MARRIED SEPTEMBER 14, 2019
When people ask me how I met my husband, I usually start with, “It’s a really romantic story…”, and then it quickly ends by telling them that we met and got engaged at a trailer park.
Mike and I grew up together, spending each summer at a campground that both of our families camped at. High school summer love grew into more, and because we spent so much of our time at the park together, it was the perfect place for him to propose. When Mike originally started planning for the proposal, he thought a hot air balloon ride would be perfect. After some thought, he realized we would be with other people in the balloon and that just didn’t suit us. So, he took it back to the basics with a golf cart ride and a big open field overlooking the Ausable River, where he asked me the easiest question I’ve ever had to answer.
It didn’t take us long to start planning our day. We headed to the trusty Google to start our search, and one of the first venues we found was the St. Marys Golf & Country Club. From the very beginning, I loved all the information and wedding packages that SMGCC made available for upcoming brides to see. It worked out perfectly that their fifth annual Bridal Open House was soon approaching. Aside from the insanely gorgeous displays throughout the venue and the impressive list of participating wedding vendors, it was the best opportunity to get a true feeling of what a wedding would feel like at SMGCC.
From the second we walked into The Ballroom and met Ashton (our wedding planner), I knew I had to have my wedding there. Ashton’s presence and personality is infectious, and the room itself was so beautiful. Shortly after attending the Open House and making our booking official, we met with Ashton, who made the planning process for a year and half completely SEAMLESS and STRESS FREE. Each email, phone call, and meeting was on point, and I valued her knowledge and experience to a level I can’t even describe. I truly appreciated the regular reminders and guidelines to follow, and there were no questions, confusions or areas of uncertainty. I honestly felt like I was the only bride getting married at SMGCC in 2019, even though they had 70 other brides that year!
The venue already had so much beauty, so it wasn’t hard to make our vision come to life. We met a lot of the vendors we chose at the Bridal Open House, which made our planning so easy. I never worried about the details, because I knew we were in such good hands with all the SMGCC preferred vendors. Kim from Above & Beyond Event Design created the most beautiful ceremony and reception spaces for us. She brought in many pieces with the rustic natural vibe we wanted, and carried out our vision to perfection. After meeting with Lanny and Jay, of Lyric Flowers, they came up with a unique, loose garden feel to compliment our decor, which included dahlias, anemone and foliages. For the reception, they ensured everything was touched with greenery accents, from our backdrop, to our centrepieces, to our seating chart signage. With the Bermuda triangle (what I call SMGCC, Above & Beyond and Lyric Flowers), no detail got missed. They were always working hard behind the scenes to ensure our day was going to be smooth and stunning.
To go with the rich tones in our flowers, I knew I wanted my bridesmaids in a wine colour. We found their chiffon bridesmaid dresses at David’s Bridal, and loved all the different style options to make each bridesmaid look unique. The groomsmen found their suits at Moores, and they chose a tie to match the colour the bridesmaids would be wearing.
My dress was next. I had visited a few other bridal boutiques, but as soon as we walked into Petrov Bridal Boutique in London, I knew I was going to find the one. I put on the Pronovias Ermin, and it was beyond everything I had ever dreamed about for a wedding dress. Mermaid style, fitted at the waist, with a sweetheart neckline. I loved all the soft tulle and lace. It started out strapless, but after my fitting, I knew I wanted to add some spaghetti straps for a classic touch.
On the morning of our wedding, the girls and I headed to Expressions in Stratford to get our hair done. Heather from Makeup Artistry by Heather arrived at our house later that morning. I had met Heather at the Bridal Open House and instantly felt like we had been friends for years. She made all the ladies look SO stunning on our day. It was a luxury having her come to our house, so that we could take our time and celebrate with mimosas!
We decided to have a first look and take photos before the ceremony, so that we could spend some more time with our guests during cocktail hour. And I am so happy we decided on this, because we never felt rushed taking photos, and they are some of my favourite shots between Mike and I. Mikaela Shannon was our photographer. She was so easy going and fun to work with, and she captured the natural beauty of our day perfectly.
Days leading up to the big day were the easiest days, and I never once stressed about what would happen once we arrived at the venue. On the day of our wedding, I truly felt like a QUEEN. Taryn (our Maitre D’) was unbelievable, and so incredibly calm and thoughtful. She regularly checked in on me and my wedding party, once we got to the Bridal Suite, and we couldn’t stop talking about how considerate everyone at the venue was.
The entire day was completely perfect from start to finish, and even our guests couldn’t stop talking about how amazing the venue, service and food were. So many guests even said it was the best wedding they’d ever been to. As someone who usually struggles to give up control, I can say that St. Marys Golf & Country Club allowed me to FULLY relax and FULLY enjoy our special day, which we had spent months planning. Their hard work brought us immense joy and happiness, and we will never stop raving about SMGCC or their incredible team!
As told by Jenn Tracy
Photography by Mikaela Shannon Photography
