MARRIED AUGUST 20, 2016
Our story began back in December 2011 at an ugly Christmas sweater party. Not wearing an ugly sweater, Jordan came to the party with my best friend and her husband, who had mentioned to him that there was someone at the party they wanted him to meet (me!). At the time, he was living in Calgary, but was home for the Christmas holidays. Following the party, we interacted every day by texts, long distance phone calls, and trips back and forth between Calgary and Ontario – and our relationship continued to grow. Finally, in August 2012, Jordan made the move back to Ontario and we bought our first home together.
A few years later, Jordan planned a surprise birthday weekend getaway for me in Niagara Falls. After driving through a snowstorm to get there, we settled in for a bit before heading down to the Casino. I was enjoying my time at the slot machines when Jordan came to tell me that the weather had cleared, and that he wanted to go for a walk down to the falls. Since I was on a winning streak, I ignored him a few times, until I finally cashed out my earnings. We walked down to the falls, took a few pictures, and then started to head back to the hotel. Just as I began to walk away, Jordan called out my name, and when I turned around, he was down on one knee asking me to marry him. Of course I said YES!
After a few days of enjoying our recent engagement, we started to put our wedding plans together. We first considered our wedding venue and looked at a few different places – and nothing could outshine the St. Marys Golf and Country Club. Once setting up a meeting with Ashton (their Director of Special Events), I knew this was going to be the place where we would get married. When we booked our wedding date, all the rest of the plans seamed to fall together perfectly. Working alongside Ashton made the whole planning process a breeze! And then there was the added bonus of having our ceremony only steps away from where our reception would take place – plus the view of the ceremony area and golf course from our reception room, which was just the icing on the cake!
On the day of our wedding, the Ballroom could not have looked more beautiful or more representative of our vision. All the details came together with creative and unique décor by Kim Foster and team, of Above & Beyond Event Design & Decor. The café lights hanging from the ceiling looked amazing in the daylight, and then created a romantic glow in the evening for our dance, once all the other lights were dimmed – it felt like we were dancing the night away under the stars! It was a perfect setting.
Lanny and Jay, of Lyrics Flowers, added gorgeous purple and white floral touches with lots of greenery, to finish off the overall look and feel of the room. During Cocktail Hour, our guests enjoyed frozen yogurt from Gina, of The Fro.Zen Trolley, which was a special treat for a hot summer day. Shirley, of Sweet Exposure Photography, beautifully captured all the moments of the day. The bridal party wore mint lace dresses by David’s Bridal, and my bridal gown (designed by the amazing Sophia Tolli) was purchased at Sophie’s Gown Shop in London. The men were all dressed by Collins Formal wear.
The best part of the whole day was when I saw Jordan for the very first time. We had placed old doors at the end of the ceremony aisle, which were closed for my entrance and then opened as I walked down the aisle. When the doors opened, and I saw Jordan’s face, all the little worries that you experience as a Bride seemed to just melt away.
Chef Jason and the St. Marys staff prepared and served us an incredible meal of prime rib and chicken. All of our guests raved about the dinner, and the unbeatable frozen lemon meringue cake we chose for dessert – this cake is made by Chef Jason’s mother and is highly recommended! Our wedding Maitre D’, Shaina, kept everything running smoothly throughout the day and into the evening – a large feat that we genuinely appreciate. We want to thank all of the staff at St Marys Golf & Country Club for hosting such an memorable day, and for everything they did to make our wedding day truly the BEST DAY EVER!
Story by Tiffany Mandigo
Photography by Sweet Exposure Photography
