The Wedding Ring Magazine Fall/Winter 2019

FALL/WINTER 2019 Vol 13 No 1

MAGAZINE | WEBSITE | EXPO | COMMUNITY

Real Weddings Edition

30 PAGES OF REAL WEDDINGS

20 PAGES OF WEDDING WORTHY VENUES

SIZE, STYLE, CAPACITY, CATERING OPTIONS & MORE!

GORGEOUS CAKES

AND MORE DESIGN IDEAS

FIRST DANCE SONG IDEAS PLUS OTHER EXPERT TIPS

ROCKY MOUNTAIN WONDERLAND

BRIDAL SHOW CALENDAR WEDDING SHOWS FROM SARNIA TO TORONTO, BRANTFORD TO ORILLIA & BEYOND

DESTINATION WEDDING SECTION $4.99 CDN $4.99 USD

WWW.THEWEDDINGRING.CA

GET LOCAL. PLAN FABULOUS!

TORONTO ♥ BRANTFORD ♥ HAMILTON ♥ GUELPH ♥ KITCHENER-WATERLOO ♥ CAMBRIDGE ♥ WOODSTOCK LONDON ♥ HURON COUNTY ♥ STRATFORD ♥ NEWMARKET ♥ MILTON ♥ BARRIE ♥ SARNIA ♥ ORILLIA ♥ RICHMOND HILL

CONTENTS p39

p72&73

p49

An intimate winery wedding p30 Out of this galaxy p31 Unforgettable charm at Boler Mountain p32 Burgundy & blush p33 Love at the beach p34

FEATURES

Local Wedding Experts p4-7 Bridal Show Calendar p75 Wedding Worthy Venues p77-96

REAL WEDDINGS P9-34

Timeless at Stoneridge Inn p10 Radiant glamour at St. George p11 Sweet surprises p12 Romantic vision p14 Playful at THEMUSEUM p15 Classroom love at Concordia Club p16 Outdoor Hindu celebration p18 White & whimsical in Stratford p19 Vintage modern p21 Simple yet elegant in Woodstock p22 A beautiful love story in the books p23 Rustic elegance at Hernder Estate p24 Naturally gorgeous in Elora p26 Two cultures, one wedding p27 Country escape at Nottawasaga p28

p27

2019 first dance song ideas p48 How to include your pets in your wedding p49 Favourite creative reception tables p52 & 53 Tips to create the perfect wedding timeDESTINATION WEDDINGS P35-44 line p54 Extreme makeover: 1 venue - 2 ways p56 & 57 Ontario's west coast wedding Top 5 kissing game ideas p58 destination p36 DESIGN PALETTES P59-73 British Columbia 'art in the garden' p37 Favourite themes at Wedsy.ca p60 & 70 Jamaica one love p38 Favourite ceremony backdrops p61 I do's & don'ts destination edition p39 It's all in the details p62 & 63 Rocky Mountain wonderland p40 Romance at Dante Club p64 Icelandic adventures p41 Favourite cake designs p65 Tips from a destination expert p42 Tuscan dreams p66 A Disney dream wedding p43 Versatile bridal party style: the sweetGreat Gatsby at Hatley Castle p44 heart 1 dress, 6 looks p67

EXPERT TIPS P45-58

Wrapped in love p68 Elegant earthy wedding p69 Favourite reception backdrops p71 Favourite 2020 gowns p72 & 73

I do's & don'ts stationery edition p46 How to create a memorable cocktail hour p47

p65

p78

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 1

INTRODUCING

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FALL/WINTER 2019 PUBLISHED BY Wedding Ring Inc.

brides@theweddingring.ca The Wedding Ring Magazine is published two times yearly: January and September. This is The Wedding Ring’s 25th Edition of the magazine. theweddingring.ca/magazine

MAGAZINE TEAM

Anne Warren | anne@theweddingring.ca Publisher | Director of Operations Kristen Sullivan | kristen@theweddingring.ca Managing Editor | Layout & Advertisement Design Coordinator Jessica Ferguson | jessica@theweddingring.ca Features Editor

COVER STORY

PHOTOGRAPHY: Darcy Preece Photography (darcypreece.com) Kitchener, ON LOCATION: Silvertip Golf Course (silvertipresort.com) Canmore, AB BRIDE & GROOM: Thomas & Madison Sawatzky Full story p40 The statements, opinions and points of view expressed do not necessarily represent those of the publisher, advertisers or Wedding Ring Inc. Photographs and content are submitted to Wedding Ring Inc. by wedding professionals for the purpose of publishing online and/or in print and are used with permission. © 2019 Wedding Ring Inc. Contents copyrighted. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission from Wedding Ring Inc. is strictly prohibited. Printed in Canada. ISSN 1920-499X

FOREVER IN LOVE AT THE RING At The Wedding Ring, we research, create and curate quality, need-to-know wedding content, year-round, alongside our clients, who just happen to be some of Ontario’s most talented wedding experts.

We then deliver it all in print (THE WEDDING RING MAGAZINE) and online (THEWEDDINGRING.CA) to a geographically targeted bride and groom audience. As a result, our clients book more weddings and our readers find it easier to plan the ultimate local wedding. And on the odd chance you ever find Anne, Kristen, Jess and the team at The Wedding Ring more than a few feet away from their WiFi connections, it’s likely because you’re at one of THE RING’S WEDDING EXPO events which take place seasonally in 12+ cities across Ontario. These are couture bridal shows filled with over the top exhibits, live design palettes, and many (many, many!) engaged couples.

If you’re a wedding professional who offers products that every bride or groom should have, raises the bar on service or rewrites the definition of couture, we’d love to work with you online, in print, and/or in person. The Wedding Ring will help you reach your target brides and grooms, share (and show off) your expertise, grow your business and make headlines.

To find out more about how content marketing, online advertising, or exhibiting at the Ring's Wedding Expo in your city can change the way you approach wedding marketing: contact vendors@theweddingring.ca & visit theweddingring.ca

Local Wedding Experts BUDGET & PLANNING

THE FINANCIAL DIVA 519-350-1702 | risa@thefinancialdiva.ca thefinancialdiva.ca Reviewed in London section of The Ring LOVELY WEDDINGS & EVENTS 519-577-2572 | hello@lovelyweddingsandevents.ca lovelyweddingsandevents.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring SERVERS WITH A SMILE 519-721-5424 | events@serverswithasmile.ca serverswithasmile.ca Reviewed in KW section of The Ring

DESIGN [FLORAL, PAPER, DÉCOR + MORE]

DECORATING DREAMS 519-662-6880 | decoratingdreams@golden.net decoratingdreams.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring DEVINE WEDDING DESIGN 519-348-4191 | info@devineweddingdesign.ca devineweddingdesign.ca Reviewed in London section of The Ring FIRST STOP WEDDING DECOR RENTALS 519-717-6616 | firststopweddingdecor@hotmail.com Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring FRESH LOOK DESIGN 519-954-8978 | info@freshlookdesign.ca freshlookdesign.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring JDV EVENTS & DECOR 647-883-7274 | jdveventdecor@gmail.com jdveventdecor.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring NOW & ALWAYS 519-302-0398 | cynthia@nowandalways.ca nowandalways.ca Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring

FASHION & FORMALWEAR

BEST FOR BRIDE Toronto 647-430-7498 | Etobicoke 416-233-3393 Barrie 705-503-3300 | Hamilton 289-755-0262 bestforbride.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring BRIDAL BOUTIQUE 519-753-9609 | info@bridal-boutique.ca bridal-boutique.ca Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring BRIDESMADE 226-400-0583 | hello@bridesmade.ca bridesmade.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring CRÈME COUTURE 519-763-2011 | info@cremecouture.ca cremecouture.ca Reviewed in All cities of The Ring SEW STYLISH WEDDING WORKS 519-485-7097 | sewstylishweddingworks@outlook.com sewstylishweddingworks.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring THREESIXTY FORMAL ACCESSORIES 647-678-1524 | threesixtyaccessories@gmail.com threesixtyaccessories.com Reviewed in Newmarket section of The Ring

FOOD & DRINK

B ELEGANT CATERING 519-622-1505 | weddings@belegant.ca belegant.ca Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring BINGEMANS 519-744-1231 ext. 2260 | weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring THE CAKE ENGINEER 519-400-2157 | info@thecakeengineer.ca thecakeengineer.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

RACHEL & CO. WEDDING & EVENT DECOR 226-667-9954 | info@rachelandco.ca rachelandco.ca Reviewed in London section of The Ring

LITTLE MUSHROOM CATERING 226-791-4537 | info@littlemushroomcatering.com littlemushroomcatering.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

RED BICYCLE PAPER CO. 519-222-6240 | redbicyclepaperco@gmail.com redbicyclepaperco.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

MELANIE'S CAKES 289-231-3630 | mel@melaniescakes.ca melaniescakes.ca Reviewed in Newmarket section of The Ring

4 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

GIFTS, FAVOUR & SUPPLIES

LONDON HEALTH SCIENCES FOUNDATION 519-685-8070 | celebrationgiving@lhsf.ca lhsf.ca/weddings Reviewed in London section of The Ring ONTARIO SPCA 1-888-668-7722 | donate@ospca.on.ca ontariospca.ca Reviewed in Newmarket section of The Ring WEDSY 519-568-8007 | wedsy@theweddingring.ca wedsy.ca Reviewed in ALL cities of The Ring

HEALTH & BEAUTY

THE BODY STUDIO 705-826-8373 | thebodystudio1@gmail.com facebook.com/thebodystudiolife Reviewed in Orillia section of The Ring EVOLUTION CONCEPTS IN HAIR & SPA 519-743-0009 | info@evolutionhairspa.com evolutionhairspa.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring EWYN STUDIO Over 45 Locations across Canada ewynstudios.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION ANCASTER MILL 905-648-1828 | info@ancastermill.ca ancastermill.ca Reviewed in Hamilton section of The Ring

ARCADIAN COURT BY OLIVER & BONACINI 416-364-1211 | events@oliverbonacini.com oliverbonacinievents.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring THE ARTS & LETTERS CLUB 416-597-9544 ext 1 | catering@artsandlettersclub.ca

artsandlettersclub.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring

BEAVERDALE GOLF CLUB 519-658-5951 ext. 22 hospitality.beaverdale@golfnorth.ca golfnorth.ca/beaverdale Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring

BERKELEY FIELD HOUSE 416-361-9666 | info@berkeleyevents. comberkeleyfieldhouse.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring

THE CARLU 416-597-1931 | events@oliverbonacini.com thecarlu.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring

BEST WESTERN PLUS ARDEN PARK HOTEL 519-275-2936 | ardenpk@orc.ca ardenpk.on.ca Reviewed in Stratford section of The Ring

CASA LOMA 416-923-1171 | events@casaloma.ca casaloma.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring

BEST WESTERN BRANTFORD HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE 519-753-8652 ext. 142 events@bestwesternbrantford.com bestwesternbrantford.com Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring BEST WESTERN PLUS LAMPLIGHTER INN & CONFERENCE CENTRE 519-681-7151 | sales@lamplighterinn.ca lamplighterinn.ca Reviewed in London section of The Ring BEST WESTERN PLUS STONERIDGE INN AND CONFERENCE CENTRE 519-652-6022 | natalie@stoneridgeinn.com stoneridgeinn.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring BINGEMANS 519-744-1231 ext. 2268 | weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring BLUEBERRY HILL WINERY 519-586-2256 | info@blueberry-hill.ca blueberry-hill.ca Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring BOB RUMBALL MANOR 416-449-9651 x 103 | jbursa@bobrumball.org bobrumballmanor.org Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring

CELLAR 52 519-573-9468 | kate.peister@cellar52.com | cellar52.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring CENTURY PINES GOLF CLUB 905-628-2877 | sale@kaneffgolf.com golfcenturypines.com Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring CHELSEA HOTEL TORONTO 416-585-4340 | cstor.weddings@chelseatoronto.com

chelseatoronto.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring CONCORDIA CLUB 519-745-5617 x 101 | ruth.rajna@concordiaclub.ca concordiaclub.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring CONESTOGA GOLF & CONFERENCE CENTRE 519-664-2851 x 227 | hospitality.conestoga@golfnorth.ca

golfnorth.ca/conestoga Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring CRAIGOWAN GOLF CLUB 519-462-2743 | info@craigowan.com craigowan.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

519-653-1234 x 112 | weddings@cambridgebutterfly.com

CROWNE PLAZA KITCHENERWATERLOO 519-744-4141 | aspiers@cpkw-hotel.com kitchener-hotel.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

THE CAMBRIDGE HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE 519-624-7732 | ndemmery@cambridgehotel.ca cambridgehotel.ca Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring

DANTE CLUB 519-542-9311 | gm@danteclubsarnia.ca danteclubsarnia.ca Reviewed in Sarnia section of The Ring

CAMBRIDGE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY cambridgebutterfly.com Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring

CAMBRIDGE MILL 519-624-1828 | info@cambridgemill.ca cambridgemill.com Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring

DEER RIDGE GOLF CLUB 519-650-2447 ext. 222 | laura@deerridgegolfclub.com

deerridgegolfclub.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

Local Wedding Experts • Are award winners • Have multiple degrees & accreditations • Are members of selective organizations • Do regular charity work • Are teachers & mentors in their craft • Have appeared in television news & wedding segments DELTA HOTELS BY MARRIOTT WATERLOO 519-514-0404 | wat.sales.sm@deltahotels.com marriott.com/ykfdw Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring DOUBLE TREE BY HILTON KITCHENER 519-894-8512 | stephanie.mcdonald@hilton.ca holidayinn.com/kitcheneron Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring DUNDEE COUNTRY CLUB 519-696-3257 | mfloyd.dundee@golfnorth.ca golfnorth.ca/dundee Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring HISTORIC ELLIS PIONEER CHAPEL 519-824-4679 | ellischapel@sympatico.ca ellischapel.ca Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring ELM HURST INN & SPA 519-485-5321 | erin@elmhurstinn.com elmhurstinn.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring ELORA MILL HOTEL & SPA 519-846-8484 | events@eloramill.ca eloramill.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring ENOCH TURNER SCHOOLHOUSE 416-314-3585 | bookings@heritagetrust.on.ca heritagetrust.on.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring ESTATES OF SUNNYBROOK 416-487-3841 | mansions@estatesofsunnybrook. com

estatesofsunnybrook.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring FALLS INN & SPA 519-794-4388 | mhallman@thefallsinn.com thefallsinn.com

Reviewed in Newmarket section of The Ring WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 5

FANSHAWE PIONEER VILLAGE 519-457-1296 | rentals@fanshawepioneer village.ca

fanshawepioneervillage.ca Reviewed in London section of The Ring

FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON LONDON 519-681-0680 ext. 8338 catering@fourpointslondon.com | marriott.com/yxufp Reviewed in London section of The Ring GALT COUNTRY CLUB 519-621-7020 | chughes@galtcountryclub.com galtcountryclub.com Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring THE GEORGE BROWN HOUSE 416-314-3585 | bookings@heritagetrust.on.ca heritagetrust.on.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring THE GRAND GUELPH BANQUET & EVENT CENTRE 519-824-5076 | info@thegrandguelph.ca thegrandguelph.ca Reviewed in Guelph section of The Ring GRAYDON HALL MANOR 416-449-5432 | concierge@graydonhall.com graydonhall.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring GREY SILO GOLF COURSE 519-884-3556 x 224 | kreinhardt.greysilo@golfnorth.ca

golfnorth.ca/greysilo Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

HAMPTON INN & SUITES BY HILTON BRANTFORD 519-720-0084 | amber.kane@hilton.ca hamptoninnbrantford.com Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring HART HOUSE 416-946-7196 | weddings.harthouse@utoronto.ca harthouse.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring HAUSER HALL 519-747-1138 | info@hauserhall.com hauserhall.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring HESSENLAND INN & SCHATZ WINERY 519-236-7707 | hessen@hessenland.com hessenland.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring

INN OF WATERLOO & CONFERENCE CENTRE 519-804-1130 | weddings@theinnofwaterloo.com theinnofwaterloo.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring INNISBROOK GOLF COURSE 705-721-9210 | jmorris@golfinnisbrook.com golfinnisbrook.com Reviewed in Orillia section of The Ring IVEY SPENCER LEADERSHIP CENTRE 519-675-5529 | jclark@ivey.uwo.ca iveyspencerleadershipcentre.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring LIBERTY GRAND 416-542-3789 | info@libertygrand.com libertygrand.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring LIBERTY NORTH 705-728-3877 | info@libertynorth.ca libertynorth.ca Reviewed in Barrie section of The Ring MARIPOSA CRUISES 416-203-0178 | sales@mariposacruises.com mariposacruises.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring MARQUIS GARDENS HAMILTON 905-388-4411| deanna@marquisgardens.com marquisgardens.com Reviewed in Hamilton section of The Ring MARRIOTT TOWNPLACE SUITES BRANTFORD 519-720-2777 | amber.kane@marriott.ca marriott.com/yhmbf Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring MILLER LASH HOUSE 416-287-7000 | millerlash@utsc.utoronto.ca millerlashhouse.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring MILTON BANQUET & CONFERENCE CENTRE 905-864-8445 | info@miltonbanquets.com miltonbanquets.com Reviewed in Milton section of The Ring

HUBERTUSHAUS 519-634-8491 | gchfc@hotmail.com | gchfc.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

NORTHBROOK FARM WEDDINGS & EVENTS 705-326-1955 | laurie@northbrookfarmweddings.ca northbrookfarmweddings.ca Reviewed in Orillia section of The Ring

IDLEWYLD INN & SPA 519-432-5554 | weddings@idlewyldinn.com idlewyldinn.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring

NOTTAWASAGA INN RESORT 705-435-5505 | info@nottawasagaresort.com nottawasagaresort.com Reviewed in Barrie section of The Ring

