Tuesday, 19 October 2010 15:21 | Carla @ The Ring

BEFORE: Alice & Andre’s Fall themed wedding details are prepped and planned

Photography by Joey Kittmer photography (www.joeykittmer.com)

Alice Brown contacted us back in August while she was putting together the plans for the October 9, 2010 wedding. With the unique venue and a harvest/Thanksgiving theme, she wanted to share some of the details of her day and what she (hoped) would be put into action months later.

“It’s amazing what happens when you follow your heart even if you’re following it across a province.” That's when she knew their love and life was forever.

Here’s her ‘before’ story… stay tuned for the ‘after’ to see if Alice and Andre’s day went as planned.

Alice and Andre started out as Facebook friends in 2007, which turned into conversations through text messages, then phone calls. Before long, Andre would travel from his home in Northern Ontario to London every weekend to be with Alice.

When Alice was in the hospital due to illness, Andre quit his job, packed one duffle bag and left his life in Northern Ontario to be by Alice’s side. “He completely started his life over and hasn’t left since,” says Alice. “It’s amazing what happens when you follow your heart even if you’re following it across a province.” That's when she knew their love and life was forever.

Andre proposed to Alice at Thanksgiving dinner in October 2009. After dinner he went into the kitchen to help bring out dessert and brought out a cake that said “Will you marry me?” “It took me a couple of seconds to realize what it said,” Alice told us. “I looked at him and he was on his knee, telling me how in love he is, that he has never been happier and would I spend the rest of my life by his side.” Alice, in tears, of course replied “Yes!”

The couple both love how they listen and communicate with each other and make sure the other always feels loved. “We love that we both have the same dreams. And we both believe in the same things,” says Alice. “We are not searchers for an amazing, mediocre life; we aim for a simple, happy life.”

Being a farmer’s daughter and growing up (and still living) on a farm in the country, that’s where Alice’s heart lies. “Family is so important to me. So that is my theme: harvest/Thanksgiving, combined with family. Memories are what I want to take away from all this,” she told us.

Engagement photos (shown here) were done by the couple’s photographer, Joey Kittmer Photography, at the farm where Alice and Andre live outside of London.

The wedding was planned to take place in Port Stanley at The Wharf Restaurant on the harbour. The ceremony was set for the wrap around deck with the bridge rising to let boats through after the pastor says “you may kiss the bride” while 100 to 120 guests watch. Alice also wanted to have a sand ceremony instead of unity candles.

The day was chosen for both their favourite holiday weekend and the date that Andre proposed the year before. And, what kind of Thanksgiving would it be without the traditional dinner to go with it? The couple wanted a family-style Thanksgiving dinner with all the trimmings: turkey, stuffing mashed potatoes, turnips, carrots and cranberries. “As well as my Grandmother’s famous red sauce (tomato butter),” adds Alice, which her and her family enjoy and look forward to at every family gathering.

Butler style hors d’oeuvres and non-alcoholic apple cider will be served to guests while the bridal party is taking pictures at the beach. “I would like to have homemade apple cider with cinnamon sticks in a hot beverage fountain or even in nicely decorated crock pots, hoping that the smell will fill the air and set the mood,” says Alice.

The cake also has harvest/autumn flavours to it: pumpkin, apple, carrot, and spices throughout the four tiers and decorated with leaves and a topper with two white pumpkins with the couple’s initials.
 
The couple also wanted the day to be interactive with fun things for the guests to do, just like if you were at a Thanksgiving dinner. For example, they planned to offer prizes for answering sports trivia, and a little golf area where a hole in one gets the couple to kiss, and spotlight dancing with prizes.

Alice planned to incorporate the theme into all aspects from the food to the décor, which is why she wanted gourds, wheat, leaves and white pumpkins all over. “I want the centrepieces to be talked about. Half the tables will be home grown white pumpkins that are carved with mums or roses placed inside,” she explains. “The other half of the tables will be bouquets of wheat. They will be set on top of mirrors with tea lights on both sides and gourds.” Alice was also thinking that maybe the name tags for the tables would be pinned to mini pumpkins. “I want to bring as much of the harvest theme to the site as I can with bails of straw and pumpkins and gourds and wheat and corn stalks.”

Even Alice’s bouquets were set to look like a field of flowers with wheat incorporated. Wheat was also to be the main feature in the boutonnières.

For favours, Alice ordered handmade Thanksgiving crackers (like the ones you get at New Year’s with the tissue hats inside) that were to be filled with a scratch ticket (to represent luck in finding each other), a love/marriage quote, and a delicious chocolate nougat.

At the time we talked to Alice when she was planning, she was also looking into a themed candy buffet, horse drawm carriage and a guitarist to play music for guests while the wedding party were having their pictures taken.

Stay tuned for the 'after' story as we check in with Alice to see how her dream day unfolded.

Details, details, details

MUSIC: Jessy Brown DJ/MC | www.jessebrownproductions.com
CEREMONY & RECEPTION VENUE: The Wharf Restaurant, Port Stanley | www.portstanleywharfrestaurant.com
STATIONERY: Primarily Paper | www.primarilypaper.ca
CAKE: Scoops | www.scoopsandcakes.com
FLOWERS: Fellow’s Fernlea Flowers, St. Thomas | www.fellowsfernleaflowers.com
ACCOMMODATIONS: The Beach Hotel, Port Stanley | www.portstanleybeachhotel.com