Julia & Jake Horsley
MARRIED MAY 24, 2019
THE BEGINNING
Jake and I both grew up in Cambridge, knowing of each other through mutual friends. But our love story didn’t begin until I got my acceptance to the University of Guelph. I had reached out to Jake on Facebook with some questions about life at U of G, as he was already in his first year at the university. From then on, we started talking everyday, and he was such a great support for my big move to Guelph. Once I was settled into residence that first week, we met up and have been inseparable ever since!
THE ENGAGEMENT
Jake isn’t a huge planner, so if he orchestrated something large for the proposal, I would have known that something was up. The first step was our visit to Guelph for a Humane Society Fundraiser, which was a natural way to get me to the city without any questions asked. The second step was when Jake mentioned that he wanted another sweater from the University of Guelph Bookstore. We started walking around campus and headed towards the Arboretum, which is made up of various trails through gardens and woodlands. This favourite spot of ours was where he popped the question. It was such a perfect moment between just the two of us, which is exactly how I pictured it would happen.
Once all the excitement from our engagement started kicking in, I was so excited to share the news with my family. Jake asked if we could visit with his family first, as his Mom had to get to work. Little did I know that he had arranged for both of our families to be there waiting to celebrate with us!
THE VENDORS
When we started our venue search, we were looking more locally in the Kitchener-Waterloo area - but everything felt rigid and overdone, and that was not what we were looking for in a venue. One of Jake’s work colleagues recommended the St. Marys Golf & Country Club to us, so we checked it out online. As soon as I spoke to Ashton over the phone, it was pretty much a done deal - and we hadn’t even seen the venue in person yet! Ashton made me feel like I was talking to someone I had known for years. Her friendly, warm and enthusiastic personality connected with mine, and I felt as if Jake and I would have a friend supporting us through the entire wedding planning process. We went through packages that would help to make our planning decisions easier, but unlike other venues, SMGCC was flexible in helping us make the plan our own. Then when Jake and I walked into the Hideaway for our first site visit, we fell in love with the room. I loved the black-paned glass garage doors, the wood ceiling, the light fixtures, and that bar! It was undeniable that the space was going to allow me to bring my design vision to life, and I instantly asked “ where can I sign?”.
Once we dove into planning the details, I knew right away that our florals and photographer were going to play a big part in our day. Nina Polidoro, who Ashton recommended to us, was our photographer - and I honestly cannot say enough good things about her! We originally met for coffee, and we could have sat there and chatted all day long. I knew right away she was going to be someone I wanted to surround myself with on the day of our wedding. Not to mention, she handed over a beautiful collection of photos that captured every detail and every feeling of our day.
Next on my list was flowers. Since the room was already stunning on its own, I knew I wanted an explosion of floral as the main aspect of our wedding design. When we were planning our 2019 wedding, muted colours were very on trend, but that didn’t feel authentic to us. We were more drawn to a bold and colourful palette, and I’m so happy we stuck with our gut. The burst of colour was unique, energetic, and it truly made the entire look come together. We worked with Brandy from La Petite Fleur in Cambridge, and she completely brought our vision to life. Every single floral arrangement and accent was more beautiful than I could have ever imagined.
Rounding out our list of vendors was Clive of Someone2MarryU as our ceremony Officiant, and John from QDJ Services for our music. John played the soundtrack from ceremony, to cocktails and dinner, all the way through the party - and he ensured our guests were dancing all night long!
THE DRESS
Going into dress shopping at Taylor's Bridal Boutique in Elmira, I was certain I knew the style and fit that I would leave with. But when I tried on my sheath wedding dress - a style that was much different from my original vision - I absolutely loved it! The gown wasn’t over the top, but it felt special and had enough detail to bring out my personality. The mesh accent on the sleeves and bodice had a floral lace detail woven throughout that perfectly complemented our floral design, and the crepe fabric of the skirt felt luxurious but relaxed at the same time. I knew right away it was the dress for me.
THE BIG DAY
On the day of the wedding, before all the hair and makeup began, my bridesmaids and I started our morning with breakfast at the SMGCC Clubhouse (now Social Thirty-One). Usually when I’m nervous or anxious, I can’t eat - but I had such a calm feeling when I arrived to SMGCC that day. I knew that their team would take care of absolutely everything, and that Ashton would ensure no detail was missed. To prove my point, the Events Team brought our mimosas to the Bridal Suite right at 11:00am (literally on the dot!) - which was the exact time I had ordered them for. Such a small detail, but it displays the level of care and commitment that SMGCC provides to their brides. It was so easy to just enjoy the moment all day.
Le Petite Fleur arrived early that morning as well, to start on the backdrop masterpiece. Jake and his Dad had built the black pipe frame themselves, and at the centre would be the perfect canvas art piece I had found as the jumping off point of the design (a horse head made up of hundreds of painted flowers, which was a nod to our new shared last name ‘Horsley’) - so I had spent months envisioning how everything would come together. As I walked into the Hideaway that day, my jaw dropped taking in all of the colour and artistry. The vibrancy and sizing of the flowers Brandy chose were like none I have ever seen before, and she had tirelessly strung hundreds of single-stemmed blooms to appear as though they were floating within the backdrop frame. The design paired so beautifully with our suspended acrylic seating chart, which I personalized with 100 pressed flowers and my own handwriting. It was also intentional that we went with minimalistic tone-on-tone ivory linens and napkins, so that the floral took centre stage. Accents like our gold-rimmed glass charger plates and acrylic table numbers added a layer of elegance, and personal touches like our polaroid guestbook and monogramed custom wine labels added sentiment.
When it came to the flow of the day, Taryn (our Maître d') and Courtney (Events Manager) deserve huge credit! They constantly came to check in on us to see if we needed anything, and their bubbly yet calming personalities made me feel at ease. I really enjoyed being able to connect with both Taryn and Courtney on a deeper level through shared bride stories, and their enthusiasm over my wedding details really assured me that I had made the right choices. And I can’t forget the hilarious gentleman (Alex) who drove us around the golf course for our photo route. He was funny, light-hearted and really added to the experience of the evening - and we were lucky enough to have him serve our table for dinner as well! In fact, the whole dinner service was incredible. Food came out prompt and hot, and every server was so personable and attentive. If anything happened (like a broken bottle - whoops!), their team was on it in a matter of seconds. Many of our guests even commented on how well organized the wedding was, and looking back, that means so much. What we loved most about our wedding day was seeing other people enjoy it - and it wouldn’t have been possible without the team at SMGCC.
Jake and I would 1000% recommend the St. Marys Golf & Country Club to anyone looking for a venue that cares about them. So many emails exchanged, so many little personal touches, so many decisions made easier by their team, and so much care provided. Authenticity is not something that can be taught or duplicated, and what Ashton and her team have created for couples of St. Marys is truly so special. Thank you SMGCC for the best day of our lives! We are forever grateful.
As told by Julia Horsley
Photography by Nina Polidoro
