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A Rustic Backyard Wedding In Port Williams, Nova Scotia

  |  By Jaimie Goldstein

If you ask Candace Berry and David Bryant about how they first met, they’ll tell you that it wasn’t quite love at first sight. “My best friend introduced us, but I didn’t like David and he didn’t like me,” laughs Candace. “I thought he was just another surfer guy and he thought I was a goody two-shoes.” Although the two socialized with the same crowd and maintained a platonic relationship, it took five years for the pair to become more than friends. “I came back in 2009 for a family reunion and David and I met up that weekend just to hang out,” Candace smiles. “After talking for hours, we realized something was different. Although I had to head back to B.C., we kept dating. After a year, I moved back home to Nova Scotia.”

As a wedding photographer, Candace has seen her fair share of romantic parties. Naturally, when it came to planning her own wedding day she already knew what she wanted. “ I envisioned a magical day with lots and lots of lights, lanterns and mason jars,” Candace explains. “And I wanted it to be outdoors—it had to be outside.” During the beginning stages of wedding planning, before all the DIY decor elements came into play, Candace and David already had plans for their venue and menu: the ceremony and reception were to take place in Candace’s parents’ yard and the entire reception was to be a complete wine, cheese and dessert shindig. “From the start we intended to have a late-night ceremony followed by an 8 p.m. after-dinner reception,” Candace explains. “I love pies and cheesecake, so David and I asked some of the ladies at his church and at my parents’ church to help out by bringing some desserts. The response was overwhelming—we had an ultra-long table sprawling with every kind of pie you could think of.” In addition to homemade wine created by Candace’s father and David’s brother, the two served raspberry wheat ale, from the Sea Level Brewing Company, to complement the sweet treats.

A highlight of the rustic backyard wedding, for guests and for the newlyweds, was the unique kissing game that was invented by David’s brother Justin. “People often joke that we kind of look alike—we have the same hair and we wear similar clothes,” laughs Candace. “At our wedding we showed cropped photos of David and I, and our guests had to guess if it was me or David on the projector. If they were right we had to share a kiss, and they told us how to kiss—a classic upside-down Spider-Man kiss or an ear nibble, for instance.”

In hindsight, Candace and David both agree they couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day. “In spite of the hail storm on our day and the fact that we had to postpone our wedding by a day, everything turned out the way we wanted it to,” the newlyweds share. “Every guest came, every light was lit—it was so magical and we couldn’t believe how fast it went.”

Candace Beth Barry and David Lloyd Bryant, August 21, 2011, Port Williams, Nova Scotia.

Photography courtesy of Heather Wilkinson (www.heatherwilkinson.ca)

Vendors
Ceremony and reception location: Bride's parents house in Port Williams, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia Dress: Designed by Bride and crafted/sewed by Ann Marie Rogers with Phantasia Fashions (phantasiafashions@hotmail.com) Bridal party attire: H&M and ModCloth Groom’s tux: H&M
Favours: Local valley honey from Cosmen and Whidden
Music: Live music sung by friends and family who happen to be local singer songwriters Hair: Michelle Bigelow Makeup: DIY by bride Flowers: Grown by the bride's mother and designed/arranged by the bride's sister Others: All desserts home-baked by relatives and friends of the family; Wine made by the bride's father and brother-in-law; Beer from Sea Level Brewery

See all of the photos from this rustic backyard wedding in Port Williams. Nova Scotia.

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This article was originally published on Dec 07, 2012
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