes courtesy of SP Live Entertainment.

After marrying at Discovery Harbour, Laura and Chris quite appropriately honeymooned by the seaside in Boston and Cape Cod.

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2019 WEDDING TRENDS 71

Kaitlyn and Adam J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

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REAL WEDDINGS

Vows by the Fairway

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY WENDY MACCRIMMON, MAC PHOTOGRAPHY

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hen Kaitlyn Meagher and Adam Lees saw the rustic yet elegant Mark O’Meara course clubhouse at the Grandview Golf Club, the golf-loving groom and his bride-to-be knew it would be the perfect wedding venue.

“Everyone knows I play golf a lot,” says Adam, who married Kaitlyn at the Huntsville course on July 14, 2018. “When Kaity gave me a new set of golf clubs as a wedding present, I knew right then she was the best wife ever. During my mom’s speech at our reception, she said having a wedding at a golf course was the closest thing to church for me.”

The couple met each other through mutual friends at Bracebridge’s Nipissing University in 2012.

They started dating in October 2013. Eventually, Adam decided it was time to ask his love to marry him. While they were walking in a park in Bracebridge, the town where they live, Adam suddenly stopped in the middle of the pathway.

“I had waited months for Kaity’s engagement ring to be made by Golden Enterprizes in Bracebridge,” says Adam. “Paul Le May, the owner, finally sent me an email saying the ring would be ready by midday. When I finally got it, I couldn’t wait any longer. I said to myself okay, tonight is it.”

“Adam’s mom always says he got the ring at 4 p.m. and we were engaged by 4:30 p.m.,” says Kaitlyn with a laugh. “We had talked about marriage, but I was not expecting anything. Looking back, it was odd that he got home and immediately insisted on going for a walk.”

A day of wedding gown shopping in Toronto was soon arranged for the bride and her mom, stepmom, two sisters and four girlfriends. The search ended at the second store when Kaitlyn tried on a simple strapless A-line gown with a banded waist and a bit of beading and sparkle.

“This wasn’t the dress I was looking for,” recalls Kaitlyn. “I had been looking at pictures of dresses with lace and a small sleeve, a completely different direction. My sister Teegan, who was then 12, actually pointed out my dress. I asked her if she wanted me to try it on. She said yes and it turned out to be the one.”

Meanwhile, Adam and his six groomsmen found their wedding wear at Moores in Barrie. The 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 73

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74 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

groomsmen looked sharp in black pants with a black vest, white shirt and black tie with a subtle pattern. The groom selected a threepiece black suit and paired it with a black and white tie.

Though Kaitlyn had a sentimental first look with her father before the summer wedding, her groom had to wait until the ceremony to see his bride. The wait was well worth it.

“I remember seeing Kaitlyn for the first time, standing there before she walked down the aisle behind her bridesmaids,” says Adam of his favourite memory of their wedding day.

“She looked so beautiful.”

After the couple exchanged vows, the new husband and wife recessed to the song “Forever” by Chris Brown. The newlyweds joined their 160 guests for a convivial cocktail hour.

The reception began with a lively entrance by the bridal party to “Bring Em Out” by T.I. Kaitlyn and Adam emerged to “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by The Darkness. Everyone settled in for a fabulous dinner of classic Caesar salad, chicken breast with tarragon veloute, scalloped potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The New York-style cheesecake

with berry compote proved a popular dessert.

The wedding cake was a creation of Whimsical Bakery in Huntsville.

“Our wedding cake was vanilla with grey and white marble design icing,” says Kaitlyn.

“The cake got great reviews – everyone loved it. Some people said it was the best wedding cake they had ever tasted.”

After the bride and groom took their first turn around the dance floor to “Better Together” by Jack Johnson, Kaitlyn danced with her father to “Walk With You” by Edwin McCain and Adam danced with his mother to Randy Newman’s “You Got A Friend In Me”.

Then, the guests took over the floor to tunes brought by Keep Them Dancing in Barrie.

The bride and groom were extremely pleased with the photos taken by their photographer Wendy MacCrimmon and the videos shot by videographer Sun Moon Media.

“On Wendy’s blog, I saw a wedding that she had shot at Grandview,” says Kaitlyn.

“I really liked her work. I met with her and we clicked. We also want to give a shout out to our videographer Sun Moon Media. The photographer and videographer are with you for quite a bit of the day, so you need a

good connection. Both our videographer and photographer were great.”

The newlyweds spent a few days at Adam’s family cottage to relax and be alone together.

They are planning a warm honeymoon in the Philippines in January 2019.

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2019 WEDDING TRENDS 75

Kathryn and Andrew J U LY 1 4 , 2 0 1 8

76 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

REAL WEDDINGS

Vows on the Airfield

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY KEVIN CASCAGNETTE PHOTOGRAPHY

W

hen Andrew Chambers was growing up, he had a friend whose grandparents had a farm with a private airplane hangar on the property. Little did young Andrew know that many years later they would still be friends and that farm would be the site of his wedding to Kathryn Brown.