6 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

THE OLD MILL 416-236-2641 | info@oldmilltoronto.com oldmilltoronto.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring ONTARIO HERITAGE CENTRE 416-314-3585 | bookings@heritagetrust.on.ca heritagetrust.on.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring PALAIS ROYALE 416-533-3533 | info@pegasushospitality.ca palaisroyale.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring PARAGON BANQUET CENTRE 519-722-4812 | info@paragonbanquet.com paragonbanquet.com Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring QUALITY INN & CONFERENCE CENTRE ORILLIA 705-326-7343 | kelly@qualityinnorillia.com qualityinnorillia.com Reviewed in Orillia section of The Ring REBEL CREEK GOLF CLUB 519-634-8666 | hospitality.rebelcreek@golfnorth.ca

golfnorth.ca/rebelcreek Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

REVIVAL HOUSE 519-273-3424 | weddings@revival.house revival.house Reviewed in Stratford section of The Ring SPENCER’S AT THE WATERFRONT 905-633-7494 | info@spencers.ca spencers.ca Reviewed in Hamilton section of The Ring ST. GEORGE BANQUET HALL 519-884-0311 | gm@stgeorgehall.com stgeorgehall.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring STRATFORD COUNTRY CLUB 519-271-4212 | jjacob@stratfordcountryclub.ca stratfordcountryclub.ca Reviewed in Stratford section of The Ring THEMUSEUM 519-749-9387 | victoria.wood@themuseum.ca themuseum.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring TORONTO BOTANICAL GARDEN 416-397-1349 | info@torontobotanicalgarden.ca torontobotanicalgarden.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring TORONTO CENTRE FOR THE ARTS 416-733-9388 | customerservice@tolive.com tocentre.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring

TORONTO MARRIOTT CITY CENTRE HOTEL 416-341-7100 | sales@torontomarriott.com marriott.com/yyzbr Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION 519-622-0771 | jackie@wrpa.org | wrpa.org Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring WESTIN HARBOUR CASTLE HOTEL 416-869-1600 | westintorontosales@westin.com westinharbourcastletoronto.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring WHISTLE BEAR GOLF CLUB 519-650-2327 | info@whistlebear.ca whistlebear.ca Reviewed in Cambridge section of The Ring

MUSIC

ALLEGRO PRODUCTIONS 519-221-2798 | allegroproductions@outlook.com allegroproductions.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring COMPLETE WEDDINGS + EVENTS 226-444-9639 | yashar@cmusic.ca cmusic.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring COPELAND DJ PRODUCTIONS 905-541-8488 | info@copelanddj.ca copelanddj.ca Reviewed in Hamilton section of The Ring DCF WEDDING MUSIC 866-710-7658 | hello@dcfweddingmusic.com dcfweddingmusic.com Reviewed in Guelph section of The Ring IN THE CUE DJ SERVICE 416-29-5272 | info@inthecue.ca | inthecue.ca Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring MAXIMUM MUSIC DJ SERVICE 416-255-2910 | rod@maximumdj.com maximumdj.com Reviewed in GTA section of The Ring MUSIC CENTRAL ENTERTAINMENT 519-680-0698 | musiccentral@musiccentral.ca musiccentral.ca Reviewed in London section of The Ring NITRO MUSIC 519-841-4187 | info@nitromusic.ca nitromusic.ca Reviewed in Brantford section of The Ring

THUNDERSTORM PRODUCTIONS 519-741-2005 | info@thunderstormpro.com thunderstormpro.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

OFFICIANTS BEVERLEY SORBARA 519-938-7650 | sorbarabeverley@gmail.com FEELINGS FROM THE HEART WEDDING CHAPEL & OFFICIANTS 519-743-3101 | pat@theweddingchapel.on.ca theweddingchapel.on.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring HOMETOWN HILLS OFFICIANT SERVICES 705-220-2096 cherylpetersonrivetofficiant@gmail.com cherylpetersonrivetofficiant.com Reviewed in Newmarket section of The Ring WOVEN THREADS - HANDCRAFTED CEREMONIES 519-823-0038 | christine@woven-threads.ca woven-threads.ca

PHOTO + FILM A NASH PHOTOGRAPH 226-218-6870 | anashphotograph@gmail.com anashphotograph.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring ANNE EDGAR PHOTOGRAPHY 519-616-2214 | anne@anneedgarphoto.com anneedgarphoto.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring BRIAN LIMOYO PHOTOGRAPHY 519-781 9448 | infophoto@brianlimoyo.com brianlimoyoweddings.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring DOUG WOLTERS PHOTOGRAPHY 905-931-7799 | info@photod.ca photod.ca Reviewed in Hamiltons section of The Ring GARY EVANS PHOTOGRAPHY

JULIE NICOLE PHOTOGRAPHY 519-954-6655 julienicolephotographykw@gmail.com julienicolephotography.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring LATTE PRODUCTIONS WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY 519-745-8368 | info@latteproductions.ca latteproductions.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring LAURA JOY PHOTOGRAPHY 705-791-3731 | hello@laurajoyphotography.ca laurajoyphotography.ca Reviewed in Orillia section of The Ring NOVA MARKINA PHOTOGRAPHY 519-709-3827 | nova@novamarkina.com novamarkina.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring RACHEL PAYNE PHOTOGRAPHY 705-818-3018 | info@rachelpaynephotography.com

rachelpaynephotography.com Reviewed in Orillia section of The Ring SIMPLY WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY 519-835-9074 simplyweddingphotography@rogers.com simplyweddingphotography.ca Reviewed in Guelph section of The Ring SPIRITS INTRIGUED PHOTOGRAPHY 519-721-5468 | alex@sipimage.com sipimage.com Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

TRANSPORTATION

BRENTWOOD LIVERY 519-741-5700 | info@brentwoodlivery.ca brentwoodlivery.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

TRAVEL

DESTINATION DREAM VACATIONS 519-990-1279 | destidream@gmail.com destinationdreamvacation.ca Reviewed in ALL cities of The Ring

gary-evans.ca Reviewed in K-W section of The Ring

MURDOCH TRAVEL 705-734-3534 | info@murdochtravel.ca murdochtravel.ca Reviewed in Barrie section of The Ring

HRM PHOTOGRAPHY 519-936-8977 | info@hrmphotography.com hrmphotography.com Reviewed in London section of The Ring

VIVA WYNDHAM RESORTS 1-800-996-3426 | groups@vivaresortsusa.com vivawyndhamresorts.com Reviewed in ALL cities of The Ring

519-222-5840 | team@gary-evans.ca

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 7

Real wedding stories

Real Wedding Stories feature the love stories, designs and details of some of our favourite weddings. These gorgeous events are the result of alot of planning by local brides & grooms, and the hard work of some seriosuly talented wedding experts. Curated by The Ring.

PHOTO: Raw Footage Photography (rawfootagephotos.com) London, ON VENUE: Fanshawe Pioneer Village (♥) (fanshawepioneervillage.ca) London, ON BRIDE & GROOM: Niki Patel & Timothy Godin WEDDING: September 29th, 2018 Full story: p18 WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 9

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Timeless at Stoneridge Inn

BRIDE & GROOM: Kaitlan & Bobby Cook WEDDING DATE: January 19th, 2019 LOCATION: Best Western PLUS Stoneridge Inn & Conference Centre (♥) (stoneridgeinn.com) London, ON “Bobby grew up right around the corner from the venue, so naturally it was one of the first locations we toured. We loved the fact that everything could be held in one location, including guest accommodations (especially in January). I fell in love with the Rose Chapel and all of it's exposed brick. Our ballroom was large enough for a band (which was super important to us) and had private washrooms for guests. A décor package was also available, making it easy to plan a wedding from Ottawa. Ironically, one of our first dates was at Pasto's (the restaurant onsite) so we knew the food was amazing!” - K # GUESTS: 120 BUDGET: $25,000 THEME: "I wanted our winter wedding to be elegant and timeless. We went with a neutral colour palette with a touch of sparkle." - K PHOTOGRAPHY: Kelly Taylor - The Bridal Lounge Photography (thebridallounge.ca) Ingersoll, ON 10 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

“I know Kelly from growing up in Ingersoll.

Her personality makes you feel at ease, and her direction is fun and natural. I love her out-ofthe-box thinking and her eye for a good shot.

Bobby and I were all in for our photos and totally committed to the process. We froze, we got dirty, we were all picking burrs out of my dress, but man, was it worth it!"- K FLORALS: Springhill Flowers (springhillflowers.com) London, ON FAV DÉCOR ELEMENT: Crafted Together Co. (facebook.com/craftedtogetherco) Ottawa, ON "We used an old mirrored closet door and hired a calligrapher to write "Find your Seat", our names and the wedding date." - K CHEESECAKE: "We requested to have a "cheesecake bar"as dessert. The venue provided us with a cake stand with multiple tiers, which resembled a wedding cake. We filled it with mini round cheesecakes and had guests serve themselves, choosing their own toppings. It was a hit!" - K GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) London, ON

BRIDE ATTIRE: Sew Stylish Wedding Works (♥) (sewstylishweddingworks.com) Ingersoll, ON LIVE MUSIC: Soul Tripper (soultripperband.com) Woodstock, ON HAIR: Hair by Shelby, St. Thomas, ON MAKEUP: Blush & Glow- Makeup by Lis (facebook.com/makeupbylisv) Tillsonburg, ON ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: “Some little take aways I learned from my wedding day: 1. Invest in a cute hanger for your dress.

2. Make sure you are centred for your "I do's".

3. Ok... now for some heart to heart advice: You go through so many emotions and so many special moments throughout your wedding day. When it's all over take some time to reflect. We had the best day, but it truly goes by so quickly and feels like a blur immediately after. A few weeks after I struggled with the thought of it being done. I wanted to relive the day all over again. But as time goes on, the memories become more clear and they bring you so much happiness. Your wedding day is just the start of your forever, and you have so much life to live together. So many more memories to make!" - K •

BEST MEMORY: "The best memory of our wedding is seeing each other for the first time at church. We locked eyes and time froze; we only saw each other. All of our loved ones from near and far were in one place... for us, celebrating us! It was so rare and special. A day we'll never forget." - A

Radiant glamour at St. George

BRIDE & GROOM: Gerard & Angellie Blaquera WEDDING DATE: May 3rd, 2019 CEREMONY LOCATION: St. Clement's Parish, Cambridge, ON RECEPTION LOCATION: St. George Banquet Hall (♥) (stgeorgehall.com) Waterloo, ON “We chose St. George Banquet Hall as our reception venue because of the elegance and charm of their ballrooms. We fell in love with their chandeliers and large spaces. We also liked how they offered a bridal suite for the entourage to get settled into upon arrival. Brani, the Sales Director, was very personable and honest. He explained their offerings and process very well and we felt comfortable dealing with him immediately. We signed our contract the day we saw the venue.” - A PHOTOGRAPHY: Latte Productions Wedding

Photography (♥) (latteproductions.ca) Kitchener, ON "Our photographer was recommended to us by family and friends. We chose Latte because of their high-quality work and reasonable cost. They ensured that all photos taken are secured and backed up, which gave us peace of mind. We had a blast working with them for our engagement shoot and on our wedding day!" - A # GUESTS: 175 THEME: "Our theme was modern elegance. The colour scheme was gold and ivory with accents of wine red. We wanted our wedding to feel classic, timeless, and effortless with a pop of radiant glamour." - A DÉCOR & FLORALS: Wedding Dream (weddingdream.net) Cambridge, ON CAKE: "Our cousin, Marivic Herrera-Serrano made the 3-tier cake consisting of buttercream icing and

ube macapuno flavour, which is purple yam and coconut, a Filipino delicacy and an homage to our culture. The cake was embellished with flowers and a gold cake topper. " - A GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores Clothing For Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) Cambridge, ON BRIDE + BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: Sophie's Gown Shoppe (sophiesgownshoppe.com) Kitchener, ON DJ: Complete Weddings + Events (♥) (completewedo.com) Kitchener, ON MAKEUP: Brenda at Besame Studio (besamestudio.ca) Kitchener, ON HAIR: Amanda Weldon Hairstyling, Kitchener, ON VIDEOGRAPHER: Goody Cambay Cinema (goodycambay.com) Burlington, ON • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 11

Sweet surprises

BRIDE & GROOM: Nicole & Dario Komsic WEDDING DATE: July 28th, 2018 CEREMONY LOCATION: Holy Cross Catholic Church RECEPTION LOCATION: Marquis Gardens Banquet & Convention Centre (♥) (marquisgardens.com) Hamilton, ON "I've worked there since I was 15. So not only was the space like a second home to me, I knew I trusted them to make my dreams come true."- N PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY: AMV Weddings (amvweddings.ca) Hamilton, ON "I've worked with them in the past and I knew they were the perfect fit. We used them for both photo and video. One of the conditions when I booked the video was to not let the groom know about the videographers! So when the wedding day came, Dario had no idea that we had both photographers and videographers. It wasn't until dinner was over 12 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

that we played the same day edit. He was totally surprised and had no idea!" - N GUESTS: 150 BUDGET: "I don't think we had an overall budget.

I just tried my best not to over spend!" - N COLOUR PALETTE: Grey, White & Purple BACKDROP: Jane Renaud Design and Décor TABLE DÉCOR & CATERING: Marquis Gardens Banquet & Convention Centre (♥) (marquisgardens.com) Hamilton, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) Hamilton, ON GROOM ATTIRE: Stoney Creek Tailors (stoneycreektailors.com) Stoney Creek, ON FLORAL: Dutchman Florist (dutchmanflorist.com) Stoney Creek, ON CAKE: Bellas on the Bench Cakery DJ: DJ Central Music Services (canadasbestdjs.com) Burlington, ON

HAIR & MAKE-UP: Glam & Glow Niagara (facebook.com/glamandglowniagara) Niagara-onthe-Lake, ON ICE CREAM TRUCK: Rita's Italian Ice (ritasice.com) Hamilton, ON BIGGEST CHALLENGE: "The biggest challenge was planning everything in 7 months! We got engaged in December and planned our wedding for July." - N BEST MEMORY: "Our wedding was probably the best day of our lives. But if I had to pick (other than surprising Dario with the videographers), it would have been surprising all the guests with an ice cream truck during the late night buffet. To be honest I was surprised too. I thought they were going to set up a table in the room, and then they pulled up in an ice cream truck! It was amazing!" - N •

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Romantic vision BRIDE & GROOM: Betsy Jonuzi & Andrew Coutts WEDDING DATE: June 30th, 2018 CEREMONY LOCATION: Sunningdale Golf & Country Club (sunningdalegolf.com) London, ON RECEPTION LOCATION: Four Points by Sheraton London (♥) (marriott.com/yxufp) London, ON "We had heard great things about the Four Points. They have amazing food, and were able to accommodate the amount of guests we had." - B GUESTS: 315 PHOTOGRAPHY: Wesley Forbes Photography (wesleyforbesphotography.com) London, ON "We were referred by a family friend. We loved his personality. He was amazing, so much fun to work with even though our wedding was the hottest day of the year! - B 14 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

BUDGET: $50,000 THEME: "Our theme was romantic elegance with light dusty pinks, golds, and crystal."- B DÉCOR & FLORAL: Babylon Decor (babylondecor.com) Toronto, ON "They were able to make my dream wedding come to life without spending a ton of money. They needed little guidance, just some photos of what I had envisioned and they went with it. We loved the head table; it felt like a dream!" - B CAKE: Angelos Italian Bakery (angelosbakery.com) London, ON FAVOURS: Rheo Thompson mint smoothie candies (rheothompson.com) Stratford, ON HAIR & MAKEUP: Salon Prespa, London, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: Petrov Bridal (petrovbridal.com)

London, ON BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) London, ON GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Joseph's Clothiers (josephsclothiers.com) London, ON LIVE BAND: "We hired a live Albanian band from the United States that performs at weddings in their spare time." - B BEST MEMORY: "Dancing and enjoying the evening with all our friends and family - it was finally time to relax and party!." - B ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Try and have fun, the day goes by so quickly that it doesn't seem real! Relax and take in as much of it as you can." - B •

Playful at THEMUSEUM

BRIDE & GROOM: Melanie Debney & Kyle Bom WEDDING DATE: February 9th, 2019 RECEPTION LOCATION: THEMUSEUM (♥) (themuseum.ca) Kitchener, ON “We didn’t really know what to expect when we walked into THEMUSEUM for our first appointment but when the wedding coordinator started talking us through what our reception could look like, we knew it was perfect for us! Who else has a water table and giant floor piano at their wedding, let alone a ball pit and balloon room?” - M PHOTOGRAPHY: Lula King Photo and Film (lulaking.com) Toronto, ON # GUESTS: 160 BUDGET: $30,000

THEME:" We didn’t go with a theme for the wedding. THEMUSEUM has over-the-top wow factor so some draping with simple table settings is all we felt we needed. Our colour palette was mostly neutral and gold with splashes of deep purple and navy blue. We had been to so many weddings where the venue (chairs, tables, backdrop, cake etc) were completely covered in the wedding colour and we wanted it to be a little less flashy than that." - M DÉCOR: AWE Events (aweevents.ca) Cambridge, ON FLORALS: Cabbage Rose Lane (cabbageroselane.com) Cambridge, ON CAKE: "Donna, a family friend made our cake. " - M FAVOURS: Koality Confections (facebook.com/ koalityconfections) Scarborough, ON

GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Collins Formal Wear (♥) (collinsformalwear.com) Kitchener, ON BRIDE + BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) Kitchener, ON HAIR & MAKEUP: KW Mobile Makeup and Hair (facebook.com/KWmobile2016) Kitchener, ON DJ: DJ Mastro (djmastro.ca) Toronto, ON CATERING: Little Mushroom Catering (♥) (littlemushroomcatering.ca) Cambridge, ON ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Remember to take care of yourself in the days leading up to the wedding and on the big day too! It sounds silly, but you may be too busy to notice that the only thing you ate was a bowl of cereal and that you haven’t had a sip of water in over a day. " - M • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 15

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Classroom love at Concordia Club

BRIDE & GROOM: Megan Kerr & Dustin Rose WEDDING DATE: July 28th, 2018 CEREMONY: St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church (stmichaelw.ca) Waterloo, ON RECEPTION: Concordia Club (♥) (concordiaclub.ca) Kitchener, ON "Concordia Club has been a huge part of my life; I've been going there since I was born (my father is the President). I have worked there during Oktoberfest since I was of legal age. I was Miss Concordia in 2015. Concordia Club is the best place to go!! The staff is amazing, the venue is awesome and gorgeous, and the food is to die for!" - M PHOTOGRAPHY: One2One Photography (one2onephotography.ca) Kitchener, ON "I knew Pete from when I was Miss Concordia as he is the photographer for the Concordia Club. It was extremely easy and enjoyable to work with him. He has been in the profession for many years and knows what he is doing." - M 16 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

GUESTS: 185 BUDGET: $20,000 THEME: "Since we are both teachers, we had a slight teaching theme happening. Our seating chart was on an old glass door saying "Classroom of Love".

