There is something magical about winter that is intimate, cozy, and beautiful. It is the perfect season to cuddle and it just screams romance to us. With the temperature dropping to chilly levels in Canada this week, Jill & Jonathan’s cozy Muskoka wedding is just what our hearts need to warm up. It is definitely one of the most creative winter weddings we’ve seen. Everything from the handmade decoration, ice sculptures, to the idea of bringing the couple’s outdoor interests into indoor décor with snowshoes and skies is so unique and personal. The gorgeous winter scenes and wedding details captured by the talented Rowell Photography are simply flawless. Join us as we share Jill & Jonathan’s heart-warming wedding story.
Wedding Design
From the couple (Jill & Jonathan): We didn’t pick a theme, but tried to keep our décor personal and appropriate to the time of year and our interests. We selected deep red to add colour to the brown and white of the venue and the season. We were also able to borrow skis and snowshoes from family and friends to bring our outdoor interests into the indoor décor.
Number of guests: 50
Favorite wedding detail
Jill: I loved that we were able to incorporate our outdoor interests and creativity into our wedding weekend. Jonathan cut trees from his parents’ property for our centrepieces and designed a snowshoe stamp that we used on all of the stationery.
Jonathan: My favorite detail was surprising everybody with our flash-mob dance that we prepared together. I worked hard to learn the steps and had a great time dancing with my new wife.
A real Canadian theme with personal touch
From the photographer (Rowell Photography): This Muskoka wedding had a real Canadiana theme. Jill & Jonathan were married inside the dining room of the Farmhouse Lounge, which is an adorable little red house on Lake Devine.
On their wedding day it was covered in a thick white coat of snow, and they even had ice sculptures at the entrances to the building. Inside, the entire building is decorated with snowshoes, skies, and even a giant moose head.
Jill & Jonathan said their vows in front of a giant window that looked out at the snowy lake. Then they had dinner at a sweetheart table for two in front of a glowing fireplace. Trillium Resort was oh so romantic that night!
Advice to couples planning their day
Jill & Jonathan: Our best advice came from another bride. There are so many ideas and it can get overwhelming trying to incorporate and coordinate all the touches. She told us to pick a few ideas and make them personal to our event.
The planning process
Jill & Jonathan: When we set out to plan our wedding, we focused on finding a great venue, good food, talented photographers, and a fantastic live band. The rest of the items fell into place once we had those items lined up!
It was important to us that our guests have a relaxing and enjoyable time at our event. We thought it would be fun to have a weekend getaway that happened to feature a wedding!
Our friends and family know how much we love to be outdoors and that we also love the winter. We live in Northern Ontario, so 6-7 months of the year we are in snow; it just made sense for us to get married in it too! Being that we live so far away, we don’t get to spend a lot of time with our loved ones. It was important for us to have a full-weekend event so that we could really enjoy our time and show everyone how much we appreciate having them in our lives.
Best moments
From the Bride (Jill): One of my highlights was being walked down the aisle by both of my parents. It was important for me to have both of them by my side as they have been my biggest supporters through my whole life.
From the Groom (Jonathan): The happiest I’ve ever been was when I saw Jill all dressed up and seeing her big smile!
Thoughts from the couple
Jill & Jonathan: Searching for photographers who could capture our love of winter ended when we met Erika and Ryan of Rowell Photography! From the outset we could tell they were excited about the opportunity to work with us and photograph a winter wedding. They visited our venue before the wedding and arrived early to scout out beautiful locations around the site. On our wedding day, they cleared paths and even trekked through snow banks with us! They captured stunning photos both inside and outdoors and we are thrilled with the results of their efforts. Thank you for being so enthusiastic about our winter wedding!
Thoughts from the photographer
Rowell Photography: Jill & Jonathan were real troopers, they opted for a first look and they did it outside on the frozen Devine Lake. Their photos were all taken on the Trillium Resort property, and we all walked around for over an hour taking photos along the pathways, and on the homemade ice rink.
Late in the night we all came back outdoors in even more freezing temperatures for photos! Can you say dream client? We love it when couples are excited about photography, it makes the entire process so fun, and just adds to the overall excitement of the day.
Jill & Jonathan are no strangers to the cold, they work and live a lot further north than Muskoka. This couple works in Northern Ontario, Canada as teachers. So our freezing cold weather must have been a vacation for these winter pro’s. They even chose school themed favours such as pencils with guests names on them from their Northern Ontario School.
About the photographers: Erika & Ryan of Rowell Photography
We have been photographing weddings and portraits since 2004. Together we have photographed thousands of people from all over the world. Our work has brought us many awards, and are listed as one of the Top 25 Most Inspiring Photographers in Canada, and also listed on Junebug Weddings Best of the Best Wedding & Engagement Photographers in the World.
Our work has been published locally and internationally in magazines, newspapers and blogs. We have been lucky to travel to Iceland, France, England, Scotland, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Croatia, Mexico, and Italy photographing couples in love, growing families and amazing adventures. We would love to photograph you, so contact us!
Find the photographer – Rowell Photography
Other vendors:
Venue: Trillium Resort & Spa | Wedding Dress: Sophie’s Gown Shoppe | Rings: Mandi Deskur for Macadi Jewellery, Custom Made | Veil: Susan Carol Bridal, Custom Made | Hair & Make up: Trillium Spa | Flowers: Heather’s Floral Designs | Live band: Laganza (Tobin Spring) | Invitations: bride and groom, printed by Scribes’ Nook | Officiant: Tom Cooke | Cupcakes: Homemade by family friend | Decor: Handmade by the bride and groom and family