Today’s Wedding Story comes from Rachel, of the adorable blog Rachel & John. Rachel hails from Canada and is here to tell us all about her big day last August. Here’s Rachel:
When did you get married?
August 30th, 2009 (After 9 and a half years of dating!)
Where was your ceremony? Reception?
We had our ceremony and reception at the same place: Liuna Gardens in Stoney Creek, Ontario, Canada.
What made you choose that reception location?
We knew we wanted our ceremony and reception at the same location. It's always been my dream to have a beach wedding at our family cottage. Unfortunately with the size of our families, that just wasn't an option. Liuna Gardens is right on Lake Ontario. Even though it doesn't have a sand beach, it still has a beautiful lake front area with beautiful gardens and a view of the lake from the reception hall. We also thought the staff at Liuna were great. We told them what our budget was and they made it work without pressuring us to spend more money.
What was your favorite aspect of your wedding?
Do I have to pick just one? Well, finally being married was a great feeling! The love we felt not only from each other, but from everyone who came. It’s such an overwhelming feeling.
What was the best resource you used during the planning process?
Wedding Bells. It’s like Canada’s version of the knot. Not only do they have inspirational ideas and real weddings to look at, but they also have vendors listed by area. That’s how we found our band. A runner up would be my mom. We planned the wedding from Alberta, so my mom was the one who ran around looking for wedding venues and buying centerpiece supplies.
What's the one thing you would have done differently?
We didn’t turn to face each other during the ceremony, we just stood side by side. I think I would have liked to be looking at John head on, instead of out of the corner of my eye. But other than that, there isn't anything I would change!
Any advice for future brides?
(1) Let people help you. Ask people to help you. People want to be involved in your wedding, so let them!
(2) Choose functional favors. You wouldn’t believe how many people came up to me thanking me for giving them a favour that they could actually use! We gave out heart shaped measuring spoons.
(3) On the wedding day I told everyone I was done making decisions and that I didn’t want people asking me questions all day. It was so nice to just enjoy the day and not have to worry about anything!
Wow I had never heard of “Wedding Bells” before; I will definitely have to check it out. Thanks for the tip, Rachel! And I love the idea of a “wedding day point person”!
Photos courtesy of Rachelle Rousseau.
If you'd like to be featured as a Wedding Story, please email me at legallybride@hotmail.com
