Erica & Matt Leyden
MARRIED SEPTEMBER 25, 2021
THE BEGINNING
How did you two meet?
Matt and I met on the first day of university, at a bonfire for our residence building. We both found the stories being told at the campfire hilarious and laughed out loud together. We grew as friends over the school year, with walks over campus, and a few math and physics tutoring sessions.
THE PROPOSAL
How did Matt pop the question?
The proposal happened nine years later. Mid-COVID lockdown, Matt put together a scavenger hunt on our eight year anniversary. The clues led through a bunch of places where we’d shared adventures, but there was no final destination. Not knowing, I ended up picking a spot on the beach to stop and talk. This was when Matt proposed! I was truly surprised and had no idea a proposal was coming.
THE PLANNING
What made you choose St. Marys Weddings as your wedding venue?
We called a few places during the first lockdown to try and set up a wedding venue, and instantly fell in love with the people at St. Marys Golf & Country Club. Having someone to guide us through the day and help us plan the event was exactly what we were looking for. And SMGCC was so organized. When we talked with Hailey, Ashton, and the team, we knew we were in the absolute best hands. The day they described for us fit our vibe perfectly, and they proved time and again that they genuinely cared.
As our wedding date neared, we had to deal with the ever-changing COVID-19 protocols and restrictions. Through it all, the SMGCC team was in constant communication, reassuring us that our wedding day would be the day we had dreamed of. Matt and I had originally planned to get married in the Ballroom. However, in order to have a higher guest count, SMGCC offered the Hideaway room to us, since it was indoor-outdoor. Six weeks out from our wedding date, we changed our room. Although the Hideaway room is gorgeous, with the exposed beams and copper bar, we wanted to add more decor than we had planned for the Ballroom, in order to tie more of our soft and romantic vision together. In came Kim from Above & Beyond Event Design and Decor. At just six weeks prior to the wedding date, and because of her relationship with SMGCC, Kim took us on as a new client. Kim was amazing to work with, and we will forever be grateful to her for jumping on so close to our date.
What vendors did you work with?
Our vendors were the absolute best. Michael Steingard Photography is out of this world. He works so hard to capture the true meaningful moments of emotion during the day. He has a creative eye and takes the most stunning photos. For our wedding, Michael did a same day edit slideshow, where we, along with our guests, were able to view photos taken during the day. I had never seen this at a wedding before! It was such a special moment to be able to get our sneak peak of our photos right then, and take a moment to reflect on the big moments of the day so far.
Our videographers were Jon and Meg from Bonsai Creative. They were a joy to work with and provided us with support all day. They kindly reminded us to grab a bite, take a moment to ourselves, and even showed us how to pin boutonnieres. On top of that, they created an amazing video for us to treasure forever.
We were so blessed to have Matt’s mom, Deb, create beautiful flower arrangements with the additional support from Lyric Flowers, who created our epic floral arches. Our guests were able to dance the night away with Schwartzentruber Music Services, who also was our minister.
THE BIG DAY
How did your day unfold?
We couldn’t have been happier with how our perfect wedding day unfolded. We woke up to an overcast day, which quickly turned to rain. Since the Ballroom wasn’t booked that day, SMGCC offered the room as our rain backup location. Without even a second thought, Ashton, Hailey, Kim, and their teams managed to transform the Ballroom into an intimate ceremony space. Although it wasn’t originally our first choice to get married inside, it turned out so beautiful that I now cannot picture it any differently!
Following the ceremony, the weather cleared enough to have our cocktail hour out on the patio. The food at dinner was fantastic! We had so many guests rave about how delicious the food was. Although an unconventional choice, we recommended every guest get the pork belly. It was mouthwateringly good. We then danced the night away to seal off the unforgettable day.
How would you describe your wedding experience?
The support from SMGCC throughout the wedding planning process was critical to the success of our wedding day. Ashton, Hailey, and their team did everything to ensure we had the perfect day. On the day of our wedding, they had thought of every last detail. From welcoming us with secco and personalized details throughout the venue, helping to bustle my dress, and even moving our ceremony at the last moment, we couldn’t have asked for a more supportive and helpful team. The SMGCC level of organization with checklists, scheduled check-ins, detail coordination, and undeniable expertise contributed to an incredible, low stress, and unforgettable day. There’s not one moment we can pin down as the one we loved most. The entire day was amazing, and as cliché as it sounds, it really was the best day of our lives so far!
