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nautical adventure
Catherine and Jeff were married on September 7, 2008 at the Rawley Resort on the waterside of Georgian Bay. Although the resort has only been open since 2007, it has already been designated as a member of Ontario’s Finest Inns. Catherine and Jeff were the first couple to host a wedding at Rawley. The 1957 Vintage Wooden Resorter was loaned to the couple by close friends and was instrumental in their whimsical and detail-filled wedding day that was a nod to all things nautical.
i choose you
Tillie—the couple’s Miniature Daschund is accustomed to wearing pearls. In fact, she was wearing them on the night that Jeff proposed to Catherine. “I came home to find her wearing her ‘special occasion’ pearls. I found this to be very odd. I was about to ask Jeff ‘Why…!?’ but then I stepped in further…The apartment was completely lit with candles and I saw a huge bouquet of flowers and a bottle of champagne chilling on the dining room table. Beside it was a little blue box. My stomach dropped and I was completely stunned. Jeff said ‘Surprise honey—this is it! I choose you my love.’ And then he dropped to one knee. We later used ‘I choose you’ as part of our marriage vows and Tillie wore those now-infamous pearls for her role as ring bearer at our ceremony.”
all in the details
The details were rife with nautical elements. Catherine, an avid lover of ribbon, infused preppy navy and white grosgrain into several details of the day. For instance, it was sewn onto placemats, used to make the signature drink stir sticks and integrated into all of the floral bouquets and boutonnieres. The floral design was lovingly created by the bride’s mother—a retired florist.
Each flower girl carried small galvanized pails filled with white and green floral arrangements. During the ceremony, there were beautiful displays of white and lime green button mums formed in the shape of the couples’ initials and even a floral ‘buoy’! Miniature Muskoka chair picture frame holders acted as place cards and were plucked by guests from a fresh bed of wheat grass.
signature style
“My friends consider pearls to be one of my ‘signature’ accessories so I set out to find a unique set that would differ from the typical Tiffany pearls that I usually wear. When I saw the beautiful three-strand necklace with the delicate butterfly clasp at Divine Decadence, I knew I had found what I was looking for! Combined with the matching bracelet, and hand-crocheted gloves from the 40’s, my wedding day attire was almost complete–all I needed was a pair of shoes. Although it took Jeff and I a while to actually connect for our first date, that was certainly not the case when I saw my green Christian Louboutins! I had planned to take a trip to New York to find my wedding shoes, but my friend Anthony and I were shopping in Yorkville one day and of course had to stop in to see our good friend, Holt Renfrew. We walked up the stairs to the shoe section and it was almost like there was a shining ray of light radiating from ‘THE’ shoes. I knew they were meant for my wedding the moment that I saw them! When the sales clerk informed me that they were limited-edition and came with a signed sketch drawn by the designer himself, it was a done deal! There was ONE pair left in my size so I knew it was fate.”
oh buoy!
“I had admired Allyson Meredith’s cakes in WedLuxe so I called to make an appointment. After I met her, I knew she would be perfect. We hit it off immediately as she totally ‘got’ my vision. I showed her a few pictures of the ‘theme’ and she was able to customize 3 different mini cakes for my wedding—one decorated with a mini version of the navy and white buoy that was hanging from the bar, one that had ‘rope’ detail similar to our napkin rings and centrepiece holders, and one that had our monogram!”
The mini cakes came in two flavors—vanilla with mango passion fruit buttercream or vanilla with lemon raspberry buttercream. They were served garnished with a berry coulis and tiny scoop of Kawartha Dairy’s homemade French Vanilla ice cream.
fashionable friends
It was no surprise that Catherine called upon Canadian couturier Renella De Fina to create her custom gown. The two had worked together three years earlier and remain close friends. “The result was my dream dress! It was made of ivory French Alençon lace and had a beautiful champagne taffeta underlay. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and lace scalloping across the top. It had a dropped waist and fell to just below my knees. My favourite part was the flirty English tulle that peaked out the bottom. I couldn’t have been more thrilled with the end result as it was truly a one-of-a kind gown, perfect for my champagne brunch wedding!” Catherine also called upon industry friend and wedding stylist extraordinaire Jackie Gideon who did her makeup and hair on the wedding day.
boats and brunch
Catherine and Jeff ensured that the tres-preppy
color scheme of green, navy and white was prominent throughout the lake-side reception room. The nautical theme was evident in every detail of the brunch—from the rope napkin rings (purchased at Pottery Barn), the numbered sailboats that were used in lieu of traditional table markers, to the handmade rope mats that held the centrepieces. Instead of a traditional guest book, they used an authentic ‘Boaters Log’ to capture their guests’ written sentiments. Guests also enjoyed an ice buffet of fresh shrimp and oysters on the half shell, crab cakes, and smoked salmon.
“I knew that my goal had been accomplished when so many guests told Jeff and I that the wedding was so ‘us’! We wanted to do something different than the traditional afternoon wedding followed by a dinner and party. The Muskoka brunch we ended up having was perfect. We spend a lot of time up North in the summer, and our friends often join us at my parents’ cottage. So although we love the city, getting married in Port Severn just felt right. And the one thing that almost all of our guests commented on was the attention and coordination of every single nautical detail. Anyone who knows me was not surprised!”
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Re:SOURCE IT
Gown Boutique:
Renella De Fina Couture Inc.
Gown Designer:
Renella De Fina
Bride's Accessories:
Renella De Fina
Mokuba
Fine Jewelry:
Divine Decadence
Tiffany and Co
Shoes:
Christian Louboutin
Formal Wear:
Groom, Angelo Rosso Bespoke Tailors
Groomsmen, Ralph Lauren Black Label
Invitations/Stationery:
Stephita Custom Handmade Wedding Invitations
Cake:
Bobbette & Belle (formerly Allyson Meredith Cakes)
Make-up Artist:
Jackie Gideon
Hair Stylist:
Jackie Gideon
Music/Entertainment by:
Graham Howes Musical Services
Fresh Oyster & Shrimp Ice Bar:
Ice Culture Inc.
Reception Rentals:
Happenings Party Rentals
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