There are people you meet in this world who you can immediately tell are genuine, sweet and kind. That’s how I felt when I first met Kristien. We started chatting through email and then we met at a restaurant for coffees and talked all about our pasts, our loves and how we got where we are. She told me how her and Don had been engaged for a while and had put planning their wedding on hold when her mother got sick. After being told she would most likely not get better they decided to start planning their wedding so she could be a part of it. They had a short four months of planning to have everything in order for when her parent’s were set to visit from Belgium. Unfortunately, her mother’s condition got worse and traveling to Canada wouldn’t be possible. They decided to keep their date and had an intimate wedding with 50 of their friends and family at the stunning McLean House at the Estates of Sunnybrook.
The presence of family was all around them on their day. The programs had a drawing by Kristien’s daughter from when they had first started dating and one of Don’s daughters made favours for each guest. Kristien’s dad had written his blessing to the couple accepting Don into their family which they added to the programs. And the couple read their vows in Dutch to incorporate Kristien’s background.
Before the ceremony the girls all got ready in one of the stunning rooms in the McLean House and once Kristien had her dress on everyone was giddy in delight (including me). Their ceremony was full of sentimental details and readings and a slight mishap – once they kissed they began to walk down the aisle and at the end they remembered the rings! Everyone had a good laugh and then they started cocktail hour. We took family photos and walked the grounds snapping shots of the newlyweds. During the delicious dinner they opened the mic for speeches and then it was time for desserts and dancing. It was a wonderful day and I felt so lucky to see two people who have found each other commit to their future and love.