Cards went into an old desk saying "Report Cards".

Our table centerpieces were mini chalkboards with math equations on them for table numbers stacked on top of textbooks with an apple and flower. Our favours were pencils and a donation to the Chelsea Alvarez Memorial Fund which supports females in the engineering field (in memory of one of my best friends from highschool). Instead of a limo, we rode around in a school bus." - M DÉCOR & FLORAL: "Our family friend, Justine did all the décor. I cannot choose a favourite décor element as everything from the candy bar to the head table to the sign in table was simply amazing!" - M CAKE: Handmade by our friend Emily Panayiotou

BRIDE ATTIRE: Gina's Closet (ginasclosetbridal.com) St. Jacob's, ON BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) Cambridge, ON GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) Kitchener, ON HAIR: Tatiana Shevtsova MAKEUP: Natasha Aivaliotis & Kaitlin Zimmer ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Planning a wedding is hard work and takes time but be sure to enjoy the process! Try not to stress too much as everything will work out in the end.

The best advice we got from people was to be sure to take a couple of minutes during the reception while everyone was having fun and dancing and to sit back together and take it all in. We are so glad we did and would encourage every bride and groom to do the same!." - M & D •

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Outdoor Hindu celebration

BRIDE & GROOM: Niki Patel & Timothy Godin WEDDING DATE: September 29th, 2018 LOCATION: Fanshawe Pioneer Village (♥) (fanshawepioneervillage.ca) London, ON “As a wedding photographer myself, I've always loved the outdoor spaces Fanshawe Pioneer Village has to offer. It is always so beautiful!.” - N PHOTOGRAPHY: Raw Footage Photography (rawfootagephotos.com) London, ON “We planned our wedding in only 9 months and usually you book a photographer a year in advance.

I also really wanted our whole HRM Photography team to be at my wedding as guests. They are family to me so I wanted them to celebrate with us! We decided on Sophie from Raw Footage Photography.

She is a friend of ours and I love her work. It was perfect! I loved the morning session of photos, the first look and our photo session with just the two of us. It was an early morning with our ceremony starting at 10am, we had our photos done at 8:30am and we had the best light!” - N THEME: “We really didn't have a vision or theme, all I knew was I wanted an outdoor Hindu ceremony. I wanted the whole day to be about

18 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

celebrating with our favourite people. We ended up going with pink/rose gold/green/white for our colours and based that around both of my dresses!”

-N # GUESTS: 120 BUDGET: $20,000 DÉCOR & FLORALS: The Little Shed Flower Company (thelittleshedflowerco.com) Varna, ON "The beautiful Mandap that Sarah created for our ceremony was stunning! She is so talented!" - N RECEPTION BOUQUET & BOUTINEER: Designs in Bloom (designsinbloom.ca) London, ON DAY OF COORDINATION: Unmistakably You (unmistakablyyou.com) London, ON "Hire a wedding planner/day of co-coordinator! Having Amy there made our day so organized and let us enjoy the day!" - N CAKE: Bake Shop Studio (bakeshopstudio.com) London, ON DJ: Music Central Entertainment (♥) (musticcentral.ca) London, ON HAIR: AlyCat Makeup & Hair Artistry (alycat.ca) London, ON MAKEUP: Carma (carmabyc.com) London, ON

GROOM ATTIRE: Ceremony - Asiyans (asiyans.com) Toronto, ON | Reception Suit - RW&Co. (rw-co.com) London, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: Ceremony - Traditional dress from India | Reception Dress - Petrov Bridal (petrovbridal.com) London, ON CATERING: Sticky Pudding Catering (stickypudding.ca) London, ON FAVOURS: Donation to Pelotonia (pelotonia.org) BEST MEMORY: “My favourite part of the day was our dog Dre walking down the aisle before me (I saw it from afar) to a Dr. Dre track. It made all the guests have a good laugh before the tears when I walked down! I also surprised Tim with 2 gifts; one was a custom cake topper of us in our wedding attire and Leafs jerseys with Dre, and the second was tickets to a Leafs game.” - N ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Just remember there are no rules, so make your own and make the day special to you both. We kept a few traditions and snuck in some surprises!" - N •

White and whimsical in Stratford

BRIDE & GROOM: Nicola Schaerer & Kyle Wilhelm WEDDING DATE: September 14th, 2018 LOCATION: Stratford Country Club (♥) (stratfordcountryclub.ca) Stratford, ON "The Stratford Country Club exceeded our expectations!

Right from our first appointment with Jessie to our food tasting and final set up the night before with Isabelle, it was a smooth and enjoyable planning experience!" - N PHOTOGRAPHY: Laura Thomson Photography (laurathomsonphotography.ca) Stratford, ON "Laura is a long time friend and an amazing photographer who takes very natural photos. A year prior she did our family photo's, during this session, Kyle proposed and Laura was able to capture this moment. We wouldn't have wanted anyone else to

photograph our wedding day." - N # GUESTS: 145 for ceremony & dinner | 215 for the reception THEME: "The colour scheme for our wedding was white, light pink with lots flowers, and greenery accents. I found a lot of ideas on pinterest!" - N DÉCOR & FLORALS: Designs By Cate (designsbycate.ca) Stratford, ON "We loved everything! From the ceremony décor, to the mason jar flowers on shepherd's hooks that lined the aisle, to the head table and centrepieces. It looked so beautiful. Cate was so easy to work with and she helped pull the entire look together!" - N CAKE: Kandy Cakes (kandycakes1@gmail.com) Stratford, ON FAVOURS: "We did a candy bar instead of favours, so people could enjoy sweet treats while at the

wedding!" - N

BRIDE ATTIRE: Petrov Bridal (petrovbridal.com) London, ON BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: Valentina's Bridal & Couture (valentinabridal.ca) Waterloo, ON GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) Kitchener, ON HAIR: "Dori Nelson & Brittany Henry did our hair. Dori is a long time friend who is incredibly talented. Her creativity with bohemian style updos is amazing!" - N MAKEUP: Makeup Artistry By Heather (makeupartistrybyheather.com) Stratford, ON VIDEOGRAPHER: Bonsai Creative (bonsaicreative.ca) Waterloo, ON • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 19

ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Surround yourself with people who have the best intentions for you. The last 3-4 months are the craziest! The key is to get some of the little things out of the way early. Also remember it is your day as a couple - do what you want to do."- M

BRIDE & GROOM: Meg Pottruff & Brandon Thornton WEDDING DATE: May 25th, 2019 LOCATION: Dundas Valley Golf and Curling Club (dundasvalleygolf.com) Dundas, ON “We immediately fell in love with the 180° view of the Niagara Escarpment, Dundas Peak and their beautiful golf course. The Dundas Peak has always been a favourite hiking place of ours, so it was a perfect fit. The venue offers and organizes all the food, linens and décor, etc. which was exactly what we were looking for.” - M PHOTOGRAPHY: A Nash Photograph (♥) (anashphotograph.com) Cambridge, ON "Amy is family, so aside from it being an obvious choice, her portfolio speaks for itself. She and Deane have captured many of life's biggest moments perfectly.

We had the pleasure of working with Amy as she

Vintage modern

took our engagement photos 2 years prior. After nailing those photos we couldn't have been more excited to have her photograph our day." - M # GUESTS: 125 BUDGET: $25,000 - $30,000 THEME: "Vintage modern with ivory, corals, soft pinks and hints of dark blue. The inspiration originally came from a vintage crystal candy dish found while thrift shopping and we thought they would make the perfect centrepieces." - M FLORALS: Burlap & Lace Florals (burlapandlace.ca) Hamilton, ON DIY: "We did a lot of DIY! From our repurposed cork seating chart to paper flowers and numbers we cut out, to our handstamped favour bags, even our homemade wooden guest book." - M CAKE: Sweet Bakery (sweetbakerybrant.ca)

Brantford, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) Cambridge, ON BRIDESMAID ATTIRE: eShakti (eshakti.com) GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) Kitchener, ON DJ: Ruby Entertainment (rubyentertainment.ca) Hamilton, ON HAIR: Twisted Sisters on Dundson, Brantford, ON MAKEUP: Makeup by Amber Baker (facebook.com/ makeupbyamberbaker) Paris, ON BEST MEMORY: "Our favourite memory was our first look. Finally getting to see each other after the rush of getting ready in the morning then having a few moments to ourselves was very special. It also allowed us to take in a bit of our cocktail hour without the rush." - M • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 21

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Simple yet elegant in Woodstock

BRIDE & GROOM: Leslie & Kyle Difazio WEDDING DATE: September 22nd, 2018 LOCATION: Craigowan Golf Course (♥) (craigowan.com) Woodstock, ON “From the moment we toured the venue and met with Deb, the Director of Hospitality at the course, we knew it was the perfect fit! We wanted an all-in-one location for both our ceremony and reception.

Craigowan was perfect for this! Their outdoor wedding ceremony location is beautiful and unique with tiered seating and the reception hall and patio are gorgeous with perfect views of the golf course.” - L PHOTOGRAPHY: Kelly Taylor - The Bridal Lounge Photography (thebridallounge.ca) Ingersoll, ON “Kelly was absolutely amazing! She came via recommendations from colleagues at work. She was most definitely the perfect fit for us. We met early on in our engagement and I didn't look any further!

From her website and Instagram, I loved her style of very natural and not overly edited. She was so easy to work with and helped to keep us all on schedule.

I knew I wanted to do pictures not just at the golf course and she found the location downtown which are some of our favourite shots.” - L 22 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

THEME: “We never really named our theme but we wanted something modern, with clean lines that we would look back on and always love. I love neutral colours which is why we had lots of white, grey and greenery. We carried out the same white with greenery theme in our invites, our wedding website, all the stationary the day of and throughout the décor.

I wanted things to be simple, yet elegant.” - L # GUESTS: 155 BUDGET: $35,000 FLOWERS: The Flower Fountain (theflowerfountain.com) Aylmer, ON "Nancy's style is so modern and beautiful.

There would be no one else I would want to do our flowers. She created all the beautiful bouquets, boutonnieres and all the florals for the décor. She also delivered and set everything up at the venue." - L DÉCOR & STATIONERY: Unmistakably You (unmistakablyyou.com) London, ON "Amy was awesome to work with. She designed everything from our invites to our day-of stationery. She also created the backdrop frame with our initials hanging, which then served as a photo op during the dance. We loved it!" - L

BRIDE ATTIRE: Once Upon A Time Weddings (onceuponatimeweddings.ca) Strathroy, ON GROOM ATTIRE: EPH Apparel (ephapparel.com) ALTERATIONS: Alterations by Bree McQueen (facebook. com/AlterationsbyBreeMcQueen) Woodstock, ON HAIR: Tomara Harmer | MAKEUP: Julia Owens CAKE: Grandma's Oven Bakery & Cakes (grandmasoven.ca) Aylmer, ON DJ: Spin Doctor Productions (spindoctorproductions. com) Kitchener, ON ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "We both feel that probably one of the best decisions we made about our wedding was our first look! It allowed us to spend so much more time together on our wedding day! We completed all of our pictures before the ceremony. This then allowed us to enjoy our meal, dance and spend time with our guests throughout the evening. However, know that whatever you choose to do, will be perfect for you and your soon-to-be spouse!" L&K •

A beautiful love story in the books

GROOM & GROOM: Jeff & Duncan MacKenzie LOCATION: Victoria Park Pavillion, Kitchener, ON PHOTOGRAPHY: Jess Collins Photography (jesscollinsphotos.com) Kitchener, ON "Mostly we loved how personable Jess was. We went to The Ring's KW Wedding Expo and most of the photographers were very professional but reserved.

Jess was outgoing from the start, struck up a conversation, asked about us and seemed to actually care. It wasn't a difficult decision. She was really easy to work with, made a lot of helpful suggestions, and helped us pick the right photo package for our day.

The best part of the photos is how accurately they capture our friends and family. Anyone can snap a quick pic, but to take a picture that actually makes people come alive, that takes a great photographer like Jess." - J & D # GUESTS: 160

BUDGET: $25,000 - $30,000 THEME: "We used mostly navy & white, but the 'theme' was books. We both love to read, especially sci-fi and fantasy literature, so we made that a big element." - J BOUTONNIERES & BOUQUETS: Lilies White (lilieswhite.com) Kitchener, ON DIY: "Rather than give each table a number, we assigned each table a location name inspired by some of our favourite books (ie. Hogwarts, Avalon, Rivendell). Each table had a nameplate hand drawn by a friend, a decorative stack of books topped by the one we pulled the name from with flowers in Erlenmeyer flasks rather than vases (Duncan is a biochemist) with decorative twine and washi tape around the necks to make them look classy." - J GROOM'S ATTIRE: Indochino (indochino.com) Toronto, ON

GROOMSMEN + GROOMSMAIDS ATTIRE: "The groomsmen each wore a suit of their own, and the groomsmaids wore nice dresses. We didn't have the wedding party try to match us. We got them scarves or ties with the same design as the ties that we were wearing.' - J MUSICIANS: Fred Hale & The Black Water Trio (fredhale.ca/bwtrio.php) Waterloo, ON CATERING: Lancaster Smokehouse (lancsmokehouse.com) Kitchener, ON ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Try to make sure all of your guests feel included and appreciated. We had three hearing impaired family members in attendance, and we arranged for a sign language interpreter to ensure they could understand the ceremony & speeches." - J & D • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 23

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Rustic elegance at Hernder Estate

BRIDE & GROOM: Carmen & Brittany WEDDING DATE: June 29th, 2019 LOCATION: Hernder Estate Wines (hernder.com) St. Catharines, ON "Hernder Estate Wines is a breathtaking location. It has such a warm, cozy feel to it that it feels like home ~ it was an added bonus that we met there!" - B PHOTOGRAPHY: Chelsea Green Photography (chelseagreenphotography.com) Niagara, ON “There are no words to describe what an incredible experience it was to work with both Chelsea and Stephanie. They are both so passionate about their work, incredibly kind and so down to earth. They both made having our pictures taken feel so natural and comfortable! Chelsea and Stephanie capture amazing candid photos that you don’t even know are being taken in the moment; this was so special to look back on!” - B THEME: “The overall theme and colour scheme for our wedding day was neutrals, neutrals and neutrals! There is already so much detail at Hernder Estate Wines; both inside and out, we loved the rustic feel and didn’t want to take away from that.

24 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

Our inspiration was a mix of rustic, elegant, and an overall romantic feel. There’s just something so refreshing and romantic about neutrals, and it’s our overall preference for everything. There were a lot, and I mean a lot of people who tried encouraging us to add colour but we are happy we stuck to our gut~ everything was perfect!” - B # GUESTS: 240 BUDGET: $50,000 FLORALS: The Watering Can (thewateringcan.ca) Vineland, ON LINENS & CHAIRCOVERS: Gotcha Covered (gotchacovered.ca) Port Colborne, ON DÉCOR: Stuff by Chris (stuffbychris.com) St. Catherines, ON DÉCOR RENTALS: Joani Wedding Décor (joaniweddingdecor.com) St. Catherines, ON CAKE: Cake Queens (cakequeens.ca) Grimsby, ON GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Collins Formal Wear (♥) (collinsformalwear.com) St. Catherines, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: Bella Mia Bridal (bellamiabridal.com) Hamilton, ON

HAIR & MAKEUP: Lavish Flair Hair & Makeup (lavishflair.com) Toronto, ON VIDEOGRAPHER: Dave Tebbutt PHOTOBOOTH: The Bloom Booth (thebloombooth.com) Beamsville, ON BEST MEMORY: "SO many ‘best’ memories from our wedding! Definitely seeing each other the first time during our first look, and being announced in as husband and wife! We also loved celebrating with everyone we loved in the same room, you could feel the love and happiness in the room and this is something we will never forget.” - B ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Preplan as much as you can! We tried to do as much as we could as early as possible, when the wedding day came there was less to do and we were able to enjoy the planning process without as much stress.

