Couple:

Carrie & Brandon

Location:

Coffin Ridge Boutique Winery

From the Photographer:

Carrie + Brandon are laid back, completely in love and have two of the best laughs I've ever heard. They were both emotionally open and so excited to just be with each other, which is a gift to any photographer. Their day was a celebration of their connection, their family and their close-knit friends. It felt like them - honest and joyful.

Coffin Ridge is one of the most stunning venues around Georgian Bay. It has everything in one place for a dream wedding and this team of vendors makes it feel completely original every time. I can't wait to share the photos of Carrie getting ready with her mother in the beautiful Airbnb located at the venue and the magical couple photos captured at sunset in the vineyard.

The best part of this day for me was that I had a personal connection to the bride - we were childhood neighbours and my first ever playdate was with Carrie! It was amazing seeing her looking so happy and beautiful and feeling like we'd both come full circle.

From the Couple:

How did you choose your venue?: For our venue, we wanted something unique and close to home. Brandon and I were both born and raised in the area. I grew up with the escarpment and Bruce Trail in my backyard, and Brandon grew up on Georgian Bay. Coffin Ridge was the perfect mix of water and escarpment scenery, two things that remind us of “home.” We were also interested in a place that hadn’t been already utilized for weddings because we wanted something different. We wanted a place that we could visit 10, 15, 20 years from now, still overlooking the vineyards, enjoying a good glass of wine while reminiscing about our perfect wedding day.

What was the most important thing for you for your wedding day?: The most important thing for our wedding was to be able to gather and celebrate with close family and dear friends. And to eat delicious food, dance and relax with the people we love.

Please describe any unique details from your day and why they were special to you: We incorporated memories of passed grandparents in our wedding. The vintage cake topper was my Grandmas from her wedding day. We also featured a cocktail we called “The Dutchman” which was a Manhattan inspired by Brandon’s grandfather. Family is important to us and we wanted to be able to remember and celebrate with those no longer with us. Another unique detail was our favours which featured coffee beans from Ironwood Coffee, a local roastery in Big Bay.

What was the atmosphere you were trying to create?: Simple, elegant and relaxing. We wanted the venue to speak for itself so kept décor and florals fresh and clean. We used soft and simple white florals with eucalyptus greenery speckled throughout. We also wanted to keep our wedding intimate with a small number of guests to create a warm vibe and encourage our guests to get to know one another.

What area of your wedding did you splurge on? (what was your top priority): Definitely the food! We love being adventurous when it comes to tasting and trying new things. It was important to us that we chose a chef that values local ingredients and incorporates them into amazingly mouth-watering food.

What area of your wedding did you save on?: I made a lot of the customized signage, drink menu, framed quotes, etc. which was relatively inexpensive. We also saved on purchasing a wedding cake, because my talented sister-in-law made the most gorgeous and scrumptious naked cake with a raspberry peach filling.

What wedding advice would you give to someone planning their wedding now?: Enjoy every minute of it, even the crazy, stressful and overwhelming bits. Trust the process and invite others to help. Remember to include your own sense of style and vibe and let your wedding be authentic to you and your partner—that’s the biggest advice I can give. The end result will be amazing, I promise.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?: Carrie: Goodness, there are so many it’s hard to choose! But if I had to pick one, it would be the moment I saw Brandon’s reaction as I walked towards him during the ceremony. It gave was heart-warming and gave me major butterflies--that moment truly solidified our love for each other.

What was your biggest challenge in the planning process?: We were so fortunate to have our wedding coordinator, Amanda Jerome to help us keep on track and be a sounding board for our vision. Although there were no major challenges during the planning process, a slight hiccup was arranging transportation and reserve hotel rooms for our guests. Our wedding was the same weekend of Summer Folk which meant we were unable to reserve a block of hotel rooms. This also affected our shuttle service arrangements but all in all it worked out in the end.

What was your first dance song?: Only Love by Ben Howard

What was your most memorable moment of the day?: Brandon: Nearing the end of the reception, our photographer, Spring whisked us away for some private photos. This evolved into an hour long ever-changing sunset, where Carrie and I could spend some time to enjoy each other’s company.