Couple:

Megan & Kip

Location:

The Ojibway Club, Pointe au Baril

From the Photographer:

This wedding was incredible. The day started when I arrived at the marina near Pointe au Baril where I hopped on a boat with some other guests for a fifteen-minute ride to the island. Megan and Kip are an adventurous couple and so it was fitting that they got married on a remote island on Georgian Bay. The Ojibway Club reminds me of something out of an old movie from the turn of the century. It was built in 1906 as a hotel but now is used for cottagers and weddings like this. It truly has a unique feel to it, windswept pines surround the island, and the open water calls to the adventurous soul.

From the moment I met Megan & Kip, I knew they were an adventurous couple. The wedding was beautiful, rustic, and timeless. Often the very words that I use to describe my work. The mood felt relaxed and romantic. The smiles laughs, and stunning moments overlooking the bay made for a wonderful visual story.

Geoff, Geoff Coombs Photography

Groom getting ready Point Au Baril Camp wedding

From the Couple:

How did you choose your venue?:

Pointe au Baril is a really special place for my family. My grandparents bought a small cabin on the back side of Ojibway Island in the 1960's, which became a favourite destination for the family (my parents actually got engaged on the island!). Pointe au Baril was also one of the first places that I took Kip to when we were dating, and he quickly fell in love with the area as well. Personal connections aside, the Ojibway Club is also an incredibly unique and beautiful place, and we were excited to be able to show the rugged beauty of Pointe au Baril to our friends and family. We knew that planning an island wedding would be logistically difficult, however once the idea was in our heads it was hard to consider anywhere else.

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

Having fun, and enjoying the time with some of our favourite people! After all of the stress of planning (and re-planning) a wedding during the pandemic the most important thing for us at the end of the day was to be able to relax and enjoy the time surrounded by friends and family.

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

Kip and his groomsmen started the day with a run around the island followed by fishing off the Ojibway Club docks, before the respective wedding parties got ready in side-by-side cottages a short walk away from the outdoor ceremony site. My parents got ready on our family island before hopping into the boat to drive over for the ceremony. After the ceremony, my wonderful dad took the boat back to our island to bring Kip's and my beloved Cocker Spaniel Riley (who was sadly uninvited) over to the club for some photos and a quick cuddle before the reception. We were also very lucky to be given special allowance to take photos in the historic turret of the Ojibway Club building overlooking our family's island.

Couple with cathedral veil overlooking Georgian Bay

What was the atmosphere you were trying to create?:

We wanted to create a laid back, cottage weekend feel for our guests and give them the opportunity to really experience the area. The majority of our guests stayed on the island in beautiful 1930's cottages which we stocked with gift baskets with local treats and beverages. Our Friday night rehearsal dinner consisted of a low-key but lovely barbecue on the Ojibway Club porch, followed by a midnight swim for several members of the wedding party!

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

We splurged on plentiful and delicious food (courtesy of Chef Matt from the Ojibway Club!), as well as an open bar for our guests. We also splurged on our wedding favours which included custom camping mugs inscribed with our wedding date and initials and white pine saplings.

What area of your wedding did you save on?

We were able to save on a wedding planner and decor thanks to our wonderful (and talented!) moms! Both of our families were incredibly helpful with the behind the scenes planning, decorations and set up.

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

Whether you are planning a wedding with a pandemic in mind or not, it can be helpful to make a list of what is really important to you and things that you don't mind compromising on. Keep it simple, and remember that not everything is going to go as planned and that is okay. At the end of the day, it's all about celebrating love surrounded by your favourite people.

What was your most memorable moment of the day?:

So many great ones! Kip and I were both too excited to sleep on the morning of our wedding, so we took an early morning walk around the island together and watched the sun rise. I also loved joining everyone for a drink on the beautiful Ojibway Club porch after the ceremony and photos, and feeling like we could just relax and enjoy the gorgeous views and time with our guests.

What was your biggest challenge in the planning process?:

We definitely had a number of challenges while planning our wedding, including the logistical challenges that come with hosting an island wedding and of course the pandemic. We went through countless different scenarios and versions of our wedding, and the end result was entirely different from what we had planned at the beginning. That being said, with the exception of missing some important people on our reduced guest list, I would not change anything about our day.