“We wanted a venue that reflected us – outdoorsy, natural and fun,” says Kathryn, who first met her future husband when they lived in the same university residence in Waterloo. “At the farm, there is bush between a big field and the hangar and air strip. My five bridesmaids walked out of the bush and onto the field for our outdoor ceremony. We had our reception in the hangar and it wonderful. The space was decorated very rustically with harvest tables, lots of greenery and white décor, and tons of candles and lanterns. Our wooden bar was handmade by a friend.”

Beside the airplane hangar, a cheery tent’s soft twinkling lights illuminated a dance floor. With limited space in the hangar, Kathryn and Andrew had an intimate dinner with close family and friends. More guests joined them for dancing later in the evening. The couple planned a small wedding with their 12 member wedding party numbering among the 60 people attending the festivities.

“Many of our friends said it was their favourite of all the weddings they have been to,” recalls Kathryn, who lives with her new husband in Midland. “I think that’s because every guest knew everybody else who was there. We lost Andrew’s Mom a month before the wedding. Everyone in this small group knew his family very well so we were able to acknowledge her passing. This made the day very emotionally charged but also very beautiful as well. It was difficult to decide if we should go ahead with the wedding at first because her passing was very unexpected. But we thought she would be happy if we went ahead. It was important for us to have people be together and remember her at a happy occasion.”

A few years their initial meeting at university, Kathryn drove up to the Georgian Bay area with a friend to visit Andrew. They reconnected and Kathryn returned north for a few more weekends.

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 77

About eight months later, she moved north to join Andrew. Their July 14, 2018 wedding date was also the fifth anniversary of their first kiss. However, the bridge and groom didn’t make the connection until after they had picked the date.

The couple decided to have their photos taken first to have as much time as possible to celebrate with family and friends. After the bride and groom’s first look by the water’s edge, the wedding party posed for group photos.

“We wanted to have our photos taken somewhere very meaningful to us, so we went to Tiny Beaches where we first lived together,” says Kathryn. “I have a friend whose family has a cottage there. Her family, who are close to us, let us use their cottage because we have a lot of memories there.”

Under sunny blue skies, Kathryn’s bridesmaids stepped out of the trees and down the grassy aisle wearing mix and match gowns

by Adrianna Papell in shades of champagne and rose gold. The single male bridesmaid’s bowtie matches the dresses’ hue. Andrew’s groomsmen were handsome in grey suits in various shades, pulled together with a black tie. The groom was natty is a black suit with a tie that matched his bride’s bouquet of pale champagne and pink flowers. The bride’s gorgeous vintage-inspired gown with cap sleeves and keyhole back was a designer sample bought for a song and expertly customized by seamstress Joanna of Ina’s Bridal Alterations.

Inside the hangar, guests enjoyed into a huge table of delicious appetizers reflecting the couple’s love for everything charcuterie.

Guests sampled meats, cheese, fruit, marinated vegetables, spreads, breads and crackers. The owners of Lilly’s Italian Eatery in Midland, who are also family friends of Kathryn and Andrew, prepared the delectable assortment.

Dinner was a gourmet bbq buffet prepared by Feast in Midland.

The couple’s birch tree-look wedding cake was topped with flowers and the couple’s engagement photo. A little heart carved into the cake’s side held their initials. Quicksand roses, white tea roses and eucalyptus mirrored the neutral palette used throughout the wedding day décor. The cake was created at Heather’s Bakery in Georgetown, the shop where Kathryn worked during high school.

Everyone danced the night away to a mix of the couple’s favourite tunes ranging from Elton John to electronic dance music. The newlyweds plan to take a leisurely honeymoon at Christmastime.

78 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Phoenix Jewellery Co., Midland DRESS SHOP Helen’s Bridal, Barrie Joanna at Ina’s Bridal Alterations, Cookstown TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Stars Men’s Shops, Barrie CATERER Lilly’s Italian Eatery, Midland Feast, Midland CHURCH/HALL Ceremony: Field at friend’s family farm Reception: Airplane hangar at farm

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2019 WEDDING TRENDS 79

Hillary and Behn O CT O B E R 1 4 , 2 0 1 7

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REAL WEDDINGS

Autumn Wedding Celebration

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY KRYSTAL ARMITAGE, KRYSTAL KLEAR PHOTOGRAPHY

I

t’s extremely unlikely that Hillary Stein and Behn Mitchell will ever forget the Thanksgiving they hosted in 2016 with their family. Though it began as a family celebration, it ended with an engagement.

“We had talked about getting married, but I had absolutely no idea it was going to happen then,” recalls Hillary, who married Behn just over a year later in a beautiful Autumn ceremony. “He had planned the proposal for a few weeks. The ring was waiting in his car’s glove box and Behn had spoken to my dad. When he got down on one knee after Thanksgiving dinner, it was a complete surprise. I loved that all our family was there.”

Though Hillary and Behn had known each other less than year before promising each other their futures, they had the maturity to know when love was true and trustworthy. Both were parents and welcomed a fourth little one during their engagement. The birth inspired the couple to have “God Bless The Broken Road” by Rascall Flatts during the ceremony. DJ Ken Lindsay of Big Event Entertainment played the song on acoustic guitar while the bride walked down the aisle.

