Where: Family property
When: June 26th 2021
Bridal Gown: Stella York purchased at Lovebird Bridal Boutique
Photography: Allison Hadley Photography
Videography: Eddie Cristobal
Flowers: Kelly's Flowers
Food: Maryellen Catering
Bouncy Castle: Adventureland
When we started planning, we had 175 guests, an outdoor ceremony on family property, and a reception hall…but Covid changed our plans. When the restrictions came down heavy, we cancelled the hall and cut our guest list down. We kept our ceremony space on the farmland, rented a tent and did it all at the property. It was one of the hardest things to have to change your dream wedding. However, one of my best friends Shannon, whom was a bridesmaid, reminded me countless times that "there's something to be had about small weddings, you'll see." Unfortunately, she wasn’t there to see it, but she was right.
Shannon passed away a week before the wedding. It was so hard to know how to proceed having such a HUGE piece missing in my life and on our big day. Her husband assured us she would want us to go through with it, so we did the best we could. Shannon's children were all in the wedding and it was so special to have three of the biggest pieces of her heart be with us on our day.
The day of our wedding, it was muggy and rainy. It was pouring and we didn’t have a back-up plan. The forecast called for rain all day, but for some reason, just as I was finishing having my makeup done, the rain completely quit and it didn’t rain anymore that day! It brings some comfort to think that Shannon had a part in that.
The Inspiration: I always knew I wanted lots of greenery and soft colours - off white, blush and creams. A local garden centre offered plants, trees and flowers for us to use as decor, so we were blessed with some of the most beautiful pieces to add to our ceremony space. It completely surpassed what I could have imagined.
Moments to Remember: One of my most favourite memories, was the bouncy castle we had. Yes, you read that right! Before Shannon passed we had joke about having a bouncy castle. Well, Shannon had gone ahead and rented one from Adventure Land Bouncy Castles, a business Shannon LOVED! So after she passed, it was like having her touch on our wedding day and it was one of the best things from our day.
Ashley's Dress Journey: I was so worried about going and trying on dresses. As a plus size bride, I dreaded having to try on dresses. Emily completely eased all those worries. She pulled plenty of options for me to try on and never once made size feel like it was an issue. I think I tried on 7, including the dress I had initially gone to try on. Turns out, I didn’t love the one I went to try on at all! I was completely surprised! I ended up buying a Stella York ballgown, I never ever pictured myself in ballgown, but I just felt amazing in it. I knew immediately that it was my dress, and seeing my mom get emotional definitely confirmed my decision.
Ashley's Advice:
Try on different styles, be open to things you may deem out of your comfort zone.
CHOOSE LOVEBIRD!!
Don't get caught up in what "society" thinks a beautiful bride is. Every bride is beautiful. You buy a dress to fit your body, you don't form your body to fit a dress. It's supposed to be fun and one of the best times of your life, and if it doesn’t feel like that, take a breath and wear what makes YOU feel beautiful!
