An Intimate, Autumnal Ceremony at a Rustic Newmarket, Ont., Barn

When Mariam Ayyoob and Chris Menezes got engaged, in summer 2019, Mariam knew she’d love a fall wedding. She just didn’t know that hers would take place more than two years later.

“This was actually our third try” Mariam says of their September 25, 2021 wedding, which had to be postponed twice due to Covid-19. “We had actually completely cancelled the wedding — in the meantime, we bought a house, we got a dog, we weren’t even thinking about getting married. But in spring, we got the ball rolling again.”

The couple had always planned a small wedding, making shifting plans easier than it might have been with a longer guestlist (Mariam also credits wedding planner Jenny Serwylo of Three Lights Events for helping her and Chris navigate the uncertainties of COVID). The ceremony, at Newmarket’s Country Cut Florals, only had 22 guests, and featured an outdoor ceremony, plus casual grazing tables and a reception held inside the venue's gorgeous, rustic barn.  

The intimate vibe extended to the ceremony itself: both Mariam and Chris were walked down the aisle by both of their parents, and Chris’ brother played guitar during the ceremony, while each of Chris and Mariam’s sisters acted as witnesses during the ceremony. In addition, the couple had a “ring-warming ceremony” ahead of their nuptials, during which each of their 22 guests had the opportunity to hold their wedding bands and say a few words of well-wishing of blessing. 

Mariam and Chris incorporated some of their South Asian heritage into the ceremony, too, with each guest being gifted a box of Indian sweets as wedding favours. 

“Really, we had already started our life together,” Mariam says. “So having a beautiful wedding that went really well was just a wonderful cherry on top.”

Photography by Golden Hour Photo Co

Vendors:
Planning + Design: Three Lights Events
Venue: Country Cut Flowers
Florals: Country Lane Florals
Grazing Table: Grazing in the 6ix
Cake: Simply Yummy Bakery
Officiant: Molly Johnson
Rentals: Nayos
Furniture Rentals: Vintage Bash
Videographer: Wedding Joy
Dress: David's Bridal
Suit: RW&CO