5 minute read
Plan A Destination Winery Wedding
Couples getting married in Canada have the opportunity to combine those categories, since vineyards throughout the country can be booked as wedding venues. At a destination winery wedding, couples and guests can explore another province as well as appreciate the venue itself. Since COVID-19 has complicated international travel, a romantic-yetunusual domestic destination is especially appealing.
If you’d like to plan a destination winery wedding, start by choosing a region. Consider your family and friends’ locations; if you have an especially long guest list comprised mostly of Islanders, a Nova Scotia or New Brunswick winery that’s easy to reach by car may be most convenient. (A Maritime winery is also a good choice for couples who want to ensure they can visit their venue easily in advance.)
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Meanwhile, Ontario and Quebec vineyards are great for couples inviting guests and wedding party members from across Canada. A Central Canadian venue ensures that no one will need to fly coast-to-coast.
From PEI, the most remote Canadian wine destination is British Columbia’s Okanagan. Hosting a large wedding in the Okanagan might be challenging— both because of the long flight from the Maritimes, and because the region is some distance from Vancouver and Victoria, making it tougher for guests to incorporate their preferred sightseeing destinations into the trip. But if your guest list is short—or if lots of guests live in Western Canada already—the Okanagan might be an ideal choice.
Approach your planning for an outof-province vineyard wedding as you would for an international “destination wedding.” Try to choose a winery in an appealing, accessible location that’ll intrigue guests—for instance, one of
the many Ontario vineyards situated near Niagara Falls.
Many wineries share similar interior aesthetics—natural materials like wood and stone are common—but otherwise venue details vary widely from place to place. Acceptable group size is difficult to predict, as are the accommodations and resources available.
This article doesn’t delve into specific regions’ wine styles or individual wineries’ products. That’s by design— it’s more practical to create your shortlist based on size, location, accessibility and availability than by sampling and evaluating a dozen vineyards’ wines.
Once you’ve chosen a venue shortlist, though, factor in your wine preferences as early as you can. When it comes to choosing between two stunning destination venues, an exquisite sparkling wine may be the tiebreaker!
KURIOSITIES JEWELLERY
Inspired by the Island
By Brianne Hogan
Photos Courtesy of Kuriosities Jewellery & Rachelle Monique Photography
Photo: Rachelle Monique Photography
Kuriosities owner and jewellery designer Kimberly McIntyre finds inspiration from love for her new collection.
Kuriosities is a handcrafted jewellery studio and gift shop located on beautiful historic Victoria Row, in the heart of downtown Charlottetown. According to owner and jewellery designer Kimberly McIntyre, the name of the business is inspired by a quote from her favourite book, Alice in Wonderland.
“I wanted something that captured that moment of awe and wonder in the discovery of something new,” she says.
With a professional background in e-commerce entrepreneurship (she’s been running e-commerce stores since 1999) and an educational background in writing (she completed a BA with Honours in Creative Writing and English Literature from Concordia University), McIntyre began her career as a jeweller by creating a line of
memorial jewellery for mothers who had lost a baby during pregnancy as a way to heal from her own loss, in addition to a line of fertility jewellery to help support mothers who were struggling with infertility.
“My early pieces were quite simple, but as I progressed, I became passionate about the craft,” she says. “I strive for excellence in the execution of my craft, while expressing my creative vision, and telling my client’s stories.”
Since then, McIntyre has travelled regularly over the past ten years to study under master jewellers who are the top of their field in the next skill set. Most recently she has studied under the industry’s top stone setting teacher and graduated from Advanced Stone Setting (“My instructor recently taught the jewellers at the newest Tiffany’s production facility how to set!”).
Among the many gorgeous collections in the shop, McIntyre’s most recent is the Bespoke Wedding Collection, which, she says, is inspired by Prince “The bands in my pieces are, for the most part, embossed with sand gathered from the shores of PEI, creating a unique texture. My clients have the option to further personalize these pieces by providing me with sand that they have collected themselves from their own special beach—even the beach that they plan to be married on!”
What’s special about the Bespoke Wedding Collection is that it “allows our clients to have a hand in the design of their own ring without the traditional higher cost of custom design, by providing them with a selection of design options to choose from to modify their ring,” says McIntyre. “They can choose from a variety of choices for the centre stone, their stone setting style and metal, their band style and metal etc., to create a piece that is truly their own. This also allows for clients with a wide variety of budgets to be able to create their dream ring.” McIntyre’s love for jewellery stems from the fact that there is always something new to learn, and that there is always room for growth and discovery.
“I love to be challenged, and to push myself to always do better as an artist and as a craftsperson. Staying still is never an option, and jewellery has limitless possibilities in terms of techniques and materials,” she says. “This is what I love about business as well. There is always so much to learn, to improve, and so many ways to grow. It is exciting and inspiring.”
Kuriosities Jewellery 142 Richmond Street, Charlottetown 902.626.2277 www.Kuriosities.com
