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A Rustic, Elegant Wedding In Northern Ontario

Updated Apr 28, 2015

| By Roseanne Dela Rosa

A Rustic, Elegant Wedding In Northern Ontario

It took five years and a trip to Africa to bring senior entertainment reporter at CTV's eTalk Danielle McGimsie and MuchMusic creative director Randall Graham together. "We worked in the same building right under each other's noses," Danielle explains. "We both went to Africa on a separate work assignment and that's where we officially met. Randall says, 'We were 62 steps apart but had to go to the other side of the planet to find one another,' I love it when he says that."

For their special day, the two whisked guests up north to their cottage for a rustic, elegant celebration. "We wanted the decor to reflect the environment so we went with white, green and gold for our colour palette," Danielle says. Channeling his creative side, Randall hand-made the place card holders using wood from their property. For a romantic touch, he hung gold lanterns in trees around the entire area. In keeping with their rustic theme, the two opted to dress their tables with burlap and hydrangea-filled centrepieces.

Following a beautiful ceremony, with the lake as their backdrop, the two ushered guests to a tent for a delicious sit-down dinner. "We worked with Don Potter of Muskoka Catering, whose specialty and focus is using local ingredients," the two share. "We both agree that Don really outdid himself; several of our guests said our wedding featured some of the best food they had ever tasted."

In lieu of clinking glasses, the couple asked friends and family to say a poem if they wanted them to kiss. "A lot of our friends work in TV and are very creative people so the poems were amazing," Danielle recounts. "Our favourite was the heartfelt poem from our friends about our love story and how we met in Africa."

As wedding favours the two dished out an array of goodies including cake pops, maple syrup from Parry Sound and Dawson's Hot Sauce. Ending the evening on a bang, Danielle and Randall asked everyone to gather on their back deck for fireworks. "The sky lit up and it was spectacular," Danielle remembers. "We danced and laughed and lip-synced the night away until the wee hours of the morning."

Danielle McGimsie and Randall Graham, July 30, 2014, Parry Sound, Ontario.

Photography courtesy of Todd Fraser.

Vendors Bridal gown: Pnina Tornai from Kleinfeld Hudson's Bay Groom's tux: Strellson from Hudson's Bay Cake pops: The Little Bakery That Can
Caterer: Muskoka Catering
Favours: Bradley's Maple Syrup (705-732-6903) and Dawson's Hot Sauce
Wedding planners: Northern Paradise Events
Hair and makeup: Voula Zisis Flowers: Pardon My Garden
Stationery: Evermine
Wedding bands: Maison Birks