Also keeping in mind that everything doesn’t go according to plan. It’s a day where you really have to go with the flow, enjoy the moment and BE together to celebrate the beginning of this new chapter!" - B&C •

Naturally gorgeous in Elora

BRIDE & GROOM: Blake Voisin & Danika Walden

amazing!” – D

GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Trends for

WEDDING DATE: April 6th, 2019

DIY FAVOURS: “We made red pepper jelly for our

Men (trendsformen.com) Kitchener, ON "This place

LOCATION: Elora Mill (♥) (eloramill.ca) Elora, ON

favours, a wood signing board, and my mother-in-

is family run. Moe is excellent! He even had the

“The Elora Mill is gorgeous and they have amazing

law made the furs that the bridesmaids wore.” – D

guys in after hours to accommodate their schedules.

service!” – B&D

CAKE: “One of my bridesmaids is a cake decorator

PHOTOGRAPHY: Gary Evans Photography (♥)

and made a chocolate cake with white icing. It was

His recommendations on ties, suit colour and shoes

(gary-evans.ca) Kitchener, ON

simple yet beautiful!” – D

“We were connected with Gary through a family

MUSICIAN: Jessie Webber & The Uptown Girls

friend. He and his wife Kim were wonderful to

(jessewebbermusic.com) Kitchener, ON

work with and made it so much fun! They are very

HAIR: Jess Moser (@cozymosiebeauty) New

professional and provide a great experience. We

Hamburg, ON & Holly Wasser (hollywaser.com)

love the signature photo they did and the fact that

Kitchener, ON

they stopped traffic on a bridge for us to snap some

MAKEUP: Erin Moreau (erindmoreau.com)

shots!” – D&B

Kitchener, ON & Nerea Garcia Roth (facebook.

THEME: Vintage rose, grey & gold

com/nereagarciaroth.makeupartist) Kitchener, ON

DÉCOR & FLORALS: Jodi Leigh Designs

"Erin did my make up and she was AWESOME! She

(jodileighdesigns.com) Kitchener, ON “I asked Jodi

listened to everything I asked for - a mix of glam

fun and the Elora Mill staff were incredible and

to do florals that matched my colours with greenery.

and natural" - D

made sure everything ran smoothly!” – D

I showed her photos from Pinterest and she made

BRIDE + BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE:Taylor's Bridal

ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: “Choose

it happen. We went simple with décor as the Elora

Boutique Inc. (taylorsbridal.com) Elmira, ON "Love this

a venue that takes care of the details so you can

Mill is gorgeous on its own. Everything looked

place! Linda Taylor really knows what she's doing!" - D

enjoy the day! It’s worth the extra money.” – D&B •

26 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

were great. He knows his stuff and was great to work with." - D VIDEOGRAPHER: Lucas Bulger from Your Day

by Lucas (yourdaybylucas.com) Guelph, ON. “He is amazing!!! We LOVE our wedding highlight video and it was so fun to get to watch the ceremony and speeches. Lucas is professional and takes great pride in his work. I would highly recommend him.” – D BEST MEMORY: “Everything!! We had so much

Two cultures, one wedding

BRIDE & GROOM: Pier Glaude & Amar Madhvani

MEHNDI: Krini Henna Art (facebook.com/krini.henna)

ceremony, which was both in French and English,

WEDDING DATE: August 4th, 2018

Toronto, ON

LOCATION: Stonewall Estates (stonewallestates.ca)

DÉCOR & FLORALS: Vinifera Floral Design

and Amar’s uncle lead the Indian ceremony, which

St. Catherines, ON

(viniferafloraldesign.com) Jordan, ON

PHOTOGRAPHY: Scarlet Lens Photography

BARAAT HORSE: Ponies R Us (theponypeople.com)

(scarletlensphotography.com) Brantford, ON

Milton, ON

# GUESTS: 190

DUPPATA: Sia Importers (facebook.com/siaimporter)

BRIDE ATTIRE: Helen's Bridal (helensbridalbarrie.com)

Toronto, ON

in a small cottage so that he wouldn’t see me, but I

Barrie ON

DETAILS: “Our goal in this wedding was really to

was able to peek out the window and see him come

BRIDESMAID ATTIRE: Wedding Way by Adrianna

bring together two cultures. We did not want two

Papell (adriannapapell.com)

different ceremonies or receptions, but wanted

in.” - P

GROOM ATTIRE: Gotstyle (gotstyle.com) Toronto, ON

both to merge together into one. I wore a white

GROOM INDIAN ATTIRE: Bombay Trendz

dress, but had mehndi done on my hands and feet,

(bombaytrendz.com) Mississauga, ON

wore Indian jewelry and bangles and an Indian

HAIR & MAKEUP: Be You Beauty & Co

dupatta (shawl). I made a ribbon out of my mother’s

(beyoubeautygroup.com) St. Catherines, ON

wedding dress, which was wrapped around my

are so many small details that don’t matter much at

JEWELLERY: Banglez (banglez.com) Oakville, ON

flowers. We had a friend of the family lead the civil

the end of the day.” - P & A •

flowed into each other nicely.” - P BEST MEMORY: “My favourite part was seeing Amar arrive on a horse! He was led by a drummer and all of his friends and family. I was tucked away

ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: “Focus on the parts that are the most important to you as a couple – what you want the day to say about you and represent about your relationship and union. There

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 27

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Country escape at Nottawasaga

BRIDE & BRIDE: Jessica Bennett & Chrissy Sled WEDDING DATE: September 14th, 2018 LOCATION: Nottawasaga Resort (nottawasagaresort.com) Alliston, ON “We chose Nottawasaga Resort for the beautiful wedding garden, which has gorgeous flowers, a rustic water wheel, and a pond with a fountain.” - J&C PHOTOGRAPHY: Steingard Studios (steingardstudios.com) Alliston, ON “Phil was recommended to us by Nottawasaga. His portfolio was breathtaking. He was so understanding, really took our ideas and went with them. Phil really wanted to make sure that he incorporated our personalities into our photos instead of just doing "standard" photos. He also had so many poses and spots in the resort that we wouldn't have even thought of.” - J&C THEME: “Our theme was rustic and sweet with a bit of Disney, because it matched our personalities and interests. We love escaping city life, enjoying time outdoors, and country music, which all seemed to fit perfectly. We chose yellow and grey as our colours. Sunflowers are Jessica's favourite flower

28 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

and they fit the theme perfectly.” - J&C # GUESTS: 86 BUDGET: $25,000 DIY: “Our wedding was very much a DIY wedding; the centerpieces, the flowers, the crates that we used, signs we put out, our programs, essentially all of our décor! Even our glass container for our sand ceremony was a DIY project. It took a lot of planning, web searches for ideas, and trial and error for every element. However, we learned that a glue gun can fix anything! We spent many hours together making decorations, putting things together, going over every last detail! It was such an amazing year together planning and visualizing how our wedding would be!” - J&C CAKE: Susan, a family friend DJ: Scottify Events (scottify.ca) Toronto, ON HAIR & MAKE-UP: Jordan Ashley MUA (facebook. com/Jordanashleymakeup) BRIDE'S ATTIRE: Jessica's dress was from David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) Mississauga, ON | Chrissy's suit was custom made from Moores Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) Ajax, ON

BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) Mississauga, ON BEST MEMORY: Jessica: "The first look! Standing there on the step waiting for Chrissy to turn around, getting the first look of my beautiful bride-to-be. I'll never forget the way I felt; the joy and the butterflies, the excitement and the happiness, I couldn't wait to look in her eyes and see her beautiful smile!"

Chrissy: "The first look! The anticipation of hearing Jess's voice but not being able to see her.

Waiting for her to come down the stairs and knowing how close I was to seeing her. After months of hard work and planning, turning around and getting see my beautiful wife. The rest of the world, just melted away. The dress, the look on her face, the tears in both of our eyes, it was everything that day. But saying "I do" was also pretty awesome.” •

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

An intimate winery wedding

BRIDE & GROOM: Alyssa Hughes & Michael Ives WEDDING DATE: June 8th, 2019 LOCATION: Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery (peninsularidge.com) Beamsville, ON "Mike grew up down the road from Peninsula Ridge Estates Winery. Prior to visiting the venue, we had looked at several other options in the area but nothing seemed quite right. It wasn’t until I passed it on the way through town that I remembered how lovely it was. I booked an appointment to visit the venue the moment I got home. After our meeting with Melanie I knew we had finally found our wedding venue." - A PHOTOGRAPHY: Anne Edgar Photography (♥) (anneedgarphoto.com) Cambridge ON “I had fallen in love with Anne’s work many years ago as she was the photographer for a family friend’s wedding. I had my heart so set on her doing our wedding that I made sure she was available for the wedding before we signed the contract with the venue.” - A THEME: “We didn't have a theme.The space was already fabulous on its own so we tried to pick décor and colours that we felt would highlight the

30 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

space. We went with greens, pinks, whites and touches of gold to balance the beautiful dark wood interior of the Coach House. I was overjoyed at how everything came together.” - A # GUESTS: 46 FLORALS: The Watering Can (thewateringcan.ca) Vineland, ON STATIONERY: Red Bicycle Paper Co. (♥) (redbicyclepaperco.com) Cambridge, ON GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) Burlington, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: Taylor's Bridal Boutique Inc. (taylorsbridal.com) Elmira, ON HAIR: West End Hair Studio (westendhair.ca) Grimsby, ON MAKEUP: Makeup By Elisha (makeupbyelisha.com) Burlington, ON OFFICIANT: Brad Lehman from Kettle Creek Weddings (kettlecreekweddings.com) Toronto, ON RINGS: Zsolt Székely (zsoltszekely.com) Toronto, ON "I had found Zsolt’s work a few years ago by accident while I was searching gamer inspired jewelry. Mike is a huge Legend of Zelda fan so when it came time to choose our wedding bands, I sent him pictures

of Zsolt’s work. Originally, we were only going to have Mike’s wedding band custom made, but Zsolt offered to make my ring as well. I loved that he was able to make our rings not only reflect our own style and personalities, but that our individual rings complimented each other." - A ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Make sure you take the time to find vendors that you trust and be open to their suggestions. This is what they do for a living and they have probably encountered every wedding trend or idea at some point in their careers.

The best example we have of this was working with the florist. I had gone in to my first meeting with a basic idea of the colours and flowers I wanted to use. Betty was more than willing to work with what I presented, but I wanted to know if she had any ideas that might work better for the season and for my budget. Thank goodness I asked for her suggestions! What she came up with was better than anything I could have imagined on my own. Also, by taking her advice on re-using the floral décor for both the ceremony and reception, she cut our anticipated floral budget almost in half." - A&M •

Out of this galaxy

BRIDE & GROOM: Courtney Bagley & Adam Janisse

and blue, and my bouquet had quite a bit of blue

Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) London, ON

WEDDING DATE: May 25th, 2019

and purple. Our cake topper was star themed and

DJ: TJ Disc Jockey

LOCATION: Best Western Lamplighter Inn (♥)

our guest book had a true galaxy pattern on it. We

HAIR: Morgan from Scissorkitty Rock n' Roll Hair

(lamplighterinn.ca) London, ON “We chose this

were mainly inspired by the colours and then the

(scissorkitty.com) St. Thomas, ON

location because my father and I have been dj-ing

galaxy theme really settled in!” – C & A

MAKEUP: Vanessa D Artistry (facebook.com/

together for almost 10 years. We have been the dj'd

DÉCOR: Simply White Weddings

vanessadartistry) St. Thomas, ON

many events at the Lamplighter Inn. Every time I

(simplywhiteweddings.ca) London, ON

CATERING: "The Lamplighter did all of the

walk into the ballroom, it takes my breath away. It is

FLORAL: Petals of Love (petalsoflove.com) St.

catering. I received endless compliments that the

beautifully decorated and the food was incredible!"

Thomas, ON "Lori did all of our flowers and our

food was incredible and I can't thank the chefs

–C

centrepieces. I felt the galaxy theme really solidify

enough for being so flexible with our guests who

PHOTOGRAPHY: Ashur Films (facebook.com/

when I saw the blue and white orchids in the vases.

had food allergies. The chefs made meals from

ashurfilms) London, ON “Our photographer was

We had these orchids fully submerged in water with

scratch for our guests with more severe allergies so

recommended to us through family. It was the most

floating candles on the top. It was so amazing some

that everyone could enjoy their meal." - C

incredible experience working with him and we

people thought they were fake or painted on the

BEST MEMORY: "It's so hard to pick a favourite

can't say enough good things to say about him.” – C

vases." - C

memory from our wedding because the whole

GUESTS: 75

CAKE: Chick Boss Cake (chickbosscake.com) St.

day was amazing. Marrying my best friend was

THEME: "Our theme was galaxy. We mainly pulled

Thomas, ON

unforgettable. But if I had to choose, dancing with

the colours from the galaxy so it wasn't over the top

BRIDE + BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: David's Bridal

my dad was my best memory. My dad has always

but remained beautiful. We chose plum purple for

(davidsbridal.ca) London, ON

been there for me and it was a really special moment

the bridal party to wear, our backdrop was purple

GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores

to be able to dance with him." – C&A • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 31

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Unforgettable charm at Boler Mountain

BRIDE & GROOM: Allan Hodgins & Ally Quirk WEDDING DATE: November 3rd, 2018 LOCATION: Boler Mountain (bolermountain.com) London, ON “When we went to Boler for the first time, we knew it was the place we wanted to get married – it was perfect! They were very accommodating in making sure our wedding was just the way we wanted.” - A&A PHOTOGRAPHY: HRM Photography (♥) (hrmphotography.com) London, ON “We found HRM Photography by searching online and really liked their work. When we met Heather for the first time, she was so nice and personable. Her past work and awards speak for themselves, but the passion and energy that she brought to shooting our wedding (finding views and backgrounds in a new wedding location in London) was astounding." - A&A THEME: “We really didn't have a theme, it was just things that we liked. The colours were navy, antique

32 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

white and burlap.” - A&A # GUESTS: 170 FLORALS: Jim Anderson Flowers (jimandersonflowers.com) London, ON "Geraldine listened to what we wanted and went above and beyond. Ally really liked baby's breath so she used baby breath and made it a bit more special by adding statice flowers. We had a ton of flowers and were so happy with them all." - A DIY: "We used Pinterest as our idea starter. Our parents stepped up and took our vision to a whole new level. Our favourite elements were the french doors from the family's century old farm home, Grandpa Ira's cowboy boots, birch branch flower vases, our memory tree and the head table." - A&A FAVOURS: "We made DIY personalized mini Heinz Ketchup Bottles. Ally has always loved ketchup on everything and thought the customized bottles would be great as favours." - A

HAIR: Zita, Ted & Wendy at Five Forty, London, ON MAKE-UP: Beauty by Preen (beautybypreen.com) London, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: Garber's Bridal (garbersbridal.com) London ON BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal.ca) London, ON GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Collins Formal Wear (♥) (collinsformalwear.com) London, ON DJ: Music Central Entertainment (♥) (musticcentral.ca) London, ON BEST MEMORY: “Tough question because there were so many incredible moments. One thing we will never forget is feeling the love and support from so many of our family and friends. We may not get to see everyone as much as we'd like on a regular basis but being able to celebrate this day with them was incredible and something we will never forget." - A&A •

BRIDE & GROOM: Kourtney & Kolton Lynch WEDDING DATE: September 28th, 2018 LOCATION: Croatian Sports and Community Centre of Hamilton (hamiltoncroatia.com) Hamilton, ON PHOTOGRAPHY: DA Photography (daphotostudio.com) Guelph, ON "We found Dragi at a bridal show. After looking at his work from previous weddings and photo shoots, we reached out. This was the best decision we made! Dragi was the absolute perfect person to photograph our wedding! So accommodating, honest and full of energy! He puts so much effort into his work and it shows in every photo." - K&K # GUESTS: 170 BUDGET: $25,000 THEME: "Burgundy, blush and rose gold. I did a lot

Burgundy & blush of research on fall weddings and I fell in love with this colour palette." - K FLORALS: Westdale Florists (westdaleflorists.ca) Hamilton, ON PHOTO LOCATION: Battlefield House Museum Historic Site, Hamilton, ON DIY: "We did a lot of things ourselves to save on costs. The centrepieces were our favourite.

Although simple, they brought a pop into the room. Two vases per table filled with water, with a submerged rose gold stem with petals to add sparkle and on top was a large floating candle. We also had string lights hung behind the head table to add a touch of romance. " - K&K STATIONERY: All That's Lovely (allthatslovely.com) Hamilton, ON DONUTS: Grandad's Donuts (grandads.ca)

Hamilton, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: She's So Beautiful (shessobeautiful.ca) Paris, ON BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: Best for Bride (♥) (bestforbride.com) Hamilton, ON GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Collins Formal Wear (♥) (collinsformalwear.com) Hamilton, ON HAIR: Amber Lynn Hair Studio (amberlynne.ca) Hamilton, ON MAKEUP: Jessica Pettigrew (prettybypettigrew@gmail.com) Hamilton, ON DJ: DJ Young Legend (facebook.com/ younglegend1990) Toronto, ON BEST MOMENT: "Sitting at dinner, looking out at everyone enjoying themselves, laughing and smiling. At that moment We really took everything in and it made our hearts full." - K&K • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 33

ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: “Focus on the things that are important.

