The Sweetest All White Wedding at Muskoka Bay Club Resort

Lauren M

Sat, January 5, 2019 at 2:00 PM UTC

Nothing gets us all warm and fuzzy inside quite like a classic all white wedding. What makes this beautiful day at Muskoka Bay Club planned by Holly Matrimony so special are the emotional moments between the bride and groom, captured perfectly by Kayla Yestal. Instead of reading their own vows in front of everyone, they decided to exchange letters in the morning while getting ready - it made for the most memorable moment and the sweetest pictures. Check out the full gallery to see every magical detail of the day!

From the bride, Emily... It’s not a lie when people say that your wedding day is a whirlwind. Looking back, there really isn't a single thing that either of us would want to change. From the very early stages of planning, we were told time and time again how much the day will fly by, which is why we both tried to be mindful throughout this entire process and take in everything as it was happening. Creating time for moments to be present and soak in the day was something that I will always be thankful for. We decided to write each other a letter to read in the morning while we were getting ready. It was such an emotional moment to read each other’s words and share our last thoughts and feelings before we met each other at the end of the aisle. We’ll have the cards as a keepsake and be able to reflect on how we were feeling in those final moments for a long time.

At the recommendation of our photographer, Kayla Yestal, and videographer, Up North Wedding Films, we decided to schedule in 15 minutes between the cocktail hour and the start of the reception to take off in a golf cart for sunset photos. Even the small moments like riding in the golf cart to the first hole is memorable because it was the first time it was just the two of us. We tried to comprehend that this was the start of the rest of our lives. Although it was only 15 minutes, it was 15 of the sweetest minutes as the sun set behind us. An all-star team of vendors can make or break your wedding day. We invested in the vendors that aligned with our style but that also shared the same vision and values. This paid off in the end. Our vendors delivered the wedding of our dreams because our vision was aligned from the very beginning. From stationary to photography, we put thought and time into selecting them. Our photographer and videographer were easy to get along with and a total blast to have with us all day! This makes a world of difference when you’re spending most of the day with them! It’s cliche but the day goes by in an instant and you will want to have the memories to look back on.

I can't say it enough: it's definitely worth hiring a wedding coordinator! The last thing you want to do on your wedding day is answer to the catering staff or worry about which friend you can recruit to pocket fold your napkins. Having a wedding coordinator is having someone in your corner who will deflect any issues that arise! We hired a coordinator, Holly Matrimony, who worked with us in the final three months of planning. She handled our logistics, vendor communication, and was with us the entire weekend to ensure everything was flawless. She was a total game changer! Plan your wedding with room for flaws, changes, or errors because they are bound to happen. Some you will see coming, some will come out of left field. But if you’re prepared to navigate rough waters while you’re planning they will be much easier to handle. I thrived on planning our wedding and loved thinking about every little detail. But having everything planned down to the minute means your ship can be thrown off course quite easily.

We chose Muskoka Bay Club in Gravenhurst for it’s stunning setting, perched on the edge of a rock face. The view from the clubhouse in the beginning of fall promised a sea of colour as the trees started to trade their lush green for autumnal tones. We were drawn to the charm of Gravenhurst for our guests traveling from all over the country to attend our celebration. Muskoka is one of our favourite places to be so Gravenhurst was a special piece of our love story to share with our guests. During our planning, it was really important to us that we picked classic elements that would stand the test of time. Although September is a season for rich colours, we opted for white, ivory, green, and grey to keep it minimal and as not to compete with the fall tones as the landscape shed its summer skin. We kept our decor simple with the main focus being our florals, full of lush greenery and textured white blooms arranged beautifully by Seasons in the Country Muskoka. The white lace trailing ribbon on my bouquet was made from my mother’s wedding dress which was special in it’s own way. These little details, although probably not widely noticed by all of our guests, are what made our wedding ours.

Our wedding rings were made by a jeweler in my hometown, but not just any jeweler--my best friend’s aunt. Wedding rings are sentimental in their own right but it feels special to know they were made by someone I’ve known almost my entire life. Andrew’s wedding band in particular is made with the gold from his late father’s wedding ring, so he will always have a special piece of his dad with him every day. Beyond all of the fun details of planning, if I could offer one piece of advice for future brides it would be to be mindful and live in the moment. The day is so incredibly busy, in the very best way. Soak up every ounce of love and joy that your family and friends serve you and use that to fuel the start of your marriage. Some of the best advice was what our minister shared during our ceremony: "Love is stronger than anything else. It's stronger than sorrow. It's stronger than death. But it needs to be nurtured, so I challenge the two of you to nurture it every day." The wedding day is only the first page of your marriage.

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