As the wind continues to howl and the cold rain beats on my office window, I’m sitting at my desk feeling all warm and fuzzy inside thanks to this gorgeous wedding from Evan McMaster. Full of thoughtful and handcrafted details, Michelle and Adam’s wedding is not only pretty dreamy to look at, but it also seems like it was an awfully fun time to boot. Let’s just say all weddings should end with such an awesome dance party.
In Michelle’s Words:
Adam and I’s vision of a wedding wasn’t a glitz & glamour affair; it was a fun-filled celebration of our lasting and proven commitment to each other which would bring together our closest family and friends. We wanted our wedding to be simple yet unique, but most of all, we wanted it to be the best party of our lives! We wanted our guests to feel at home and comfortable, and we thought the beautifully simple and rustic Music Barn in Sackville, NB and the wonderful East Coast hospitality that my home province of New Brunswick has to offer would be the perfect setting.
We built the celebration around two themes: “These are a few of our favourite things” inspired by the Sound of Music song which always reminds me of my Mom, and “Home is Wherever I’m with you” (taken from the Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros song) which holds a lot of meaning for Adam and me…After meeting in Ottawa in 2005, Adam and I spent the first three months of our relationship ”long distance” while he was working in Africa, and after spending six months together in Ottawa, we moved to Australia for a two year stint, only to return to Ottawa and then relocate to Vancouver (where we currently live) for another two year stint. Through all our travels, what we’ve come to realize is that you can come to feel “at home’ mostly anywhere. What makes a place feel like home is the people who surround you. For us, that includes each other but also family and friends.
Since they weren’t having a religious ceremony and following the usual traditions, Michelle and Adam thought it would be fun to start their own tradition and literally tie the knot during their ceremony.
Adam and Michelle chose Edward Sharpe’s Home as their recessional music and exited the ceremony to the sounds of their family and friends clapping to the beat of the song.
Being super competitive by nature, they decided to get the guests involved in a friendly game of trivia between the meal courses.
Favourtie Moments:
We both agree that in general, our favourite moments were the ones that were spontaneous and unplanned. One of our groomsmen is an accomplished musician, and the week of the wedding our groomsmen decided that we had to rent a keyboard for him to play during the wedding. He played throughout the ceremony and reception, but one of the most special things was for him to learn the song I had chosen to walk down the aisle to in ten minutes and play it during my walk. Another one of my favourite moments was making our bouquets with my bridesmaids the day before the wedding. My own bouquet came together in the most perfect moment when my bridesmaids and I each picked up a stem of flowers and brought them all together in one magical swoop…the combination was perfect on the first try. I was totally overwhelmed by the magic of the moment…it felt surreal, like something that would be scripted out of a movie. I can’t leave out the dance party that followed the dinner…it was the most amazing, epic party!
Michelle’s Advice for Brides-to-be:
Planning a DIY wedding definitely requires time and energy, but in the end, the investment is worth it because your special day will be a true reflection of who you and your groom are. There is an endless list of projects and ideas out there that may inspire you or catch your eye, but in the end, no matter how many ideas you haven’t been able to act on, just put it all aside and be proud of yourself and all you have created and accomplished. The best gift you can give yourself on your wedding day is to simply live and savour every moment and appreciate the fact that your closest friends and family are with you and your sweetheart to share these moments with you. The day will go by so quickly, but if you focus on having fun, the memories will last forever. You and your groom will create the atmosphere based on your outlook and attitude, if you just focus on having fun, so will your guests.
