Modern Rustic Romance in Ontario's Rolling Fields
I really don't even know where to begin with this beauty. After reading this gorgeous Bride's description and devouring all the stunning images from Laura Rowe, I'm sort of at a loss for words. Because, really, I can't dream up a series of words worthy of this couple's story or their completely customized, personal day (designed lovingly by the Bride and Groom). So I'll ask you to just set aside some time today to really soak it all in, because this wedding is more than worth your time.
From The Bride…Lorne and I are a far cry from what any of our families would call traditional. Starting from how we went about the whole wedlock thing – were together for five years, bought a house and adopted a dog all before we even thought about getting married! You can imagine how much this pleased Lorne’s orthodox father. However, all sides of the family (and we have many as both parents are divorced) were routing for us to get married, so when Lorne popped the question, via a beautifully illustrated book that catalogued our life story, while we were vegging out in our quaint backyard with our dog Janie by our side, our family nearly lost it.
The first few weeks were pure bliss. Something about being engaged puts an extra skip in your step or shall we say bed. It’s like we were teenage lovers all over again. Our families gleamed with excitement and reveled in all the near future plans. But of course, euphoria can only last so long and as Lorne and I started to put plans into motion, we were faced with the perpetual balancing act of our parents expectations. If you’re like us and waited until your late 20s or mid 30s to get married then chances are you’re paying for part of your wedding or in some cases all of it. Thankfully we had some help from our parents, but it was still a tough call. Is it logical to spend your savings on one big blow out party? We could have easily taken the money and traveled to say our I dos as just the two of us, but we knew we couldn’t do that. We so badly wanted to celebrate our love with everyone we cherished, in a way that felt like us – we couldn’t be able to do that from far away.
So we said yes to planning the wedding, and although at times, it felt like a 3rd wheel in our relationship (that had some of the ugliest mood swings we’ve ever seen), being able to celebrate our love with everyone made every penny spent worth while. On mine and Lorne’s first excursion as a couple, we met in France and spent weeks driving and getting lost on windy dirt roads and eating provincial delights until we couldn’t breath. We wished we could fly everyone to Europe for the nuptials, but we didn’t have that kind of bank roll so we knew we would bring Europe to Canada.
It all started with a venue search. We must have visited every venue, back alley, empty barn and abandoned building this city has to offer. Just when we were about to give up we stumbled upon this beautiful property in Waterdown, ON just 45 minutes west of the city. It was a restored barn, with floor to ceiling windows, harvest tables and a farm to table food philosophy. That’s right, they grow and use the food straight from their property. I thought I was dreaming. Within 36 hours, we had appointment, drove out to see the place and handed over our deposit. The property was breathtaking and offered a view of rolling hills for miles. This would be the perfect backdrop for our Tuscan inspired wedding. Since we couldn’t go to Italy we would borrow her glorious features and share the bounty with everyone we love.
Almost every aspect of the wedding was in someway customized by either Lorne or myself. From our invitations, menus, programs and signage that Lorne hand designed to our olive oil table numbers (each filled and spiced by myself, my mom and friends) a little part of us was peppered throughout the wedding. I was so lucky to have some of the best vendors a bride could ask for. Each of them, imagining and creating the vision with us then handling the countless emails like a champ. In addition, all of our friends played a huge role from making our table numbers, hanging light and sewing greenery for our chair garland.
Our florists helped us create that Tuscan vibe we sought with long and lush olive table runners and loose pastel florals each hanging casually from rustic stone vases. The tables, the bouquet and the chuppah were all a sight for sore eyes. The chefs from our venue were also stars. As a food writer and a couple who navigates their day by what they’re eating, food was number one to us and after meeting with the Earth to Table Farm team we knew we’d be able achieve a five star restaurant experience at our wedding. They allowed us to design our own menu and the chefs worked with us to capture a Tuscan inspired meal. From stuffed and fried zucchini blossoms to Tuscan braised short rib and nutella bombolini’s the food was the highlight of the night. We also wanted our guests to take home a piece of the farm so we had the farm design a farmers market cart with fresh produce that guests could pack up in a bag and take home. I wish that I could spend this entire post detailing the entire menu, but I see I’m getting a bit carried away.
Apart from the rain and us having to move our dream outdoor wedding indoors, the wedding was the perfect day and in a way, the grey skies brought all of us even closer. The ceremony was an intimate soiree and we laughed and cried with our guests as we said our vows. Once Lorne smashed the glass, the wedding was off and it was a night to remember. We had our loud and crazy 30 minute horah, where both Lorne and I were thrown on blankets into the air, we got to eat almost all of our food, dance with all of our loved ones and of course make a few inappropriate speeches. I even slipped into a pair of jean shorts and a tank late into the night to keep up with Lorne’s deep house dance vibes.
Listen, we said we weren’t traditional and our wedding wasn’t either, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our families fully embraced every aspect and we’re so thankful for their support throughout the whole experience. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have a person like Lorne as my partner for life. He dreamed with me, dealt with my emotional fits, came to almost every appointment with a smile (even if it was the 50th venue), defended me, backed all of my crazy ideas and helped pull it off – even if it meant climbing a 50ft ladder to hang lights from beams. Apart from the wedding, Lorne is the best kind of man: he is kind, he is genuine, he is funny, he is honest and he is mine. I can’t wait for many years of adventure with you. Love you always.
