MARRIED MAY 11, 2019
From an instant connection, to pivoting the proposal plan three times, then planning an out-of-country wedding, Rose and Matt have relied on their instincts to guide them through their love story. Here they both share their perspective of the wedding journey, with a proposal breakdown by Matt that had us all laughing out loud!
THE BEGINNING
Rose: Matt and I met through a mutual running friend. She introduced us at a party on a Friday, and by Sunday, we were at a bar together watching a World Series ball game. We would spend the next three games together as friends. Matt finally took me on a ‘real’ date shortly after, where we discussed our goals and what we wanted out of life. We had so much in common - everything aligned so perfectly. And we have never looked back since!
THE ENGAGEMENT
Matt: Our engagement story started off with a great plan, and then another, and then another…
I purchased the engagement ring in Chicago, and I had it hidden in our apartment for about a week before we traveled to Ontario for a busy Thanksgiving weekend. We were planning to stay downtown Toronto on Friday night, attend a wedding in Port Hope on Saturday, and end the weekend at Thanksgiving dinner with my family. We planned to fly back home on Monday, Rose’s Birthday. I hadn’t purchased a gift, so a lot was riding on the proposal.
Originally, I had hoped to propose at the waterfront in Toronto on Friday, but our flights were delayed. After arriving, we had a late dinner, where the libations (and my nerves) got the best of me. So, it was on to the next great plan.
I was feeling even more nervous on Saturday morning, as I had never been to Port Hope before and I wanted to find the perfect spot to propose to Rose. I took a walk and found a footbridge, over a river that flows through the middle of town. My new plan was to take a detour on our walk back to the hotel that night, stop on the bridge, and propose underneath the stars. The plan was perfect…until it wasn’t. We had consumed more wine at the wedding than I expected, and I realized that if I was to go through with it that night, the proposal may only be memorable for me.
On Sunday, I woke up knowing ‘third time’s a charm’. I would ask Rose to walk to Sunday brunch, taking the same route along the bridge. I planned on asking Rose to pose for a picture and surprise her with the ring. Although I was nervous, playing with the ring in one pocket and my phone in the other, the walk started promisingly. We took one step onto the bridge when Rose asked, “Where’s my phone?”. Despite begging with her, Rose refused to continue walking until we returned to the hotel to find her phone. This time, as we walked, I knew there was a higher power helping me realize how much I wanted to marry this woman.
We ran into a mutual friend who was also headed to brunch. Rose asked him to walk with us, which turned into a beautiful opportunity. I finally asked Rose to marry me on the bridge, where our friend was able to capture the special moment for us. I was so happy (and relieved) when she said yes!
THE VENDORS
Rose: When we were first engaged, Matt reminded me that our good friends (Matt and Ashton Staffen) own a wedding venue close to his home town in London. He showed me pictures of the Hideaway at the St. Marys Golf and Country Club, and I instantly fell in love with the idea of hosting our wedding there. The venue is so beautiful and so unique! I am from Ohio, and Matt and I now live in Chicago, and every venue we looked at closer to my family and our current city simply could not compare to SMGCC. From the moment I chatted with Ashton about all of the possibilities for our day, I knew she and her team would take the best care of us and look after everything. Despite not being from the area, I had complete confidence in the whole planning process, as Ashton carefully recommended vendors that would meet all of our expectations. And every vendor was a perfect fit!
When we were finally able to come back to Ontario to see the venue and meet with our vendors, we felt so comfortable and looked after. We met Kim of Above & Beyond Event Design and Landon of Lyric Flowers, and with only a few inspirational pictures to show them, they were able to understand and execute our vision perfectly. I remember walking into the Hideaway on the day of our wedding and being totally in awe of the space they had created. Kim’s ‘Copper Dreams’ backdrop was glowing with candlescaping, and our harvest king’s head table was set perfectly in front. Our head table and matching wood family tables were styled with loads of candles, blush satin napkins, and greenery runners with pops of floral down the centre. The black-framed garage doors were softened with ivory drapery, and string lights were added to the back patio for a romantic setting at night.
For our sweets table, we worked with The Cake Box on a few key pieces, like our gorgeous naked cake and the cutest Canadian-themed cookies, which were a little homage to local family and friends and also a way to welcome our American guests to the Canadian setting.
THE DRESS
Rose: I was lucky enough to wear two different dresses on our wedding day. The first was a dress that had been worn by three generations of women in my family, so it was extremely important to me that I wore it when we said our vows.
The second dress was for the reception, so I wanted something completely different - something that would bring out my personality. Walking into the Chicago dress boutique with my Mom and Aunt, I knew that I wanted an A-line dress with a low neck and back, and that’s exactly what I left with. And when Matt saw me in my party dress, his jaw completely dropped. I will never forget the look on his face! It was absolutely one of my favourite moments from the day.
THE BIG DAY
Matt: I have two memories of our wedding that rise above the rest.
Rose wore a family dress for our ceremony. It was worn by her grandmother, mother and other relatives which I had seen photographs of. Seeing her in that dress was certainly emotional, but not surprising. She changed into her second dress before we left the Church to head to SMGCC. Seeing her in the new dress is a moment that I will never forget. She looked modern and stunning, and all I could say was, “Wow!”
Second, walking into SMGCC was incredible. It was amazing to walk through the garage doors to a room full of family and friends just beaming at us. Once we were seated, we could really take in all of the incredible details that the decor team, florists and SMGCC had put together. It was truly the wedding of our dreams. Matt, Ashton and the rest of their team created an event even better than we expected. Even my 90 year old grandmother, who has been to many celebrations during her life, told Rose that it was the nicest and most organized wedding she had ever been to!
Rose: Our wedding day ran so smoothly, and as I like to tell everyone, it just ‘went’. We sat back during dinner and just watched how all these pieces fell into place, to create the most amazing, relaxed day. Everyone who was involved in our wedding was just so wonderful. We couldn’t have asked for a better photographer than Nina Polidoro. She made us all feel so comfortable, and gave us a beautiful photo collection that we will always cherish. DJ Alpha and the Zed Cover Band both had incredible energy, and ensured most of our guests were on the dance floor all night!
We cannot thank the whole team at SMGCC enough - and all of our other amazing vendors - for all of their efforts in making our dream day become a reality! We wish we could do it all over again!
As told by Rose and Matt Murray
Photography by Nina Polidoro