“The lyrics of this song are very meaningful to us because it is about two people that had broken hearts in the past but found each other in the end,” says Hillary. “The words are, ‘Every long lost dream led me to where you are, And others who broke my heart they were like northern stars pointing me in my way into your loving arms. This much I know is true, that God bless the broken road that led me straight to you.’”

The couple’s children Roman, Aiden, Isabelle and Molly were included in the wedding party along with maid of honour Shelley, bridesmaids Mary, Sam, Katy and Tanya, best man Craig and groomsmen Julian, Paul, Tyler, Dave and Kate.

Hillary and Behn met at Black Angus Fine Meats and Game in Thornbury when she worked

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 81

in the office and he was plant manager. They started going out for lunch together and the rest is history.

The bride’s love of autumn’s changing colours led to them to choose October 14, 2017 as their wedding day. Reception centrepieces of greenery wreaths encircling apples and candles reflected their fall apple theme.

Hillary’s father, renowned artist Alan Stein, designed and printed their simple wedding invitations. The invitation’s card stock background was covered with an off white paper sheet with black printing and a little apple design. A twine bow tied them together.

The bride’s father also painted and printed the couple’s Ketubah, the Jewish wedding certificate.

For the wedding venue, the bride and groom-to-be selected Cobble Beach Golf Resort on Georgian Bay. “We chose Cobble Beach because of its beautiful water view and its accessibility for my brother who uses a wheelchair,” says Hillary. “It had a wonderful east coast feel and cottages and rooms for our family to stay for the weekend.

We didn’t need a lot of decoration because the venue already had a great fireplace and lovely décor.”

At the ceremony, the bridesmaids carried bouquets of greenery and baby’s breath down the aisle. The bride’s bouquet of white, pink and red flowers complimented her stunning lace gown with train and long veil trimmed with matching off-white lace. Her bouquet held lockets with photos of the bride and groom’s grandparents and of Behn and Hillary’s brothers, all who had passed away.

The ceremony included Jewish wedding elements to honour Hillary’s background.

The bride and groom shared a blessing over wine and stood under a chuppah made from Hillary’s grandfather’s prayer shawl. At the end of the ceremony, Behn enacted the tradition of stepping on a glass and breaking it.

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One of the bride’s dearest memories from the day was from the ceremony.

“We did a sand ceremony with our kids where they each poured their own coloured sand into a container with us,” recalls Hillary.

“It was really cute. We have the container at home.”

The plated dinner for the couple’s 90 guests was hearty autumn fare including red pepper bisque, roast chicken supreme and apple tart with whipped mascarpone mousse for dessert.

Following the meal, people of all ages got up on the dance floor.

“Our DJ Ken Lindsay was great,” says Hillary.

“He’d break out his harmonica and play along with the songs. Ken chose a great mix of country, 90s hip hop, and new music. Our first dance was to Keith Urban’s ‘Only You Can Love Me This Way’. Behn’s stepsister Tanya sang ‘When You Say Nothing At All’ by Allison Krauss with the DJ. Shelley, my maid of honour, made the most hilarious speech ever. She had everyone laughing and crying.”

The newlywed’s first trip together was their warm honeymoon in the Dominican Republic.

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Peoples Jewellers

HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: Stephanie Jourdain Makeup: Britt Arnill

DRESS SHOP Sophia Tolli dress from Best for Bride, Barrie

INVITATIONS Designed and created by Bride’s father Alan Stein

TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Kornblums, Owen Sound

KETUBAH Painted and printed by Bride’s father Alan Stein

HONEYMOON/TRAVEL AGENT Clara Powers

FLORIST Wildernis Studio

CATERER Cobble Beach Golf Resort

PHOTOGRAPHER Krystal Armitage, Krystal Klear Photography

CHURCH/HALL Cobble Beach Golf Resort

TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Home made apple cider mix by Bride & Groom

MUSIC/DJ DJ Ken Lindsay – Big Event Entertainment

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 83

Amy and Bradley

REAL WEDDINGS

S E P T E M B E R 23, 2017

Pumpkin Farm Home Wedding

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY FIGGIE PHOTOGRAPHY

A

my Konrad always wanted a fall wedding at home in the barn on her family’s pumpkin farm. The barn had been the scene of barn dances, birthday parties and even a country music video, but hers would be the first wedding. After her engagement to Bradley Matheson on May 22, 2017, the bride-to-be felt they would need a year to plan their nuptials.

However, Amy’s sister Stephanie was moving to Guatemala that October. The young nurse was opening a midwife clinic to give medical care to women and children in the country’s very poor rural areas. The more Amy and Brad talked about it, the more they felt they could plan and pull off a September wedding.

“I wanted my sister to be around for the

planning and events leading up to our wedding,” says Amy. “Stephanie later wrote me a letter saying how much it meant to her that we made that choice.”

