When Paul, Julia and I first met via Skype for their consultation, what really stood out was the fact that Paul wasn’t a bystander in the planning process. He was engaged in our conversation right from the start and that told me everything I needed to know about them as a pair – they were in this together. During our chat, they talked about their wedding location in Val-des-Monts with the fondness that comes from having a treasured family getaway – and one that Julia had poured a little piece of her heart into as a landscape architect and gardener. They were looking forward to having friends and family together at the cottage and were so happy that they had a meaningful, personal location for their big day.
Driving in, I began to fully understand why. Julia’s secluded family property is set along a winding, mostly-one lane track through hilly forest that offers glimpses of the lake. When you pull in, you still don’t fully appreciate the beauty of the property until you come past the laneway and approach the house, and then it really opens up for you: set on a bend in the lakeshore, the property faces the lakefront on two sides, which means you’re confronted by greenery and LOTS of water. AH-mazing.
While I wandered the property to get a feel for the space, its layout and our options for the day ahead, I heard excited chatter and a big splash. Paul and the guys were hanging out on the second-storey deck of the boathouse and taking advantage of the deep water to do a bit of pre-wedding swimming. I hustled out to the dock and laughed as one dive failed in spectacular, back-slapping fashion. Today was going to be a freakin’ great day.
The guys got ready in the boathouse apartment, which served as the perfect bachelor pad, complete with its central ping pong table, wall-mounted moose head (ideal for hanging items of clothing on, by the way), and whiskey. Paul is a vibrant personality: he shares these big, bold, awesome connections with his brothers and friends; he laughs from his heart and he experiences life honestly. Things got a little real when Paul pinned his mom’s corsage and gave her a hug before shedding a few tears. Knowing that he was already feeling all of the emotions that come when you let yourself be fully present on your wedding day, I couldn’t help but feel excited about what the day had in store for us.
Julia is a beautiful, quiet soul who loves to put others in the spotlight; she draws people in tightly and keeps them close. Her girls care for her fiercely and seeing them live the laid-back, peaceful pre-wedding afternoon that Julia wanted was such a great representation of their friendship. Mimosas and sandwiches in the sunroom looking out at the lake, low-key time to get dressed, and then a game of Crazy 8s just before she headed down the aisle with her parents. Now THAT is how you live your day your way.
Their lakefront ceremony – where four positively glowing parents stole my attention more than once – led to cocktails on the other side of the house while we did a brief portrait session. Luckily for us, the unexpected miniature weather front that blew in waited until we were finished and guests gathered under the clear tent for a special musical performance.
During our consultation, Julia and Paul told me with pride in their voices that they each had a sibling with great musical talent. It was the first hint I had at just how much their families mean to each of them, and I continued to see that emphasis throughout their wedding day. As guests rose to their feet to applaud Marco and Dallas’s performance, Paul wiped away tears and Julia couldn’t possibly have smiled any bigger.
What followed was perfection. Surrounded by lake and forest, I watched Paul and Julia’s subtle exchanges, and their beaming smiles as they listened to words from adoring parents and friends. I marveled at their ability to focus on one another as if there was no one else in the room, but then a moment later go and share laughter with those they love. I could see how much the day and the people around them meant to them both in each touch of an arm, each laugh, each hug. As guests enjoyed every last drop of daylight under a clear tent; feasted amongst gorgeous tablescapes; partied on a dance floor so packed with people that I actually couldn’t wedge myself in between dancers for the first 20 minutes; devoured midnight pizza homemade by a master pizzaiolo in the property’s authentic brick pizza oven…. I couldn’t help but take a step back and be thankful that I’d been asked to be there to document such an incredible day.
DJ: Patrick Voisin
Planner: Voeux d’Amour
Caterer: Tulips & Maple
Florist: Crystal Hill from Floral Envy
