On a warm summer day, we—Emily and James—tied the knot surrounded by our closest family and friends at a picturesque venue in the Blue Mountains. Our Georgian Bay Real Wedding was everything we hoped for and more, and we can’t wait to share our journey with you. 

Our story began at Brock University, where fate brought us together. Emily, in the midst of her third year in the Teacher’s College program, and James, finishing up his business degree, met by chance. It wasn’t long before James asked me out on a date to a billiards bar. He showed up with mini eggs chocolate, and let’s just say, the rest is history. Fast forward to five years of long-distance dating—weekend trips to visit each other, whether I drove to Mississauga or James made his way to Brock University. After six years, when James moved in with me and my family due to a new job, we both knew we were ready to take the next step. 

The proposal was an unforgettable surprise. James had the ring all along, but he took me to Ikea one evening, and my mind was racing with the possibility of him proposing there. But when we got home, it was a different story. As we walked out onto the patio, we were greeted by rose petals, music, and sparkling lights. And there, in the glow of it all, he proposed. To be honest, I don’t remember much—I was in complete shock. Even though I had been dreaming of this moment for so long, the reality of it left me speechless. 

When it came time to pick a venue, we searched over 20 places. Ultimately, Georgian Hills was the perfect spot. We wanted an outdoor ceremony to take full advantage of the beautiful summer weather, and we loved that the venue allowed us to handpick all our vendors. This flexibility meant we could truly bring our vision to life. 

For us, the guest experience was the heart of the wedding. We didn’t want it to be just another event—we wanted it to be a weekend getaway for our family and friends. So, we chose Blue Mountain for its charm and accessibility, creating a whole experience from start to finish. Guests arrived on Friday night for a welcome party in the village, and from there, we ensured the weekend was packed with activities and surprises. From a champagne welcome to an audio guestbook where people left voicemails for us, to a fun mother-and-son dance (we included all the mothers and sons at our wedding), and even a live band made up of our own friends and family, we made sure there was never a dull moment. Oh, and we couldn’t forget about the school bus to transport everyone back to their hotels safely! 

Planning the wedding was a team effort, but I definitely took the lead (a little too much sometimes). Long before James even proposed, I had created a wedding Pinterest board and set up a dedicated wedding email. I tend to get stuck making decisions, so I would present James with a few options, and he would help make the final call. It worked perfectly for us. 

One of the biggest challenges of planning was the DIY aspect. We wanted to save money, so we took on a lot of the work ourselves—printing stationery, thrifting décor, and even building our own signage. Trying to get it all done before the big day was stressful! And, of course, keeping the wedding day timeline on track (thanks to our amazing planner, Amanda Jerome) was a huge priority. We had everything mapped out from 7:00 AM to midnight, and she made sure we stayed on schedule. 

The day before our wedding, I was a mix of anxiousness and excitement. But as soon as the ceremony was over, I felt overwhelmed with love and joy. I was so happy with how everything turned out and couldn’t wait to celebrate with all our friends and family. James, on the other hand, was more excited. There were moments when he felt the weight of the day’s significance, but he was mostly surrounded by people, which helped him stay calm. And as we went through each part of the day—ceremony, vows, first dance, speech—it felt like a huge weight was lifted off both of us in the best way possible. 

Looking back, the best part of the day was simply being surrounded by all the people we love. There’s something magical about having everyone in one place, celebrating you as a couple. We felt so grateful for the support of our friends and family and couldn’t have asked for a better way to start this new chapter of our lives.