The couple chose September 23 as it was the only date left to book extraordinary barn dance caller Lorraine Sutton and a live band. With that settled, Amy and Brad asked Stephanie to be maid of honour and brother Joel Konrad to be a groomsman in a wedding party composed of family and close friends.

As young teenagers, Amy and Brad met while attending the same church. Their friendship deepened during high school, but they eventually went to different universities.

Amy was in 2nd year and Brad was in 3rd year when they began to date. However, the relationship ended the next year. For five years, they reconnected occasionally. In December 2016, they had dinner together to catch up on each other’s lives.

“That night, we realized we still cared for each other very deeply,” says Amy. “In no time, we were heading towards marriage.”

Brad proposed to Amy while hiking at Cold Creek near Bolton, a favourite outdoor spot. At the end of the hike, Brad dropped to one knee and asked Amy to marry him.

“We had talked about marriage and I knew he had talked to my parents, but I didn’t expect it that day,” says Amy. Amy’s dad, who is a contractor, spent days and nights renovating the other half of the barn to accommodate 180 guests for dinner.

He built a cedar rail arbour on the lawn for the ceremony and a graceful glider swing under a large tree. Frames were made for the 40 signs painted by the bride to display information, messages and wedding scriptures. White picture frames and old doors were hung from tree branches as photo booth alternatives. Brad created 11 fire pits around the property for cheery warmth in the evening.

“We had so many people offer to help us with decorating beforehand and do jobs on the

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wedding day,” recalls Amy. “It was an amazing feeling of accomplishment and teamwork.”

Before she was engaged, Amy unexpectedly found her beautiful strapless lace wedding gown in a little store in the basement of church in Tottenham. The $1500 gown had not sold, even priced at $50. It was the first and only dress Amy tried on and it was perfect.

Anticipating cool early fall weather, Amy bought shawls for her bridesmaids that matched their dresses and considered renting space heaters. However, their wedding day dawned hot and grew hotter. Guests were asked to bring umbrellas to the outdoor ceremony for shade and/or sit under trees on the property.

Wearing beautiful navy blue dresses, the bridesmaids walked down the aisle to the song “Spirit Come”. Amy followed them to “I Will Say” by local Alliston musician Katie Overbeek.

The songs expressed the joy, hope and quiet prayers in the bride’s heart that day.

After the couple exchanged vows and walked up the aisle as husband and wife, guests headed to the barn to snack on vegetables, cookies and lemonade. Barbequsioners Catering prepared everything from scratch and cooked food on site in the yard. The buffet-style meal included Jamaican jerk chicken, bbq beef brisket and fire-grilled seasonal vegetables. Brad’s mom and sister made the wedding cake that had delicious layers of chocolate and date, carrot and cream cheese, and vanilla cake. Another friend baked lemon cake for all of the guests to enjoy for dessert.

During dinner Amy’s dad, sister and best man Tim made heartfelt speeches.

“I loved all the speeches,” says Amy. “My sister’s speech and the slide show she made were really meaningful because she was shortly leaving for Guatemala. She was so invested in helping me with the wedding. Hearing her say how much she admired and respected me while knowing she was in the midst of planning her move to a new country was very emotional. I knew when we got back from our honeymoon 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 85

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we would only have one week left together in Canada.”

The bride and groom danced together to “I Get to Love You” by Rouelle before the lively barn dance got under way. During the dance, guests could sample 35 pies made by extended family and friends from the couple’s church.

At the end of the evening, all of the guests

with sparklers in hand lined the driveway as Amy and Brad walked through the brilliance to their car. After camping at Fundy National Park in New Brunswick, the newlyweds went south to Myrtle Beach to enjoy a friend’s gift of a timeshare for the week.

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INVITATIONS Handmade by Bride

DRESS SHOP Wedding dress: second hand store in Tottenham church Bridesmaids: online

FLORIST Mid Valley Gardens, Holland Marsh

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RENTALS Chairs: Great Vibes, Vaughan Dishes and cutlery: Totally Covered Event Rentals, Alliston

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CHURCH/HALL Konrad Farm, Thornton

TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Handmade by Bride

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Krista and Matthew

REAL WEDDINGS

S E P T E M B E R 9, 2017

King City Celebration

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY PIPER STUDIOS

O

n their first day as students at Georgian College in Barrie, Krista Cogliano and Matthew Kean took seats next to each other in Communications class. The rest, as they say, is history.

That history includes hiking the Beaver Pond Trail in magnificent Algonquin Park. Krista loves the place where the trail comes to lovely ponds.

The couple calls it Krista’s Spot. Matt wanted to propose there on a particular day, but with rain

falling the groom-to-be made alternate plans.

“I decided to do it at home,” recalls Matt, who is originally from California but whose family came to Canada when he was 12. “We were living in our first apartment together. Just before we had dinner, I popped the question.”

“It was a total surprise,” adds Krista. “I actually asked he if he was joking. He had already told my Mom and his parents, so we did the rounds afterwards. But I was still in shock.”

