Sweet Rural Ontario Wedding

This wedding shot by Made U Look Photography is as sweet as it gets. Aside from being entirely handmade by the bride and groom and their families, all of the TEN cakes were baked by the bride’s grandmother. Hollis and Jason’s wedding took place at Hollis‘ family barn where she grew up, and I can’t think of a better venue for such a sweet, family-centered fete. See more images in the photo gallery.

From Hollis, the bride: There was never any doubt in my mind that I wanted to be married on the farm that I grew up on. It was what I had envisioned ever since I was little. The ceremony took place in the woods on our farm. The intimate space was lovingly created by family and friends. The reception took place in our barn which underwent some serious beautification in the weeks leading up to the wedding! There were tractors parked in there up until a few weeks before the big day!

We would describe our wedding would as rustic, vintage, rural, romantic, outdoor, fun-filled and creative. Our wedding revolved around creative, handmade pieces and vintage treasures. We created a classic and simple neutral colour scheme of all white flowers and linens with the bridesmaids dressed in cream. We wanted our antique pieces to be the focus of the decor as they added so much character and charm. I would say almost the entire wedding was DIY! The projects covered all aspects of the wedding. We sewed bunting, painted signs, made our own cakes, designed our ceremony site in the woods, renovated our barn, my mom created the bar out of an ash tree, handmade bistro tables, my mother in law made the flower girl dresses, scrapbooked our place cards, designed maps, we made a vintage brooch bouquet, made our own favours, wrote our own vows and grew the produce that was served at our meal. And beyond that we collected antique dishes from thrift stores, auctions, antique stores and flea markets and used vintage pop bottle as vases for our centerpieces.

We wanted to create a day that was not only memorable for us but for all of our guests as well. We wanted to celebrate our rural upbringings and embrace the outdoors and our love of vintage one-of-a-kind pieces. We set out to create a feeling of rustic romance on our farm. We wanted it to be fun for each and every guest. We wanted to celebrate our family and friends who helped us to reach this milestone in our lives. We wanted to make it personal to us and included that in all our details.

Made U Look Photography is as sweet as it gets. Aside from being entirely handmade by the bride and groom and their families, all of the TEN cakes were baked by the bride’s grandmother. Hollis and Jason’s wedding took place at Hollis‘ family barn where she grew up, and I can’t think of a better venue for such a sweet, family-centered fete. See more images in the View all images from this wedding in the gallery

My best advice would be surround yourself with the things and people you love and the day will be memorable. Enjoy the planning. Really enjoy it. My mom and I spent months laughing, planning and designing. We had a ball. It is something I will always treasure. As much as it is about you and your sweetheart, it is also about all the people that love you and it brings you closer together. It will not be easy all the time. There will be tears… sometimes lots, but with each other you will get through. It is ultimately about sharing the day with the love of your life and everyone your hold dear. When you wake up the morning of your wedding let go of all the little things that didn’t get done and live in the moment. Create a day about the two of you and do not feel obligated to follow any wedding “rules”. Here’s a secret – there are no rules. Do what makes you happy, if that means breaking tradition then that’s ok, if it means being by the book than that’s ok too. Only do things that truly mean something to you. One thing we did that I am so happy about was have a wonderful family friend perform our ceremony. She was able to be so personal and sentimental and another friend (who is a judge) presided over it and said all the legal requirements to make it official. It made it all the more personal and special.

Wedding Songs:

A Vibrant Destination Wedding on Kona Beach in Blue & Gold

Processional – “Love you till the end” – The Pogues
Recessional – “Burnin’ Love” – Elvis
First Dance – “Dream Girl” – Dave Matthews Band
Father/Daughter Dance – “Heavenly Day” – Patty Griffin

Wedding Vendors and Venue (Ontario, Canada):

Venue: family residence / Flowers: Seasons Floral Studio / Centerpieces: Family and friends / Photographer: Made U Look Photograpy / Wedding Dress: Amanda Lina’s Sposa Boutique / Veil and Fascinator: Denise Cole at Pomp & Plumage / Bride’s Hair: Meaghan Murray and Hair by Crystal Chenard / Band: Lemon Pepper Pickerel / Caterer: Whitfield Farms / Wedding Cake: Family and friends at Murphy’s Farmstead / Dessert: Whitfield Farms / Wedding invitations: Peepsake Studios / Videographer: Marielle Chau of Made U Look Photography / Vintage Rentals: Vintage Dish and Doily Company