Mother of: Brooke
Venue: At home in Kincardine, Ontario
Vibe: Backyard formal
Dress: Chiara Boni La Petite Robe
The thing everyone fears when planning an outdoor wedding happened. It rained the morning Brooke and Cam were to be married in the backyard of the bride’s parents’ home in home Kincardine, Ontario.
Torrents.
Mother of the bride Tanya never lost her cool. It had always been her dream to have one of her three daughters get married at the family home, which sits on the edge of Lake Huron, with plenty of space for a tent and dance floor.
“We had to make a few quick changes, including moving photos indoors,” Tanya recounts. “But just in time for the ceremony, the skies cleared, the sun came out, and the rest of the day was pure magic.”
So was Tanya’s shopping experience at Freda’s in Toronto. “Chantelle was a fantastic help and listened to my ideas. She brought me some amazing choices of dresses and as soon as I put on ‘my dress,’ I knew it was the one. Perfection in every way!”
Her dress was an off the shoulder, full-length mermaid gown by Chiara Boni La Petite Robe in lavender, a gorgeous complement to her blonde hair. “I knew it was the one,” Tanya says. “The fabric was everything — elegant, flattering, and unbelievably comfortable.”
She paired the gown with Naturalizer’s Jayla Slingback Dress Shoe–a chunky-heeled style works best for a backyard wedding. She accessorized with jewelry from the Canadian company Olive and Piper.
Tanya seemed so relaxed about hosting a wedding at home, we asked how she kept her cool. “My biggest advice to anyone hosting a wedding at home: hire reputable vendors you can trust,” she says. “Our wedding coordinator and florist, Tracy Irwin of Everlastings Flowers and Gifts, was absolutely incredible. She also did the flowers for my own wedding thirty years ago — which made it feel even more special.”
The vision of Brooke and Cam dancing the night away surrounded by family and friends in a backyard glowing under the lights is etched in Tanya’s favorite memories of the day.
And now, one of Brooke’s sister’s just got engaged, so here they go again!
| Photography by Split Rail Studios