Wedding planning tips & inspiration

Modern wedding blog

Melissa Graham Melissa Graham

Reasons for a Winter Wedding

While many 2024 couples eagerly await the warmth of spring, let's take a moment to cozy up during these last days of winter and reflect on the inherent romance of a winter wedding. The offseason offers a slower, more intimate ambiance, set upon majestic backdrops of snow-covered landscapes. In addition to its obvious beauty, hosting your wedding in the colder months provides unique advantages that spring, summer and fall weddings simply cannot replicate. Below, we break down all of the reasons for choosing a winter wedding date.

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

2023 Wedding Open House

From the champagne wall and floral-lined ceremony aisles, to the debut of our Ballroom chandeliers and new acrylic signage, there were so many beautiful moments to take in at our 2023 Wedding Open House. Whether you joined us in-person on June 2nd, or are just catching up now, read on for everything you need to know (and see) from this yearโ€™s show!

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

Reasons for a Spring Wedding

Spring is often thought of as a season of renewal, a time for blooming, and a celebration of new life. Thereโ€™s no better way to begin the new chapter you are about to embark on, than by saying โ€œI doโ€ in the season of new beginnings. If you need a little more convincing, we have compiled our top five reasons for choosing a spring wedding.

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

2022 Wedding Open House

Last month, following a three-year hiatus, we hosted our seventh annual Wedding Open House - and was it ever worth the wait! From the designs, to the vendors, to the menu, to our team, to our panel of real brides, to the guests - everything fit together so perfectly, and itโ€™s hard to express in words just how grateful we feel to everyone who was involved in the showโ€™s success. But since we know youโ€™re curious about the details, hereโ€™s our best attempt at breaking it all down for you!

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

Ballroom Remodel

Right about now, we could all use a good refresh in our lives (weโ€™re looking at you, Covid). Whether it be different scenery, a larger social circle, or planning a vacation, most of us are longing for a change of pace. Thatโ€™s why it comes at the perfect time for SMGCC to introduce you to our freshly remodeled Ballroom!

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

Wedding Planning During COVID-19

Wedding planning in itself can be an overwhelming experience for couples. Add a global pandemic to the equation, and thereโ€™s a whole new level of stress. During such an uncertain time, when even our government is unable to provide clear and reliable guidelines for the future, we know how hard it is to make informed decisions and how heart-breaking it is to face the possibility or reality of postponing your wedding.

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

2019 Bridal Open House

Itโ€™s hard to believe that itโ€™s been almost eight months since we hosted our six annual Bridal Open House - on Sunday, May 26th, 2019 - and the whole show was so incredibly beautiful that it honestly still feels like a dream. Even with thousands of events under our belt, it never ceases to amaze us the moment everything comes together perfectly - when all the details are set, all the vendors and staff are ready to go, and when we open our doors to hundreds of excited attendees.

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

Wedding Advice From Real Brides

In the days, months and possibly even years leading up to your big day, youโ€™ll consider every detail of your wedding - but sometimes itโ€™s hard to picture how it will all come together. Because thereโ€™s nobody better to offer real wedding talk than real brides, weโ€™ve gathered some of our favourite brides of the past to candidly share what you can expect for your own experience, plus their tips for ensuring your wedding is the day you always dreamed it would be!

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

2018 Bridal Open House

One month ago โ€“ on Sunday, June 3rd, 2018 โ€“ we hosted our fifth annual Bridal Open House, and to say that we are still daydreaming about the pure magic of the show would be a huge understatement. Aside from the insanely gorgeous displays throughout our venue and the curated selection of participating wedding vendors, we were blown away by the outpouring of interest and support from past, present and future couples. Read on for all the details, photos and a list of participating vendors.

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

2018 Wedding Trends

With each new year comes a fresh lineup of wedding trends, and the wedding themes of 2018 do not disappoint. From a shift towards moodier colour palettes and edgier reception spaces, to surprise elements that focus on fun over tradition, there are many new ideas to make your wedding feel personalized and unique. To help make your day stand out from the rest, weโ€™ve compiled the ultimate wedding inspiration guide for the 2018 season.

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Advantages of a Winter Wedding

Winter weddings are gaining in popularity, in large part due to the majestic look and romantic vibe they offer. Aside from the obvious beauty that comes along with winter weddings, here we list all the reasons why hosting your wedding in the colder months - November, December, January, February, and March - allows certain advantages that spring, summer and fall weddings just cannot provide.

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Local Ideas to Entertain Your Wedding Guests

Whether you're getting married in your hometown or at a venue further away, there are bound to be guests coming from out-of-town. Ensuring that you have suggestions for a variety of activities, accommodations and dining options to entertain guests throughout the wedding weekend will let them experience and enjoy the local scene. We've selected a variety of attractions in the St. Marys, Stratford and London areas that highlight the uniqueness of Southwestern Ontario.

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Creative Wedding Floral Ideas

Florals are a key component to your wedding, and with all of the unique ways to incorporate them into your design, making a selection can be easier than you might think. We've compiled a list of the top trending floral ideas, to help you put together a distinct look sure to wow your guests.

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Must Have Wedding Photos

From candid to posed wedding photographs, here is our list of the top ten 10 must have photos you'll want to have your photographer include in your wedding collection on your big day. 

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Bridal Shower Inspiration

Wedding planning can be a whirlwind of activity leading up to the big day. The bridal shower is one event where the bride and her closest friends and family can enjoy some fun, relaxation and quality time before the main event. Whether traditional or trendy, there are bridal shower themes to suit every bride's personality! To help inspire you for your own planning, we're providing you with a list of our five favourite bridal shower themes.

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

2017 Bridal Open House

Sunday, June 4th, 2017 marked the date of our fourth annual Bridal Open House! This yearโ€™s wedding show was particularly exciting, as we unveiled our brand new event space โ€“ The Hideaway! To inspire you for your special day, read on to discover the beautiful details that were included in the show, and a list of participating vendors.

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Ashton Staffen Ashton Staffen

A Wedding Planner's Advice

There are so many questions leading up to your big day, and since this is likely your first and only time planning a wedding, it's sometimes hard to know where to start. We sat down with St. Marys Golf & Country Club's in-house senior Wedding Planner, Ashton Staffen, to gather her expert advice on what to consider when putting together your own wedding plans.

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2017 Wedding Colours

With all of the options for wedding colours, how do brides decide on which is the right colour palette for their special day? We discuss what's trending for 2017 including the colour of the year, greenery, bold colours, and how to draw inspiration from your wedding venue to make the decision easier. 

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Rustic Wedding Ideas

Here's a rundown of some of the top rustic wedding trends for 2017, including how to make your day unique with natural, vintage, and elegant details from your ceremony to the reception!

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