It's very easy to get caught up in the trappings of planning a wedding and there's no shortage of people trying to sell them to you! What we (and everyone else) will remember is the time spent with family and friends many of whom traveled from as far away as Florida, Vancouver, Halifax, and Germany to witness our marriage.” – J&H

BRIDE & BRIDE: Janine Anderson & Hannah Milley WEDDING DATE: June 1st, 2019 CEREMONY LOCATION: Kincardine Rock Garden (kincardine.ca) Kincardine, ON RECEPTION LOCATION: Kincardine Beach Pavilion (kincardinepavilion.com) Kincardine, ON “These locations were very special and important to us. We fell in love walking on the beach in Kincardine, where Hannah grew up, and so it was so special for us to be able to celebrate our relationship here.” – J&H PHOTOGRAPHY: Spirits Intrigued Photography (♥) (sipimage.com) Kitchener, ON “We found Alex at The Ring's Wedding Expo very early in our engagement. We loved the artistic style of his outdoor photos. He was amazing to work with and shot our engagement photos as well. We would highly recommend him. It's hard to pick a favourite part of our photos. Alex was able to get a lot of beautiful photos of us on the beach, but we also loved the candid photos of our guests dancing at the reception.” – J&H COLOURS: Green, white & copper GUESTS: 70 34 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

Love at the beach

CENTREPIECE GREENERY: Everlastings Flowers and Gifts (everlastings@hurontel.on.ca) Lucknow, ON “Tracy pulled the centrepieces together with greenery and the flowers my mother picked the morning of the wedding.” – H STATIONERY: Invited by Dani (invitedbydani.com) London, ON CAKE: “Lynnette McInnes, one of our bridesmaids, is a professional baker. She made our cake and cupcakes as a wedding gift to us. They were delicious. She also made some vegan and gluten-free cupcakes for our guests who needed them.” – J&H BRIDES ATTIRE: Indochino (indochino.com) Toronto, ON "As butch women, it's often hard for us to find formal clothing that fits us well. Janine got a lot of compliments on her velvet tuxedo!" - H BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: "We didn't require our bridal party to wear anything in particular - we just asked them to wear something that they liked and felt good in. It was definitely the right choice - they all looked great!" - J&H CATERING: Little Mushroom Catering (♥) (littlemushroomcatering.ca) Cambridge, ON "They were amazing! We wanted a vegetarian wedding and

they created a delicious, filling buffet table with a variety of salads, pad thai, and lasagne." - J&H VIDEOGRAPHER: True View Productions (trueviewproductions.ca) Kitchener, ON BIGGEST CHALLENGE: “Definitely the hardest part was trying to plan the wedding from two different countries with limited time together. With Janine living and working in Colorado and Hannah finishing medical school in Ontario, we had very limited time together, but we started early and powered through whenever we had an opportunity.

A few months before the wedding, we found out that Hannah would have to move to Newfoundland to start her medical residency just a few days after the wedding. That added another layer of complexity, but we managed.” – J&H BEST MEMORY: “As much fun as our reception was, we loved our ceremony. Because we had already signed our marriage license privately in Colorado a few months previously, we were able to have one of our close friends officiate for us on our wedding day. She wrote an incredibly beautiful and moving ceremony and we were both barely holding back tears by the end of it..” – J&H •

Destination Weddings The following nine pages of features are filled with love stories, planning tips and tricks, written and contributed by local brides & grooms and the wedding professionals who know best how to create the ultimate destination wedding event. Curated by The Ring.

PHOTO: Simply Wedding Photography (♥) (simplyweddingphotography.ca) in Guelph, ON VENUE: The Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa Montego Bay, Jamaica BRIDE & GROOM: Velvet & Ariston Corlette WEDDING: November 26th, 2018 Full story: p38

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 35

Ontario's west coast wedding destination

BRIDE & GROOM: Krysten & Tony Shmyruk WEDDING DATE: July 28th, 2018 LOCATION: Hessenland Inn (♥) (hessenland.com) St. Joseph ON “The grounds of Hessenland Inn are amazing! I loved the idea of an outdoor wedding and there were many areas to choose from; I fell in love with the feeling of a shaded ceremony under a giant weeping willow tree. During the cocktail hour between the wedding and reception our guests could wander to the beach, through the vineyards and through the beautifully manicured lawns with a glass of wine.” - K PHOTOGRAPHY & VIDEOGRAPHY: Tara Weddings (taraweddings.ca) Toronto, ON “Photography and videography were the most important thing to us on our wedding day. We loved everything about them on their website and booked them right away. Our favourite part of our wedding photos was how they captured the candid moments such as the picture of my mom and I hugging that I will treasure forever.” - K # GUESTS: 100 BUDGET: $30,000 FLOWERS: Luann's Flowers & Gifts (luannscountryflowers.com) Goderich, ON 36 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

DÉCOR: NJS Event & Party Rentals (njsdesign.on.ca) Clinton, ON "The head table down the middle of the room was my favourite. It had a sparkly table cloth with a big beautiful flower garland runner." - K DIY: "We built our own lawn games to put out during the cocktail hour. Our nieces and nephews were also a big part of our day and my mother-in-law made us a custom colouring book for the kids to colour in at the head table with our love story illustrated by famous Disney couples." - K FAVOURS: "I moved to Alberta seven years ago to teach and met my husband there. We live next to a beekeeper and have hives on our own property. We decided to do little pots of honey that my mom found and put together for us. It felt special and unique!" - K GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Moores Clothing for Men (♥) (mooresclothing.com) London, ON BRIDE ATTIRE: Taylor's Bridal Boutique (taylorsbridal.com) Elmira, ON BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: David's Bridal (davidsbridal. ca) London, ON CAKE: "We opted out of a traditional wedding cake.

Tony LOVES cheese of all kinds, and we also love charcuterie. Hessenland went above and beyond in

creating amazing charcuterie boards with vegetables from their gardens that their wonderful chef pickled months in advance of our wedding. We supplied a cake topper and 3 different wheels of cheese and Hessenland put it all together. It was better than I ever could have imagined." - K HAIR: Thatch & Fringe (thatchandfringe.com) St. Jacobs, ON MAKEUP: Miranda Haasnoot DJ: DJ Alpha Productions (djalpha.ca) London, ON BIGGEST CHALLENGE: "I planned a Southwestern Ontario wedding from Alberta. It never would have gone as well without my mom and sister helping with in person consults when I couldn't be there.

Our venue's wedding planner held Skype meetings, Google Hangouts and helped us every step of the way. If you are planning a wedding from far away, the best advice is to find a venue that is cooperative and understanding." - K BEST MEMORY: "Sneaking away from our reception at sunset with our photographers and getting pictures taken in the vineyard as the sun was setting behind us." - K&T •

{ DESIGN PALETTE }

British Columbia 'art in the garden'

DESIGN & CONCEPT: Colleen O'Farrell FLORAL: Foxgloves Flowers (foxglovesflowers.com) & Bella Guyon VENUE: The Horticultural Centre of The Pacific (hcp.ca) PHOTOGRAPHY: Chelsea Warren Photography (chelseawarrenphotography.com) RENTALS: Trend Decor (trenddecorevents.com) & Victoria Party Rentals (victoriapartyrentals.ca) CAKE & COOKIES: Schur to Please (schurtoplease.com) GROOM ATTIRE: Outlooks for Men (outlooksformen.com) BRIDE ATTIRE: The White Peony (thewhitepeony.com) HAIR: Adorn by Amanda Johnson (adornbyamandajohnson.com) MAKEUP: Privé Beauty Lounge (privebeautylounge.ca)

STATIONERY: Tickle Tree Design Studio (tickletreestudio.com) CANVAS ARTIST: Anne Marie Stephens (amstephensthomas.com) DAY OF COORDINATION: Blue Lily Event Planning (bluelilyevents.com) DRONE COVERAGE: Pebble and Pine Photography (pebbleandpine.ca) MODELS: Briellen, Connor, and Aubrey DESIGN: "The creative team (all from Victoria, BC) put together an art in the garden theme, with a bright sorbet colour palette in shades of soft yellow, oranges, peach and blush. We did a ton of intricate details such as succulent belts for the bride and flower girl, a succulent bow tie for the groom and a circle serpentine aisle surrounded by large scale floral paintings and lush florals. We even did a hanging cake in the forest!" - Colleen, Foxgloves Flowers • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 37

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Jamaica one love

BRIDE & GROOM: Velvet & Ariston Corlette WEDDING DATE: November 26th, 2018 LOCATION: The Hilton Rose Hall Resort & Spa Montego Bay, Jamaica “We researched a few hotels that we liked the look of and had positive feedback from 'destination wedding' groups. Then once we had our list we simply chose the one that was most cost effective for our guests! We had our ceremony on the lawn overlooking the ocean which created a GORGEOUS backdrop for our ceremony. Our reception was suppose to be in a more private section of the lawn area, but it rained so we moved into one of the ballrooms.” – V PHOTOGRAPHY: Simply Wedding Photography (♥) (simplyweddingphotography.ca) Guelph, ON “I found Jacquie at The Ring's Wedding Expo in my city. She was bubbly, kind, welcoming, personable and seemed to know her stuff without being pushy. I liked her work and was excited to see how she would capture the two of us. Working with Jacquie was amazing! We could tell she LOVES her career choice 38 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

and is dedicated to her clients. She was great with communicating with us and ensuring all our needs were being met. Once we received our sneak peak engagement photos back we knew we 100% made the right choice in picking her! She really captured our love and personalities on camera. It's like she already knew all of our "good angles". With our wedding being destination I LOVE how vibrant our photos are! They literally look like postcards!” – V GUESTS: 55 BUDGET: $12,000 - $15,000 THEME: "Ombré purple. I had my bridesmaids in 3 shades of purple. Purple has been my favourite colour since I was a little girl and was always my dream wedding colour.” – V DÉCOR: “I wasn't very big on décor as I figured the ocean, the palm trees and everything else in Jamaica would be enough! I brought some garland for the arbour, vases for centrepieces and used my bouquets inside of them” – V FAVOURS: "We did welcome bags. Inside was a Jamaica keychain, a room key card holder with a coil

band (to wear on your wrist/arm to keep your room key easily accessible) and an 'I regret nothing bag' which included things like Advil, emergen-C drink package, bandaids and a little snack." - V &A BRIDE ATTIRE: Sophie’s Gown Shoppe (sophiesgownshoppe.com) Kitchener, ON BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: BridesMade (♥) (bridesmade.ca) Kitchener, ON GROOM ATTIRE: Exec Couture (execcouture.com) Toronto, ON ADVICE, ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Our best advice would be to follow your dreams & vision! You will never make everyone happy. Also, go to wedding shows! See what's out there in your community, join planning groups... there are SO many resources and people who have been through this process who are willing to help and give REAL tips and advice. Most importantly... have fun and try not to stress!” – V&A •

I DO!’s & PLEASE DON’T!’s:

Destination edition EXPERT TIP BY DESTINATION DREAM VACATIONS (♥) (destinationdreamvacations.ca) in Cambridge, ON

ABOUT DESTINATION DREAM VACATIONS (♥) (destinationdreamvacations.ca). Destination Dream Vacations is a full-service travel agency specializing in destination weddings and honeymoons. From 100 guests to intimate beachside receptions, Destination Dream Vacations knows that your honeymoon or weddingmoon is not just another vacation.

please do...

... have some ideas as to what you are thinking of for your destination wedding. A list of locations you would like to go, how many people may come, are there children coming and of course budget for both the wedding and the vacation portion. ... take your time planning. With destination weddings, resorts planners start serious planning approx 3-4 months out so take time and expect your questions to be answered back from the resort planner in about a week. ... hire an experienced professional! Make sure you have a great and knowledgeable travel agent that has done destination weddings prior. Ask questions, such as: How many weddings have you done? Are you certified?

Are you TICO approved (Ontario Agents must be TICO certified) Would you have any references? ... consider a welcome party or at least a wedding menu. Your guests then will know where they need to be and when. Have this party, or hand out your menus the first or second day you are there.

... keep calm. Things will not always go as planned. Once you have your plans prepared and you arrive on site you will meet and go over your wedding with your local planner.

please don’t...

...leave your planning to last minute. This can cause stress on both the couple and the wedding planner and may result in less options. We often start planning and booking 1-1.5 years in advance. ...get stressed with options. Use a great travel agent that will help you narrow down the destination and resort options based on your criteria. ...pack your wedding attire in your checked bags. This can include your wedding dress and the groom outfit. Purchase a carry bag and take it with you on board the plane. ...ask everyone for destination or resort ideas.

This will cause confusion and frustration as you will get many ideas and get overwhelmed. ...expect everyone to come. This can be disappointing however a lot of times your guests may not be able to afford it or take the time or like to travel. •

PHOTO: rayerwingallery.com

PHOTO: destinationdreamvacations.ca

PHOTO: destinationdreamvacations.ca

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 39

{ DESIGN PALETTE }

Rocky Mountain wonderland

BRIDE & GROOM: Thomas & Madison Sawatzky WEDDING DATE: November 4th, 2017 VENUE: Silvertip Golf Course (silvertipresort.com) Canmore, AB "This venue is set in a picturesque mountain town just 20 minutes outside of Banff, Alberta. With the Rocky Mountains as a backdrop, every guest was in awe of their beauty." - Madison PHOTOGRAPHY: Darcy Preece Photography (darcypreece.com) Kitchener, ON "From the moment I met Thomas and Madison at a bridal show I had been envisioning this amazing wedding. It doesn't get much better than an outdoor ceremony, at the top of a mountain with the famous Three Sisters mountains as a backdrop. The first snowfall of the year hit just 3 days before the wedding transforming this fairytale wedding into a winter wonderland. Madison thought of everything from warm fuzzy shawls for her bridesmaids to blankets for the guests to grab and cuddle up in at the ceremony. The whole day was magical and we are so pleased with how the photos turned out!" - Darcy Preece Photography 40 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

Icelandic adventures

BRIDE & GROOM: Kiri Latuskie & Brett Buchanan WEDDING DATE: April 20th, 2019 CEREMONY: Gamla Laugin (The Secret Lagoon) (secretlagoon.is) Flúðir, Iceland BRUNCH: Icelandair Hotel (icelandairhotels.com) Flúðir, Iceland RECEPTION: Ströndin Pub (strondin.is) Vík, Iceland PHOTOGRAPHY: Karissa Poot Photography (facebook.com/karissapootphotography) Listowel, ON FLORALS: Auður Blómabúð (audurblom.is) Garðatorg, Iceland OFFICIANT: "Our good friend, Ian Robinson" - K MUSICIANS: Unnur Birna Bassadóttir (violin) (facebook.com/unnurbirna) Reykjavik, Iceland & Gunnar Hilmarsson (guitar) (facebook.com/gunnargitar) Reykjavik, Iceland BRIDE ATTIRE: Taylor's Bridal Boutique Inc. (taylorsbridal.com) Elmira, ON GROOM ATTIRE: Joseph’s Clothiers (josephsclothiers.com) London, ON BIGGEST CHALLENGE: "Neither of us are from Iceland. We are both from Listowel, ON. We decided to get married in Iceland because of its natural and wild beauty. We planned the entire wedding independently through e-mails and long-distance phone calls which sometimes was challenging due to the time difference." - K&B DETAILS: "Brett and I envisioned an intimate wedding that reflected our love for adventure and each other. Our day began at the Secret Lagoon, a hot spring

hidden in the rolling hills of Flúðir. Our guests arrived, clad in their swim suits, ready to witness our unconventional ceremony. We walked out as steam billowed from the hot spring, light drizzle fell, and the beautiful sound of violins carried across the lagoon. Our close friend, Ian, performed a personalized ceremony which included a Fireball shot to seal the deal. We exchanged our vows as the rain fell harder. Somehow, the rain made our ceremony even more magical and romantic.

From there, we met our guests at the Icelandair Hotel in Flúðir for a Europeanstyle brunch. We mingled with our friends and family while fueling for the adventurous day ahead. Throughout the day, we met our guests at waterfalls and other natural wonders on Iceland’s picturesque south coast. We explored the sights, took photos, and enjoyed the otherworldly landscapes. Everyone took a moment to relax and get ready before we reconvened for our reception at Ströndin Pub, which overlooks the Black Beach in Vík. There, Icelandair Hotel prepared a delicious three-course meal. Throughout dinner, our friends and family shared many laughs and tears as our bridal party and parents delivered their beautifully prepared speeches. We opened the dance floor with our first dance to the song “Feels like Home” by Chantal Kreviazuk. Brett and I lived apart for the past three years while I went back to school and he worked. Our wedding symbolized not only our love for each other but also the end of long distance. No matter where we are, when we’re together, it feels like home." - K&B • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 41

Tips from a destination expert

7 REASONS TO PLAN A DESTINATION WEDDING IN THE CARIBBEAN

PHOTOS, this page: vivawyndhamresorts.com

"Although a destination wedding often means less stressful planning, there are several things to consider when booking your destination wedding," says Ashley Fermin of Viva Wyndham Resorts (♥) (vivawyndhamresorts.com). Ashley shares her top seven things a destination wedding and the Carribbean have in common....

• Breathtaking Natural Surroundings When you choose a destination with breathtaking natural surroundings, the native flora and fauna become the beautiful backdrop to your wedding photos and memories. Stay at a resort on the beach that puts you in the middle of all the beauty. Viva Wyndham Resorts offers allinclusive wedding packages in the most desirable waterfront locations including the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and the Bahamas.

• A Dedicated Wedding Planner From flowers for the bride to cocktails at the reception, a dedicated Viva Wyndham coordinator helps couples every step of the way.

Enjoy music, wedding cake, and professional photography services without facing endless

42 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

brochures and samples. All you need to do is arrive in paradise and be prepared to say, “I do!”

lessons to windsurfing and kayaking, the world is your oyster!

• A Romantic Reception By the Sea

• Scintillating Nightlife

Are you planning an intimate wedding with a few special guests? Get ready for the good times that come with an all-inclusive wedding in the Caribbean. Whether it’s the two of you alone or you bring a crew of family and friends, the team at Viva Wyndham Resorts strives to satisfy your wedding desires.

• Complimentary Honeymoon Package Couples who plan a wedding at Viva Wyndham Resorts with a minimum three-night stay receive a complimentary honeymoon package.

Share a bottle of sparkling wine while you nibble on fresh fruit. Enjoy upgrades and discounts, based on availability. Bring home a photo souvenir you’ll both treasure forever.

• Daytime Adventures A honeymoon is a carefree time to celebrate love, passion, and all the possibilities of the future.

Add endless adventures to your to-do list during your stay at Viva Wyndham Resorts. From diving

After a day of unforgettable adventures, stroll along the beach hand-in-hand while you share a majestic sunset. Share an intimate dinner for two with culinary creations to tempt the most discerning diners. Once you feel energized, it’s time to party all night!

• Financial Freedom and Peace of Mind The best destination weddings are all-inclusive, so you never have to worry about money along the way. Forget about bills and tipping. All you must do is pay then play for days in paradise.

Eat, drink, and enjoy an array of activities without opening your wallets. •

ABOUT VIVA WYNDHAM RESORTS (♥) (vivawyndhamresorts.

com).

