Couple:

Gillian & Alan

Location:

Good Family Farms

From the Photographer:

At the very core of Gillian and Alan's wedding celebration was love. Love for each other, love for their families, love for experience and love for food. Following a devastating realization that after months of planning their wedding, a global pandemic was going to make that day impossible they got to thinking of how to reimagine their day. An intimate elopement seemed fitting but they couldn't bear the thought of not having their families with them.

I loved being a part of two celebrations with them. It's not often this happens, but when it does it's magical. You get to celebrate such an intimate ceremony and union without onlookers but then you get this other celebration that is filled with so much happiness. This was the first time the family had been together since the pandemic, so it was extra special. Their nieces and nephews ran around, played with ribbons and brought so much laughter and youthful cheer to an already happy day.

Jess Daring Wanderer

Intimate outdoor farm wedding at Good Family Farms with Sumac + Salt by wedding photographer Daring Wanderer // www.daringwanderer.com

An intimate wedding at Good Family Farms with caterer Sumac and Salt by Toronto wedding photographer Daring Wanderer // www.daringwanderer.com

meaford wedding groom with floral tie flowers by Euclid Design C

From the Couple:

How did you choose your venue?:

The area is special to us since we often visit for family holidays, but in January I surprised Alan with a birthday dinner hosted by Sumac + Salt at Good Family Farms. Hannah and Joel have something really special – each dish blew us away with the level of care and detail that went into it. We loved that everything was sourced locally, and that they really showcase the ingredients that Ontario has to offer. When the pandemic hit, and we had to rethink our original wedding plans, we both immediately thought of how incredible it would be to share this experience with our families.

What was the most important thing for you for your wedding day?:

To feel present. I think the challenges of the year really helped put things into perspective for us. After such a long time apart, we just wanted to spend time with our loved ones, and create lasting memories with one another. Good company, amazing food, great conversation – these were the things that were important to us. We put our trust completely in our amazing vendors, giving them the space to do what they do best, and giving us the freedom to relax on the actual day.

Please describe any unique details from your day and why they were special to you:

We decided to write our vows together, and I made them into vow booklets. They were very simple, but have been a wonderful keepsake from the day. My engagement ring has stones from my grandmother’s ring, and Alan’s grandmother’s ring, and I love the symbolism of both families being represented in our marriage. Lastly, we had our nieces and nephews act as ‘flower children’ scattering petals down the ‘aisle.’ It was so touching and also provided for some much-needed comic relief! Rachel from Euclid Design Co. provided the petals and made the most gorgeous little flower crowns for our nieces!

What was the atmosphere you were trying to create?:

We wanted it to feel relaxed and intimate. The Goods have such a picturesque property, and we were lucky that they graciously allowed us to have our ceremony on their lawn. It was a beautiful crisp sunny evening. Two old silver maple trees acted as the backdrop for the ceremony. We had built a playlist with some of our favourite songs that kicked off right away with the recessional, and set the tone for the evening. After the ceremony we popped some of our favourite bubbly, and had an easy walk up to the tent for dinner.

wedding toast at good family farm in meaford

What area of your wedding did you splurge on? (what was your top priority):

It was important to us to find vendors that we loved, and then basically stay out of their way so that they would have the space to produce their best work.

The first vendor we booked was Jess Craven of Daring Wanderer. We knew we wanted to invest in our photographer. We wanted someone with a sense of visual storytelling, who would be able to capture the atmosphere of the day. We also knew the food was a priority for us. Sumac+Salt have such remarkable talent and a formidable sensitivity to the sustainability of their food; they have a vision we were excited to support. Stephanie from The Parlour by Stephanie did a great job on my hair. Finally, Rachel Kwan of Euclid Design Co. created the most jaw-droppingly beautiful bouquet. We contacted her on short notice, and from a quick phone conversation she put together a mood board based on some of our preferences, and then delivered flowers on the day that far exceeded any of our expectations.

What area of your wedding did you save on?:

Since the pandemic really changed our plans, and we ended up only gathering with our direct family members, the cost of the wedding was generally lower than what it could have been. I’m not sure that we intentionally saved on anything specific, more that we decided to focus our budget on the vendors we felt were important, and relaxed about the rest.

What wedding advice would you give to someone planning their wedding now?:

If they are planning during a pandemic, I’d suggest keeping things simple wherever you can, and really focusing on a few things that are important to you. In general, I’d suggest building in some breathing room on the actual day – the time goes by so quickly, so make sure you have a bit of space to reflect and enjoy it! Lastly, find vendors whose work you love and then trust in their process. Good work is worth investing in.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?:

This is a tough one! The Chinese tea ceremony, our nephew standing on a chair and reciting an Irish blessing before dinner, and sneaking away at sunset for some portrait photos are all top tier memories.

What was your biggest challenge in the planning process?:

We had just locked in our plans for a more traditional wedding in the city when the pandemic hit, so actually it was probably the process of undoing a lot of the decisions that we had spent much of the previous year finalising. It was a crash course in remaining flexible, given how uncertain everything was. The hardest part was not being able to have all of our loved ones with us to celebrate, but everyone was very supportive and understanding. Once we came to terms with that, we looked at the cancellation as an opportunity to have a more intimate wedding. There was a lot of discussion ahead of time and additional measures to make sure we were following government guidelines and considering everyone’s safety. To be extra cautious we all quarantined for two weeks and got tested prior to the wedding. In the end it was well worth it, and it made our time together that much more precious.

What was your first dance song?:

We didn’t have a first dance, but our recessional was Dreams by The Cranberries.