Sections

A Romantic Country Wedding in Truro, Nova Scotia

Updated Sep 11, 2014

| By Lisa Perri

Considering Justin grew up on a farm, it’s no wonder he and his bride, Melissa, chose an outdoor venue with a country feel for their celebration. The couple initially met through Justin's sister, who was a friend of Melissa's. One evening, out of the blue, Justin asked Melissa to keep him company while he worked. “To his surprise, I agreed! We still joke that our first date was spreading liquid manure together with his big green tractor," laughs Melissa.

Justin had something much more romantic in mind for his proposal. He drove Melissa (on a 4-wheeler, no less) to the middle of a field, revealing a candle-lit pathway leading to a table set for two. Melissa found herself surrounded by hay bales, candles and stars. Justin played a slideshow with photos depicting their relationship through the years and when the slideshow ended, he got down on one knee. " When I said yes, fireworks went off!" exclaims Melissa.

Country charm was evident throughout their big day, with a tented outdoor reception and homemade wooden signs throughout the property to direct guests. "Our favorite wedding detail was our kissing game," explains Melissa. "Justin has played hockey all of his life so we decided to create a hockey shooting game. There were three holes that wedding guests could aim for, they had three shots and the more shots they got in the holes, the longer we kissed. If they missed all three times, they had to find someone to kiss. Boy, was there ever a lot of kissing going around! The game was a huge hit and it was so great to see people like Justin’s old hockey coaches, our siblings and even our grandparents get up to take their best shot."

For their wedding song the couple chose “I Love You This Big” by Scotty McCreery. "Growing up Justin and his family would always say 'I love you higher than the silo' to each other. On one of our first dates we ended up snuggled up in a bunch of blankets in the middle of a field stargazing so for each other we changed this to 'I love you to the stars and back.' When we first heard the song, the lyrics just seemed to fit our relationship perfectly. We began saying 'I love you this big' and Justin even has it engraved in his wedding band," says Melissa.

Melissa and Justin Blaauwendraat, August, 25th, 2012, Truro, Nova Scotia.

Photography courtesy of Yorke Photography.

Vendors
Ceremony location: John Calvin Christian Reformed Church
Reception location: The groom's family farm Tent rental: East Coast Wedding Supplies
Dress: Demetrios from Felicity Bridal Bridal party attire: Venus Bridal from Felicity Bridal Groom’s tux: Calvin Klein from Moores
Cake: Piper Cakes
Caterer: Holiday Inn Music: B-Fish Production
Hair: Square Roots Hair & Esthetics Makeup: Bella Sante Flowers: Yvette Hatcher Stationery: Tara Joy Designs See all of the photos from this romantic country wedding in Truro, Nova Scotia.