Viva Wyndham Resorts offers prime beach locations perfect for your special day with all-inclusive resorts in Dominican Republic, Bahamas and Mexico

A Disney dream wedding

BRIDE & GROOM: Timaira Magnaye & Dennis Garcia WEDDING DATE: March 2nd, 2019 LOCATION: Disney Dream Cruise Ship PHOTOGRAPHY: Jess Collins Photography (jesscollinsphotos.com) Kitchener, ON “Once we decided on having a Disney Fairy Tale Weddings (DFTW), I did endless amounts of research. I ended up joining a Disney Cruise Weddings group and that's where I found Jess. She is one of the preferred vendors in this group. We loved her work and felt comfortable knowing she loves Disney as much as we do and that she's photographed previous Disney Weddings. Her photo package had exactly what we were looking for plus extras!” – T GUESTS: 37 BUDGET: $15,000-$20,000 THEME: "We wanted our wedding colours to match the overall "theme" of having a cruise wedding. We chose navy blue for its more nautical aspect and chose the light gray to brighten up our theme and contrast well with the ship's colours. Our inspiration for our "cruise wedding" came from not wanting

a traditional wedding but more to feel like an extended vacation. So we combined both wedding and vacation into one. We didn't want a one day event and we love Disney and Disney Cruises so we felt this was the best of both worlds.” – T BRIDE ATTIRE: Brilliant Bridal (brilliantbridal.com) BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: Lulus (lulus.com) GROOM + GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Men's Warehouse (menswarehouse.com) HAIR: Chanel from The Chick Behind the Chair (instagram.com/thechickbehindthechair) Kitchener, ON "Our package with Jess actually included hair and make-up by the talented Chanel" - T FAVOURS: Antique Mickey Mouse Skeleton key bottle opener from Amazon, as well as custom tumblers from Party Innovations (partyinnovations.com).

DETAILS: "Unlike traditional weddings, our choices were planned based on options from packages from Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings. There was wiggle room for customization but we were limited and some requests for customization were based on availability. We upgraded our package to

include: the bridal bouquet and boutonnières, our ceremony in the Atrium of the Disney Dream, and a nautical themed cake. We also opted to upgrade our reception by extending it by an hour. During our two hour reception, we had Disney Cruise Line and DFTW cater our event, and an onboard dj play music. The original wedding package only included cake and champagne but we upgraded and ordered a variety of hors d'oeuvres, a dessert bar, and open bar." - T BEST MEMORY: "My best memory was walking down the grand staircase of The Atrium to meet my husband. It was my princess moment. As for our best memory from our wedding, it was having all the people closest to us witness us finally getting married. After 11 years, this was a big deal for us and our families. Our wedding was the first wedding for both our families. Just being able to spend time with our family and friends during the entire weekend was such a blessing and joy for us." – T • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 43

{ DESIGN PALETTE }

Great Gatsby at Hatley Castle

BRIDE & GROOM: Monica & Fred WEDDING DATE: September 29th, 2018 VENUE: Hatley Castle (hatleycastle.com) Victoria, BC PHOTOGRAPHY: Hildebrand Photography (hildebrandphoto.com) Seattle, WA THEME: "The Great Gatsby" CAKE: Passion For Cakes (passionforcakes.com) Victoria, BC PLANNING & DÉCOR: Details Planning & Event Design (detailsbc.com) Victoria, BC 44 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

FLORAL: Brown's The Florist (brownsflorist. com) Victoria, BC CATERING: Truffles Catering (trufflescatering. net) Brentwood Bay, BC HAIR & MAKEUP: Beauty & Style by Erin Bradley (erinbradley.ca) Victoria, BC DESIGN: "The design was of course inspired by The Great Gatsby film. We wanted to include all the primary textures from that era: pearls, feathers, silk and sequins, to create a true experience for Monica, Fred and their guests. Together with

the bride and groom we came up with the midnight blue and gold palette and then from there we added as much glitz and glamour as possible to truly embody the theme. Big feather candelabra centrepieces were one of many defining pieces. Guests came dressed in their finest Great Gatsby 1920's attire making the whole wedding like a trip back to the 1920's." - Nicola Scott, Details Planning & Event Design •

Expert tips

The following thirteen pages of features are filled with wedding planning tips and tricks, written and contributed by the experts who know best how to create the ultimate wedding event. Curated by The Ring

CATERING: B Elegant Catering & Event Planning (♥) (belegant.ca) PHOTO: Gary Evans Photography (♥) (gary-evans.ca) pg 47

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 45

I DO!’s & PLEASE DON’T!’s:

Stationery edition

AN EXPERT TIP BY RED BICYCLE PAPER CO. (♥) (redbicyclepaperco.com) in Cambridge, ON. Red Bicyle Paper Co. works with design styles ranging from traditional to rustic to fun and flirty.

Essentially, if you can think it, she can likely make it happen – at competitive prices. And if you opt for day-of stationery, Heather will even set it up personally.

PHOTOS, this page: brilliant-images.com

please do...

...number your RSVP cards so if any come back blank, you know who it belongs to! ...ask for help! Designing a wedding invitation is harder than it looks, so use a stationery designer when your budget allows. ...let your personality shine! Have fun, swear, be you! If you have a favourite sports team, or met your partner somewhere unique, include a small (or big) element in your stationery! ...order 5 to 10 additional invitations as you may have overlooked a guest or two and some may get lost in the mail. ...start early! Start designing your invitations 6 to 8 months before your wedding day. And be ready to mail them 4 months before! ...coordinate your day-of stationery (seating chart, menus, place cards, etc.) with your invitations when possible. Keep the theme consistent throughout! ...send save the dates if your wedding is more than an hour away from where most of your guests live, is on a holiday weekend, or a Friday. Guests will likely need to make travel arrangements or book time off work.

46 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

please don’t...

...overcrowd the card. If you have a lot to say, use a details/information insert card! ...include registry information on the invitation Use a registry card, or include the details on your wedding website. ...forget that you need invitations. It tells your guests the when & where which is pretty important! ...spend your entire stationery budget on your invitations. Save some room for day-of stationery and signage. ...save your stationery till the last minute.

Invitations and day-of stationery are important elements that need time to design and produce. ...forget your parents and wedding party!

Even though you know that they are attending your wedding, it's still thoughtful to formally invite them. ...forget to add postage to the reply envelope for guests living in Canada. Guests living overseas or in the US will need to provide their own postage to reply. •

How to create a memorable cocktail hour

B.ELEGANT CATERING (belegant.ca) (♥) Kitchener, ON creates event menus that are customized to fit your unique style and vision.

They have partnered with beautiful venues in Cambridge, Kitchener, Ayr, Roseville, and more to help you find the perfect venue for your style, group size, and vision. They also offer a dedicated coordinator to assist you with everything from planning to rentals.

PHOTOS, this page: gary-evans.ca

BY B.ELEGANT CATERING & EVENT PLANNING (♥) (belegant.ca) Your cocktail hour is the first impression of your wedding for guests and sets the tone for the rest of the evening. This is a prime opportunity to showcase personalized touches and create your desired atmosphere for your guests while they mix and mingle. Keeping these tips in mind, you will be sure to create the perfect ambience!

• When selecting your hors d’oeuvres, make it easy on your guests by serving food that doesn’t require a knife or fork. This allows guests to not be contained to one spot while socializing and exploring the venue.

• With all the modern fad diets its important to have options to be inclusive of all your guests. Whether it’s having vegetarian options, keto, paleo, glutenfree or stations to customize the dish to tailor to your guests’ choices.

• Create a signature drink! Give it a fun name and keep it in season to have the most desirable outcome. Make it personal – it can be a combination of the couples names or even the drink you had on your first date.

• Don’t spike the punch! Having a variety of non-alcoholic drink options is

important. A simple infused water with cucumber and mint is a great option for the summer months. In the colder months, keep it seasonal with hot apple cider and cinnamon sticks.

• Having seated and standing options provides guests of all ages with comfort and selection.

• Live entertainment is another aspect that helps with setting a distinct mood.

Ensure to keep the music at a moderate volume, the dance party hasn’t started yet so at this point the music should be light and enjoyable.

• If your wedding is outdoors, set up some lawn games (cornhole, ladder toss, Jenga). This is also a great idea if you have a lot of kids attending.

Having a cocktail hour is a great decision to help with the flow of your special day. This eliminates the confusion for guests not knowing what to do in between the ceremony and reception, and ensures they are well entertained while the newlyweds are getting their photos taken. •

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 47

BRIDE & GROOM: Samantha & Martel DATE: August 11th, 2017 LOCATION: Windermere Manor DJ: Rob from Music Central "In this picture they are dancing their first dance to Marry Me

by Jason Derulo" PHOTOS, this page: hrmphotography.com

2019 First dance song ideas

Best part of me – Ed Sheeran ft. YEEBA Speechless (acoustic) – Dan + Shay Halo – Peter Katz Dance – Tim Baker Acoustic – Billy Raffoul Harvest moon – Poolside

The one (acoustic filter sessions) – Kodaline How long will I love you – Ellie Goulding (♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

Millionaire – Chris Stapleton The night we met – Lord Huron Can’t help falling in love – Kina Grannis My girl – Tiago Iorc Diamonds or twine – Ryan Hurd If I Know You – Justine Chantale 48 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

ABOUT MUSIC CENTRAL: Music Central Entertainment (♥) (musiccentral.ca) is the area's most respected disc jockey service based out of London, ON Canada. Music Central specializes in weddings as well as corporate events, and creating a unique event based on the client’s wishes, musicality and suggestions. As well as their famous DJ Services, they can also provide photo booths, lighting, special effects, audio/visual, karaoke and much more.

How to include your pets in your wedding EXPERT TIP BY CAST & CREWE PHOTOGRAPHY (castandcrewe.com)

I’m sure most pet owners would agree that our pets are more than just furry

THE WEDDING DAY PORTRAITS: Having your

friends; they are family members. They spend most of their time keeping

pet at the portrait portion of your day is much less

us calm, making us laugh, and loving us unconditionally (well, sometimes with a little help from food ;). The team at Cast & Crewe Photography put together the following tips to help include your pets in your wedding...

THE INVITATIONS & DÉCOR (photo, top): A great way to include your

stressful, especially if the session is located in a quiet, familiar area. Ask a family member to care for your pet during this time so that you can move freely during the couple or individual portraits.

pets is to feature their image on the invitations, save-the-date magnet, stationary, cake topper or place settings.

THE FIRST LOOK: The first look is a private moment when a couple see each other for the first time before

BEFORE THE CEREMONY: Ask your photographer to include portraits of your pet prior to the ceremony. Your pet is most comfortable at home and will most likely be more relaxed while having his or her portraits taken.

the wedding ceremony. This romantic and often emotional exchange usually takes place at a quiet location on the wedding day and can be an ideal setting if you would like to include your pet.

Also include a few wedding items, like the rings for example.

PHOTOGRAPH YOUR PET'S PHOTO: Sometimes it isn’t possible for your pet to be present on your wedding day. If you have a photo

THE ENGAGEMENT SESSION: An engagement session is usually a relaxed and fun session, and a great time to include your pets. You can also see how your pets interact with the photographer and

of your pet, ask your photographer to use it as a

new surroundings, especially if you are unsure about

background.

including them on the wedding day. • WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 49

Favourite creative reception tables

The team at The Ring is always on the hunt for fabulous finds in wedding items, designs, supplies, and trends. In this feature, we show you one of our absolute favourite ways to make huge design statements within a reasonable budget, all thanks to the option of décor rentals - all of which we found at Red Carpet Rentals, a division of Devine Wedding Design (♥) (devineweddingdesign.ca) Mitchell, ON

PHOTO: davidandkara.com 52 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO: kimberlyroyphotography.com

Romantic (photo, opposite page): "A soft and ultra-romantic reception table highlighted with champagne gold charger plates, creative linen napkins placed in the appearance of a rose, round wooden tree bark slices topped with stunning flower arrangements."

Plaid (photo, top): "A seasonal wedding done right! Our unique plaid table runners and antique-style cream charger plates are brought to life by the centrepiece vignette featuring winter greenery and a fresh cranberry-filled candle holder."

Rustic (photo, bottom left): "One of the most beautifully unique, barn weddings featured lovely table settings. The bride found amazing, mix and match rustic chairs and we provided the linens, navy blue table runners and our antique cream charger plates to create their enchanting table design."

Harvest Table (photo, bottom middle): "A perfect mix of rustic and elegance featuring our signature-built harvest tables, champagne gold Chiavari chairs, gold beaded charger plates, our golden cutlery with luscious greenery and pops of romantic maroon red."

Rose Gold (photo, bottom right): "This light and romantic setting lets our rose gold cutlery do all the talking. Our folding white garden chairs along with romantic candles and perfectly laid greenery brighten this stunning setting.."

PHOTO: devineweddingdesign.ca PHOTO: wesleyforbesphotography.com

PHOTO: heatherdeitz.com

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 53

Tips to create the perfect wedding timeline ABOUT THE GRAND GUELPH BANQUET & EVENT CENTRE: The

Grand Guelph under the direction of Platters Catering (thegrandguelph.ca) (♥) Guelph, ON is Guelph’s premier event facility, offering over 12,000 square feet of sophisticated, adaptable event space for weddings, corporate and social occasions that can accommodate 50 – 1000 guests.

PHOTO: deanpalmer.ca EXPERT TIP BY THE GRAND GUELPH BANQUET & EVENTS (♥) (thegrandguelph.ca)

The key to a wedding reception timeline that runs smoothly is planning ahead. Every wedding is different, so copying a wedding timeline template usually is not the best.

Take the time to plan your details and be realistic with how long they will take. To help you get started, the team at The Grand Guelph put together the following tips...

• Most professional wedding services are booked 1.5 years in advance. Be open to alternate dates if you are booking within a year of your wedding. After picking a (few) wedding dates call the venue or catering service first to check availability.

• Plan and sort out all wedding details as soon as you can. Leave at least one month prior to your wedding to relax. This will leave you time to deal with anything unexpected that may (will) come up.

• Ensure that all vendors are aware of your timeline. It is always best to send a copy of your plan. Even if items do not pertain to all vendors this will help us understand your timelines. Be sure to allocate plenty of time for the photographers especially when photos are taken at a location that is not the ceremony or venue.

• Receiving lines take longer than you expect! For a ceremony with 100 guests or less, this will take 12-15 minutes. With 54 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

150 guests, allow 20 minutes. If you're expecting more than 150 guests, consider skipping the receiving line and visiting guests at their tables during dinner instead.

• It will be a long day, but that doesn't mean you can sleep in! Get a jump start on the day. This will settle nerves and leave time to enjoy the day instead of playing catch-up.

• Split up speeches that are made during dinner. Guests will enjoy this more than if all the speeches are back to back. This also will give vendors a chance to eat as well as help keep the kitchen moving along.

Welcome toast: (father of the bride or by the bride and groom or master of ceremony.)

First course (salad/appetizer) (after being served): Start with the maid of honour, followed by the best man.

Second course (main course) (after being served): Parents speeches Last course (dessert) (after being served): The newlyweds can give a toast here.

And remember, don't sweat the small stuff!

Although you have put so much effort into a perfectly scripted timeline expect slight variations. Keep your mind on the important parts of the day and don't let change throw you off! •

PHOTO: gotsphotos.com

PHOTO: gotsphotos.com

PRESENTING

PHOTO: gotsphotos.com

BY:

Under the direction of Platters Catering, no event too large for The Grand Guelph Banquet & Event Centre team!

“Our Chefs have prepared wonderful menus for countless wedding receptions, baby and bridal showers, funerals,corporate and charity events, and many other creative parties.

Any event can be entirely planned by our professional staff, including; décor, rental equipment and more!!”

519-824-5076 | info@thegrandguelph.ca | www.thegrandguelph.ca

Extreme makeover: 1 venue - 2 ways DÉCOR DESIGN: Now & Always Special Events Décor (♥) (nowandalways.ca), Paris ON VENUE: Arlington Hotel - Dominion Telegraph Event Centre (arlingtonhotel.ca), Paris ON

PHOTO: matthewburgio.com 56 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO: matthewburgio.com PHOTO: matthewburgio.com

PHOTO: matthewburgio.com

Location can be everything when it comes to planning your dream wedding, but in many cases, it’s easier to find a wedding venue location (banquet hall, ballroom, hall, legion, private estate, barn, community centre or otherwise) that checks all the must-have boxes (fits your wedding size, budget, and availability), than it is to find one that looks the way you’re envisioning. But with a great decorator, you can make just about any venue perfect for your wedding.

Photo (opposite page and top): Erin & Jamie Feb 16th, 2019 | Photos (bottom): Ali & Joe May 25th, 2019

PHOTO: bentleyphoto.ca

PHOTO: bentleyphoto.ca

PHOTO: bentleyphoto.ca

PHOTO: bentleyphoto.ca

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 57

Top 5 kissing game ideas

ABOUT MAXIMUM MUSIC DJ SERVICE: Maximum Music DJ Service (♥) (maximumdj.com) is a full service DJ company specializing in weddings in and around the Greater Toronto Area. For over 30 years, Maximum Music has been helping couples make the most of their wedding day through music.

PHOTOS, this page: theartofweddings.com

EXPERT TIP BY MAXIMUM MUSIC DJ SERVICE (♥) (maximumdj.com) Toronto, ON

Getting the newly married couple to kiss is a favourite of wedding guests, but the old fashioned “clinking glasses” is just that: Old Fashioned! Plus, your venue probably doesn’t want everyone banging on their stemware. Change things up with one of these games to put a fun twist on an old classic...

only a couple of seconds of each. If a guest is interested in trying their luck, they get up and ring a bell. Then the DJ plays the beginning of a song and the guest has to guess what song it is. If they guess correctly, the bride and groom kiss. If they guess wrong, they go back and kiss someone at their table.

