This Ontario wedding photographed by Crystal Clear Imagery is bucking tradition and saying I Do to gorgeous. And guess what, there isn’t a white dress in sight. How’s that for thinking outside of the wedding box? I’m having my own little swoon fest over this black number, not to mention the bride’s sapphire ring – a winning combination for the whimsical at heart or anyone that craves a little color in their lives. See it all here.
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From the Bride… I’m not entirely sure how long it’s been that I wanted to get married in a barn. It likely became seeded as a child growing up amongst corn fields, cows and an old red barn, but then again I was never that little girl who dreamed about her wedding day or planned what it would one day be like. It wasn’t until I was 24, browsing through a Martha Stewart Weddings magazine where I saw a photo that sent my mind into a creative flurry. It was a photograph of mason jars that had been turned into lanterns, all softly light and hanging at different lengths from a tree. That was the photo that inspired my entire wedding that was to commence 10 years into the future.
Kevin and I never dreamed when we met that our relationship would be anything short of temporary. He was 7 years my JR. and I was 28 with the intention of settling down and having a family by the age of 30. We just couldn’t fathom that our paths would ever meet in the middle. As it turns out, love had very different plans for us. After 3 months of avoidance we wound up talking for hours, instantly became the best of friends, fell in love, bought a house and 3 years later started a family.
Clearly we are not ones for tradition. I’ve always wanted a vintage looking sapphire engagement ring rather then a diamond and dreamed of finding a gorgeous gown in any colour but white. It was obvious that a wedding based on tradition didn’t make much sense to us. So we decided to stay true to ourselves and create an intimate and interactive wedding that our guests as well as ourselves could truly enjoy.
I immediately started searching in google for barns to rent, which wasn’t as easy as I had hoped. Disappointingly, there are not a whole lot of barns around and the only one I could find was on a golf course. We took our chances and made an appointment to view it. I can’t even express how rapidly we fell in love with this place. The grounds were stunning. Giant trees as far a the eye could see, a big old barn with a quaint and charming chapel inside and a crumbled foundation to a building with the remains of a giant fire place and chimney where the reception tent would sit. Every detail was perfect. It was the first and last place we looked. The venue was booked and the planning commenced. I got started on designing our invitations. Once that task was complete we meticulously worked on the tiny details that became our celebration of us. We had a candy bar loaded with delicious treats and personalized bottles of soda. A lounge area with throw blankets, coffee table and board games. Parasols hanging at different lengths from the tent roof and of course mason jar lanterns scattered about the tent and hanging from the trees. A scrapbook area rather then the traditional guest book And our favourite, the home made photo booth!
Sadly my grandmother lost her short battle with cancer just before being able to watch me walk down the aisle, so it was decided that at our wedding we would stop for a moment and celebrate her life. My grandmother’s name was Lucy so Kevin’s very talented family got together and performed Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds while we released the giant Ivory Balloons that decorated the chapel into the air. It was a beautiful moment that brought everyone to tears and one that I will not soon forget.
I loved every little detail of this wedding. I loved creating and hunting down the decorations. I adored the time taken with my girls to put everything together and if I had to do it all over again I would do it in a heartbeat. A DIY wedding was a lot of work but it brought us so much closer to the event and created a connection to it that we might not have had otherwise. It needs to be said, however, that I never would have gotten it accomplished with such ease if not for my wedding planner Somer. She was pure magic & honey sunshine.
My Favourite moment? Despite all the details, people, and entertainment, my favourite moment was a stolen couple of minutes on a bench behind the tent, hidden away from everyone else with my new husband while we sat, hand in hand and looked at the stars.
Wedding Photography: Crystal Clear Imagery / Event Planner: Somer Zangrand of Filled with Heart / Wedding Venue: Knollwood Golf Club / Wedding Dress: Pronovias / Groom’s Suit: Calvin Klein / Hair: Sandra Goodfellow / Makeup: Elysse Melo / Bride’s Shoes: Aldo / Sweets Table: Sweet Carma / Cupcakes: Sarah’s So Sweets / Boutonniere & Fascinator: Sweetly Fallen / Hair Piece: Lola M Designs / DJ: 5150 Entertainment