Winter holds the opportunity for some utterly romantic weddings, and Derek and Jillian’s chic celebration is a heart-warming example of winter romance! This intimate affair, captured by Rowell Photography, is overflowing with elegance and beauty. Everything from the dreamy snow fall, the timeless wedding venues, to the magical sparklers at the end of the night is pure perfection. Join us as we share Derek and Jillian’s amazing wedding story below!
Love and Proposal Story
From the groom, Derek: We met at a social gathering of a mutual friend. We were teamed up as euchre partners, because the person Jillian came with didn’t want to be her partner, so I jumped in!
Why we decided to tie the knot? We are best friends and couldn’t imagine our lives any other way. It was time!
I arranged a bed and breakfast trip to Tobermory. We spent a full day seeing the incredible sites and enjoying the day. I popped the question on a sunset walk along the boardwalk on the way to dinner, while pausing to go through the photos taken on my phone throughout the day. The final photo in the queue was a picture of a ring box!
Wedding Planning Priorities
Derek & Jillian: We wanted to make sure that it was a celebration with our closest friends and family and that everyone involved would truly have a great time. Our priorities from the beginning were that it be romantic and intimate, yet fun and full of excitement when it came to the petty….And a late night buffet!
Wedding Design and Details
Wedding theme: winter romance
Number of guests: 80
Budget: 25k
Unforgettable wedding moment: The entire day was perfect! One fun thing that stands out was a groomsman from the States purchased the wrong color suit and only figured it out 2 hours before the ceremony. He acted quick and had a replacement couriered from Toronto to Phelpston; it was waiting in the church when we arrived. That helped loosen up the group and made for fun story that we will tell for a long time!
Favourite wedding detail: A winter setting. We wanted to split up the dull season with a fun party. The weather was perfect and made for an excellent day and amazing photography. We will have great photos to cherish forever!
What made the day special: We were able to have our closest friends and family present to celebrate the best day of our lives!
Advice to Other Couples
Derek & Jillian: The advice we would give to others planning their weddings would be to make it exactly what “they” want. Try not to focus too much on “the show” aspect of the wedding. Truly make it an event that you can enjoy every moment of; it will be over before you know it!
Thoughts From the Photographer
Rowell Photography: We loved shooting at both the ceremony and reception venues, but what made their wedding so special for us was that they chose to do their portraits in Jillian’s dad’s backyard. It’s not often you find such a lovely property, with an adorable barn, situated in a tiny forest town. It was the perfect setting for their winter wedding, and halfway through the portraits we even had a tiny snow fall. This event had several special photo moments that we loved. Jillian’s dad’s reaction during their first look, the cheeky priest who photobombed a romantic portrait, and the groom bought a ton of sparklers for some fun reception photos with the wedding party at the end of the night. It was a dream wedding, with such a fun couple who soaked up every amazing moment of their wedding day.
About Erika & Ryan of Rowell Photography
Erika & Ryan Rowell have been photographing weddings & events since 2004, together all over the world.
They are award winning photographers, having earned several awards for their wedding photography and photo journalism. They were named as one of the Top 25 Most Inspiring Photographers in Canada, and also on of the list of Best Photographers in Canada by Weddingbells Magazine and on Junebug Weddings List of Best Wedding Photographers in the World. Their work has been published in McLean’s Magazine, WedLuxe, Elegant Wedding, Today’s Bride, Weddingbells, Perfect Wedding Magazine, and internationally in wedding and fashion magazines from Ireland to Russia.
Erika & Ryan have been lucky enough to work in Canada, Iceland, France, England, Czech Republic, Italy, Scotland, Mexico and Dominican Republic photographing couples in love, growing families, and many amazing adventures!
Find the Photographer – Rowell Photography:
Other Vendors:
Reception Venue: Barrie Country Club | Ring Box: Mrs. Box | Florist: Kathy Burke Flowers | Decoration: by the Bride (Jillian) and her Mother
