The Wedding Planner - 2023 Edition

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Forever begins at Barn Swallow Fields

ERAMOSA – Some people meet their soulmate at school. Some people meet at work, or while travelling abroad. Courtney and Tyler McPhee met at the altar. True story.

Over four years later, they’d return to the altar together again, this time to promise forever to one another, in a celebration they designed to be as effortless as their love for each other.

“We met standing in a wedding at the Elora Mill in 2018,” Courtney said, explaining the bride and groom were mutual friends of theirs.

She was raised in Guelph and Tyler in Mount Forest, but the pair now call Fergus home.

Tyler proposed to Courtney in December 2021, though he admits it was challenging to find the right time and place.

“I tried to do it way sooner but just every time, I couldn’t get her out to do something,” he said laughing.

The pair exude a relaxed, low-key vibe and they set out to plan their special day with that

same attitude, agreeing that their event would be reflective of their collective nature.

“No fuss no muss with us,” Courtney said.

One place fit their vibe and aesthetic perfectly and ticked off all their requirements for budget, location, and ease: Barn Swallow Fields at Thatcher Farms in Eramosa Township.

“My sister-in-law sent me the link to it, because we had decided that we just wanted family and to keep it small. And they had advertised the microwedding package, ” Courtney said.

The 140-acre family farm, owned by Dana and Adam Thatcher, is also home to the renowned Thatcher Farms Butcher Shop, Bakery and Farm Market. Though the site is a working farm, the brand-new addition of Barn Swallow Fields as a wedding and event space is set out on the property to offer a private experience.

With an indoor occupancy of 140 people, seated, the expansive outdoor grounds allow for much larger weddings and options to expand the

use of the space.

“We have some signage, and all the weddings and events are taking place behind the market, so it’s very separate on its own,” Dana said.

Last winter, as Barn Swallow Fields was under construction, Dana welcomed couples to tour the property.

“We saw the venue before it was completed. The structure was there, and Dana had told us all about the vision, but it was still under construction,” Courtney said. “But it was beautiful anyway.”

Tyler and Courtney knew they’d found their venue because they trusted Dana’s passion for

Fields that make this place special, with wide-open countryside views of fields, crops, and sunflowers. “I thought it was amazing. It turned out really well,” Tyler said, noting it was exactly as Dana had described it would be.

Opening in spring 2022, the McPhee’s October 15th wedding was one of the final weddings to close out Barn Swallow Fields’ inaugural season. The date was chosen in conjunction with Courtney’s choice for wedding photographer Brinley Terry, of Guelph.

“I found her on Instagram because she did the weddings of a couple of girls I went to high school

Courtney & Tyler

PHOTOS BY: Brynley Teri, Bryn’s Photography

WRITTEN BY: Kelly Waterhouse SUPPLEMENT TO The Wellington Advertiser

Courtney found her wedding gown at Taylor’s Bridal in Elmira.

“I never expected to buy that first day. Just you know, you think you’re just going to go look,” Courtney said, noting it was the personal service of the staff and the selection that made the process easy. “Natasha was amazing. She helped me find my dress and she was also the seamstress, so she was with me through the whole process ... And they were amazing.”

Tyler knew exactly the look he wanted and where to find it.

“I went to Brodericks, in Fergus, because they are the best,” Tyler said. “I told them exactly what I wanted, and that I wanted quality. They took that feedback and gave me suggestions, and had my suit ordered from Montreal.”

Flowers for the wedding were created by Hannah Briggs, of the SAOL Project, on Wellington Road 124, in Guelph.

“It’s her own micro flower farm and floral design studio and she is amazing,” Courtney said.

Both Courtney and Tyler have been involved in many weddings, so they have seen the high costs associated with the wedding industry. And while the pair is looking forward to attending more weddings, it made them conscious of the choices for their own celebration.

“I love being a bridesmaid as many times as I have been and I love attending other people’s weddings,” Courtney said. “I’ve just never dreamed of a big, massive wedding for myself.”

Tyler agreed. Staying true to their vision, the couple set the guest list to 50 people.

Courtney said they didn’t want to pick and choose between friends and relatives, so they made a decision.

“Family is forever so I wanted them all there. And it just was the most logical thing for us,” she said.

Tyler adds, “We both have a lot of friends too,

Barn Swallow Fields’ location was also ideal for the couple’s guests.

“Everyone’s fairly local so no one would have had to stay over. Everyone could get there and be done by 10pm and go home,” Courtney said.

Tyler believed the size of the wedding was

So, we kind of planned around October because we used it to celebrate Thanksgiving.”

While the presence of COVID-19 lingered on throughout their planning, the pair insists that didn’t influence their decision to host a small wedding.

“Even if it wasn’t COVID, we might have wanted to do this anyway,” Courtney said. “We hadn’t all been together in all of COVID. So, it was like the first time we’ve seen everyone together.”

The pandemic was also the impetus for Dana to offer micro-weddings at Barn Swallow Fields.

“We started offering micro weddings back before we completed the build to contend with COVID. Since there were guest count restrictions, we thought we would offer small, 4-hour events with 50 guests or less. We would allow two bookings per day,” Dana said. “Courtney wanted a smaller, more informal, budget-friendly event and we offered her the micro concept.”

Dana adds that now that the health unit has lifted the cap on wedding guests, going forward, Barn Swallow Fields won’t be offering micro-weddings.

But for the McPhees, the micro-wedding option fit the vision for their day.

“We chose the dinner timeframe, and Dana was amazing,” Courtney said. “She let us have flexibility … we feel very lucky that we were able to be there longer than the four hours.”

so the numbers probably would have been out of hand.”

“Everyone understood, which we were nervous about, but everyone understood,” Courtney said.

manageable and it worked for both families, which mattered to him.

“We’re fairly close as a family. Before COVID we’d always attended family events and dinners.

