MARRIED JUNE 30, 2019
THE BEGINNING
Blake and I met on Tinder, so we like to say that ours is a modern-day love story. But with or without Tinder, our paths were always meant to cross. On our first date, we realized that we only lived one street over from each other, and we couldn’t believe we never had met before! From then on, we were inseparable.
THE ENGAGEMENT
We had planned a one-week trip for Hawaii, and because we would only be there for a short amount of time, I had every day and detail considered. Little did I know that while I was planning the day-by-day itinerary, Blake was also planning a proposal. He didn’t know the exact location of where he was going to pull it off, so he ended up carrying the ring around in his pocket for four days, waiting for the perfect moment!
We had reservations at a spot in Maui called Mama’s Fish House, which we had booked in advance. Before our reservation, we walked along the beach, and Blake proposed in front of the restaurant. It was a perfect moment between just the two of us, and the beautiful scenery all around us wasn’t too bad either.
THE VENDORS
When we were researching venues, it was actually my Mom who came across the St. Marys Golf & Country Club. She sent me a photo of the Hideaway, and I instantly fell in love! We live two hours from St. Marys, so we booked a tour with the venue, and as soon as we met with Courtney, we were sold! She was so fantastic, and I knew right from our initial conversation that we would be completely taken care of on the day of our wedding.
On our initial site visit with Courtney, she let us know of the SMGCC Bridal Open House that was happening in just a few weeks of our tour. It was such good timing, and we quickly registered for the show! When we walked into the Hideaway on the day of the Open House, it felt like a sampling of how our day would feel, and we were blown away. It was so amazing to be able to see our wedding space all decorated, and the mix of wood elements, metal details and greenery accents were exactly what we had in mind for our wedding design. It truly made visualizing everything so easy, and planning was a breeze since we were able to meet and book all the preferred vendors right at the Open House.
Immediately after the Open House, we jumped right into planning the details. We met with Kim from Above & Beyond Event Design, and she picked up on the exact design we envisioned right from our initial consult. I told Kim that I loved rustic touches, but I also wanted an elegant feel to the space. We looked through some examples of past wedding designs, and Kim ended up referring to our design plan as ‘Industrial Chic.’ Kim’s ‘Copper Dreams’ backdrop took centre stage and she had it glowing with candlescaping and Edison drop lights. Along our wood king’s head table, that was set right in front, there was a display of candles and gold beaded glass charger plates, with a personalized styled vignette at the base of the table. Kim even placed a miniature version of ‘Copper Dreams’ behind our podium, which provided a beautiful backdrop for speeches, and also a special place for our guests to take photos during the reception.
Next on my list was flowers. The floral designs that Lyric Flowers showcased at the Open House took my breath away, so I knew we needed to work with them for our wedding. Our first visit to their shop was so much fun, and we even enjoyed Margaritas while picking out our floral design! To compliment our ‘Industrial Chic’ design, we went with lots of silvery greens, dark green foliage, white peonies and roses, hydrangeas, and wax flowers for both the bouquets and throughout the decor. We kept all of the arrangements loose and organic to give them that freshly-picked garden look.
Rounding out our list of vendors was our photographer Shawn Van Daele, who was such a pleasure to work with. Blair from Enduring Promises was our ceremony Officiant, and we chose DJ Alpha for our music.
THE DRESS
When I went to look for my wedding dress, my Mom and wedding party came along for the experience, and it was nothing short of amazing. Once I put on the Mikaella by Paloma Blanca, from Kleinfeld Toronto, I instantly knew it was the one. It wasn’t what I had envisioned prior to the appointment, but the lightweight crêpe fabric, plunging neckline, A-line skirt, and two beaded band details at the waist were all so perfect together, and as soon as I saw myself in the dress, I felt like a bride.
THE BIG DAY
On the day of our wedding, things could not have gone any smoother. The whole team at SMGCC were so welcoming, caring and organized that we just felt so calm all day long. In fact, the entire experience – from initial tour to the day of our wedding – was phenomenal. All of the staff at SMGCC had this amazing ability to make you feel like your wedding was the only wedding they were planning. Of course, you knew that they had many couples they were working with, but they had this special ability to remember all the aspects of your wedding plan perfectly and make your planning experience feel so personal and unique. As we look to celebrating our third wedding anniversary in just over a month, we wish we could relive our day all over again!
As told by Amy Leontowicz
Photography by Shawn Van Daele