• Sing a Song – One of the most popular kissing games is to have your guests sing a song. This can be done by a single person or a group or even the entire table. The MC can let your guests know that in order to see a kiss you or your table must stand and sing a song with the word 'love' in it. It works and crowds love it!

• Chopstick Professional – The guests pick up different items with chopsticks.

The harder the item to pick up the better the kiss. Have the 3 levels of difficulty separated on a banquet table and set up on the dance floor. Put tent cards with the titles of the levels. Once an object has been picked up, it is removed from the table.

Easy items: golf ball, another chopstick, a flower, etc.

Medium items: a single grain of rice, a ring, a grape, etc.

Hard items: a heavy book, something slippery, a piece of paper, a coin, a marble, etc.

• Hershey’s Kisses – Get a bag and fill it with 2 different colours of Hershey’s Kisses. The guests are invited to come up and select a kiss from the bag. If they select a silver kiss the happy couple will kiss, and if they select a red one the guest must go back and kiss someone from their table. As with all kissing games, the MC or DJ can announce this game.

58 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

• Name That Tune – The bride and groom or the DJ make up a list of popular songs that should be easily identifiable hearing

• Demonstration – Simply announce that in order to get the newlyweds to kiss, a couple in the group must come up in front of the head table and give a demonstration of the kiss they'd like to see.

The newlyweds must copy it! •

Design palettes

The following fourteen pages of design palettes are the result of collaborations between wedding industry experts and local brides and grooms. Curated by The Ring.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Stephanie Canada Photography (stephaniecanada.com) CAKE: Refined Sugar Cakes and Sweets (refinedsugar.ca) pg 65

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 59

A few of our favourite themes at Wedsy.ca

Rustic

Often an intimate gathering with all the comforts of home, the rustic wedding theme is full of homespun and charming do-it-yourself details. This popular look comes to life with natural textures and layers of personality, accented with lovely touches of DIY. Self Standing Chalkboard Sign With Rustic Wood Frame: $75

Vintage White Enamelware Pitcher Wedding Favour (4): $25

60 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

Rustic Wood And Glass Box With Hinged Lid: $86

Rustic Wood Decorative Tray With Ornamental Handles: $25

Galvanized Flower Market Bucket With Handle: Large: $13.40 | Small $10

Mini Mason Jar With Lid (6): $14.40

Leather Bound Journal Rustic Style Guest Book: $60

Natural Burlap Ceremony Sign Here Comes The Bride: $19

PHOTO: elishakphotography.com

PHOTO: cloud9photo.ca PHOTO: fosteredphoto.ca

PHOTO: willreidphoto.com

Favourite ceremony backdrops DESIGN & FLORAL: Fresh Look Design Inc. (♥) (freshlookdesign.ca) Kitchener, ON

PHOTO: timothymuza.com

DETAILS: "We love to create something different every season and keep it special and unique for each client. Different textures, shapes and designs really make it feel like a one of a kind while adding to a beautiful design! From a circle or hex, an arbour or floral, or some stunning greens making their way up the wall, the possibilities are endless!"

- Ainsley, Fresh Look Design PHOTO: stephaniecanada.com

PHOTO: fosteredphoto.ca

PHOTO: fosteredphoto.ca

PHOTO: oliviawitzkephotography.com

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 61

It's all in the details

"At Sew Stylish Wedding Works (♥) (sewstylishweddingworks.com) we know in the world of wedding gowns, there is so much to look at and so much to see and consider. That's why we wanted to take the time to showcase just some of the amazing details our gowns have to offer. Whether it's a stunning back detail or intricate lace design, we hope that these will help you to pin down ideas of what you truly love in a gown, because after all, it's all in the details!"

GOWNS: Sew Stylish Wedding Works (♥) (sewstylishweddingworks.com) PHOTOGRAPHY this page & next: Martina Klyn Photography (martinaklynphotography.com) VENUE: Elm Hurst Inn & Spa (♥) (elmhurstinn.com)

STYLE: Venus Bridal # AT4719 $1500 62 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

STYLE: Bridalane International # BL931 $1250

STYLE: Casablanca Bridal # BL289 $1400

STYLE: Kenneth Winston - Ella Rosa # BE471 $1300

STYLE: Venus Bridal # AT6679 $795 WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 63

{ DESIGN PALETTE }

Romance at Dante Club VENUE: Dante Club (♥) (danteclubsarnia.ca) Sarnia, ON BRIDE & GROOM: Patrick and Amanda Rondinelli WEDDING DATE: October 27th, 2018 "The Dante Club exceeded our expectations on our wedding day. They worked alongside our decorator and coordinator to ensure the wedding of our dreams became reality!" - Amanda PHOTOGRAPHY: Christine Pelchat Photography (facebook.com/christine-pelchat-photography) Sarnia, ON DÉCOR: Exquisitely Designed (exquisitelydesigned.ca), Sarnia, ON 64 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO: emasuvajac.com

PHOTO: anashphotograph.com PHOTO: arianadelmundo.com

PHOTO: stephaniecanada.com

PHOTO: anashphotograph.com PHOTO: stephaniecanada.com

Favourite cake designs

PHOTO: decadentlyyours.ca

PHOTO: decadentlyyours.ca

PHOTO: courtesy of Decadently Yours

Sweet tables, ombre cakes, geode style cakes, cupcake towers, cakes hanging from the ceiling… accents ranging from statement florals and strings of pearls to antique cake stands, designing your cake display can be sweet! This gallery is filled with cake design ideas we love, thanks to our friends at Stacked: The Wedding Cake Shop (photos top row) (stackedweddingcakes.com) Ayr, ON, Refined Sugar Cakes and Sweets (photos middle row) (refinedsugar.ca) Kitchener, ON & Decadently Yours (photos bottom row) (decadentlyyours.ca) Guelph, ON

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 65

{ DESIGN PALETTE }

Tuscan dreams

DÉCOR: AWE Events (aweevents.ca), Cambridge, ON PHOTOGRAPHY: Bassem Photography (bassem.ca) Kitchener, ON BRIDE & GROOM: Amanda & Nick Scozzaro WEDDING DATE: September 15th, 2018 VENUE: Creelman Hall - University of Guelph (event.uoguelph.ca) Guelph, ON CUSTOM DANCE FLOOR: Designer Dance Floors (designerdancefloors.ca) Mississauga, ON GOWN: Crème Couture (♥) (cremecouture.ca) Guelph, ON FLORALS: Blooms + Flora (bloomsandflora.com) Guelph, ON HARVEST TABLES & CHAIRS: Guelph Tent & Event Rental (guelphtentrentals.com) Guelph, ON 66 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

LINENS: Around the Table Specialty Linen Rental (aroundthetable.ca) Toronto, ON STATIONERY: Mint Lavender Lace (mintlavenderandlace.com) Hamilton, ON CALLIGRAPHY: Love Words Stationery & Signage (lovewordsdesign.com) Kitchener, ON DESIGN: "Amanda and Nick were the sweetest couple to work with! We started out with a fun, whimsical design which evolved into a dreamy Tuscan Wedding. We paired an array of neutrals with florals that had a hint of deep undertones, executed flawlessly

by Blooms and Flora. Fresh olive branches were even brought in for an authentic feel around the space." Tanya, AWE Events

Versatile bridal party style: The sweetheart: 1 dress, 6 looks

BridesMade (bridesmade.ca) (♥) Kitchener, ON offers the glamour of the dress without the stress of the shop. BridesMade is the first and only bridesmaid dress rental company in Canada, and the convenience of shopping online with a guaranteed perfect fit can’t be beat!

Winter Wonder

PHOTOS, this page: Christina Marie Photography

Graffiti in the Streets

Old World Charm

Your bridesmaids are there to support you on your day, but they also help communicate your palette and theme to your guests. Not sure what your theme is yet? Choose a dress that will suit your whole party and is chameleon at adapting to your special day. Rent the dress and save for accessories that make the look. Bridesmaid dresses are $85 for knee or floor length. Strapless Sweetheart sizes range from XXS-XL •

A Little Bit of Country Island Vibes Garden Beauty

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 67

Wrapped in love Strong Like Bull Studio (♼) (etsy.com/ca/ shop/StrongLikeBullStudio) offers handmade wedding shawls to keep you warm and cozy on your chilly fall, winter or spring wedding day. While there are many designs and colours already available, Jess, the designer at Strong Like Bull Studio says "I'm always happy to design something custom for your special day. Whether it's colour or weight, I can create something that suits your vision.

I'm always working on something new and have a lot of work in progress. To check out what I'm up to, follow me on instagram at instagram.com/officialstronglikebull."

PHOTO: brilliant-images.com

PHOTOS, this page: gary-evans.ca (unless otherwise stated)

68 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

{ DESIGN PALETTE }

Elegant earthy wedding DESIGN & FLORAL: Fresh Look Design Inc. (♥) (freshlookdesign.ca) Kitchener, ON BRIDE & GROOM: Terra & Nate WEDDING DATE: January 26th, 2019 VENUE: Elora Mill (♥) (eloramill.ca) Elora, ON PHOTOGRAPHY: Nikki Mills Photography (nikkimills.ca) Toronto, ON

DETAILS: "For Terra and Nate, we went off of a moody Snow White Winter feel that wasn't screaming holiday or Christmas but also worked off of that vibe given the time of year. We had so much fun using rich jewel tones and deep green texture with not only our floral but also with the décor. Having those key décor pieces can really connect a space and bring the design full circle. This is easily one of our highlights from this year! Amazing couple, beautiful venue and stunning design!"

- Ainsley, Fresh Look Design WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 69

A few of our favourite themes at Wedsy.ca

Glamorous

Bask in the lap of luxury and indulge your taste for the finer things in life with a glamorous wedding theme. Rich colour palettes accented with sparkling details make this one sleek soiree to remember...

Diamond Shaped Tealight Holders: $75

Small Mirrored Keepsake Box With Lid (4): $25

Silver Plated Diamond Napkin Holders (4): $38

Ornamental Ribbed Orb Stationery Holder (6): $54

Faux Jewels By The Roll: $50

Classic Glass Votive Holder: $15

70 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

Classic Round Table Number Holder (6): $38

Black and Gold Opulence Large Table Number (12): $8.58

Favourite reception backdrops DESIGN: Decorating Dreams (♥) (decoratingdreams.ca) New Hamburg, ON

When it comes to wedding design, a head table backdrop is one of the most important design elements. Your head table backdrop will be the frame for so many of your candid wedding photos. Here are a few of our favourite options to help inspire you...

54 • The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 71

Favourite 2020 gowns

These 2020 bridal gowns are beyond dreamy! With designers having just released their Spring

2020 bridal collections, we have your first sneak peek here at what you can find at Crème Couture (♥) (cremecouture.ca) in Guelph, ON this coming season!

72 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 73

PHOTO: anneedgarphoto.com @

THE

S H O W:

P H O T O G R A P H Y, MUSIC,

VENUES, T R AV E L

T R A N S P O R TAT I O N ,

WEDDING SPECIALISTS, B E A U T Y,

DESIGNERS LIFE

&

&

H E A LT H ,

BARRIE BRANTFORD CAMBRIDGE GUELPH HAMILTON KITCHENER-WATERLOO LONDON

D E C O R AT O R S ,

WEDDING

GIFTS,

FA S H I O N

BUDGET

FAV O U R S ,

&

FORMAL

SPECIALISTS,

WEDDING

SUPPLIES

WEAR,

OFFICIANTS, &

MORE

MILTON NEWMARKET ORILLIA RICHMOND HILL SARNIA STRATFORD WOODSTOCK

REGISTER FOR FREE ADMISSION, WELCOME BAG & CUSTOM LABELS AT:

theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo

LOCAL WEDDING PROFESSIONALS, ON SITE GOWN SALES, FREE WELCOME BAG + FREE ADMISSION FOR THE BRIDE, GROOM & ENTOURAGE + FREE COPY OF THE WEDDING RING MAGAZINE + FREE PARKING, $1000 ONLINE SHOPPING SPREE GRAND PRIZE & SO MUCH MORE!

Ontario bridal show calendar Full list of bridal shows (updated year round!) can be found @ theweddingring.ca ♥

THE RING’S LONDON FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ September 8th, 2019 at The Best Western Lamplighter Inn 591 Wellington Road in London theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S BARRIE FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ September 15th, 2019 Liberty North 1-100 Caplan Avenue in Barrie theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S HAMILTON FALL WEDDING EXPO September 15th, 2019 at Marquis Gardens 1050 Rymal Road East in Hamilton theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S KW FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ September 22nd, 2019 at Bingemans 425 Bingemans Centre Drive in Kitchener theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S RICHMOND HILL FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ NEW ♥ September 29th, 2019 at Oakview Terrace 13256 Leslie Street in Richmond Hill theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S SARNIA FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ NEW ♥ September 29th, 2019 at Dante Club 1330 London Road in Sarnia theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo

THE RING’S STRATFORD FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ October 6th, 2019 at The Best Western PLUS The Arden Park Hotel 552 Ontario Street in Stratford theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S GUELPH FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ October 20th, 2019 at Grand Guelph Banquet & Event Centre 340 Woodlawn Road West in Guelph theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S BRANTFORD FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ October 29th, 2019 at The Best Western Brantford 19 Holiday Inn Drive in Brantford theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S MILTON FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ November 3rd, 2019 at Milton Banquet & Conference Centre 3090 Steeles Avenue West in Milton theweddingring.ca/bridalexpo THE RING’S NEWMARKET FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ November 10th, 2019 at The Newmarket Community Centre & Lions Hall 200 Doug Duncan Drive in Newmarket theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S CAMBRIDGE FALL WEDDING EXPO ♥ November 10th, 2019 at Paragon Banquet Hall 15 International Village Drive in Cambridge theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo

THE RING’S KW WINTER WEDDING EXPO ♥ January 11th & 12th, 2020 at Bingemans 425 Bingemans Centre Drive in Kitchener theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo CONCORDIA CLUB OPEN HOUSE January 19th, 2020 at Concordia Club 429 Ottawa Street South in Kitchener theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S BARRIE WINTER WEDDING EXPO ♥ January 18th, 2020 Liberty North 1-100 Caplan Avenue in Barrie theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S LONDON WINTER WEDDING EXPO ♥ January 26th, 2020 at The Best Western Lamplighter Inn 591 Wellington Road in London theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S STRATFORD WINTER WEDDING EXPO ♥ February 8th, 2020 at The Best Western PLUS The Arden Park Hotel 552 Ontario Street in Stratford theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo THE RING’S HAMILTON WINTER WEDDING EXPO February 9th, 2020 at Marquis Gardens 1050 Rymal Road East in Hamilton theweddingring.ca/weddingexpo WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 75

Wedding worthy venues

The WEDDING WORTHY VENUES feature is 20 photo and fact filled pages featuring some of Ontario’s most sought-after wedding venues. From historic estates and wide open spaces for tent receptions to ballrooms that any engaged couple would die for, Wedding Worthy Venues is an advertising feature designed to give you an at-a-glance look at the styles, spaces, indoor and outdoor options, catering choices and guest capacities at selected wedding venues. Want more?

Find everything from colour schemes to wedding menus, and package pricing by checking out Location, Location, Location reviews at TheWeddingRing.ca ♥

VENUE: Elm Hurst Inn & Spa (♥) (elmhurstinn.com) PHOTO: Dudek Photography (dudekphotography.com)

(♥) = Reviewed in theweddingring.ca

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 77

WHISTLE BEAR GOLF CLUB IN CAMBRIDGE 519-650-2327 info@whistlebear.ca whistlebear.ca

PHOTO: anneedgarphoto.com

A breathtaking landscape, with a New Hampshire style clubhouse, contemporary seasonal menus, WHISTLE BEAR GOLF CLUB will look after your individual needs from start to finish with all-inclusive packages that combine everything you could possibly dream of for an enchanting wedding day. Each event space offers a stunning outdoor terrace, surrounded by smooth green lawns, gently rolling hills, blue sky above you and an "away from it all" atmosphere that fuses the relaxed and comfortable with something grand. The charming open-aired Garden Chapel features manicured gardens encasing your aisle entrance while the natural landscape of Whistle Bear's golf course provides the perfect backdrop. A retractable peaked roof provides complete protection from the weather. UP TO 400 GUESTS | YEAR-ROUND CEREMONY OPTIONS | 3 PRIVATE EVENT SPACES WITH OUTDOOR TERRACES | PERSONAL MAITRE'D & CONCIERGE | DAY OF PAMPERING AND SERVICE | FULL BAR SERVICE | ON-SITE CATERING ONLY PHOTO: anneedgarphoto.com

PHOTO: cloud9photo.ca

PHOTO: cloud9photo.ca

PHOTO: cloud9photo.ca

PHOTO: taylorjacksonphoto.com

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 57

78 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PARAGON BANQUET CENTRE

PHOTO: Paragon Banquet Centre

IN CAMBRIDGE

Devon C Photography

519-722-4812

PHOTO: bassem.ca

info@paragonbanquet.com paragonbanquet.com

Conveniently located 5 minutes off the 401 inside

PHOTO: lovesproutsphotography.com

the Armenian Centre in Cambridge,

Banquet Centre

Paragon

can accommodate large

celebrations of up to 400 guests for a sit down dinner or an intimate gathering with family and friends.

Whether you need a location for a ceremony, reception, engagement

party,

anniversary,

shower,

PHOTO: weddingdream.net | 2dstudio.me

meeting,

corporate event or celebration, Paragon has it all.

40 TO 400 GUESTS | CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | FULL BAR SERVICE | ON-SITE CATERING PHOTO: decoratingdreams.ca

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 79

CONCORDIA CLUB IN KITCHENER 519-745-5617 mail@concordiaclub.ca concordiaclub.ca

PHOTO: one2onephotography.ca

PHOTO:zsuzsipalphotography.com

Concordia Club is the place

PHOTO: zsuzsipalphotography.com

to hold a beautiful wedding ceremony and reception. From outdoors to indoors, they can host an elegant wedding reception, from small and intimate, to large and lavish. Much more than just Oktoberfest!