The all-inclusive services of Barn Swallow Fields made the wedding planning easy, cost-effective, flexible, and far less stressful for the couple.

“And honestly, Dana’s decor is stunning. So, we didn’t have to bring almost anything except for flowers, and I borrowed votives from a girlfriend,”

I would say don’t stress about the details because likely something won’t go the way you plan it, but no one will notice that; it really doesn’t matter.

Courtney said. “And that’s all we needed because Dana has made the most beautiful aesthetic there, so you really don’t need anything else.”

Included with the venue are handcrafted harvest tables for the meals.

“For the harvest tables, I didn’t want linens,” Courtney said. “We just had greenery on the table, but I didn’t want to add too much else because it was perfect as it was.”

Throughout the planning, Courtney said the experience of Barn Swallow Fields was positive.

“Dana literally made it so easy because she’s so accessible. She’s so flexible, and that’s what I appreciated most,” she said.

The couple also worked with Dana’s assistant and venue manager Wendy Chiasson.

“I got to meet Wendy ahead of time and just go over the schedule. And she was just there if you needed anything, had any questions, and she was amazing as well,” Courtney said.

The couple also enjoyed the ease of having

necessarily going to happen.”

But the wind didn’t stop the beautiful photos from capturing all the moments between the bride and groom surrounded by the landscape of the farm venue. It started with the first look photos.

“Brin went just a bit before I got there to scope out like the best spot. She found quite a few spots because it’s so beautiful there,” Courtney said. “We ended up doing our first look at the laneway to go in … where all the trees were yellow. It was really nice.”

Initially, the pair weren’t keen on the idea of the first look trend, in breaking with tradition.

“We didn’t want to, but logistically, it made more sense to be able to enjoy the day without worrying about so many pictures after,” Courtney said. “And I think it calmed us down.”

Tyler has no regrets.

“I am glad we did it. It was nice to see her first,” he said. “And we did a lot of photos after that.”

Tyler admits, standing in front of all his family,

Indulge Catering as the venue’s catering service, which included the bar service, so that the dinner and cocktail service was seamless.

“Everyone is still talking about the food to this day. It was amazing,” Courtney said, noting the couple chose to have a plated meal service. “We had either steak or chicken, and we started with the Caesar salad and then pecan tart for dessert. And it was unbelievably good. They were amazing.”

In keeping with the traditional wedding cake, Courtney called on a high school friend Kayla Primm, of Kayla Bakes, to make a special cake that included a Golden Retriever figurine, to honour the couple’s pup Hudson.

“She made it look like he took a bite out of the cake,” Courtney said, laughing. “It was the most delicious cake I’ve ever had.”

The wedding day went off without issue, though the mild October winds called for some quick changes.

“We had to switch and have the ceremony inside, so that was the only change because it was so windy,” Courtney said. “We didn’t get to open the barn doors and go in and out. It would have been amazing, but with an October wedding that wasn’t

waiting for his bride to arrive, created some nerves.

“As soon as I saw her, I got calm,” he said. Courtney and Tyler packed a lot into their microwedding plan and enjoyed every minute of it.

“The ceremony was at 4:15pm and then we went into cocktail hour, and dinner, and we were done by 10. It was awesome,” Courtney said, noting there was no formal dance reception.

“Everyone loved it. I think the day goes fast,” she said. “But I will say it was such an awesome team at Barn Swallow Fields, because no one stopped complimenting the venue or the food.”

Tyler adds, “I wouldn’t change a thing.”

Now that the wedding is behind them, the couple reflects on their day with fond memories of being surrounded by their family, with a wedding that met their personal values.

“I would say don’t stress about the details because likely something won’t go the way you plan it, but no one will notice that; it really doesn’t matter,” Courtney said.

Tyler echoed that statement, adding that seeing family gather made the experience feel right.

“You just need to remember that they’re there for you,” he said.

FERGUS – You can tell a lot about a person on a first date. If it leads to a second, that’s a good sign.

For Debbie Cloutier and Ernie Earls, their second date at the Brew House on the Grand, a pub on the edge of the Grand River in downtown Fergus, was more than a good sign. It was the start of their happily ever after. In fact, it was the location of the very beginning.

“I fell in love with that place,” Debbie said. “It was the first place I took Ernie because he was from out of town. We went to the Brew House for our very second date and, so, we went from there.”

On the evening of June 6th, 2022, the pair exchanged their vows outdoors at the historic pub

“We got married on the patio, right on the edge, overlooking the river and hearing the water,” Debbie said.

“The weather was beautiful. It was sunny. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky that day,” Ernie recalled.

It was a second chance at happiness neither one of them had dreamed possible.

Both had been married before. Both had experienced divorce. Debbie had ended a longterm relationship at 47. She was a single parent and okay with it.

“I’m thinking I’m never going to find you know … I’m just going to be alone and I’m fine with that,” Debbie said. “And then I meet this guy a couple of years later.”

Ernie laughs at her remark, but he admits he didn’t think his odds of finding love at his stage of the game were good.

“We’ve both learned lessons from our previous relationships, definitely for sure,” he said.

Debbie added, “We’ve had some mileage.”

The couple were introduced by mutual friend, Lynne Boily. They talked for two weeks before meeting in person and from that first meeting, their connection was strong.

“The first date we just sat down and talked to each other about what we needed in a relationship and just laid it on the table,” Debbie said. “We needed a partner in life. That’s what we were both looking for.”

She adds, “I still had young teenagers when I met Ernie and I didn’t need another person to take care of. I really didn’t. I needed somebody that brought something to the table, and we would work together to accomplish a good life, which we have.”

They found that partnership in each other.

“We’ve traveled a lot of the world together in five years. We’ve been on all kinds of adventures,” Debbie said, noting that includes the purchase and top-to-bottom renovation of a new home.

