MARRIED SEPTEMBER 8, 2018
Kevin and I met at a church event when I was only 14 years old and he was 16. At the time, I was living in Windsor and Kevin was based in London, so we only got to see each other every other week when I was home to visit my Mom. We talked for a few weeks (the first time either of us had ever been in any sort of relationship!), but the distance between our hometowns was too much for our age, so we decided to break things off.
A few years later, Kevin’s Grandpa stopped me at church to ask if Kevin and I had connected recently. We hadn’t been in touch for a very long time, so I decided to reach out to Kevin on Facebook to see if we could catch up over a drink. And that was it! We talked to each other every single day afterwards, and a few months later, officially started dating.
Skip ahead a few more years, and we were packing for our first vacation together. Out of nowhere, Kevin said he had a surprise for me and asked me to close my eyes. For what felt like an eternity, all I could hear was rustling and I had no idea what he was doing. When he finally told me to open my eyes, there he was on one knee! I wish I can remember what he said in that moment, but I was crying too many happy tears. It was such an amazing moment to have between just the two of us at home. In actuality, Kevin had originally planned to propose on the beach during our trip, but he couldn’t wait until then! We ended up calling the trip our ‘Engagement Vacation’, and we kept it a secret from everyone until we got back (except my Dad, who had given his blessing to Kevin for the proposal). It was so special to have that week to celebrate with just each other.
Once we got back from our vacation, we started looking for a wedding venue. We originally picked a venue in Windsor, as I thought it would be easier for me to plan where I was based. We booked with a winery, and at first, I was really excited. But the more I got into organizing wedding details, the more I realized that the winery didn’t provide much support when it came to planning. I would have had to put all the details together myself, and I quickly figured out that I would rather find a place that was all-inclusive. After looking at all the other venues in Windsor, we weren’t happy with any of the options. I started searching Wedding Wire for venues in and around London, and that’s where we found St. Marys Golf & Country Club. I booked a meeting with Ashton (Director of Special Events), who explained all that SMGCC offered – and we were in awe! It all just clicked! Everything they included with their beautiful venue was more than we could have hoped for. Also, Ashton herself was amazing! She has a way of helping you create a vision that feels specific to you, which we instantly fell in love with. We ended up choosing the Ballroom, as we favoured its soft aesthetics and classic look, and confirmed our booking the very next day. Since Ashton was soon going off on maternity leave, she connected us with Courtney (Executive Special Events Consultant), who would be our Wedding Planner. Courtney was also so wonderful to work with! She made me feel calm and at ease through the whole planning process, and walked me through all the details so diligently.
On the morning of our wedding, I woke up feeling overwhelmed for the day ahead (the result of a recent brain injury), but by the time my bridal party and I got to SMGCC, that feeling quickly vanished. Once I saw the final transformation of the Ballroom, with our décor by Kim of Above & Beyond Event Design, it was even better than I could have imagined. I had dreamed of a classic and elegant theme that incorporated soft pinks, ivory and champagne, and Above & Beyond brought all of this together so perfectly. There was romantic candlelight everywhere, bursts of blush florals, greenery accents, and a flowing draped backdrop that set the tone for the whole space. It was actually Ashton’s wedding design and backdrop that convinced me to work with Above & Beyond for our wedding decor – I absolutely loved the look of her wedding! And the pergola design for our outdoor ceremony completely exceeded all of my expectations. Kim romantically draped the front of the pergola with ivory sheers, and had outsourced two massive floral arrangements that her team affixed asymmetrically to the structure. The final result was breathtaking!
Slipping into my dress on the day of our wedding was so memorable. Originally, I thought I wanted a poufy ballgown, with lace and sparkle and masses of tulle! But every dress I tried on in this style just didn’t feel right. Not allowing me to leave defeated, the sales consultant at Nicholas & Elizabeth (in London, Ontario) pulled a satin Allure gown, mentioning that it was her favourite dress in the store and that it was brand new. Even though I was skeptical (I was dead set against satin!), I came out of the dressing room, took one look in the mirror, and instantly felt like a bride. I absolutely loved it. That was the dress.
For the rest of our wedding vendors, we turned to Nicole Vallance Photography for our photos, Time 4 Flowers for our bouquets and boutonnieres, DJ Alpha Productions for our music, Primarily Paper for our stationery and seating chart, Ballet Bridal for my veil and hairpiece, Collins Formal Wear for the groomsmen suits, and Shutterfly for our guestbook.
When it came time to walk down the aisle, I remember feeling a little anxious for the first time since arriving at the venue that day. There was such a build-up to that moment, and I couldn’t believe it was finally here! Luckily, there were two people that kept me calm. One was my Dad, who prayed with me in the Bridal Suite before we made our way up to the ceremony space. And two, there was Taryn, one of the amazing day-of coordinators at SMGCC, who made me take a minute to breathe before I turned the corner towards Kevin. And once I saw him, any remaining nerves completely melted away. It was surreal! The most beautiful moment I have ever experienced.
During the reception, Kevin and I just felt so in awe of it all, and we kept reminding ourselves to sit back and take in each moment. It was amazing to feel the love from all of our family and friends. And THE FRIGGEN FOOD! Oh my goodness, the food. It was incredible. We had so many guests comment on how delicious their meal was, and we have the Chef Team at SMGCC to thank for that. It was also unbelievable how smooth the whole night felt. Truly, I don’t know what I would have done without Courtney and Taryn, and the rest of the SMGCC Events Team, who worked so hard to ensure everything flowed together seamlessly. Even though I was suffering from a concussion and had to take frequent breaks throughout dinner, none our guests seemed to notice, I never felt rushed or pressured to return before I was ready, and it never felt like we were behind schedule. This is something I will always be incredibly grateful for. The team at SMGCC accommodated me so professionally and so genuinely, and allowed me to take care of myself so that I could enjoy one of the most important days of mine and Kevin’s life!
Looking back, what I loved most about our wedding day was having all of the important people in our life together in one place. They came from all over the map to be there with us, and we feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to share our day with each and every one of them. And marrying Kevin! That definitely takes the cake.
