Couple:

Shannon & Steve

Location:

Grandma Lambe’s, Meaford

From the Photographer:

Shannon & Steve worked so hard to make their wedding happen and were thrown so many curve balls by covid. They stuck to their guns and went ahead with their celebration and it was absolutely perfect. Steve grew up in the area, and they showed so much love and appreciation for the area and for local small businesses. Shannon is a baker and I think they have hopes of one day living here and moving her business here (fingers crossed because I wanna hang out with them again and again). Plus they're just so magically in love and everything was beautiful.

It was a labour of love by the people they love: The brother of the groom was the officiant, the brother of the bride was the DJ, the bride made all of the desserts.

They live with their hearts on their sleeves and I love people like that. I wish more of them existed in the world. Being around them makes you feel like you're receiving a warm hug. Also, we went inside the silo to take photos with the tree that was growing out of it, and I love it when we take advantage of the quirky things around a space.

- Frances, Frances Beatty Photography

Hotel Collingwood places to stay wedding

Bridal party hanging out in hotel room Collingwood

Bride reading emotional note from groom Collingwood

Bride getting ready in Collingwood hotel

Groom getting ready Collingwood hotel wedding

Groom getting ready with family Collingwood hotel wedding

Father of the groom and brother getting ready together

From the Couple:

How did you choose your venue?:

Steve grew up in Meaford so there was already a nostalgic connection and we knew we wanted to get married outdoors in a more intimate setting. The wedding barn was very DIY which we liked because we could bring in our own decorations and the natural beauty of the surrounding area really spoke for itself. The cost of the venue was vastly more affordable than all other venues we had checked out so it was an easy choice for us.

Erin Guenter beauty bridal style Collingwood

Beautiful bride getting ready Collingwood

Beautiful bride in plunging neckline gown romantic hair

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

To keep it casual and intimate. Even without COVID in the mix, we always wanted something on the smaller side, sweet and simple. We wanted the wedding to feel more like a fun get-together rather than a formal function.

Summer wedding first look in forest in Meaford

groom spins bride forest first look South Georgian Bay

Bride cries during forest first look Meaford

Groom waiting in forest for first look Meaford

Forest first look kiss Meaford boho bride

Groom stares at bride walking forest Meaford

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

Steve’s mother had passed away the year before and it was important that we included her on the wedding day. Around the area where the gifts were placed, we had a number of photos out on display from a few different stages of her life. As well, we had made sure to use many of her vintage table cloths over the dining tables and I wore a simple gold bracelet of hers along with my wedding jewelry so that she could be close by on our special day.

Groom arrives at ceremony Grandma Lambe's

Walking down aisle outdoor wedding ceremony Meaford

Bride hugs father outdoor wedding ceremony Meaford

Ring exchange outdoor wedding ceremony wooden arch

First kiss outdoor wedding ceremony wooden arch

Wedding signing Meaford outdoor wedding summer flowers

What was the atmosphere you were trying to create?:

Intimate, romantic, and easy-going, just like our relationship.

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

No matter how many changes or adjustments need to happen between now and your wedding date, just remember you are marrying your best friend and the marriage that follows will be so much bigger than the wedding itself. Even if your wedding day looks very different from how you originally imagined, it will be your story to tell because every couple is uniquely themselves.

romantic wedding photos in meaford orchard

fun wedding party photos meaford orchard

colourful summer wedding fresh bouquet Meaford

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

Photography for sure was very important to us. Everyone we talked to previously had mentioned that they wished they had splurged on their wedding photos. Especially not knowing exactly how our wedding was going to look like due to COVID restrictions leading up to the day. At the very least, we wanted to make sure we had photos that captured the feel of our wedding and Frances Beatty went above and beyond, we couldn’t be happier!

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beautiful romantic boho bride meaford orchard wedding

beautiful romantic boho bride coral bouquet

beautiful romantic boho couple meaford orchard wedding

tree growing out of silo quirky wedding photos

What area of your wedding did you save on?

Table Settings - we made them ourselves using mason jars we already had at home and artificial flowers

Dessert - I made my own goodies for the treat table and brought in my own platters to serve them on

Food - Cocktail hour food was put together by our sister-in-law and European Bakery gave us the best price per person for the dinner

Music - we made our own playlists on Spotify and my twin brother ran the DJ station for controlling the music starting from before the ceremony until the end of the night

Invitations - We used Paperless Post to send wedding invitations through email and could easily track guests who had RSVP’d

Programs - Our sister-in-law created the wedding day programs using a stencil we found on Etsy. She printed them out and put them together at home

Individual snacks cocktail hour barn wedding

Grandma Lambe's Barn wedding venue twinkle lights

Bride with flower girl Euclid Design Co. flowers

guests at meaford barn wedding twinkle lights

grandma lambe's meaford barn wedding twinkle lights

What was your most memorable moment of the day?:

We choose to do a first look before the ceremony and we’re so glad we did. Seeing each other privately before everyone else was a way to shake off the nerves and remind ourselves how far we had come.

Another memorable moment was when we were able to have some time outside surrounded by fresh wild mint, tall grass and a setting sun while Frances captured a few quiet moments just us two. It was really special because it was a chance to have a little alone time and really soak in the day we had shared so far.

Couples photos field pond golden hour meaford

beautiful lace wedding gown spin golden hour

Bride swishes lace boho dress golden hour

What was your biggest challenge in the planning process?:

COVID!!!

The pandemic presented itself with some very unique challenges and the planning process was filled with many uncertainties. Deciding whether or not to postpone our date or keep it and hope for the best was difficult to grapple with. Leading up to the wedding date, we were very unsure about how the provincial COVID restrictions would play out but we felt like we won the lottery when we were allowed to have the majority of our closest family and friends there. Even though I was able to wear the dress of my dreams, the timeline in getting my wedding dress was getting down to the wire, as most brides of 2020 were not receiving their dresses in time.

Somehow at the end of it, even with what felt like a hundred changes, everything worked out. We felt really lucky in having so much love and support from family and friends making our wedding day possible.