A friend of Matt’s Dad recommended Clublink’s King’s Riding Golf Club in King City for the couple’s ceremony and reception. After visiting the club and finding it matched their vision, Krista and Matt booked it right away for their September 9, 2017 wedding. The bride, who is a graphic designer, created the décor using the wedding colours of purple, white and silver.

“For the look of our wedding, I wanted clean, crisp and modern all at the same time,” says Krista. “I always liked the lavender shade of purple and wanted lots of white with it.

On top of being a great venue, the food and staff at King’s Riding were fantastic. Alannah helped made sure everything went off without a hitch.”

Reception décor included lots of flowers, candles and a custom monogram, designed by the couple, which was projected onto the dance floor. The head table was framed by floor to ceiling windows overlooking fields, forests and a twinkle light-filled balcony.

Under sunny skies at the lovely outdoor ceremony, Krista and Matt’s 100 guests watched as Man of Honour Kole Poretta, Maid of Honour Deana Blondell and bridesmaid Megan Oake processed down the aisle to join Matt and his Best Man Daniel Kean and groomsmen Nathan Cogliano and Greg Shanahan. The wedding party processed to Ave Maria by Andrea Bocelli, a special choice by the bride and her family to reflect their Italian heritage and one of her late grandfather’s favourite songs. The bride, wearing a mermaid style beaded gown with flowing train, entered with her mother walking her down the aisle to the traditional “Here Comes the Bride”. The newlyweds left to classic “The Wedding March”.

One of Matt’s favourite times came right afterward the ceremony. A quiet photo session for the couple gave them time to reflect on being married.

2019 WEDDING TRENDS 87

“It as the first time we had to ourselves and it was great,” says Matt. “It was nice to unwind a bit and spend time together.”

“The ceremony was such a surreal moment that it was nice to just be together and realize we were married,” adds Krista. “Our photographer and videographer were a team with a passion for photography. At one point, they had us in the forest leaning against trees for more intimate photos. Before the cocktail hour, they got everyone together for one big group photo first pumping in the air.”

For dinner, the couple chose classic, flavourful foods with autumn elements. A purple, white and silver themed candy bar and late night poutine station were popular with guests, as was a special Harry Potter-themed wedding cake. Created for super fan Matt, the cake featured two strawberry shortcake tiers, a double chocolate layer and a surprise.

“From the front, it looked like a traditional wedding cake but when turned around it opened up and had things in it like the Golden Snitch and a 9 ¾ train ticket,” says Matt. “It was made by Just Temptations and they crafted all the little figures.”

At the post-dinner dance, Krista recalls her new mother-in-law bursting onto the dance floor to “Shut Up and Dance”.

“Then everyone swarmed around her,” says Krista, with a smile. “From then on, there was non-stop dancing. She got the party started.”

The newlyweds enjoyed an Italian honeymoon, exploring family roots on the way.

88 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

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Caterer King’s Riding Golf Club, King City Church/Hall King’s Riding Golf Club, King City Music/DJ DJ Dean from Sonic Sensations Hair Stylist/Makeup Hair: Mellissa D Make-up: Deana Blondell Invitations Blush Event Stationary, Etsy Florist Gatherings Floral Studio, Newmarket

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2019 Wedding Trends 89

Lauretta and Jonas SEPTEMBER 22, 2018

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REAL WEDDINGS

Intimate Wedding at Home

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY LINDSAY NEMETH PHOTOGRAPHY

W

hen it’s the second time around, a bride and groom can plan and enjoy the wedding of their dreams. For Lauretta Frappa and Jonas Ellery, their September 22, 2018 wedding was an intimate, relaxed celebration at their own home with 60 family members, close friends, and the couple’s two young children.

“Even though it was second marriage for us both, it felt like our first wedding,” said Lauretta, who met her husband through friends 25 years ago and then reunited with him 20 years later at a mutual friend’s party. “Our first weddings were very small and low key. This time around, we have children and they were supposed to be the ring bearer and flower girl, but our 2-year-old slept through the ceremony and 5-year-old decided he would watch from the bushes instead. It was candid and adorable.”

In the wedding party, Lauretta’s ‘leading ladies’ were sisters Krystal and Sabrina. Extending the theme of siblings for their wedding party, the bride’s brother Rob was the reception MC. He and the groom’s brother Stefan witnessed the newlyweds sign their wedding licence. Having a Frappa and an Ellery perform this role was special to Lauretta and Jonas.

“We knew what was important to us and focused on that,” says Lauretta. “The entrance into the reception tent was really fun. Our bridal party danced their way in to their own song and my husband and I did the same, with each of us taking a shot of vodka! I think it really set the tone for a relaxed vibe and that was the biggest priority. We wanted to connect with all our guests and have the reception turn into a big party. Though we did have some traditional wedding practices, ultimately we wanted to cut to the chase – have dinner and hit the dance floor!”

The couple chose their September wedding date to coincide with a visit by family from Sweden and to capture autumn’s beauty. Their outdoor wedding ceremony happened in a favoured spot in their yard. The setting sun spread its golden glow as Lauretta, in a stunning ‘Kitty Chen’

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“But it turned out to be the storm before the calm,” says Jonas. “We had perfect autumn weather and the evening sky was full of stars.”

