The Wedding

Two days before the wedding, we had the wedding rehearsal at the GORGEOUS Whitetail Meadow venue. This was my first time there and I was so in awe of the space - the set-up/layout (both inside and outside), the natural landscape, and how beautiful the buildings were. I immediately thought to myself, “if I ever get married again, this is where I want it to be!” (I realize that sounds odd… I’m divorced, for those of you who might not know!). If you’re considering wedding venues, I highly recommend checking this one out! It’s just a quick jaunt from the perimeter of Winnipeg, close to Niverville.

On the wedding day, I arrived on site to begin set-up. The DJ arrived soon after and we got to work. Natasha and her crew were getting ready at the Bed & Breakfast just down the street and Keenen and his crew waited patiently for their getting ready space to be available for them. There had been a slight mix-up with the cottage on site (where Keenen + crew were supposed to get ready), which was quickly resolved after discussion with the venue owner. It seems at every wedding there is at least one aspect of the plan that doesn’t go as anticipated, and this was the first one to occur; a very minor one, thankfully! I had already come up with a back-up plan which ended up not being necessary. While waiting for the cottage to be available, Keenen and his groomsmen assisted with getting items placed on the tables for the reception.

The weather was questionable on this day. We were unsure if the rain was going to hold off for the outdoor ceremony. It started to rain a bit but soon after, it stopped and things started to dry off. We proceeded with the plan for the ceremony to be at Shady Grove.

By the time early afternoon rolled around, most things were set-up but the caterer had not arrived yet. This was my biggest stressor as we did not know what time they were going to arrive. Emails and phone calls were not responded to, so we continued to try to patiently wait. Eventually, they arrived and began their set-up. This impacted my ability to finish my setting up prior to the ceremony, so I had to sneak away mid-ceremony to finish setting up for the reception and cocktail hour. Meanwhile, the bartenders had arrived and were ready for cocktail hour to begin. Everything was coming together!

Following the ceremony, family/wedding party photos took place while guests enjoyed cocktail hour inside the barn. Guests were thankful it was indoors as the ceremony was a little cool and breezy. They enjoyed playing lawn games outside and mingling with family and friends. Soon, it was time for the grand entrance. The beautiful staircase spanning from the second floor to the reception space was perfect for the grand entrance. The wedding party had a blast making their entrance fun and unique, and then the Bride and Groom came down the stairs and went straight into their first dance. What a great way to kick off the reception!

Dinner was served ‘family style’, which meant we got to try a variety of dishes. Everything was very delicious! During dinner, the cake was cut and the Bride and Groom snuck outside for some sunset photos. Then an assortment of mini desserts were set out and they didn’t last long. Guests were loving the bite-sized options! Following speeches, Natasha and Keenen did the ‘shoe game’. This was my first time seeing this and it was super fun! Special dances kicked off the party-portion of the reception and before I knew it, it was time for the late night snack of poutine. At midnight, it was time to say farewell. Clean up was completed, and items were loaded up into Keenen’s car. This gorgeous fall wedding was such a lovely day!

Congratulations, Natasha and Keenen!