Michael and Sabrina meant in high school. During their final year, they both enrolled in the same creative writing class, however, their relationship didn’t start until their first year of university. A mutual friend had arranged a New Years Eve party. Their friends encouraged Michael and Sabrina to swap emails and start talking but it wasn’t until a few months later that Michael took Sabrina out for their first date.
Michael proposed just a few days after Sabrina’s 25th birthday. Ice skating was something the couple had done a few times each winter so it didn’t seem out of the ordinary to Sabrina. After skating for about 30 minutes, Michael said that he was cold and wanted to head back home, so the couple sat on a nearby bench to take off their skates. A second later, Michael had bent down to unlace Sabrina’s skates, but this time he paused, put one hand in his pocket, and said he had to ask her something. At that moment, Sabrina clued in and shouted, “What? NO!” and began to cry for the next few minutes. “I was just so happy, and it was just so unexpected that I couldn’t help not being so emotional,” says Sabrina. It wasn’t until the bus ride home that Michael actually had the opportunity to give Sabrina the speech he had waited six months to give her.
Any bride will say the morning of her wedding is a busy one. Sabrina notes that she wished Michael had been there to calm her nerves during all of the pre-wedding excitement, but their first look of each other on their special day was worth the wait. “When I finally got to see him, I lit up, and this calmness just came over me,” says Sabrina. “I’ll never forget the look on his face when he turned around and we saw each other for the first time. I highly recommend a first look/doing photos before the ceremony; not only did it put us both as ease, but we got to enjoy our cocktail hour and reception with our guests.”
As for the couple’s favourite wedding details? That’s easy! “My husband and I spent many hours on DIY projects in the months leading up to the wedding,” says Sabrina. “These included hand-written table seating chalkboard and signs, wood center pieces, dessert stands, etc. It added a personal touch to our wedding and our guests really appreciated all the work we put into making it beautiful.”
Photographer: Sarah Wiggins Photography
Ceremony location: Holland Marsh Wineries
Reception location: Holland Marsh Wineries
Bridal gown: Watters
Bridesmaid gowns: David’s Bridal
Hair & makeup: (Makeup) Jackie Shawn; (Hair) Duyen Huynh
Cake: Mel’s Cakes and Cupcakes
Favours: Wedding Celebration Program Gift Card from Canadian Cancer Society
Flowers: Blooming Wellies
Invitations: BRIDES Rustic Chic Invitation Kit from Michael’s Craft Store
Ceremony Guitarist: Dunstan Morey
Wedding planner(s): My husband and I planned every detail (down to designing and painting our custom guestbook canoe paddles) and with the help of our amazing vendors, and our loving family, the entire day came together beautifully.