“I always say to Ernie, it’s amazing when you work with somebody, instead of against them, what you can accomplish.”

The couple dated for three years prior to their engagement.

“We got engaged in December of 2020 and we had multiple dates set for our wedding. We knew it would be small, but we kept moving them,” Debbie explained, noting the loss of her mother was significant factor in delaying the wedding.

The state of the world was too.

“We kind of pushed things back because of the pandemic,” Ernie said. “We had to have a plan A, B and C in case COVID was back, and it was hard to get the amount of guests that we wanted. We

Cheers to happily ever after

PHOTOS BY: Chelsea Noel Photography

had a list of 130 and we had to get that down to about 65.”

When the world opened up again, the pair set to work on official wedding plans.

“Originally, I was thinking like, let’s just go to City Hall and then Ernie said, “In 10 years, are you going to regret, looking back, that we didn’t celebrate?” And that answer was yes. So, he said, “let’s do it”. So we did it,” Debbie said.

There was only one other option the couple would entertain.

“We knew it was going to be at the Brew House,”

the date because it was a nice round number, and the Brew House was available,” Debbie said. “I like nice round numbers, so we chose 04-06-2022.”

The couple said working with Denis was a highlight of the experience.

“He’s super casual. He was so casual that we were almost worried,” Ernie said laughing. “He was fun. We had several meetings with Denis through the year and he reassured us a few weeks before the wedding that everything was going to work out, that he’d done this before.”

He adds, “Denis was more than fair with the cost. It was much less than we expected, than what we were talking about. And the Brew House staff, the kitchen staff, bartenders, wait staff, they were amazing too.”

“It was an evening wedding, so it was cocktails and appetizers from the Brew House,” Debbie said “We gave everybody two drink tickets on us and their bill was their own afterwards. Then we had appetizers for everyone. That’s how we cut costs.”

For dessert, the couple chose cupcakes from the Guelph bakery, With the Grain.

“Because of the pandemic, I didn’t a want a cake where we were cutting or touching things,” Debbie said. “They were beautiful wedding cupcakes and they were delicious.”

Debbie and Ernie asked guests to arrive for 7:30pm, with the ceremony to begin at 8:30pm. That meant asking wedding photographer Chelsea Lodder, of Chelsea Noel Photography in Fergus, to do the wedding photos before the actual wedding.

“We had to do it before the wedding because afterwards it would have been dark. But it was a nice and sunny day, nice light, so it made sense to do it prior to the wedding,” Ernie said.

Debbie said.

The couple, who are admittedly frequent customers of the local pub, got to know Denis Craddock, general manager, and approached him with the idea of hosting their nuptials there. Having hosted a few small weddings at the site, Craddock was excited to give them the opportunity.

“We said, ok, let’s get this done and we picked

Debbie said Denis was a big support the day of the event as well.

“He was there personally to make sure everything was going on right,” she said, including helping with the audio equipment for the DJ. “It went off without a hitch. It really, really did.”

Debbie’s family was able to decorate the pub a few hours prior to the ceremony and took care of that for her.

“They shut the Brew House down at 5pm and then we could go in and decorate,” Debbie said. “We just bought the decorations, and I gave them to my daughter. It was great.”

Denis added to the décor too.

“Denis went out and bought planters for the patio that matched our main colours of silver and red wine colours. It looked really nice,” Debbie said. Ernie added, “Denis really took care of everything.”

To keep within their budget, Debbie and Ernie chose not only to keep the wedding small and manageable, but also to make it an evening affair. The ceremony would be short and the reception simple and casual, with everything in one place.

“It was totally out of order,” Debbie said, explaining that several generations of their closest family gathered for the photo sessions, which took the group around several areas of Fergus, such as Confederation Park and Templin Gardens.

“Chelsea did a great job. She was great at herding … it’s basically like herding cats to get all these people together,” Debbie said laughing. “It was fun getting the family together.”

Taking part in the photos was the family dog, Yoshi.

“Yoshi wore a bowtie and got a fresh groom from the groomer,” Debbie said.

To honour the memory of her mother, Debbie’s father held a framed photo of his wife in the wedding photos. That photo was also displayed on throughout the wedding ceremony too.

“It felt like she was there, up on the podium,” Debbie said. “She died in 2021. It was weird not having her there but …”

Including the extended family in the wedding photos was a fun experience.

“We have some beautiful images for life,” Ernie said.

After the family photos, the bride and groom headed to Elora to get some more photos at picturesque locations.

With wedding photos complete, Debbie and Ernie arrived at the Brew House on the Grand in time to greet their guests, prior to the service. It was an emotional, happy experience.

“When I got there and saw everybody, I just lost it and then I recovered,” Debbie admitted. “And what was fun is that we got to go around and say

“

“Weddings don’t have to be expensive for them to still be special.

Debbie & Ernie

hi to everybody before the wedding. You know, for half an hour, we mixed and mingled and hugged them because we hadn’t seen a lot of these people because of the pandemic, and that was just so wonderful.”

Guests came in from New York, Quebec, and parts of Ontario.

“We had friends we hadn’t seen in two years. It was wonderful,” Ernie said.

While it wasn’t the traditional timeline for a wedding day, it worked for their vision of their special day.

“It was just great the way everything worked out,” Debbie said. “We didn’t think about tradition because we just wanted to do it our way and the way it was going to work for us. It was fun getting the family together before hand. We all got dressed together. Even Ernie and I got dressed together.”

Debbie’s wedding gown was from David’s Bridal, in Cambridge.

Ernie jokes that he saw the dress before anyone.

“You picked the right one, it looked really nice on you,” he said to his wife.

The wedding bouquets and boutonnieres were designed by Wendy Wright, formerly of WR Designs in Fergus.