UP FULL

TO

450

BAR

ON-SITE

GUESTS SERVICE

|

&

CATERING

PHOTO: zsuzsipalphotography.com

80 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO:zsuzsipalphotography.com

PHOTO: one2onephotography.ca

OAKVIEW TERRACE RECEPTION CENTRE IN RICHMOND HILL 905-888-0606 contactoakview@gmail.com oakviewterrace.com

PHOTOS, this page: Oakview Terrace Reception Centre

OAKVIEW TERRACE offers a setting of elegance and charm. We provide a relaxed atmosphere, flowered gardens, terraces, an outdoor chapel and heart shaped Haynes Lake for the picturesque backdrop to your next event.

INSIDE & OUTSIDE CEREMONY AND RECEPTION OPTIONS AVAILABLE | 50-200 GUESTS | ON-SITE CATERING | FULL BAR SERVICE

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 81

PHOTO: Best Western Lamplighter Inn

BEST WESTERN® PLUS LAMPLIGHTER INN & CONFERENCE CENTRE IN LONDON

Devon C Photography

PHOTO: novamarkina.com

ALL-INCLUSIVE WEDDING PACKAGES

519-681-7151 sales@lamplighterinn.ca lamplighterinn.ca PHOTO: one12photo.ca

for twenty to five hundred guests. Host your ceremony in front of the Atrium gazebo, dance and dine with guests in elegant ballrooms, and get treated to special accommodation rates. Have your own Wedding Planner on-site, create your customized menu, take advantage of fantastic indoor photo locations and extensive wedding décor options.

20-500 GUESTS | FULL BAR SERVICE | ON-SITE CATERING | GRAND BALLROOMS | CRYSTAL CHANDELIERS | INDOOR WATERFALLS | GLASS CEILINGS | INDOOR ATRIUM | EXTENSIVE CATERING MENUS | LUXURY OVERNIGHT SUITES | INDOOR GAZEBO CEREMONIES | HONEYMOON SUITES | YOUR ENTIRE WEDDING DAY IS TAKEN CARE OF AT THE BEST WESTERN PLUS® LAMPLIGHTER INN PHOTO: hrmphotography.com

PHOTO: one12photo.ca

82 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

REVIVAL HOUSE IN STRATFORD 519-273-3424 weddings@revival.house revival.house

PHOTO: vaughnbarry.com

PHOTO: davidandkara.com

STRATFORD’S

PHOTO: davidandkara.com

PREMIERE WEDDING SITE Elegance, heritage, and warmth await you. After all, it was a church. This beautiful venue is complimented by exquisite menus and drink lists. One

PHOTO: angelicimages.ca

perfect site for both ceremonies and receptions. Your memories will be better than a fairytale-they’ll be made of your story.

FROM 55-140 GUESTS | FULL BAR

SERVICE

|

ON-SITE

CATERING ONLY | ON-SITE WEDDING

COORDINATOR

ON-SITE SOMMELIER | OUTSIDE GARDEN TERRACE | CEREMONY &

RECEPTION

PHOTO: davidandkara.com

OPTIONS

PHOTO: maigancowenphotography.com

PHOTO: ninapolidorophotography.com/

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 83

HAUSER HALL IN HEIDELBERG cherylh@hauserstores.com hauserhall.com

PHOTO: hauserhall.com

GORGEOUS RESTORED 1800’S CHURCH | VAULTED CEILINGS & CHOIR LOFT | BRIGHT AIRY CEREMONY SPACE | LARGE RECEPTION SPACE WITH STONE FLOORS & FIREPLACE | STAINED

PHOTO: hauserhall.com

& ONE OF K-W’S ALL-TIME FAVOURITE WEDDING VENUES! ORIGINALLY

1800’S

AN CHURCH,

HAUSER H A L L

PHOTO: hauserhall.com

GLASS WINDOWS, MINUTES FROM ST. JACOBS & WATERLOO.

offers two floors of beautiful décor and space for your and

dance. From front to back, the hall offers both natural and contemporary sunken lighting, cathedral ceilings, PHOTO: hauserhall.com

and 100 FOR

84 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

hardwood GUESTS

floors. |

IDEAL

CEREMONY,

DINNER & RECEPTION

PHOTO: anneedgarphoto.com

reception,

PHOTO: anneedgarphoto.com

ceremony,

HUBERTUSHAUS IN MANNHEIM 519-634-8491 info@hubertushaus.ca hubertushaus.ca

PHOTOS this page: Courtesy of Hubertushaus (unless otherwise stated)

PHOTO: jesscollinsphotos.com

NESTLED ON 7

BEAUTIFUL ACRES,

PHOTO jesscollinsphotos.com

an oasis just outside KW awaits you at Hubertushaus. From a charming pond with fountain to the rustic hall, create the perfect backdrop for your wedding. With an abundance of space, your guests can enjoy an outdoor ceremony or some backyard fun in between the ceremony and reception. The covered patio overlooking the grounds ensures that no matter what mother nature has in store for your special day, you won't be left out in the rain.

UP TO 300 GUESTS | CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | TENT WEDDINGS | FULL BAR SERVICE | ON-SITE CATERING.

PHOTO: taralillyphotography.com

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 85

BINGEMANS IN KITCHENER 519-744-1231 ext. 2268 weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com

PHOTO: hauserworks.com PHOTO: latteproductions.ca

PHOTO: sdavidandkara.com

PHOTO: Decorating Dreams

BINGEMANS PROVIDES THE FLEXIBILITY, E X P E R I E N C E A N D S PAC E O P T I O N S to suit any bride & groom. With six banquet rooms on the Bingemans property, including the Ballroom and Embassy Room, Bingemans is the perfect setting for all sizes and styles of weddings. Bingemans' expansive grounds are also a beautiful backdrop for pictures to capture your special day.

MULTIPLE

GUESTS

|

&

ON-SITE

RECEPTION CATERING

OPTIONS |

FULL

AVAILABLE

BAR

SERVICE PHOTO: lovesproutsphotography.com

50-1200

CEREMONY

86 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO: photographybyazra.com

MILTON BANQUET & CONFERENCE CENTRE IN MILTON 905-864-8445 info@miltonbanquets.com miltonbanquets.com

PHOTOS, this page: 1cmp.com

Situated in the midst of 36 acres of PICTURESQUE PARKLAND, Milton Banquet & Conference Centre will transport your guests to a state of serenity as they enjoy strolling through the manicured courtyard gardens and lush green lawns. Our elegantly decorated banquet halls easily accommodate parties of 50 – 500 guests and our dedicated and experienced staff will attend to every detail to ensure a night of memories you're sure to cherish. CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | 50 TO 500 GUESTS | FULL BAR SERVICE | ONSITE CATERING

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 87

CAMBRIDGE HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE IN CAMBRIDGE

519-624-7732 weddings@cambridgehotel.ca cambridgehotel.ca

PHOTO: cambridgehotel.ca

CAMBRIDGE

PHOTO: geweddings.ca

PHOTO: gary-evans.ca

H O T E L & CONFERENCE C E N T R E provides over 10,000 square feet of flexible function space, supported

by

10-individual

function rooms. The recently renovated space is ideal for conferences

PHOTO: gary-evans.ca

and

events. When you get married at Cambridge Hotel & Conference Center you’ll have an entire team dedicated to your wedding day.

PHOTO: gary-evans.ca

weddings,

CEREMONY & RECEPTION |

GUESTS

UP

TO

|

200 ON-

SITE

CATERING

FULL

BAR

|

SERVICE

One of our favourite things about Cambridge Hotel & Conference Centre is that you can have your ceremony, reception and accommodations all under one roof.

PHOTO: gary-evans.ca

88 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO: cambridgehotel.ca

PHOTO: gary-evans.ca

OPTIONS

ELM HURST INN & SPA IN INGERSOLL

1-800-561-5321 ext. 8236 erin@elmhurstinn.com elmhurstinn.com

PHOTOS, this page: dudekphotography.com

INSPIRED BY TRADITION SINCE 1872

Home to many gorgeous weddings, Elm Hurst Inn & Spa offers a picture perfect venue for indoor or outdoor weddings. Located in Ingersoll (15 minutes east of London), the Inn features both elegant ballrooms and rustic style reception spaces, indoor & outdoor ceremony options, beautifully manicured grounds, all-inclusive packages and an on-site wedding coordinator.

FROM 4 TO 230 GUESTS | FULL BAR & CATERING SERVICES | INDOOR & OUTDOOR CEREMONIES | INDOOR RECEPTION OPTIONS | HISTORICAL ARCHITECTURE | GAZEBOS | GORGEOUS GREEN SPACE & PATHWAYS | PATIOS | FOUNTAINS | OVERNIGHT GUEST ACCOMMODATIONS | A VENUE WITH EVERYTHING

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 89

LIBERTY NORTH

is conveniently located close to Highway 400 in Barrie, and offers over 5000 sq. ft. of event and meeting space, welcoming 20 to 500+ guests. Their versatile ballrooms, with the option of on-site wedding ceremonies, can accommodate sit-down receptions followed by dancing. Select from a menu of traditional favourites or choose from among several all-inclusive wedding packages, offering plated dinner and buffet options.

CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | 20-500+ GUESTS CATERING

|

|

ON-SITE

FULL BAR SERVICE

PHOTOS, this page: Liberty North,

unless otherwise stated

LIBERTY NORTH IN BARRIE PHOTO: natcaronphotography.com

705-728-3877 info@libertynorth.ca libertynorth.ca

PHOTOS, bottom row: alleycatphotography.ca

90 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

DOUBLETREE BY HILTON KITCHENER

PHOTO: gary-evans.ca

IN KITCHENER 519-893-1211

PHOTO: DoubleTree by Hilton Kitchener

stephanie.mcdonald@hilton.ca

RENOVATED

INDOOR WEDDINGS FOR 10 TO 300 GUESTS | FULL BAR SERVICE | ON-SITE CATERING PHOTO: redsuitcasephotography.com

78 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO: redsuitcasephotography.com

PHOTO: DoubleTree by Hilton Kitchener

NEWLY

, the Doubletree by Hilton Kitchener is a modern wedding destination! With a varitey of elegant venue spaces Doubletree Kitchener offers professional onsite wedding planners, award winning Executive Chef offering customized menues, on-site décor options, inclusive packages for every budget, preferred guest room rates, complimentary overnight accommodation for couples on their wedding nights with chef-inspired amenities, and much more!

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 91

THE TANNERY IN KITCHENER PHOTO: davidandkara.com

THE TANNERY has been

revitalized from a turn-of-the-century mill to a contemporary trendsetting venue with exposed brick, wooden beams & soaring ceilings. This venue is rustic, urban and chic, and can compliment any colour scheme or décor.

Let your photos be the backdrop for your

519-744-1231 Ext. 2234 weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com/weddings

PHOTO: davidandkara.com

event with state of the art digital media walls.

75-220 GUESTS | FULL BAR SERVICE | ON-SITE CATERING | CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS

PHOTO: sethpartridge.com

PHOTO: decoratingdreams.ca

92 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

PHOTO: decoratingdreams.ca

CAMBRIDGE BUTTERFLY CONSERVATORY IN CAMBRIDGE 519-653-1234 x 112 weddings@cambridgebutterfly.com cambridgebutterfly.com

PHOTO: hauserworks.com PHOTO: dudekphotography.com PHOTO: cambridgebutterfly.com

BEAUTIFUL FREE-FLYING BUTTERFLIES

create a romantic, intimate and unique wedding venue for your ceremony, reception, and photos all year round, rain or shine. The enchanting indoor garden features cascading waterfalls, reflecting pools, streams and lush tropical foliage. Offering customizable menus, a private bridal suite, and personalized consultation. CONSERVATORY CEREMONY AMONG THE BUTTERFLIES FOR 160 GUESTS | SEATED DINING

PHOTO: egirardphotography.com

PHOTO: boxphotography.ca

PHOTO: boxphotography.ca

FOR 140 GUESTS | ON-SITE CATERING | BAR SERVICES AVAILABLE

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 93

WATERLOO REGIONAL POLICE ASSOCIATION IN CAMBRIDGE 519-622-0771 jackie@wrpa.org wrpa.org

PHOTOS, this page: sipimage.com

The Waterloo Regional Police Association Banquet & Recreation Centre is situated on 52

acres of beautifully landscaped grounds offering privacy for your special occasion. With the option of indoor or outdoor services, WRPA can accommodate celebrations and events such as family reunions, anniversaries, engagement and retirement parties, and of course, weddings.

INDOOR AND OUTDOOR CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | UP TO 300 GUESTS | ON-SITE CATERING | FULL BAR SERVICE

94 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca 78 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

Photo courtesy of Bingemans

WATERLOO CENTRAL RAILWAY

IN ST. JACOB'S 519-744-1555 | weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com

Photo courtesy of aboveandbeyondstyles.ca

BEST WESTERN PLUS THE ARDEN PARK HOTEL

IN STRATFORD 519-275-2936 | armcgavin@wightman.ca ardenpark.on.ca

Bring excitement, romance, and celebration to a whole new level as you say “I do” aboard one of Waterloo Central Railway’s historic locomotives. This 'rolling wedding chapel' is ideal for intimate weddings and is sure to have your guests inspired by your special day in history.

Offering excellent menu options and prices, space for up to 450 guests, ceremony and reception spaces, newly renovated décor, overnight accomodations and, essentially, a one-stop-shop style venue and a staff that takes a hands-on approach to assisting with your wedding, Stratford’s Best Western PLUS The Arden Park Hotel is a fabulous venue option for a wedding day, both in festival season and out.

50 |

50 |

TO 450 ON-SITE

GUESTS | OVER CATERING |

NIGHT FULL

ACCOMMODATIONS BAR SERVICE

Photo courtesy of Quality Inn & Conference Centre Orillia

QUALITY INN & CONFERENCE CENTRE ORILLIA

IN ORILLIA 705-326-7343 | kelly@qualityinnorillia.com qualityinnorillia.com

TO 450 ON-SITE

GUESTS | OVER CATERING |

NIGHT FULL

ACCOMMODATIONS BAR SERVICE

Photo courtesy of Bingemans

STECKLE HERITAGE FARM IN KITCHENER 519-744-1555 | weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com

Ranging in size from intimate gatherings of 15 to large functions of up to 200, Quality Inn’s event and wedding venue in Orillia is the ideal space to host any kind of social or professional function. With over 30 years of experience in meetings, conferences, and large group events, you can rest easy knowing their professional staff are on-hand to provide you with excellent event planning services.

Steckle Heritage Farm is a designated heritage property in the City of Kitchener dating back to 1833. From the original farm buildings, to trees, to antiques on site, many date back well over 100 years it maintains the feeling of an old farm while having modern amenities. Its beauty combined with being a "Farm within the City" are part of what makes it so unique.

15 TO 200 GUESTS | CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS | ONSITE CATERING | FULL BAR SERVICE

CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | INSIDE & OPTIONS | ON-SITE CATERING | FULL BAR

OUTSIDE SERVICE

WHERE FABULOUS LOCAL WEDDINGS BEGIN! • 95

Photo courtesy of Best Western Brantford

BEST WESTERN BRANTFORD HOTEL & CONFERENCE CENTRE IN BRANTFORD 519-753-8651 | events@bestwesternbrantford.com bestwesternbrantford.com

Photo courtesy of Bingemans

THREE BRIDGES EVENT CENTRE IN ST. JACOB'S 519-744-1555 | weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com

The Best Western Brantford Hotel & Conference Centre offers an all-in-one venue for your wedding ceremony, dinner, reception, and overnight accommodations.

Its large, adjustable space, elegant décor and beautiful crystal chandeliers make it a perfect choice for brides and grooms hosting either a large or intimate wedding.

Located just minutes from downtown St. Jacobs on the picturesque Conestogo River, ThreeBridgesEventCentreoffersbeautifulindoorspaceandprofessionallylandscaped grounds, making it the perfect setting to customize your wedding to your taste.

CEREMONY

&

Photo courtesy of Marriott ®TownPlace Suites & Convention Centre Brantford

IN KITCHENER 519-744-1555 | weddings@bingemans.com bingemans.com

The Waterloo Region Museum is one of the most picturesque and historically significant venues in the city. This beautiful and iconic venue is the ideal place to make any event special. It's the perfect setting for your next special event.

Experience the unique ambiance of the Grand Foyer with its soaring walls of Ontario Limestone, repurposed 19th-century barn timbers and dramatic skylights.

Choose from the Willow Green Gazebo or the Freeport Church for your ceremony.

96 •The Wedding Ring Magazine | www.theweddingring.ca

FULL

&

OUTSIDE

BAR

SERVICE

MARRIOTT ® TOWNEPLACE SUITES & CONVENTION CENTRE BRANTFORD

WATERLOO REGION MUSEUM

FULL

|

INSIDE

Photo courtesy of Bingemans

|

CATERING

|

OPTIONS

CATERING

ON-SITE

OPTIONS

50 TO 500 GUESTS | ON-SITE CATERING | FULL BAR SERVICE

ON-SITE

|

RECEPTION

BAR

SERVICE

(OPENING Fall 2019) 519-720-0084 | amber.kane@hilton.com marriott.com

Brantford, Ontario's newest and largest hotel The Marriott® Townplace Suites & Convention Centre is the perfect venue for your special day. From intimate gatherings to large celebrations, offering 10,000 sq feet of modern and elegant space with 24ft ceilings, executive chef and a dedicated event coordinator.

50 TO 600 GUESTS | CEREMONY & RECEPTION OPTIONS | OVERNIGHT ACCOMMODATIONS | ONSITE CATERING | FULL BAR SERVICE