The Not-Going-To-Run-Away Bride ~ Hilary and Phil’s Wedding

Hilary and Phil are such a friendly couple. They were so much fun to work with, and really enjoyed their whole wedding day. As you will see from their photos, these two are very much in love. Hilary’s friends teased her about the possibility that she could be a runaway bride, but as soon as she saw Phil, it was evident that the only direction she was running was down the aisle.

Their wedding was held at the Bean Town Ranch, and the beautiful setting made for a fantastic backdrop to a day of fun, family and friends. The couple tried to remain as relaxed as possible in the planning of their wedding, and kept this attitude during the day as well.

Hilary and Phil married on a sunny day in June of 2011. They are now settling into their life together.

I asked Hilary and Phil about their wedding day and here is what they had to share:

Which one moment will last for each of you forever?
Hilary: I’m kind of a runner when it comes to commitment. People were making jokes and taking bets right up until the wedding day about whether or not I would make it down the aisle. One friend even made a special effort to make sure her gas tank was full in case we needed a getaway car. I will never forget turning down the aisle, seeing Phil and feeling the urge to run turn into a pull to walk towards him. I will always remember feeling completely calm and certain at a time when I expected to have a panic attack.
Phil: I liked all of the moments when we were “alone” and no one could hear us, like during our carriage ride or even during dinner when we could whisper.

Best advice for future brides/grooms?
Buy a dancing dress for the reception! My beautiful princess dress brought a great deal of delight, but I LOVE dancing and I feel like I couldn’t do it to the max because of the weight I was carrying around.
Also, try not to sweat the small stuff. We looked at our wedding as a chance to celebrate with our favourite people instead of an opportunity to showcase our party planning skills (which are poor). We only put as much effort as we wanted to (centerpieces were stressful so we didn’t have any) and we think it turned out beautifully.

Best wedding related decision?
Our photographer, Liz Bradley! That seems like a suck up, so if you want our second best decision, it was having the ceremony and reception at the same place. It simplified the day SO much.

What was the funniest memory from your wedding day?
Phil and I were sitting on the bench on our private island having our pictures taken when we saw the horse drawn carriage heading from the ceremony site to the parking lot. At first it looked normal and harmless until we noticed that Phil’s 3 year old nephew was hanging out alone in the back. Right when we saw him we noticed that his father was sprinting after the carriage at top speed.

What is your favourite image from your wedding day and why?
This is the hardest question. There are some dance floor pictures that make me smile every single time. They remind us that we were right to have a smaller guest list and only invite people we really like. Our favourite picture of us would be one of the ones when we were standing on the island. They’re absolutely beautiful shots with the water and the tree, but you can also look at them and see how much we love each other.

Wedding Songs

Hilary: “This one is funny because our music ended up all in the wrong spots. My fault I guess for not being more organized! This was the plan…”

Entrance to Reception – “All I Want Is You” by Barry Louis Polisar
First Dance – “The Luckiest” by Ben Folds
Mother/Son + Father/Daughter Dance Father/Daughter – “The Way You Look Tonight” by Rod Stewart
Others – My friends specially requested that the DJ play for me “The Creep” from Saturday Night Live

Vendors

Ceremony and Reception Location – Beantown Ranch
Officiant – Rob Campbell
Wedding Dress – Maggie Sottero
Bridesmaids Dresses – Alfred Angelo
Suits – Moores
Rings – La Maison D’or
Flowers – Weekly Flowers
Hair – Josee Leonard
Makeup – Ottawa Makeup Artists
Caterer – Beantown Ranch
Cake/Cupcakes – The Flour Shoppe
DJ – Derek from First Quality Sound
Photography – Liz Bradley from elizabeth&jane photography!

Have a wonderful day,

Liz – Contact Me, I would love to speak with you!

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