“She did a beautiful job,” Debbie said.

Another local component to the wedding was the officiant, Sandra Whyte, of Weddings on the Grand, in Fergus.

“It was a great experience. It was really easy, actually,” Debbie said of dealing with an officiant. “Because of COVID, we had multiple phone conversations to consult with her.”

Choosing their vows was also easy.

“She gave us choices. We’re not religious, so we didn’t want any religious component in our wedding. Sandra gave us a website that we could log into and read, and we chose the vows that resonated with us. Then we submitted them to Sandra. It all comes together,” Debbie said.

“Then we sat down and a had a chance to meet her a couple of days before the wedding, just to cover everything and understand who says what,” Ernie said.

On the day of the wedding, it all went according to plan.

“And then, you know, the music starts, and everybody lines up and we go out,” Debbie said, explaining that their wedding procession was a pairing of family members, from siblings with their spouses, to nieces and nephews, and finally, Debbie’s father.

“My aunt from Quebec stepped in and took my dad’s arm,” Debbie said.

“Her dad hadn’t seen his sister in about 7 years, so it was nice for them to get to see each other,” Ernie said. “That was special.”

The most special moment for the walk up the aisle was the inclusion of Debbie’s two grown children, Mya, 21, and Dezmond Slocombe, 19, who not only stood by their as sides as Best Man and Maid of Honour for the ceremony, but escorted the couple up the aisle.

“I thought it was wonderful that the kids gave us both away,” Debbie said. “Originally, I thought, Mya and Dezmond could go ahead of us and then Ernie and I could walk each other. But then I changed my my mind thinking it would be nicer if Mya walked

Ernie and Dezmond walked me.

“And I think we made the right choice. And they were ecstatic. It was nice to have them apart of this.”

Standing before their friends and family, both Ernie and Debbie knew their venue was exactly

what they hoped it would be.

“I remember looking out from where we were during the ceremony and it was so casual that people were just sitting there having a drink while we’re getting married,” Debbie said. “It was relaxed. We wanted people to have a good time.”

Ernie agreed the casual pub atmosphere made the wedding celebration feel authentic to them.

“Everybody got to dance and it was a celebration of people who hadn’t seen each other for a long time, even family,” Ernie said.

“And everybody we talked to after the wedding said, ‘we had such a good time’,” Debbie said. “The first party out of the pandemic.”

The couple is grateful they kept to their budget and prioritized what they value: time with family, a venue they felt a personal connection too, and their shared loved of travel with a three-week European honeymoon.

“Weddings don’t have to be expensive for them to still be special,” Debbie said. “It was still special, being at the Brew House, with everybody there. It was so beautiful despite that it wasn’t a fancy wedding.”

Staying on budget and being true to themselves, to celebrate their love their way was the goal.

At this stage of life, Ernie said, “We would rather spend the money on travel than the wedding.”

The Brew House on the Grand was the perfect venue for the couple and makes going to their favourite local pub all the better.

“We have great memories,” Debbie said.

“That was a wonderful day that we’ll remember forever.”

Saying “ I Do” at the Erin Drive-Thru Weddings

ERIN - It was a sign in the Town of Erin that Darren McPherson took quite literally as a sign from the universe that it was time he and his fiancé Tina make their wedding dream a reality.

“I work for FedEx and I was driving up Trafalgar Road and there was this big sign saying ‘DriveThru Weddings,’ and we’d been talking about it for a while, but COVID delayed everything,” Darren said. “And that’s what we wanted to do, something simple, something you know, it’s not going to cost us a fortune.”

Darren went in to the municipal office and found out what they needed. He and Tina would need to wait for their passports for ID. Plus, the bride had waited two and a half years to have her braces removed, and there was no way she was getting

married until they were gone, the pair joked.

“I actually did order a nice beautiful little white dress online. And when I got it, it fit as though I had gone out and bought it in a boutique,” Tina said. “I didn’t want a traditional wedding, but I did want a nice little white dress.”

Darren dressed up in a black suit.

“Once that was done, it all came together,” Darren said. “And the next day we walked in there with the proper paperwork, documentation. And before we knew it our license was ready. All we had to do was wait for the big day.”

While some brides wouldn’t think drive-thru nuptials from the front seat of their Honda CRV would be the wedding of their dreams, Tina was all for it, knowing her wedding wasn’t about the

location, but about the significance of the moment of exchanging rings and forever vows with her best friend.

On September 9, 2022, the couple rolled down the windows of their vehicle in the parking lot of the Town of Erin municipal office and officially became Mr. and Mrs. McPherson.

“If I had in a million options, I still don’t think I would have done it differently. I still would have loved that drive-thru wedding. I really do,” Tina said.

The couple, who lives in nearby Caledon East, had been together for nine years, but their friendship went far beyond that, over two decades. Neither had been married before.

“We met each other earlier in life, but it wasn’t the right time,” Darren explained. “And then to be joined again years later, I guess it was meant to be.”

So was the coincidence of the wedding date and Darren’s favourite number, 9. Tina and Darren were to be married on the ninth day of the ninth month in the ninth year of their relationship.

“I remember Darren quoting that to one of the ladies at our wedding,” Tina said.

Unfortunately, 9 was also the years lived by the couple’s beloved Pug dog, Dakota, who passed away from cancer prior to their wedding.

“She was a big part of our life. We got her six months into our relationship so she’s our baby,” Darren said.

“We brought a picture of Dakota with us for the wedding,” Tina said.

The couple also invited two special guests, Darren’s parents, Peter and Cecilia, to act as witnesses, which only made the day that much more special. Though his parents had separated many years ago, on this day, they came together and rode in the backseat to celebrate their youngest son’s wedding.

“I’m the last one of three boys to get married, so, they waited a long time for me,” Darren said.

