Toronto, Ontario Wedding Photographer
https://diegomouraphotography.com info@diegomouraphotography.com (647)530-3403 Dec 31, 2019 Rosie & Shayne
New Year’s Eve Horseshoe Valley Winter Wedding
When’s the last time you really celebrated New Year’s Eve with your family or friends? I know for us it’s been a while. Not too many people really celebrate New Year’s Eve nowadays - they just stay at home watching the countdown on TV (that’s if they can stay awake long enough). Bars and restaurants charge exuberant fees for special New Year’s Eve menus, plus they can be so crowded, which is not always the most fun... so that’s why we adore the idea of New Year’s Eve weddings. You not only get to celebrate the start of a new year, but also the start of a new adventure as newlyweds, all while being surrounded by your favorite people, eating amazing food, and celebrating and dancing the night away. Rosie and Shayne’s wedding at The Heights Ski & Country Club in the Horseshoe Valley Resort was just that, with the added bonus of being able to continue celebrating the next day while on the slopes.
A winter wedding wouldn’t be the same without snow, and considering how little snow we’ve been getting this winter, it was so special to see a fresh blanket of snow when we arrived at the resort for Rosie and Shayne’s New Year’s Eve wedding.
Getting Ready
Rosie and Shayne’s getting ready was very chill and relaxed. Rosie got ready with her ladies at the Slopeside Condos in the Horseshoe Valley Resort, with each one doing her own make-up, while the ladies from the Status Salon worked their hair-styling magic. The guys got ready in a cool two-story loft at The Inn At Horseshoe, where they were hanging out, drinking, and chatting until it was time to get dressed. The guys needed very little encouragement to help each other get dressed. They were all about it because it gave them an opportunity to tease and crack jokes at each other, which resulted in constant laugher.
First Look at the Ellsmere Chapel in the Horseshoe Valley Resort
Once Rosie slipped into her stunning dress from Sash & Bustle, we made our way to the Ellsmere Chapel for their first look. While the guys walked over to the chapel, the ladies were supposed to take a limo bus, however, the amount of fresh snow that had fallen resulted in the bus getting stuck soon after leaving the hotel. So what’s a bride to do but put on a pair of winter boots and walk through the deep snow to see her groom.
The chapel itself is perched at the top of a small hill, with snow covered steps leading you up to the entrance. While small, it features a glass wall at the front of the alter that beautifully illuminates the wooden structure on the inside, creating a warm and cozy glow around Rosie and Shayne during their first look.
Wedding Party and Couple Portraits at the Horseshoe Valley Resort
Back outside, the snow was proving to be as challenging as it was beautiful - Shayne’s mom’s car got stuck in the parking lot, and cars all around were slipping and sliding, but that did not dampen the mood one bit - the wedding party did amazingly during their portrait session, with lots of laughs and silliness. You’d never know that their magical snow-filled photos were done right in the parking lot, with the fresh snow acting as the perfect canvas. The bridesmaids’ gorgeous lilac dresses, the guys’ blue suits, and the stunningly vibrant bouquets and boutonnières from Fresh Events Design & Decor Studio popped against the snowy background.
For Rosie and Shayne’s portraits, we drove to a wooded area with a wide open space and a beautiful calm lake, and as luck would have it, just as we started doing their portraits, it started to snow lightly, creating a truly magnificent winter-wonderland for their photos. It was amazing to see their excitement as they walked through the snow together, gazing up at the sky as the snowflakes gently landed on their shoulders. We couldn’t have asked for a better afternoon.
Ceremony at The Heights Ski & Country Club
The guests arrived for the wedding ceremony all decked out in 1920s attire, perfectly appropriate for a Roaring Twenties themed wedding that's ringing in the year 2020. The ceremony, led by the lovely Debbie of River Rock Officiant Services, was held infront of the brick fireplace at the gorgeously decorated The Heights Ski & Country Club. Rosie’s amazing Aunt Sue helped transform the chalet into a dreamy and otherworldly space, full of candles and little lights everywhere, which perfectly complimented the brick fireplace and gave the space a sense of cheerfulness and coziness.
We did Reception & Party at The Heights Ski & Country Club
After the ceremony, guests were treated to a delicious roast dinner, mouth-watering cake from Holly’s Sweets & Eats, and a night of dancing to the beats of Sonic Sensation Disc Jockey Services. It was so much fun seeing all the guests in their 1920s outfits, the flapper dresses and pearls swishing with the music, the dapper suits and two-tone vintage-style shoes kicking it up on the dance floor, while golden balloons bounced around the room. As the clock neared midnight, guests flooded the dance floor with their boas and New Year’s Eve tiaras in anticipation of the countdown. You can feel the excitement building up with each number. 10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Rosie and Shayne, we couldn’t have asked for a better way to start our year. Thank you so much for having us be a part of it!
Toronto, Ontario Wedding Photographer
https://diegomouraphotography.com info@diegomouraphotography.com (647)530-3403 Dec 31, 2019 Rosie & Shayne
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