A Starry-Eyed Estate Wedding Built from the Ground Up with Heart and Intention

[section title=”The Planning”]
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White, Cream, blush, dusty rose and greens

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Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted a big wedding surrounded by family and friends, celebrating the love I found with my person. I envisioned incredible food, signature drinks, and an evening under the stars filled with dreamy details like sparklers, twinkling lights, live music, and lots of joy and laughter. I always dreamed of an outdoor wedding and imagined a clear-top tent so we could see the stars. When we couldn’t find exactly what we were envisioning in Toronto and the GTA, we decided to build our wedding from the ground up and host it at a private estate in Schomberg, ON. This might seem daunting, but after completing a major renovation on our 1867 house, we had faith in ourselves. As a school teacher and David in the road construction industry, we knew we were embarking on an exciting and unique adventure by creating our venue. From the beginning, we wanted our personalities and our relationship to shine through every aspect of the wedding. We are a couple who thrives on experiences, and we wanted to create a magical experience for our loved ones. From our dating days to our proposal, wedding planning, building our venue, and our bachelorette and bachelor parties in Tulum and Scotland, every moment has been filled with intimate experiences, sentimental touches, and, of course, some chaos. Although our guest count of 240 might seem large, our family and friends know each other well from our many gatherings, so the atmosphere felt intimate, warm, and comfortable. We wanted our wedding to be about celebrating and cherishing the moment, creating lifelong memories.

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[field title=”Proposal Story”]

On August 26, 2017, my brother introduced me to a very special man at our favorite place, the cottage on Georgian Bay. Four years later, on August 26, 2021, I went on a date with my boyfriend that turned into the dreamiest, most magical evening. He got down on one knee on Georgian Bay and asked me to be his wife. Our wedding day, August 26, 2023, was the day our wildest dreams came true. It was a true fairytale and the most beautiful day of our lives.

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[board_carousel title=”Getting Ready”]

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[board_carousel title=”Flat Lays”]

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[section title=”The Fashion”]
[field title=”Wedding Gown”]

My dress was from Superior Bridal. Designer: Eva Lendel Name of dress: Jess I always envisioned what our wedding day would be like, but never had a vision for my dress. In April 2021, before I was even engaged, Instagram served me this dress, and I instantly fell in love. I saved it to my phone, and little did I know, just a few months later, I would be engaged. The wedding dress shopping journey began in February 2022, and I had so much fun with my family and friends going dress shopping. The try-ons, the brunches, the champagne that followed, it was such a memorable process. I found some close contenders, but knew I needed to try on THE dress before making any decisions. After calling around, I found out Superior Bridal had this dress for me to try on. It was an instant “OMG”. I went back a second time to show my mom, mother-in-law-to-be, my aunt, sister in laws, cousin, and best friend. It was so special. A few weeks later, on May 5th, I took my mom and dad back with me to officially say “YES to the dres, and we FaceTimed my brother. This dress was the dress of my dreams, and it was true love at first sight!

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[field title=”Bridesmaid Dresses”][/field]
[field title=”Groomsman Attire”]

David’s custom classic black tux from Per Lui had some very special personalizations that made the tux extra special. From his initials, our wedding date, and my name embroidered in soft pink (my favourite colour) on the inside of his collar jacket. Inside his jacket, an array of photos from our engagement night is printed on the lining.

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[board_carousel title=”Wedding Party”]

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[board_carousel title=”Ceremony”]

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[board_carousel title=”Cocktail Hour”]

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[section title=”The Details”]
[field title=”Food & Drink”]

Cocktail hour started with a mobile oyster bar, which was a collaboration between Chaos and Cappuccinos as well as Rodney’s Oysters. Accompanied by delish bites from McEwan Catering, there was no shortage of food. McEwan Catering followed cocktail hour with a delicious 4-course meal and late-night bites.

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[field title=”Florals & Decor”]

The floral and decor were neutral and classic. Soft tones including white, cream and hints of blush pink create a palette that offered balance, allowing the estates neutral beauty to shine while maintaining the fun and feminine aestetic the bride wished for.

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[field title=”Wedding Cake”]

Nadia & Co. created the wedding cake. The cake was a celebration of texture and soft, romantic hues. Layers of blush and nude tones created an elegant, tonal harmony, while wafer paper added delicate dimension. Handcrafted sugar roses bloomed across the design, and sculpted rice paper accents introduced an ethereal, almost weightless quality.

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[field title=”Readings, Ceremony Music, Reception Songs”][/field]
[field title=”Special Detail #1″]

From the Mobile Oyster Bar at Cocktail Hour, to live music, the fireworks show, valet parking, newspaper itinerary fans, and the dance party under the fairy lights with the clear-top tent, every detail was meant to celebrate and cherish the moment.

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[field title=”Special Detail #2″]

What made the day even more special was that the weather was incredible until 2:00 p.m. Our ceremony was scheduled for 4:00 p.m., but the rain refused to stop. David and I kept saying, “10 more minutes,” hoping for a break. Although we had a rain plan, we didn’t want to use it. Amidst the growing pressure to make a decision, I’ll never forget one of David’s groomsmen saying, “You’ve never been one for logic; what does your gut say?” That moment will always stay with me. My gut said, “10 more minutes,” and David believed the rain would stop. We trusted our instincts, and at 5:00 p.m., we made the call to proceed with the ceremony outside. The guests waited in a covered barn with live music, and we announced that if the rain intensified, they could move to the reception area under the tent, but we would continue outside. Our angels were with us that day because the sun broke through as we exchanged our vows, creating a moment that felt truly otherworldly. It was a testament to our belief in ourselves and our dreams for the day. Planning this wedding tested us in ways we could never have anticipated, but it has been one of our favorite projects to bring to life. We are so glad we didn’t give up. It truly was a journey, and a fun one at that. We could not be more grateful to our incredible team of vendors and our amazing planner, Michelle, who worked tirelessly to make our dream a reality. Details that made our day beautiful “us” included our signature drinks inspired by our favourite place, our honeymoon destination, and the small hamlet we live in: The Georgian Bay, The Bora Bora and The Laskay. For our guest book, we had guests sign the pages of our favorite coffee table book, Live Beautiful, and we paid tribute to our parents and grandparents’ love stories with a display called The Love That Came Before Us, showcasing their wedding day photos. It was the best day of our lives.

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[field title=”Special Detail #3″][/field]
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[board_carousel title=”Couple Portraits”]

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[board_carousel title=”Reception”]

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