After reuniting, the couple started dating in 2012. Jonas surprised his bride by proposing during a candlelit beachside dinner while vacationing in the Turks & Caicos Islands in 2015. Both yearned for a family and welcomed Jonas Jr. in 2013 and Julia in 2016. They truly believe their lives crossed at the perfect moment to fulfill their destiny.

“It was an opportunity for a second chance at life,” says Lauretta. “As we fell fast and furious for one another, we never second guessed our union. We are two mature fools who fell in love, and deserving of a ‘Happily Ever After.’”

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lace gown with a glorious train, followed her bridesmaids down the aisle to Pachebel’s Canon in D to meet her love. Lauretta still gets emotional when she remembers saying her vows to her groom.

“Rev. Joanne DeGasperis was the perfect fit for us,” Lauretta says. “When we met Joanne, we took to her immediately. She helped to create a meaningful ceremony.

Every word meant something to us and so I really felt present when we were saying our vows. She included our guests by asking them to respond together, by saying ‘We do’ in support of our union. We both got goose bumps because we knew everybody was listening. It was unique and we loved it. Our photographer Lindsay Nemeth was also fabulous. We wanted Lindsay to capture ‘moments’ and she did just that. We loved her for being warm, genuine and on point.”

The large reception tent, curated and decorated completely by the bride, groom and bride’s sisters, featured armfuls of ivory and champagne roses, swaths of soothing eucalyptus greenery and glowing lights everywhere to create an ambiance of rustic

elegance. Many guests asked who was hired to do the décor.

With an engagement that was extended to allow for the birth of Julia, the couple had lots of time to make plans.

“What we envisioned came to life,” said Lauretta. “We always knew the wedding would take place in our back yard, allowing for complete control to set the tone. The warmth of a roaring bonfire and dancing the night away with our guests felt genuine and relaxed. The ambience we were trying to create was totally achieved. Everyone let loose and just had fun. It was a party we didn’t want to end! We loved every minute.”

After an Italian buffet dinner, guests rocked the dance floor to popular dance music and classic rock courtesy of Keep Them Dancing DJ Services. Dancing at the reception was a priority, so the dance floor was tented for rain or shine action. Throughout the evening, guests moved amicably between the lively tent and the yard’s relaxing landscaped fire pit. A windstorm on the day before the wedding caused the tent company staff to rush out and batten down the tent’s hatches.

CATERER Vincentina Catering, Woodbridge CHURCH/HALL Bride & Groom’s home Officiant: Rev. Joanne DeGasperis MUSIC/DJ Keep Them Dancing DJ Services, Barrie HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP

By Bride INVITATIONS Zazzle.ca FLORIST Mid Valley Gardens, Holland Marsh RENTALS Tiffany Party Rentals PHOTOGRAPHY Lindsay Nemeth Photography TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Candleholder with scented candle from The White Barn TOTAL COST OF WEDDING $20,000

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Sarah and Stephen

REAL WEDDINGS

A U G U S T 5, 2018

Burger Bar Bash

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY JENN, ADMYERY PHOTOGRAPHY

S

arah Jongerden and Stephen Maglaris had their first date at Barrie’s Kenzington Burger Bar in 2016. The eclectic restaurant had never been the scene of a wedding, but thanks to this pair of customers, all that soon changed.

“When we started thinking about where to get married, we knew we wanted somewhere simple and meaningful to us,” says Sarah, who indeed married her love, Stephen, at Kenzington’s on August 5th, 2018. “We didn’t want a traditional wedding; we wanted it to

be intimate, unique and a great party. I took a chance and emailed Kenzington's manager, Neil Ornella, and told him that the restaurant had always been a special place for the two of us, and that we'd like to get married there.

Neil thought it was a great story, met with us, and said that he could make it happen.”

On the appointed day, the restaurant closed to the public at 3 p.m. for the couple’s 4 p.m. wedding. A backdrop of white fabric was installed on the patio to block the view of the parking lot. Because Sarah and Stephen loved

the restaurant’s industrial decor, only simple table decorations were needed.

“It was very simple to transition Kenzington's from a restaurant to a wedding venue,” says Sarah.

Stephen proposed to his love during a surprise trip to Jamaica. He arranged to have their resort set the scene for the big question: a private, candlelit dinner under a cabana on the beach.

Knowing her style and taste, the future groom had picked out Sarah's engagement ring himself.

“I had never told him anything about what I wanted, and he got it perfect,” says Sarah.

Instead of having wedding rings, the bride and groom designed “wedding ring” tattoos and had them done by Alessia Enciso at Unique Ink Custom Tattooing and Piercing in Barrie, right after their ceremony. The rings’ design is the couple’s combined Zodiac signs.

“It was the first time that a bride and groom were in their shop on their wedding day, so it was really fun says Sarah. “We didn’t tell anyone about the tattoo idea, so I took a picture of us at the shop and posted it on Instagram. That’s how some of them found out before we got back.”

