Tell us a little about yourselves!
We met in our mid-twenties- you could consider it a classic case of three degrees of separation, as we lived a few hours’ drive away from one another on the East Coast of Canada; Jess grew up in Nova Scotia and I grew up in New Brunswick. Our first date, we stayed awake the entire night talking, only going to sleep after watching the sun rise over the ocean. Jess quickly moved to New Brunswick to be with me (the U-haul jokes are accurate), but I guess it’s true that when you know you know. The rest is history. After five years of dating, Jess proposed while we were travelling in Orlando, Florida- a happy surprise during an already remarkable vacation. Since we both deserved our own moment, I proposed to her on a hike in Fundy National Park the following fall, amidst the autumn foliage.
We enjoyed our engagement for a little while before we dove into wedding planning- the extra time allowed us to envision the wedding we wanted. We have now been together seven years and got married this past September in Halifax, Nova Scotia. On our time off, we both love to relax at home, frequent local restaurants, and adventure in nature with our golden retriever, Reese. Jess and I long ago made it a priority to make every Sunday a ‘date day’, where we adventure around the city or across the province, and our wedding day marked an extra special Sunday for us.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
Initially, we had considered having a more traditional wedding; but as we started to plan, we were both overwhelmed with the logistics - the thought of a stressful planning process, followed by walking down an aisle, felt performative and didn’t fit with the vision we had of a relaxing day focused on our love. However, a strict elopement wasn’t right either; we had discussed wanting to have our parents as our witnesses and getting to have a celebration with our loved ones. We really sat with what our ideal day would look like and settled on a simple ceremony during the day with our parents, followed by a reception in Halifax with our nearest and dearest. Jess’s hometown has always been one of our favourite places- there is an abundance of natural beauty, amidst a growing cityscape, so it felt like an easy choice.
When we were searching for our perfect elopement location, we knew we were looking for a natural spot, but many of the most known natural wonders surrounding Halifax can also be well-populated, and it was crucial for us to have privacy- the whole point of our elopement was to avoid being a spectacle as much as possible. Jess mentioned going to McNabs Island when she was younger, an uninhabited natural park off the coast of Halifax, accessible by chartered boat. We planned a trip to visit the island in the summer, and when we stepped onto the dock, we knew we had found our location- it was the quietest place we’d ever been, surrounded by the ocean.
We decided to host our celebration afterwards at a restaurant, and once we stumbled on Fawn we were hooked. A fully woman-owned and operated restaurant, directly in the heart of the city across from the Public Gardens, with the most feminine decor and an immaculate menu- we couldn’t have asked for more. Selecting Fawn for our reception was one of the easiest decisions we made throughout the process.
How many guests did you have?
9 of us were at the elopement; us, our two sets of parents, our officiant, and our photographers.
50 people attended our reception.
What was your budget?
30k- we ended up slightly under budget.
Tell us about your outfits.
We both wanted to look and feel classic. Even prior to beginning the shopping experience, I knew that I wanted a dress with long sleeves and a plunging neckline- which turned out to be more difficult to find than I had initially thought. I eventually found my Scout Bridal gown while shopping in Saint John, New Brunswick. I paired the dress with a long, pearl veil for some added drama, and ordered both my earrings and my bag for the elopement custom from Etsy. For the evening, I went with a silk gown and a blazer overtop. Jess embraced both masculine and feminine wedding fashion, by selecting a fitted gown for the day, and changing into a three-piece Aritzia suit for the night. Like all aspects of the wedding, Jess and I chose our attire together.
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
Our main intention for the day was to spend it by each other’s side. So much of current wedding culture dictates that you will spend a large portion of the day separated, and we didn’t see that reflecting our vision of the occasion. We wanted our day to feel relaxed and true to us- to take time for small, private moments with one another, before enjoying time with our family and friends later in the evening.
Aside from spending the day together, it was a big deal for us to have our day properly documented- we were aware, going in, that it would feel like a whirlwind regardless of our intention to stay present, and getting to look back at photos that tell the story of our day is beyond special.
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
There were a few traditional wedding elements that we were eager to hold onto, but we personalized them to reflect us entirely. We chose to get ready at the Muir Hotel in Halifax, just the two of us; this gave us a peaceful morning to ourselves- ordering breakfast, reading letters and soaking in the anticipation of the day ahead. We were both drawn to the idea of a ‘first look’, so we chose to share that moment with our parents at the True Colours art gallery inside the hotel- a reveal we will cherish forever. Our ceremony was simple and intimate, held on the dock at McNabs Island, but we also took time to exchange private vows in the Public Gardens, with only a few ducks as our witnesses.
After such an emotional day, it was truly extraordinary to walk into our reception and be surrounded by our friends and family in celebration.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Current wedding culture can be overwhelming, at the best of times. Try to remember that you don’t have to stick to the status quo! You get to decide on and live exactly the day you want with your partner- you won’t regret staying true to yourselves and your love.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
We are so lucky to have had the group of women supporting us on our day that we did- there was a team of incredible women at the helm of this magical day.
I couldn’t possibly say enough about our photographer, Rebecca Frank Photography- I had been obsessed with her photography for a little while prior to wedding planning but meeting her was the cherry on top to her amazing portfolio. Becky has such a unique warmth- it genuinely felt like a new friend was there with us, bopping along on our wedding day, ready for whatever comes. We’ll be thankful forever for her talent and kindness.
Becky had also brought on Jacqueline Anne as her second shooter – another talented photographer. They were our biggest cheerleaders throughout the day, and they documented the day more beautifully than we could have imagined. Genuinely a dream team.
A massive shout-out to the group of women that lead Fawn Restaurant - each of the 3 owners was there on our day, making sure the meal and party flowed to perfection. Their dedication was palpable. An additional scream for Bronwyn, their Cellar Manager and Events Coordinator, who was so easy to work with, and fielded every single one of my emails and calls with the upmost amount of care and grace.
I’d also like to mention Leah, the owner of Yours For The Day, who was so professional and eased every single fear we had when she came on for the month-of coordination. Her and her team executed the reception to perfection.
We felt so taken care of on our day because of our vendors- we wouldn’t change a thing.
Photographer: Rebecca Frank Photography @rebeccafrank.co | Planning: Yours For The Day
@yoursfortheday | Bouquets: By the couple’s parents | Floral Table Arrangements: High & Dry Flowers @highdryflowers | Ceremony Location: McNab’s Island, NS @friendsofmcnabsisland | Reception Location: Fawn Restaurant @fawnresto | Celebrant: All Seasons Wedding Officiants @allseasonsweddings | Makeup Artist: Janine Gerrits Makeup @jgerritsmakeup | Hair Stylist: Jacquelyn Taylor @updosbyjacquelyntaylor | Catering & Beverages: Fawn Restaurant @fawnresto | Cake: Scanway Catering @scanwaycatering | Invitations: Etsy/ PrintedbyMer @printedbymer | Menus: Fawn Restaurant @fawnresto | Rachel's Dress: Scout Bridal @scoutbridal | Jessica's Suit: Aritzia @aritzia | Shell Bag:
Anthropologie@anthropologie | Wedding Rings: Vintage (Rachel) & Etsy (Jessica) | Shoes: Something
Bleu Shoes @somethingbleu_ (Rachel) & Michael Kors (Jessica) @michaelkors | Flower Earrings: SHASHI Jewelry@shashinyc