Where: Family Property (Wedding) & Furnace Falls Farm (Reception)
When: June 12th 2021 (Wedding) & September 11th 2021 (Reception)
Bridal Gown: Lillian West purchased at Lovebird Bridal Boutique
Makeup : LaceFace - Stephanie Stella
Photography: Charlotte Buckle Photography I found Charlotte's website one evening by chance, and fell in love with her.
Food: Greco's Kingston
Drink: Alewife Bartending
Because of COVID, we had two weddings...and two venues. We were originally scheduled to get married on June 12th, 2021, and after nearly 9 years of loving each other, we didn't want to wait any longer. We got married on June 12th in our family friend’s backyard, surrounded by 9 guests plus our photographer. It was perfect in the sense that it was quiet and intimate, filled with good drinks, great food, and dancing. Three months later, on September 11th, 2021, we had our wedding reception with 70 guests at our original venue, Furnace Falls Farm. We felt so fortunate that after having to shuffle things over and over again with COVID, we still got the best of both worlds, an intimate wedding and a big celebration at our (ok, my!) dream venue.
The Inspiration: Being the thrifty, money-conscious people that we are, we wanted to do it on a budget and still radiate feelings of love, home, and fun. Three years ago, I photographed a wedding and from the second I walked into the barn at Furnace Falls Farm, I had heart flutters galore! Something about the mismatched chairs, garden-to-table food and flowers, random glasses, cutlery, and plates, it just all said to me: this is love. It doesn't matter if the plates match, if the floors creak, or if a pigeon has made itself a home on the high beams, love and marriage are for better or worse and it can make any place sparkle! If you are looking for a venue where you can enjoy a farm-to-table family-style meal, frolic in a field of flowers, dance the night away and then walk less than 100 paces to a gorgeous farmhouse to tuck into bed, Furnace Falls Farm is for you. Choosing the venue was the easiest part! Choosing a colour scheme, however, had my indecisive ways really shining through. I kept coming back to my ancient Pinterest board which was filled with dusty blue, ivory, light pink, and greys. I loved the soft dusty blue colour and it looked beautiful on all my bridesmaids, so that was the winner! Our aesthetic ended up being rustic chic, with simple patterns, baby’s breath, wood, and other personal touches that represented Justin and me as a couple.
Moments to Remember: I've never thought of myself as a particularly emotional person, but as I reflect, my eyes have suddenly become misty! The father-daughter dance...it started traditionally, but by the end of it, my mother and sister had joined in, and it was just like we had gone back in time, dancing as a family in the living room on a Saturday night, singing horribly at the top of our lungs to some crazy jig! The photos of that moment make my heart warm. Just pure joy.
Brooke's Dress Journey: I am not by any means a size two, I have a large chest, a squishy stomach, and the odd roll here and there. I was nervous to shop for my wedding dress, fearful that I would not find anything that complimented my figure that I would feel confident in. From the moment our bridal consultant Emily greeted me and my COVID masked crew, I was at ease. She was the experience. Emily knew exactly what I wanted...before I knew! She understood my body type and what would look best, and she made me feel like a princess for that hour! I brought some photos of inspiration for me and tried on dresses like that, but I wasn't feeling like a 'bride'. Then Emily brought up a dress that had been in the shop for years but for some unknown reason, no one had ever purchased. Done. That was it. I tried on about 7 dresses and went back to that one twice. I didn't want to take it off and that's how I knew I found my dress. Emily helped personalize it a bit for me by ordering another layer of fabric to be added under the bodice and helping me customize the look of the straps as it initially didn't have any. It was so good I wore it twice! I felt like me in my dress but also like a bride; it was everything I didn't know I wanted.
Brooke's Advice: All that matters at the end of the day is the love and respect that you and your partner have for one another. When all the flowers, guests, and goodies are gone, it is you and your partner. Keep that in mind as you plan your day. Everyone will have unsolicited advice and opinions on your wedding day but ultimately, you need to remember that the day is meant to be a representation of the love you and your partner shared yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Get the Jenga guest book, order the pizza, have a basketball game at your wedding! We wanted our reception to feel like a game night at our house, just in fancier clothes with better music, and that's what we did and will continue to do (but back in the sweats!) from this day forward. Our planning was anything but smooth, but it all worked out as it was meant to and so will yours if you trust your gut and have a steady stock of wine in the house.