The Town of Erin Drive-Thru wedding concept presented a unique, personal and intimate experience that would give the couple a simple wedding, as they desired, and a great story to share.

That’s exactly what Lisa Campion, the Director of Legislative Services and Clerk for the Town of Erin intended when creating the event.

But for Campion, the drive-thru wedding concept offered several key benefits for the community.

“The first one is our internal agenda of always coming up with creative service delivery and innovative ideas to serve our residents,” she said. “My shop specifically is very procedure heavy, so when we look at marriages, that’s one of the things that we can do and I’m thinking well, what can we do to stand out and make things efficient for our residents?”

Campion points out that there are a lot of steps to getting married at a municipal office, so an opportunity to present a streamlined, creative solution for one day and make it an event was a fun challenge.

“Secondary to that, which is also important, was COVID. So that prompted it too,” Campion explains, noting the municipality was approved to perform wedding ceremonies in 2020.

“Marriage services were new for us and we

really weren’t able to kick it off … So, that was the one year mark for us. And we knew that there were backlogs of appointments because I was getting calls from people saying their weddings had been delayed, and asking, “can we get married?””

But another important aspect was for the township to find a way to include and support local businesses.

“Everyone was struggling during COVID, so we thought how can we promote the town, offer a service in a unique manner and hopefully boost our business community and put Erin on the map and make people aware of what we have to offer?”

Getting buy-in from the township staff was easy, because everyone saw the value.

“We charged our regular rate, so $250 for the ceremony and then we waived witness fees, because typically it’s $25 to have two witnesses,” she said. “We were providing the witnesses, and since that was going to make our day more efficient, that was our gift back to the couple.”

She added that couples had to have a valid marriage license completed.

The drive-thru weddings were carefully choreographed through an assembly-line process, and while that may sound unromantic, the line-up of 16 cars and motorcycles for the four-hour event, with happy couples who came in together and left as gleeful newlyweds suggested otherwise. That’s love.

“We had a couple of stations. At the first station, I had two staff check their IDs, because that’s something that I would have to do. And then they pulled up, and I had another staff there from finance, and they took their payment. And then they would drive up to me,” Campion said.

“We had to think about, what can we do to make

this a pleasurable experience so that for a couple coming in, it’s as stress free as possible,” Campion said.

That meant preparing for the backlog of cars that would be waiting their turn.

“After they paid, if I had a ceremony that I was finishing up, that’s where we started playing music, so at least we could listen to music from their cars,” she said.

By 1pm, Campion said there was a line of 9 vehicles and at the height of the marriage traffic, she performed 12 weddings within an hour, with a total of 16 weddings that day.

“We were third in line. We thought we were going to the only ones,” Darren said, laughing. “It was crazy. We had cars lined up behind us. Reporters were there…”

Tina admits they weren’t sure they’d like the assembly-line format.

“We didn’t think we would but it actually ended up we did,” Tina said.

“They had signs saying “you’re almost there,” and then, “you’re there,’” Darren said, noting they spoke to media after their wedding vows. “It was a process, but it was it was really good. It was well set up and it was quick.”

When it came to the vows, Campion said she kept the wording to the ‘bare minimum legal requirements to get married.’ Not only was this efficient, it was the preference for many of the couples who had waited long enough through the pandemic to make their marriage official.

“While I was reading the script, I had staff sign off on the record of solemnization and complete their part of the paperwork. So, by the time I

was done reading my two minute scripts, now I’m exchanging the paper work from staff to the couple to sign their components and the registries and they are kind of on their way.”

Finally, the couples would pull up to a booth to receive their gift bags and could get out of their vehicles to take photos, with help from staff.

“It was a team effort at the end of the day. And I tell them that successful as it was if, if everyone wasn’t kind of involved in it, it wouldn’t have been as efficient,” Campion said. “I think that’s why it worked.”

The support of a diverse range of local businesses was key to the event.

“Our business community was very generous” Campion said, reiterating that it was important that this event worked with community partners. “I’m very happy with the response and some businesses got creative with it. We had everything from Erin Fall Fair tickets, there were gift cards for home renovations, there was local honey...”

As hoped, the drive-thru wedding event attracted couples from near and far, including Walkerton, Hamilton, Mississauga, Kitchener, Caledon and a few locals too. As a result, they too fell in love with the Town of Erin and will now always have a special connection to it.

“We had couples say what a great community this is, because now they had time to walk around because they had coupons for the businesses,” Campion said.

Looking back on their drive-thru wedding ceremony, Tina and Darren, and even their passengers, thought the experience was perfect.

It certainly makes for a great story to tell, Tina

said.

“Obviously our vows were priceless, and just the way we looked at each other was just, it was like we’re in a big, huge wedding, but we weren’t. That would have been my number one,” Tina said.

“But I think the second one was … his mom and dad. The fact that us coming together as a married couple brought them together ... That was huge for me.”

As result of the media coverage, Darren is a wellknown person in Erin.

“Now when I’m on delivery there, people will stop me walking down Main Street and they’ll say hi to me or “congratulations, I saw you online.” It’s kind of nice,” he said. “The people of Erin are so nice.”

Campion is planning to host drive-thru weddings again in the future based on the success of this initial event.

“My plan is, how can we do better? What can we do different than the last time? So, it’ll be interesting to see what we come up with. But we’re excited,” she said.

The McPherson’s are excited too.

“I actually wouldn’t mind going out and watching people get married,” Tina said. “I would like to be the one standing back and see people go through, and just see the look on their faces and if they were as excited as we were? We couldn’t get the smile off our faces.”

Darren jokes, “We could interview them and see how they feel.”

It’s a good thing Darren saw that sign on Trafalgar Road and stopped, in the name of love. It’s a unique memory and a great story that he and Tina will tell for the rest of their lives together.

