Rustic DIY Golden Retriever Wedding Day
This next couple LOVES their pups! It isn't hard to see why once you get an eye-full of them, Sweet Olive and Glover were VIPs at this beautifully DIY-ed backyard affair and we love the way they brought laughter and fun to the whole day. We challenge you to find all the cute little homages to Mike and Jill's fair-haired fuzzy family members, there are quite of few.
Oh and just you wait until you see the wedding party portraits! They will have you Paw-sitivily barking for more, which you can find in our full gallery of photos thanks to that talented Maddie Mellott.
Why St Mary's
On August 10, 2019, our wedding was held in the small town of St.Marys, Ontario Canada. St.Marys is where my husband and I were born, met, bought a home and now, married. We both wanted a simple and fun outdoor wedding, and I wanted a romantic feel with lots of twinkle lights. We were very fortunate to have my parents lend their property for this big event; living on the edge of town the property was a suitable size for a tent and our 250 guests. Many DIY projects later, stumbling past town bylaws, spraying to prevent bugs, gardening and sourcing extra electricity – we were set for what ended up being the most fun and magical day of my life.
Sweet Moments and Family Traditions
My girls and I got ready at my parents, make-up by SaraCase of Boho Beauty and hair by Annie Braun accompanied by a very pretty food spread and our golden retrievers. Both our photographer Maddie Mellott and videographer Joshua Schneider joined us for the prep and also visited my husband and his groomsmen across town while they got ready at his parent’s home. My dress was from BHLDN and shoes from Dillards. The bridesmaids wore brands such as ASOS, BHLDN, and Dorothy Perkins. The flower girls wore ivory dresses from Gap with felt eucalyptus crowns that I made. The gentlemen wore forest green suits from Tip Top Tailor, the groom has a golden retriever tie from Knotty Tie and wearing shoes that have been passed down and worn by 8 groom's in our family - a family tradition after our cousin lost his battle to cancer and didn't get to wear these goofy shoes himself.
The Ceremony
The weather was perfect, it was 22 C (71 F) with a light breeze and sunny – the perfect weather to kick off an outdoor event. The ceremony was in a cozy wooded area, under a large arbor and delicate chandelier at 5:30 pm. The ceremony was personalized and brief and included our dogs and nieces – who had their own Ikea golden retriever stuffies instead of bouquets. After the ceremony, guests headed over to the reception that had tables and seating in a large bridal tent from Marshall’s Tents and a plot of green space to enjoy the bar, the serve-yourself beer truck, and music during the cocktail hour.
Puppy Love Photo session
Living for the simple and romantic theme, all of the décor items were either borrowed antiques from friends and family or my husband and I made for our big day. The backdrop, head tables, outdoor bench, and centerpiece trays we homemade and our florals were from The Flower Shop and More. As guests enjoyed beverages, Instaxx photo guest book, and music, the wedding party headed for some photos on a private road just off the property. Our friend and golden retriever breeder Courtney, of Krowning Glory Reg’d Golden Retrievers, met us with 6 seven week old golden retriever puppies for some photos. I have always been an avid animal – dog – lover, my dogs (and cat) were on the wine bottle labels (Art by Kiana Sheldon, wine by Peele Island Winery), our cake toppers were tiny felt goldens (LittleFuzzyCreatures on Etsy), our table numbers were DIY wooden golden retrievers – but the puppies were truly the ‘this must be a dream’ moment for my wedding day.
The Reception
After cocktail hour, dinner was served buffet style by Strodes BBQ and Deli out of Brantford, Ontario – there was no shortage of food and guests continue to remind us of how delicious and fresh it was. As the evening progressed and sunset, the over 1500 ft of tiny warm lights set the mood for the evening and a campfire was a perfect addition for the cooling summer weather. Cake and desserts were made a friend and Kitchen Smidgen bakery.
Get a closer look at this sweet puppy love wedding thanks to the beautiful wedding video created by Joshua Schneider .
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- Bridesmaid Dresses: Anthropologie Weddings
- Bridesmaid Dresses: ASOS
- Bridesmaid Dresses: Dorothy Perkins
- Event Planning & Design: Jill O'Keefe
- Flower Girl Dresses: Gap
- Fotografi: Amarilis Photography
- Groom & His Men: Tip Top Tailor- Groom's Suit
- Groom & His Men: Knotty Tie
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Boho Beauty
- Hair, Makeup & Beauty: Annie Braun
- Jewelry: Swansons Jewellers
- Photographers: Maddie Mellott Photography