Published In: Style Me Pretty

Like many young girls growing up, Jenna always dreamed of her wedding day. Shen never missed an episode of any wedding dress show or movie and was constantly adding to her Pinterest boards.

Shortly after getting engaged in late-October 2021, Jenna and Aaron went to visit Jenna’s dream venue, Stonefields Estate (the only venue they went to see). Aaron quickly fell in love (Jenna already had) only to be told that Saturdays were fully booked for the coming year (2022) and that 2023 would be opening soon. Disappointed, days later Jenna sent an email asking to be put on the 2023 email list for that block release. As luck would have it, they had just had a cancellation for a Saturday – May 28, 2022. They were in and out of service when that email came in, headed to their family cottage in Muskoka, Ontario. Jenna shrieked in the car with Aaron driving and immediately went into panic mode as the email stated that another couple, interested in that date, was coming that afternoon to visit the site and that they would have to act fast if they wanted it. The seconds ticked by as Jenna waited to be back in a cell service area on the drive. When she finally was, her reply, without hesitation, was in the form of an e-transfer for the deposit. There was no chancing missing out on this date!

Like many other bride’s affected by COVID-19, Jenna’s older sister had just gotten married weeks prior after having postponed many dates. Aaron and Jenna were optimistic about May 2022 but decided to keep the date and deposit a surprise from everyone until they were more confident that it may actually happen. Weeks became months as Jenna and Aaron quietly secured vendors and planned the details of their wedding. Jenna’s Pinterest boards became a Google Slide PowerPoint presentation and she worked closely with Lauren from Sinclair and Co. Design to narrow down each element, bringing the vision boards to life. The overall look and feel consisted of a neutral colour palette, organic florals and lush greenery, soft and natural linen textures, and an elegant touch of gold. All of these elements amplified the already beautiful loft and surrounding grounds at Stonefields Estate.

Right after booking the cancellation date and compiling her vision board, the bride knew she had to find her dream dress ASAP – as they were only 7 months out! Thankfully having a strong idea of what she has always wanted, the bride went shopping alone to continue to keep the wedding a secret. This was a tough decision because of how close she is with her family. It took trying on only four dresses at Revelle Bridal for her to narrow down the one she wanted but something was still missing. She purchased the Scottie V2 Made With Love dress and MWL overskirt ‘rush’ because she also had plans to customize it herself over the coming months!

Growing up, her mom taught her how to sew and the only missing element from her dream dress was some amazing sparkle. The dress arrived in just over a month and, in true Cinderella fashion, she spent nights locked away in a room bedazzling her dress in secret from her husband. Thousands of beads were added!!

The bride spent over 150 hours hand-sewing a clear sequin and glass mirror bead onto every single large dot of the gown. The finished product was a sparkly customized gown unlike any other. Jenna never wanted a gown that anyone else could purchase so this added personal touch also brought the unique factor she was looking for and paired perfectly, for a true Cinderella moment with her high heels by Christian Louboutin.

Her mom helped her get ready and was blown away by the hand-beaded dress – so much so that she almost couldn’t believe it was true. The final touch was a heartfelt emotional first look with the bridesmaids who had been waiting to finally see the much-anticipated gown. Up until moments before, nobody knew what it looked like though many had enjoyed guessing in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

The couple truly loves a fun DIY project and the toughest part about all of the wedding ones was actually just keeping them hidden from visiting friends and family who didn’t know about the wedding yet!

By far the largest DIY Jenna and Aaron made was a natural wood backdrop for their ceremony space. Standing over 15 ft wide and almost 9 ft tall, beautifully styled by Sinclair & Co. with florals and greenery, it was a unique statement piece like none-other. Separated later into 4 pieces, it was reused inside the loft and on the terrace as smaller backdrops throughout the evening. A beautiful custom linen welcome sign and DIY confetti bar with mini ‘happy tears’ tissue boxes welcomed guests to the ceremony. The bride, a former piano player, created piano music sheet cones for guests to spoon in their desired dried-floral confetti, to be tossed in celebration as the newlyweds came back down the aisle. Accordingly, a live pianist and cello player set the mood for the ceremony space.

The most anticipated moment, that only a few key vendors and the groom knew about was Jenna’s grand entrance. This element was kept a complete surprise from friends and family – the bride ended up only telling her parents and bridesmaids moments before. This surprise coincided perfectly with the bride and father’s first-look moment. Jenna quietly let her mom and dad know that the helicopter, flying overhead, was actually here for them. The smile on her dad’s face and disbelief from her mom was well worth the wait.

The grand entrance of a lifetime, that the bride had always dreamed of was to arrive to Stonefields by helicopter. Conveniently, there was a tiny airport across the street from the venue, therefore Jenna and her father quietly snuck across the street as guests began to arrive. Moments before the ceremony began, they took a quick aerial tour above the venue and could see all of the closest loved ones as they were seated for the ceremony.

Stephanie from Stephanie Mason & Co. and Chris from Peaking Zebra captured the shocked reactions from the guests. They quickly realized that the helicopter overhead was in fact the bride, landing onsite. While the moment was exhilarating and very exciting for all guests, the goosebumps on Jenna’s arms upon landing were for Aaron, finally seeing him for the first time that day standing up at the altar with tears in his eyes.

After a beautiful, heartfelt ceremony, the couple were toasted with champagne and taken to the loft for their grand reveal of the reception. The reception reveal left the couple speechless and very emotional. “It was truly straight out of fairy-tale with the lush florals, beautiful décor, and romantic candle light. The Sinclair & Co. Design team delivered way beyond my wildest expectations. It was the most elegant, romantic wedding we could have ever imagined” says the bride.

Personalized touches would be an overall theme the couple wanted to achieve throughout their day. An experience for their closest loved ones was constantly in mind when the bride was planning her details. The attention to detail was important and added to the overall uniqueness of the day. One of the most important details was worn by the groom. A blue ALS bracelet. The bracelet (in support of the ALS charity) was a very special way of honouring his late father, who had sadly passed away from ALS a few years back.

The couple made a donation to ALS Canada in lieu of guest favours and Wayne was mentioned in many speeches, toasts and memories throughout the day. His spirit and love was felt by the couple and all guests attending the wedding.

The couple wanted to share a few thoughts with those couples currently planning their big day. “Hire a core vendor team who has the same goal of making your day perfect. We couldn’t have pulled off what we did without our planner, Lauren (Sinclair & Co. Design). She made the month leading up to our wedding stress free and the entire day enjoyable. A photographer who takes the time to get to know you as a couple and your vibe is important. Stephanie was amazing and we are blown away with our images. Hiring Peaking Zebra, we knew we would have a video of our vows, the speeches, and those moments where we weren’t present for (you can only be in so many places at once!). This made it easier to relax and enjoy wherever we were without fear of missing anything in the blur of the day. Some of our favourite details throughout the day weren’t the most expensive or the bigger ticket items, it was the smaller moments or the hand-made items that reminded everyone of us, as a couple, and our love story. As time goes on and details fade from memory, I know those are the things that I’m going to remember for many years to come!”