Fergies Fine Foods

Catering to every occasion that makes a wedding a grand event

FERGUS – A wedding is the heart of a grand celebration, but there are exciting events that surround the big day, opportunities for the guests closest to the couple to gather and celebrate the occasion together. From the engagement party to the rehearsal dinner, to a brunch the morning after the wedding, these are special moments for those near and dear.

Miram Foell, owner of Fergies Fine Foods in Fergus, reminds couples that catering these events makes them stress-free to host and memorable too, with uniquely personal menus that are authentic to the couple and their family.

“There’s so many fun parts of the wedding, outside of the actual wedding,” Foell said.

“A popular event is engagement parties, where the couple announces their engagement to the families.”

Foell said that evening cocktail parties are a trend that is returning now that people can gather

again.

“Some of them can be as big as a wedding,” she notes.

Once the wedding planning is underway, there are events like bridal showers that include food as part of the celebration, or the Stag and Doe, offering a far more relaxed atmosphere, with a menu to suit.

“For the Stag and Doe, we can send trays of food, like beef on a bun and lasagna. And again, we can include some of the favourite foods of the couple,” Foell said, noting this can add some flair to an already fun event.

With everyone focused on the wedding itself, the rehearsal dinner is an important tradition that requires some planning.

“The rehearsal dinner is often a time that families come together and celebrate the couple before the really busy day,” Foell said. “So, rehearsal dinners are always a lovely thing.”

A Perfect Setting for Your PerfectDay

Both Rockmosa and Marden Community Centres are available at reasonable rates for weddings, anniversary parties and events. All our facilities are fully accessible.

Foell enjoys catering meals that include ethnic dishes, cherished comfort foods and traditional family favourites. Fergies Fine Foods’ Chef Andrew Dunlop is always up for the challenge.

“We can have some creativity around the menu and create menus that reflect the family,” she said. “Every menu is very custom. It’s created for them.”

But Foell said that sometimes the guest list to the rehearsal dinner can get out of hand, with outof-town guests wishing to be included, or extended family adding to the last-minute list. That’s where a catering plan can help.

“We often get panicked phone calls, realizing the rehearsal dinner will be larger than they expected. And they aren’t able to find a restaurant in town that can accommodate that bigger group,” Foell explains, adding her experienced team has been able to help accommodate these urgent requests.

“We connect them with one of the local halls … and then we bring a buffet or dinner in,” she said.

Her advice is to plan the rehearsal dinner well in advance of the event and have a clear sense of the expected guest list, and if possible, prepare for the potential of additional guests.

“Think about what they’d like. Think about where they’ll have it. The biggest one is where will the rehearsal dinner be? And do you have enough room for as many people who are really coming?” Foell said.

Another wedding tradition is a formal brunch, held the morning after the wedding. This is a chance to get the couple’s closest friends and family together for some quality time, especially out-of-town guests, the day after the wedding,

before everyone goes their separate ways once more.

“I like to do brunch … it’s so creative, it’s more relaxed, and everybody can enjoy the food,” Foell said.

Though Fergies Fine Foods is a busy retail shop with prepared foods, baking and a catering

Marden Community Centre 7368

Wellington Road 30, Guelph

Located in the picturesque setting of Marden Park, located approximately five minutes north of Guelph. This quaint hall offers tables and chairs, kitchen and bar for up to 100 guests. The adjacent garden area is a perfect spot for an elegant outdoor wedding.

Rockmosa Enabling Garden 121 Rockmosa Drive, Rockwood

This lovely garden area makes a perfect spot for a small outdoor wedding or even a wedding vow renewal ceremony.

Rockmosa Older Adults Centre

121 Rockmosa Drive, Rockwood

Located in Rockwood this venue is ideal for baby or bridal showers. Rental can accommodate up to 30 guests. Amenities include: small kitchenette (fridge, stove, dishwasher, microwave), fireplace and television. Conveniently located in the Rockwood Community Library and adjacent to the Rockmosa Enabling Garden.

Rockmosa Community Centre 110 Rockmosa Drive, Rockwood

Located in the village of Rockwood. Decorated in neutral colours this room can accommodate up to 300 guests for any event. Amenities include tables, chairs, full preparation food kitchen, bar, walk in fridge. For more information and booking inquiries please email: hallrentals@get.on.ca

Guelph/Eramosa Township • 519.856.9596 ext 139 PO BOX 700, 8348 Wellington Rd. 124, Rockwood, ON N0B 2K0

business, when it started 12 years ago, it was a bakery. Today, head baker Penny Kellum leads the charge.

“We started as a bakery. It’s still the heart of who we are. It also sets a little level of excellence for us. And Penny does stunning work,” Foell said. “So, for us to do brunch is one of our strong suits … all the fresh scones and muffins and quiche and fresh coffee and fresh orange juice. Brunch is great.”

Foell said couples today are very good at planning early, a lesson learned from the uncertainty of the last few years.

“They’re planning early because I think they saw so many of their friends, where things changed so often, that now they’ve set a date, whatever that date is, they want to make sure that what they want, they get to book; locations, venues, Minister, caterer,” Foell said.

Like the wedding itself, she encourages people to book their supporting events, like rehearsal dinners and wedding brunches, as far ahead as possible.

“We have a ton of request for 2023. We’ve been overwhelmed with requests. I think there’s going to be a wedding boom, again,” Foell said, noting she’s had many requests for the 2024 season too.

She also encourages couples to factor some flexibility into the catering budget, given the current food pricing volatility, noting that most caterers will not give a guaranteed quote for future catering services. Couples should be prepared that caterers cannot finalize their prices until closer to the date of the event as food prices continue to fluctuate.

“We’re in that category,” Foell said. “Food costs

have skyrocketed, so we aren’t able to predict where we’ll be in 2023 or 2024. So, we’re planning based on today’s dollar and today’s food costs. But there’s no guarantee what will be, two years from now.”

