Samantha and Doug’s rustic barn wedding at Pearl Kottages in Gravenhurst was a dream brought to life with vision, heart, and a little help from Facebook Marketplace. With 110 guests, a white and green palette accented by gold, and the charm of a lovingly restored barn, their August 24, 2024 celebration was as personal as it was picturesque. From rainbows on the morning of to dancing under twinkle lights, every moment captured by Don't Blink Photography told the story of a couple who turned a blank slate into something magical.

COUPLE: Samantha & Doug

DATE: August 24, 2024

GUEST #: 110

CEREMONY & RECEPTION LOCATION: Pearl Kottages, Gravenhurst

PHOTOGRAPHER: Don't Blink Photography "She’s a local photographer to Waubaushene. I’ve hired for several different occasions previously, and have always loved her work!" - S

COLOUR PALETTE: White and green with pops of gold

TELL US YOUR STORY: "I came across an ad on Facebook marketplace about a barn space available for rent for events that came with a beautiful Air B&B. When we first went to see the property, the barn was completely empty and under renovation. I fell in love with the barn and Doug fell in love with the Air B&B. I saw the potential immediately. There was the high ceilings in the barns main level with large wooden pillars, and exposed brick in the basement that gave it a vintage feel.

The owners told us their plans for the renovations and we were sold. I went with my wedding planner and bridesmaids at a year out, and boy was that stressful. The washrooms were still not in and I wasn’t sure if we had made a mistake not going with an actual wedding venue. But within that year, the renovations were complete and we were given this beautiful rustic barn wedding space—a clean slate to work with!

From the moment I first saw the barn, I had a vision of white chiffon with twinkle lights flowing from the wooden banisters, with lush greenery and white flowers, and of course, lots of candles on all the tables. It took some time but I thrifted and used Facebook marketplace and found the perfect pieces. With these pieces and our selected vendors our rustic barn wedding vision started to pull together. Our wedding planner Nicole was a huge help. She made sure we followed my vision, and helped fill in the blanks, and thought of a lot of things that never even crossed my mind.

We rented the Air B&B and barn for three nights, and on the first night had our wedding party and spouses join Doug, myself and our wedding planner Nicole. Together, we transformed the empty barn into the rustic barn wedding venue we had dreamed of!

The morning of our wedding started with a light drizzle, followed by two rainbows over the ceremony site! While the girls and I were getting ready, the men were working hard with Nicole and putting the final touches together.

We really had a chance to appreciate it as we read our vows in private before the guests arrived. This allowed us a moment just for ourselves and to soak in how beautiful our rustic barn wedding had turned out, thanks to all the hard work.

Everyone loved it, and commented on how fun and laid back the day was! The ceremony was light hearted, as our chocolate lab Bruce went for a swim in the pond while we said our “I do’s”. Our daughter (who was not quite 2), slept through the majority of the days events. But the nice part about the Air B&B being right beside the barn was having a room for her, so our family that was helping to watch her could stay for the evenings events and have the monitor in hand to make sure she was safe and happy.

Our friends and family danced the night away and as the crowd dwindled down and the last handful of people made their way to the bon fire, my husband and I were able to have one last dance in the now empty barn with only the twinkle lights glowing." - S & D

DECOR: S&J event rentals

BRIDE'S ATTIRE: Ever after bridal

GROOM & GROOMSMEN ATTIRE: Collins clothier

BRIDESMAIDS ATTIRE: Azazie

DJ: DJ Phoenix

HAIR & MAKE-UP: Hair: Hair Haus Barrie, Make Up: Jessica Calleja

WEDDING PLANNER: Nicole at Elemental Event Planning

BIGGEST CHALLENGE: "Making sure the space was big enough for all the guests. We had a rough outline of where the tables would go. It was stressful leading up to the Friday before when we were able to physically set them up and know for sure how the flow of the room would turn out." - S

BEST MEMORY: "Having everyone on that dance floor with us! From family both old and young and our best friends. All of us just having the best time together!" - S

ADVICE FROM ONE COUPLE TO ANOTHER: "Something will go wrong, it’s almost inevitable. So choose to laugh at it and move on! No one will notice but you, and even if they do, who cares! Life isn’t perfect. Embrace the imperfection and have the best time with all the people you love!" - S

As featured in the Spring/Summer issue of The Wedding Ring Magazine

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT ELEMENTAL EVENT PLANNING | To speak with Elemental Event Planning about your wedding options, you can reach them using the form below.