Carver’s Cottage + Royal Ashburn Wedding

How To Plan A Ceremony That’s Special For You

Your wedding day may be fast approaching and you have one last thing on your mind. Does your ceremony celebrate what makes you two special? A lot of couples have their ceremony and reception at their venue. It’s convenient and the most common way to do it. But after shooting Leanne and David’s wedding ceremony at Carver’s Cottage and then the reception at the Royal Ashburn I learned that opting to have your ceremony somewhere else can really add a special feeling to your wedding day. A lot of wedding venues will have everything you want and this won’t be an issue. However, if you want your ceremony to be more intimate, rustic, natural, scenic, personal, etc you should explore options near your venue. Your wedding day will be special, but make sure it’s special to you two above and beyond everything! So if you’re wondering how to plan a ceremony that’s special for you, here are my best tips!

A little Goes A Long Way

If you’re thinking of how to plan a ceremony that’s special for you, and you want a more personal/intimate ceremony than your venue, try to find something relatively close by. When you make it too far you can complicate many things. Timing your wedding day will be difficult with all the traveling in between. So find something less than 30 mins away if possible. If your ceremony and venue are too far apart it can also be a logistical nightmare for guests and your wedding party. The other issue that can come up is that you disrupt the flow of your day. With too much time traveling between the locations your wedding can feel disconnected.

Your Special Moment

Find a place that channels something special to you two. For some that means being in nature. For others it means somewhere smaller and more intimate for a smaller ceremony. While others want their ceremony somewhere very public and iconic, like the CN Tower or a museum. I know some couples that have been married on the property of their childhood home, and then proceed to a venue nearby for the reception. This is such a great way to capture a timeless, special place for your ceremony. Having your ceremony somewhere meaningful is a great way to remember that special place for years to come.

Finding The Right Fit

Try to find a location for your ceremony that works well with the vibe of your entire day. Sometimes it can feel awkward if you have the ceremony somewhere very casual and then transition to a fancy venue for the party, or vice versa. While there is always going to be a change in vibe try to minimize it as much as possible.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Think about how the ceremony location will show up in your pictures. The ceremony is the heart of your wedding day, so capturing the moment with my camera is the ultimate goal. I want to capture the magic of that moment you two say “I do!” in your most special location. So if you’re trying to figure out what place that is for you two, reach out and I’d love to brainstorm and help you find it! And if you do know where it is now I’d love to help you capture this momentous occasion.

Let’s Plan Your Special Ceremony

Whether you want to be surrounded by flowers inside a rowboat, your dog to make a special appearance, or have a theme based around your favourite TV show as a couple, you two will find a way to make this day special. You two just need to figure out what things are most important and then contact me  and we can start brainstorming ways we can incorporate them into your wedding day photos!

Vendors:

Ceremony location – Carvers cottage

Reception location – Royal Ashburn Golf Club

Florist – Van Belle Flowers