What Foell does guarantee is that celebrating love will always be on the menu.

From engagement parties to rehearsal dinners, casual events to brunches, a caterer will create memorable, flavourful occasions that enhance the full wedding event experience. Plan on it.

Weddings

Wedding Packages

Tying the Fishermen’s Knot

wedding.

There was space for the wedding party to set-up camping trailers, so they could stay the night and carry on with the party long after the guests left.

“The amount of work the Parrs did just so we could get the spot perfect for our camping trailers was a lot,” Jonathan said, noting that large pieces of equipment and cargo trailers were moved to accommodate their makeshift campsite.

Finding a wedding venue was easy. Selecting a wedding date was easy too: August 20, 2022.

“Because we had to plan the fishing derby, then hunting season, we had to be in between all of that stuff, so that was the only date that was available,” Amanda said.

Those are two events Amanda and Jonathan never miss. Fishing and hunting are fundamental to their lifestyle and that would be reflected throughout their wedding, including the ceremony itself. But before they tied the knot, there were a few tangles in the line.

Amanda and Jonathan decided to have their outdoor wedding in a clearing spot on the property, near the trees and barn. That morning, there was a 70% chance of rain in the forecast.

“It looked like it was going to downpour. The sky got real dark, but it didn’t rain,” Amanda said, thankfully. “But it rained in areas all around us.”

While some might call it coincidence, Amanda might say otherwise.

“I didn’t have much on hand … so we just ended up with this plain Jane rope to tie the knot,” Jonathan recalls, laughing.

Though it generated some laughs when Jonathan brought out the rope, the symbolism of the knot and the ceremony itself was not lost on anyone.

In keeping with their theme and budget, one of the most significant cost savings for the wedding was the choice of flowers.

“I had no specifics. I didn’t even want flowers,” Amanda admitted, knowing they were a big budget item. But Jonathan’s mother, Tina, found an affordable option through her neighbours.

“The flowers cost $80 in total. They were bouquets from a Mennonite farm,” Jonathan said.

The selection included a colourful, wide range of blooms. It made it easy to decorate the venue. And The price was right.

“There were different sizes of bouquets, so mine was a medium and it was $9. And the girls were smalls … they were around $6,” she said. “Then we got two or three extra bouquets and then took them apart to put flowers around the rest of the hall.”

It added a little something to the men’s attire too.

“The boutineer was made from an empty bullet, with a wild turkey feather and then some baby’s breath,” she explained.

FERGUS – Know what you want. Stay true to who you are. Stick to your budget. Get creative. That’s how Amanda and Jonathan pulled off their ideal wedding, which they both agreed was the ‘time of their lives.’

Coming in at a budget of approximately $7,500, they proved that being frugal can be fun, in fact, it can be fantastic.

“We got what we wanted,” Amanda said. “We just wanted the low key, simple, sweet, great big party. We didn’t care about the fancies.”

Jonathan explains, “We wanted it to be like no other wedding, more or less. Just kind of relaxed country, like nobody does anymore, like an old fashioned wedding.”

That’s exactly what they planned: a simple outdoor ceremony in the countryside, with a pig-roast meal and a casual reception to follow surrounded by their favourite people.

This wedding was one for the memory books. That’s because the couple never lost sight of their vision for the day. And they never lost their sense of humour, either.

“We told everyone that we were going to have the cheapest wedding out of everyone we knew,” Amanda said, laughing.

Jonathan had been in many wedding parties and was aware of the costs a wedding can incur, so the pair wanted to keep their budget low.

“We told them we’d beat their budgets, so, that was in the back of our minds at all times,” Amanda said. “We had said that we wanted our budget under $10,000. In the end, it was about $7,500 for everything.”

Jonathan was raised in the countryside of Wellesley. Amanda was raised in Fergus. They have been friends for more than a decade and a couple for eight years. They now call Palmerston

home.

But for their wedding, it was Amanda’s former employer, Parr’s Auctions, a well-known auctioneer in Fergus, who gave her a venue that was anything but ordinary, yet hit all the couple’s prerequisites.

“We both wanted country, possibly outdoors, a barn, that sort of style,” Amanda said. “I used to work out at Parr’s Auctions, so, I’m friends with the owners, Steve and Kate. And I jokingly said to them one day, ‘well if you would just clean your barn up, we’ll just get married there.’ And then a light went on in my mind.”

Why not?

It would be a first for the auction venue, but the Parr’s were up for the challenge.

“We couldn’t … we wouldn’t have had the day that we did without them. Steve was one hundred percent in,” Amanda said.

She and Jonathan said that Steve was very concerned about getting the property into wedding venue shape, but the couple wasn’t worried. They knew the site well and were not concerned about aesthetics.

“It is what it is, and we didn’t care about that stuff,” Amanda said, adding they were happy to be getting use of the large location to throw the wedding of their dreams, their way.

“Steve is one of those people where he is a genuine good man. This whole thing wouldn’t have happened without them.”

Jonathan added, “They cleaned everything up. Anything we wanted. Steve was running around taking care of it.”

The couple was happy to roll up their sleeves and help out. With a bit of clearing and mowing of the grounds, the auction site soon became a welcoming, rustic wedding venue to comfortably accommodate the 125 guests invited for the

Her father, John, passed away in March 2021, just a few months after Amanda and Jonathan’s engagement. So much of the wedding was influenced by his memory, including the guest list.

“It was a lot bigger, probably, than I originally would have gone,” Amanda said, remarking that after John’s passing, she had lost the point of a big celebration, but she thought of his wishes.

“He wanted a huge party, so then I kind of felt that I couldn’t cut it at that point, just because he wasn’t there … He was there.”

Her sister Ashley, also the Maid of Honour, helped to ensure their father was part of the experience, in a special way.