Sarah found her unique wedding gown at Toronto-based, Paloma Blanca.

The salesperson asked Sarah to consider a dress that was her personal favourite, but was rarely tried on. Sarah did, and it was perfect.

The lower half was a crêpe material and its Guipure lace top fulfilled the bride’s wish to have lace on her gown.

The night before the wedding, the groom took Sarah’s son Benjamin and his own son Ethan out for an evening of swimming, cruising around in a Corvette and then spent the night at a hotel nearby the wedding venue.

“We wanted to involve the kids in our wedding festivities and make them feel like 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 93

special and honoured guests,” explains Sarah.

Getting ready the next day with her daughter Brynn was a tender moment for the bride.

“Not having a wedding party allowed Brynn and I to get ready by ourselves, and this was very special to Brynn and to me as well,” says Sarah. “We had our hair, make-up and nails done together and drank from champagne glasses. Brynn left about an hour before my sister Emily picked me up in the ‘Vette to go to Kenzington’s.”

During the wedding ceremony, Sarah and Stephen called their kids up to tell them how important they are and how much they are loved by the both of them. Stephen fondly remembers seeing his bride for the first time at the ceremony.

“My favourite memory is when Sarah finally got to the ceremony and was walking up to me,” he says. “I just remember my cheeks hurting so bad from the big smile on my face.

I was the happiest man in the world.”

After Stephen and Sarah, now husband and wife, walked out to Van Morrison’s “Into The Mystic”, guests were treated to a cocktail hour with and some delicious appetizers that included mac and cheese bites, poutine boats, creole marinated grilled shrimp, spinach and artichoke puff pastry bites and bruschetta fried wontons. The dinner, of course, was Kenzington’s famous burgers with sides of salad and fries.

Keeping with the non-traditional “theme”, the bride and groom opted out of a wedding cake and served homemade squares for dessert.

Sarah and Stephen had an urban photo shoot in downtown Barrie, and then headed to the beautiful waterfront for some more pictures before returning to their guests to dance the night away. Musician Michael Costantini, who regularly performs at Kenzington’s, played acoustic guitar during the ceremony and added a drum machine and a loop pedal to replicate a full band with only himself and a bass player.

“Many of Michael’s songs were his own unique take on popular music of today and of years ago,” says Stephen. “His performance was fantastic and everyone loved it. It couldn’t have been better.”

Looking back, the newlyweds loved the day for the simplicity that made it stress-free and perfect.

“We wanted it to be a party where we just happened to get married,” says Sarah.

94 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

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2019 WEDDING TRENDS 95

Tolu and Tunde

REAL WEDDINGS

A U G U S T 1 7 , 2017

Together At Last

BY PATTI VIPOND • PHOTOS BY ISAIAH OGUN, EUCLASE PHOTOGRAPHY

T

olu Nelly and Tunde Ayoku’s love story survived long separations, both chronologic and geographic. While the future bride lived in Canada, her groom-to-be was living on the other side of the globe in Africa. When the couple was married on August 17, 2017 in Lagos, Nigeria, their lives became united spiritually and geographically. The husband and wife now call Parry Sound home.

Tolu and Tunde were grade 10 students in Nigeria when they met. When a friend asked Tolu who Tunde was to her, she said he was her

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friend. She actually didn’t know Tunde at all but her response was spontaneous. Afterwards, they exchanged phone numbers and became friends.

As high school graduation approached in 2007, their friendship deepened into love.

A few years later, Tolu’s family relocated to Parry Sound, Ontario, causing a break in the couple’s relationship. It wasn’t until March 2016 that a trip to Nigeria by Tolu to temporarily volunteer at a local hospital brought the lovers back together. Though distance would separate them again for a while, their hearts were now

united.

“Sometimes we were apart for so long, I didn’t think there was any chance of reconnecting,” says Tolu. “After we reconnected, I went back to Canada and waited to see how things would turn out. In African culture, the man has to ask permission from the bride’s parents before asking her to marry him. Tunde talked to my father before officially proposing to me by phone. When I arrived in Lagos in August to prepare for the wedding, Tunde went down on one knee and again asked me to marry him.

We chose August because the weather is cool and dry, and it was the best time for my family to travel from Canada. Most of our extended family lives in Lagos.”

The bride immediately hired a wedding planner in Lagos to organize both the traditional ceremony and church wedding that would happen on the same day. To help minimize stress while she planned the long distance wedding and attended master degree classes, Tolu also hired a stylist.

The couple’s guest list included 250 friends and family, a group regarded in Nigeria as a small, intimate wedding. Average Nigerian weddings have between 500 and 1,000 guests, as invitations are not customarily required.

The whole community would attend a local wedding. However, Tolu noted that an increase in destination weddings is making ‘wedding by invitation’ more usual.

In terms of wedding wardrobe, the bride needed dresses for the traditional ceremony, church ceremony and the reception. With only two months to find a white gown for the church, Tolu fortunately found the perfect style off the rack at David’s Bridal in Mississauga.

