Alliteration is the best, especially when employed to so perfectly describe your wedding day as Brittanie did: “Blessed, blissful, and breathtaking.”
Her and Scott’s celebration was definitely all of those things, and we’d add magical, made for each other, and moving, too! These two exchanged vows in a park near their venue, Danceland, in Manitou Beach. Danceland’s history, ambiance, and floating dance floor are super special, as is where Brittanie and Scott’s ceremony took place. They became Mr. and Mrs. amongst the trees, with a lovely, little bridged stream between them and their guests. As Brittanie told us, “My dad, Jamie, and my step-dad, Neil, walked me down the aisle to Tori Kelly’s ‘I Was Made for Loving You.’ They walked me up to the small bridge, where Scott met them and took my hand to lead me to the altar on the other side.”
How meaningful and beautiful is that? Following their ceremony, these two had lawn games and a mead tasting (such a neat idea!), and then it was on to their wonderful reception at Danceland.
Find out more about their day and how Brittanie found her dreamy Ophelia gown:
How did your sweetie propose?
“The night of the proposal we had planned to go on a date, he told me where we were going for supper and I quickly realized we hadn’t been there since our first date. Coincidence? I didn’t think so. I had my suspicions as the date began and after supper the recreation of our first date continued as we went for a walk at the same park we had gone almost 5 years earlier. We went out onto a lookout overlooking the water and the University where we met, had our first kiss, where he picked me up for our first date and where we fell in love. After telling me how much I meant to him and how he felt through the whole journey of picking out the ring, asking my parents’ permission, and getting ready for this night, he got down on one knee. Our friend was waiting in the bushes with a camera to capture the moment and we could not thank him enough as it was chilly out and we were about 45 minutes late!”
bride’s finery: Lea Ann Belter Ophelia wedding dress | veil + alterations via Caroline O’Sullivan | photographer: Lisa Catherine Photography | scroll down for full vendor list
How did you choose your gown?
“I first saw my gown on the Lea-Ann Belter blog, actually. I loved everything about the ‘Rainy Day Wedding’ blog post I had seen, but especially the simplicity of her Lea-Ann Belter dress—Ophelia. None of the boutiques near me had it, but one did carry Lea-Ann Belter’s other collection, Astrid & Mercedes. They were able to order a sample in for me to try on, and I instantly fell in love with it. I tried on many other dresses, but found myself comparing all of them to the Ophelia.”
Tell us about your day! Did you have a theme or style in mind?
“The overall style we wanted was very simple, organic, and romantic, with a light and airy feel. We wanted to keep the focus on the natural beauty of the outdoor ceremony location and the venue. For our colour palette, we chose light blue, grey, white, and lush greenery. Our décor was mostly modern and minimal, with a few antique accents added in for contrast.
Our families live 8 hours apart, so rather than having one side have to drive the whole 8 hours, we decided to pick a spot somewhere in between. Manitou Beach has been one of our special places, ever since we started camping there 4 years ago. Manitou Beach is known for its small saltwater lake with legendary unsinkable waters, Canada’s largest indoor mineral spa, and its beautiful 1930s dancehall with its famous horsehair dance floor. With many unique attractions, plenty of accommodations, and its historic dancehall, it seemed like the perfect little town to bring everyone together. We didn’t find out until later that our officiant, Bonnie, was actually on the board of Danceland and would play a huge role in our wedding.
We knew from the beginning that we wanted an outdoor ceremony. It just so happened that right across the street from Danceland was Wellington Park, the most serene park, which had plenty of space, big beautiful trees, a gazebo, and a small stream running all the way through it. Instead of having our ceremony in the big open space, we dreamt up the idea of having an unconventional ceremony amongst the trees, and having our guests on one side of the stream, and the wedding party on the other side.
We had perfect weather on our wedding day—24 degrees and sunny, with a very light breeze in the air. Seriously, what more could you ask for?
The sound of the babbling brook provided the perfect background for the ceremony.
My dad, Jamie, and my step-dad, Neil, walked me down the aisle to Tori Kelly’s ‘I Was Made for Loving You.’ They walked me up to the small bridge, where Scott met them and took my hand to lead me to the altar on the other side.
We spoke the vows to one another that we had put together with our officiant. Our vows were Christ-centered and matched the rest of the ceremony with ‘I choose you’ being the main theme.
As we leaned in for our first kiss as man and wife, we had one groomsman and one bridesmaid pop confetti over us (biodegradable, of course).
During the signing, we had my former high school teacher, Laine, and her husband, Chris, perform an acoustic version of ‘I Choose You’ by Ryann Darling. The soft, sweet harmony rang through the park. It was a moment you just wanted to take everything in.
After the ceremony, we had yard games set up in the park—Giant Jenga, tic-tac-toe, cornhole, and ladderball. We also had a refreshment table for our guests to enjoy before heading to cocktail hour for a mead tasting featuring Prairie Bee Mead.”
What’s your funniest wedding day memory?
“His – During the ceremony, a bird swooped and almost took out my best man’s head.
Hers – The flower girl over-hand throwing her flower petals into the stream during the ceremony.”
What was your favorite wedding day moment?
“His – Her coming down the aisle.
Hers – Our first dance. We had taken dance lessons from his cousin, and had so much fun learning our dance together. Practicing was our de-stressor through wedding planning and made us not take things too seriously.”
What was your first dance song?
“;Jesus + You’ by Matthew West.”
What was your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?
“When planning our wedding, we didn’t want to do anything for tradition’s sake alone, so we chose to forgo the something old, new, borrowed or blue, and replaced the wedding cake with a macaron tower.”
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“Right after the wedding, we took a minimoon and spent 3 nights at a secluded yurt at Flora Bora Forest Lodging, and this spring we plan to take a full honeymoon in Hawaii.”
Any advice for future brides/grooms?
“The best piece of advice I was given – ‘Make sure you plan your marriage more than you plan your wedding.’”
bride’s finery: Lea Ann Belter Ophelia wedding dress | veil + alterations via Caroline O’Sullivan | photographer: Lisa Catherine Photography | venue: Danceland | hair + makeup: The Beauty Collective | bridesmaids: Kennedy Blue dresses in fog | earrings for bride and bridesmaids: handmade with Swarovski crystal | rompers: Lulu’s | suiting: Moores | bow ties: The Tie Bar | invitations: designed by bride, printed at a local printing shop | florals: Wascana Flower Shoppe | ribbon: Stella Wolf Co. | guestbook: Artifact Uprising | chocolates: Lolli & Pops | macarons: Rose’s Sweet Treats | officiant: Bonnie Rawling | morning of Location: The Manhatten Suite at Manitou Executive Suites