A special thanks to our photographer Laura Rowe who has the talent to capture a love story in one single frame. We instantly gravitated towards your vivacious smile and warmth. And to our day of wedding planner Lisa Covant who saved our wedding by knowing when to say no to me and make our outdoor wedding feel very much alive indoors. Thank you both of you for capturing our day and for telling our story. We love you.
The first few weeks were pure bliss. Something about being engaged puts an extra skip in your step or shall we say bed. It’s like we were teenage lovers all over again. Our families gleamed with excitement and reveled in all the near future plans. But of course, euphoria can only last so long and as Lorne and I started to put plans into motion, we were faced with the perpetual balancing act of our parents expectations. If you’re like us and waited until your late 20s or mid 30s to get married then chances are you’re paying for part of your wedding or in some cases all of it. Thankfully we had some help from our parents, but it was still a tough call. Is it logical to spend your savings on one big blow out party? We could have easily taken the money and traveled to say our I dos as just the two of us, but we knew we couldn’t do that. We so badly wanted to celebrate our love with everyone we cherished, in a way that felt like us – we couldn’t be able to do that from far away.
So we said yes to planning the wedding, and although at times, it felt like a 3rd wheel in our relationship (that had some of the ugliest mood swings we’ve ever seen), being able to celebrate our love with everyone made every penny spent worth while. On mine and Lorne’s first excursion as a couple, we met in France and spent weeks driving and getting lost on windy dirt roads and eating provincial delights until we couldn’t breath. We wished we could fly everyone to Europe for the nuptials, but we didn’t have that kind of bank roll so we knew we would bring Europe to Canada.
It all started with a venue search. We must have visited every venue, back alley, empty barn and abandoned building this city has to offer. Just when we were about to give up we stumbled upon this beautiful property in Waterdown, ON just 45 minutes west of the city. It was a restored barn, with floor to ceiling windows, harvest tables and a farm to table food philosophy. That’s right, they grow and use the food straight from their property. I thought I was dreaming. Within 36 hours, we had appointment, drove out to see the place and handed over our deposit. The property was breathtaking and offered a view of rolling hills for miles. This would be the perfect backdrop for our Tuscan inspired wedding. Since we couldn’t go to Italy we would borrow her glorious features and share the bounty with everyone we love.
Almost every aspect of the wedding was in someway customized by either Lorne or myself. From our invitations, menus, programs and signage that Lorne hand designed to our olive oil table numbers (each filled and spiced by myself, my mom and friends) a little part of us was peppered throughout the wedding. I was so lucky to have some of the best vendors a bride could ask for. Each of them, imagining and creating the vision with us then handling the countless emails like a champ. In addition, all of our friends played a huge role from making our table numbers, hanging light and sewing greenery for our chair garland.
Our florists helped us create that Tuscan vibe we sought with long and lush olive table runners and loose pastel florals each hanging casually from rustic stone vases. The tables, the bouquet and the chuppah were all a sight for sore eyes. The chefs from our venue were also stars. As a food writer and a couple who navigates their day by what they’re eating, food was number one to us and after meeting with the Earth to Table Farm team we knew we’d be able achieve a five star restaurant experience at our wedding. They allowed us to design our own menu and the chefs worked with us to capture a Tuscan inspired meal. From stuffed and fried zucchini blossoms to Tuscan braised short rib and nutella bombolini’s the food was the highlight of the night. We also wanted our guests to take home a piece of the farm so we had the farm design a farmers market cart with fresh produce that guests could pack up in a bag and take home. I wish that I could spend this entire post detailing the entire menu, but I see I’m getting a bit carried away.
Apart from the rain and us having to move our dream outdoor wedding indoors, the wedding was the perfect day and in a way, the grey skies brought all of us even closer. The ceremony was an intimate soiree and we laughed and cried with our guests as we said our vows. Once Lorne smashed the glass, the wedding was off and it was a night to remember. We had our loud and crazy 30 minute horah, where both Lorne and I were thrown on blankets into the air, we got to eat almost all of our food, dance with all of our loved ones and of course make a few inappropriate speeches. I even slipped into a pair of jean shorts and a tank late into the night to keep up with Lorne’s deep house dance vibes.
Listen, we said we weren’t traditional and our wedding wasn’t either, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Our families fully embraced every aspect and we’re so thankful for their support throughout the whole experience. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world to have a person like Lorne as my partner for life. He dreamed with me, dealt with my emotional fits, came to almost every appointment with a smile (even if it was the 50th venue), defended me, backed all of my crazy ideas and helped pull it off – even if it meant climbing a 50ft ladder to hang lights from beams. Apart from the wedding, Lorne is the best kind of man: he is kind, he is genuine, he is funny, he is honest and he is mine. I can’t wait for many years of adventure with you. Love you always.
A special thanks to our photographer Laura Rowe who has the talent to capture a love story in one single frame. We instantly gravitated towards your vivacious smile and warmth. And to our day of wedding planner Lisa Covant who saved our wedding by knowing when to say no to me and make our outdoor wedding feel very much alive indoors. Thank you both of you for capturing our day and for telling our story. We love you.
