Meg & Michelle's Romantic Autumn Wedding at the Elm Hurst Inn :)

Meg & Michelle first met years ago, when Michelle commented on a story that Meg had posted online. That email sparked a correspondence that turned into a friendship, and before they knew it, that friendship had turned into a romance :) After years of long-distance phone calls, and cross-border visits, these two lovely ladies officially joined their futures together with a lovely and intimate ceremony at the Elm Hurst Inn. It was a perfect fall day, and a very personal and beautiful celebration :) Here are some of my favourite images from the day..

We picked this tiny and intricate gazebo as the perfect place for their first look :)

 The Elm Hurst Inn was a beautiful location.. one of my favourite spots was this golden entryway with beautiful architectural details - it was cozy and glowy, perfect for a few pre-ceremony pictures of the happy couple!

 In spite of a rainy forecast, we were blessed with a gorgeous crisp sunny afternoon - perfect for
Meg & Michelle's ceremony in the valley behind the Inn :) The two dads were very helpful in decorating the gazebo while we were doing photos with the ladies.

 Meg & Michelle wrote their own vows, and they were some of the most romantic and heart-felt lines I've ever heard :) They had also written love letters to each other, which were sealed in a box to be opened and read together on their 10th anniversary

 The guests threw rose petals at the newlyweds as they walked back up the aisle together :)

This small dining room was so perfect for the number of guests and also for the vintage feel that
Meg & Michelle had wanted for their wedding - as the sun went down there was a spectacular glow to all the gold details :) The other great thing about having such an intimate space was that it was possible to cover almost every inch of available space with tea lights and roses! {believe it or not, Meg did all the flowers with the exception of the boutonnieres. Her own bouquet, the arrangements at the ceremony, and countless little lacey vases full of roses for the reception - and they looked amazing!}

Martha Zacharias from Every Occasion Cakes did an amazing job working from a vintage design that Meg had found, and also made all the cupcakes - not only was it all beautiful, but also delicious! Meg is also quite a baker, and did all the baking for the cookie buffet - a tradition throughout parts of Pennsylvania and Ohio. "Guarding" the cooking buffet was a sweet picture of Chubbs the Wampug, who perfectly combines Meg's love of pugs and Michelle's love of Star Wars!

As the sunlight faded, the candles added even more romance to the atmosphere :)

Enjoying each other, and their perfect day :)

One last little bit of magic - we all headed outside while Meg & Michelle released a Chinese lantern, which floated up into the sky with their wish and the happy wishes of everyone present :)

Meg & Michelle: You two had such a perfectly romantic day, and it was unbelievably full of personal details. All of your hard work and thoughtfulness resulted in a day that was completely unique and absolutely suited the two of you! It was a pleasure to be part of your family for this day, and we wish you a future filled with as much warmth and joy as your wedding day :)

xo
Jessica + Norman

venue: Elm Hurst Inn
Meg's makeup: AM Pro Makeup Artistry
Meg's hair: Kendall at Roots to Ends Hair Studio
linens, cake stands, dinnerware rentals: njs design
cake and cupcakes: Every Occasion Cakes by Martha Zacharias
officiant: Lori Siska
cellist: Kate Woodman
photography: Jessica + Norman, Jessica Lin Photography

{Are you planning a wedding that's intimate in scale and very personal in details? That's our speciality, so if so we'd love to hear from you :) Fill out our contact form here or email photo@jessicalin.ca now to check availability!}

Meg & Frank - Awesome Steampunk Wedding at La Maquette :)

You know when you meet a couple, and you very quickly realize they are absolutely perfect together? That's how it was when we first met Meg & Frank :) They both have amazingly warm and generous personalities, and they share a very goofy sense of humour. One of my first questions for couples is: "do you have a theme for your wedding day?", and when Meg's answer was "Steampunk!" I knew this was going to be fantastic. I went to The Beguiling on Markham St. and found myself a copy of The Steampunk Bible (yes, it exists, and yes, it is awesome). I loved getting updates from Meg about what she'd found on etsy, or what she'd thought of to make next, or which friend had volunteered their talents for what. The end result was a day that was full of laughter, close family and friends, and very personal details :)

Here are some of my favourite images from the day..

Meg's friend Carrie designed and made her gown - including a stunning corset - it was gorgeously Victorian and modern all at once!

Frank's brother and sister-in-law Aaron & Jenny read a passage from The Velveteen Rabbit during the ceremony (the part about becoming REAL - a total tear-jerker..), and Meg's friend Janet had hand-embroidered their hand-fasting ribbon :) My favourite part of the ceremony was when Meg & Frank read the vows they'd written for each other - they literally had all their guests laughing out loud! 

Not only was La Maquette a visually amazing venue, but it made it possible for Meg & Frank to have an outdoor wedding in the middle of pouring rain..

 Among the long list of personal details, Meg's sister-in-law Andrea not only made the cake - including making gears out of icing - but also did a fantastic job on Meg's make-up, Laura arrived early to make sure everything was set up, and Meg actually made the stamps they used to tag the favours (tiny bottles full of gears, with skeleton keys attached). I also loved the vintage apothecary bottles used for centerpieces!

 

One of my favourite parts was how amazing everyone looked dressed up - even Meg's grandmother had a tiny top hat :) Meg's brother and sister-in-law Nate & Andrea and their son Logan looked like they just stepped off a movie set! (I love this shot of Meg's dad giving Logan "high-fives" for being so good during photos..)

 more yummy details... :)

 

 

As much as I loved all the fanciful and imaginative details of Meg & Frank's wedding, what really struck me was how personal their day was. I noticed just before everyone sat down to lunch that all the place cards were first names only. And in a way that I can't fully explain, that really captures the essence of what it was like to be at Meg & Frank's wedding - there was a strong sense that this wasn't just about two people dedicating their lives to each other, but also about the amazing community of family and friends that will be there with them along the way :)

Meg & Frank: you two were so much fun and such a delight to photograph! Your creativity in planning this wedding was only surpassed by your joy in marrying each other - thank you so much for allowing us to capture it all for you :)

xo

Jessica + Norman

{We love photographing fun and alternative weddings, especially with awesome themes :) If you've got one in your future, please get in touch!}

special thanks to Ange at La Maquette for general awesomeness!