“My sister had bought me, for my bouquet, an ornament that read, “I’m with you every step of the way,” and had his picture on it.”

A week before the wedding, the couple’s officiant cancelled, but assured the bride and groom a replacement would be sent. Amanda said they didn’t panic. The ceremony was to be simple and short: a reading of a poem, the symbolic tying of the Fisherman’s Knot, and the legal requirements to make it official.

“The Fisherman’s Knot, it’s considered the strongest knot you can tie … it’s supposed to be like the strongest bond,” Jonathan explains.

Amanda explained it is considered a ‘true lovers knot,’ representing a bond that will not break, becoming stronger under pressure. As a couple, and as avid fishermen, the symbolism was an accurate reflection of who they were together.

While the new officiant, Joanna, was up to speed on the ceremony, she missed one crucial part: the rope.

“The first officiant was supposed to supply a rope, so we assumed it was going to be a nice white rope,” Jonathan said, noting in the late change, the onus was on him to secure a rope.

That subtle touch perfectly suited the wedding attire for the groom and groomsmen, who wore denim, at Jonathan’s request. He wanted his friends to be relaxed and make the wedding easy and affordable for them.

“Everybody said this was awesome, because we’ve all been through each other’s weddings and the whole wedding party thing. Everybody thought this was awesome,” Jonathan said.

It was easy too. Amanda ordered blue, buttondown shirts online at $35 each, with suspenders for every groomsmen, and added a vest to Jonathan’s outfit.

“The jeans came from Costco because he had a pair originally, and they were his favorite jeans. So, I just said we’ll just get the same. They were dark wash, the look he wanted,” Amanda said. “I got all the jeans from Costco and they were $20 a pair.”

Being relaxed and at ease was important to Jonathan and his bride respected that.

“He wanted comfortable,” Amanda said, and she understood that because she wanted the same for her bridal party.

For the bridesmaid’s dresses, Amanda wanted specific shades of grey, but that proved problematic, both in-store and online.

“When you go online, it’s all the same gray, or it’s two completely different grays, like a blue-gray, and I didn’t like that. So, I went online and ended up finding the lace dresses, but all in white” Amanda explains. “They were around $50.00 a dress.”

Getting the grey shades correctly took a little time and a trip to a craft store.

“I dyed them all and just held one in the water for five minutes and then one in for three minutes and then hung them, and then if I didn’t like the colour I’d dip it in longer. I did this for all four dresses,” Amanda said.

“I had the girls in a high-low dress so I knew you

would see their shoes. I know cowboy boots are comfortable and I didn’t care if they were brand name boots I just liked the look of cowboy boots in the country. That was just my vision.”

Nobody needed to go buy new boots. The more worn-in, the more authentic the look.

Amanda’s wedding gown was another great find and not at all what she envisioned herself in.

“So I fell in love with it at one of the bridal stores in Kitchener, saw the price tag and was like, nope, not doing it,” she said.

Intent on sticking to her budget, she walked away from her dream gown. But fate had other plans.

Amanda found a wedding consignment store in Stratford called Not Too Shabby.

“I messaged them and asked what size or what dresses do you have in my size? And she sent me a picture of my dress; the one that I fell in love with at the other place,” Amanda said, still amazed by her good luck.

“So, I went there and bought it for a quarter of the price of what it was at the other store.”

Amanda’s sister added the sparkle of bling with a rhinestone belt.

And like her bridesmaids, the bride wore her favourite boots.

In keeping with their vision to throw a party they’d be proud of, the couple opted for an open bar, but found ways to cut costs there too.

“We made our own wine,” Amanda said, explaining they made three different flavours. But making the physical bar itself was also a great savings with a creative solution.

“Jonathan made our bar out of skids,” Amanda said.

“We used a torch and sparked the wood so you could see the grain, to make it rustic,” Jonathan said.

“It had lights through it. I had little switches and could turn all the lights on it,” Amanda said. “Our bar was beautiful.”

After the wedding, Jonathan and Amanda sold the bar to another couple who repurposed it for their wedding.

From the very beginning of the wedding planning, Jonathan and Amanda knew they wanted a pig-onthe-spit roast with simple side dishes and corn on the cob, fitting with the country theme. Both agree it was the best choice, particularly for a wedding of this size.

“So, again, we wanted something that was easy, that everybody could eat,” Amanda explained.

Fraberts Fresh Foods in Fergus catered the event, that included four different salads, roasted potatoes, and corn on the cob.

“Originally, we just wanted them to come in and set up, cook a pig on site, so you could smell it, and that’s all we wanted … They ended up setting up and serving everything,” Jonathan said, noting the service was above and beyond expectations.

Amanda said the guests were equally impressed.

“The meal was absolutely amazing. Everybody said best meal that they’ve had at a wedding, and it was just sweet and simple.”

Amanda and Jonathan said their wedding day was the time of their lives, and they wouldn’t change a thing. They stayed true to their budget, and stayed true to themselves.

Looking back on the day Amanda said, “I would do it all over again, if I could, just to experience it again.”

There is more to a wedding than the wedding day itself. Let Fergies Fine Foods cater to the rest.

Your wedding day may be the pinnacle event, but there are special celebrations leading up to it that bring your closest family and friends together in unique ways. Make them memorable, stress-free, and delicious. Fergies has the perfect menu for whatever your gathering entails.

Whether it’s an engagement party or bridal shower, latenight buffet or elegant brunch, Fergies Fine Foods will create a specialized menu fit for the occasion.

The professional team at Fergies Fine Foods knows a wedding is so much more than a day. With a reputation for excellence, from the food we create to the service you receive, we are a full-service catering company. We take pride in what we do, and we do it all for you.

519.787.7700 www.fergies.ca

250 St. Andrew Street East, Fergus • miriam@fergies.ca