“I put it on and was teary, along with my Mom and sister,” recalls Tolu. “The dress didn’t have a veil, so one was made to match it.”

Tolu and Tunde’s wedding party at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Solid Rock Parish, included Maid of Honour Mary Nelly, bridesmaids Banke Adekunle and

Kemi Adesina, Best Man Valentine Onih and groomsmen Segun Adefolaju and Lanre Alagbe.

During the ceremony, the church choir sang one of the couple’s favourite hymns, “To God Be the Glory”, as the bride walked down the aisle.

The bride’s gorgeous reception dress was custom made in Lagos by designer Derin Fabikun of Fablane based on a design and lifestyle questionnaire Tolu completed for her stylist. For the couple’s traditional ceremony, held a few hours before the church wedding, the bride wore a stunning custom-made beautifully beaded sky blue blouse, skirt and headpiece.

“In the traditional ceremony, two separate families come together in respect to tradition and culture,” says Tolu. “They bring their children together and become one family.”

After the ceremonies, guests were ready to party at the reception at Lagos’ Decorium Event Centre. The spacious ballroom was decorated in burgundy and gold to create a glamorous and modern theme. For dinner, guests started with pasta salad, Oriental dishes, steamed basmati 2019 WEDDING TRENDS 97

rice and vermicelli noodles with shredded beef and sweet and sour chicken sauces. Main dishes included several delicious native Nigerian specialities.

For the bride and groom, their first dance as wife and husband has become a fond memory.

“I was crying because reality was setting in and everything was coming together so well,” recalls Tolu. “It was such an emotional time.

The song ‘When I Say I Do’ by Matthew West was playing and its lyrics tell exactly what happened to us. It was meant to be. Any time I hear that song, it brings back that memory. I was on cloud nine.”

To celebrate the bride’s great love for horses, a barnyard with two handsome equines was set up at the reception site.

“The wedding planner was the first in Nigeria to arrange to have horses at a wedding reception,” says Tolu. “People had pictures taken with them and loved it. Just knowing how much had been put into it, the end result was amazing.”

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JEWELLERY/RING DESIGNER Bride’s rings: Michael Hill, Barrie Bride’s accessories: David’s Bridal, Mississauga Groom’s ring: Peoples Jewellers, Sudbury Bridesmaids’ accessories: Bridesmaid Haven, Lagos Beads: Mojisola Obajimi – Pefectmelange, Lagos DRESS SHOP David’s Bridal, Mississauga Veil & Ladies’ Robes: Elizabeth & Lace Bridal, Lagos Reception dress & Bridesmaids: Fablane, Lagos Reception dress fabric: Itunu Fabrics, Lagos Wardrobe stylist: Tosin Agboola - The Wardrobe Manager, Lagos Shoes: Badgley Mischka, Nina Shoes, David’s Bridal Bride and Groom’s Traditional outfit: Deroyal Fabrics and Asooke, Lagos Tailoring: A’Shabi Tailoring, Lagos TUX SHOP/MEN’S SHOP Timbrel, Lagos HONEYMOON/TRAVEL AGENT Epe Resort and Spa, Lagos CATERER Food: Beyond Tastee Catering, Lagos Drinks: Bella & Barroni, Lagos Dessert: Tennys Treat Cake and Desserts, Lagos Cocktails: Mandies Cocktail, Lagos

98 WEDDING TRENDS 2019

Small chops snacks: Big Apple Food & 12 Baskets Food Ltd., Lagos Cake: Delightful Affairs, Lagos CHURCH/HALL Church: Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Solid Rock Parish, Lagos Reception: Decorium Event Centre, Lagos MUSIC/DJ RCCG Solid Rock parish choir, Lagos DJ Lammy, Lagos HAIR STYLIST/MAKEUP Hair: First look & bridesmaids – Mr. Segun & Hairbysleame, Lagos Hair: Second look – Wrapunzell, Lagos Hair extension: Bubo Beauty, Lagos Makeup: Oshewa Beauty, Lagos INVITATIONS Wedding: Fab invitation cards n Events, Lagos Church & reception program: Mr. Sholanke, Lagos FLORIST Bouquets: Aralia By Nature, Lagos Boutonnieres: Aralia By Nature, Lagos Décor & barn with horses: Décor by Furtullah, Lagos

RENTALS Decorium Event Centre, Lagos Kfa Events Limited, Lagos Syden SFX, Lagos – lights and special effects PHOTOGRAPHER Isaiah Ogun, Euclase Photography - Lagos, Nigeria

VIDEOGRAPHER Nosa, the wedding TV – Lagos TABLE/GUEST FAVOURS Kitchen towels & napkins by the Bride’s family WEDDING PARTY GIFTS Bridesmaids: Personalized cards, personalized jewellery box, suction mirrors & beauty essentials from Fairysister - Lagos Groomsmen: colourful dress socks – RW&Co., Barrie WEDDING PLANNER Bisola Borha – TrendyBe Events, Lagos MASTER OF CEREMONY Tosin Ibitoye, Lagos SECURITY Golden Event Solution, Lagos

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