“They love nature, animals, fishing, color, they are original, she is his sweetheart, he is her pirate and we love them both! When we got to the family lodge in St-Etienne de Bolton where Violaine was getting ready, we asked her to prepare her accessories (gown, jewelery, perfume and rings) in order for us to take pictures of them. In most cases, we use a bedroom to shoot these kinds of pictures so we expected her to tell us to do this inside one of the lodge bedrooms. Instead, she simply told us “Why don’t you just take everything back to the fir forest behind the lodge?”. WOW! We quickly headed back there with all the accessories, still not believing our luck! Once she was ready, the bride went over to the dock where her pirate showed up in a canoe to meet her. What a treat this was for our cameras and our eyes behind them! We used the fir forest to catch some shots of the couple before the ceremony. We then headed up to Eastman in the Eastern Townships for a ceremony that was to be held at the Haut Bois Normand sugar shack. Upon our arrival, we noticed the beautiful tipi awaiting, the colored ribbons and the owl. YES! A real owl with yellow eyes and all! It was also awaiting the ceremony since it was in charge of bringing the rings. Our hearts melted even more! These two do nothing like everyone else, do they! That day was filled with surprises. Good ones, of course! But the ceremony reached new heights when Violaine grabbed her ukulele to sing Gaetan her vows! He simply couldn’t resist! It was beautiful. After this emotional ceremony, we went to take pictures of the newlyweds by a barn. The light of dusk was fantastic. The reception hall was decorated much to their liking, with animals and flowers everywhere. La Meute, a young, talented, and dynamic team, was in charge of preparing the feast. The serving platters were placed directly on the tables so that everyone could serve themselves. It was a big party! Thank you for allowing us to be a part of this very colorful day. We wish you both a long life filled with happiness!” – Bonnallie Brodeur Photographe

What is your favorite wedding day memory?

Our first look; when Gaëtan got into the boat and we saw each other. Our hearts beating and there were loads of emotions. It was so intense, we looked each other in the eyes and all the family assisted to the scene.

What did you DIY for your wedding?

We made lots of things! The teepee; Gaëtan and I cut 14 trees (pines) during spring to build the structure. Each pole has a significance, we asked our guests to chose and write a one word wish for us on each pole. Our teepee is now in our garden and is full of love — something we built together, and each part of the structure adds to our home and love to make it stronger. Since we said “yes” right in front of the teepee, it’s the gate to our marriage. Gaetan designed my wedding ing and had a friend who create it. The same friend was also the ‘ring bearer’ of sorts at the wedding, but the actual ring bearer was his little owl! I sewed all the placemats and the napkins. We customized the plates with our logo. We made plenty of colorful origami for decor. We made the fabric garland, full of color that was hung across the teepee. We DIY-ed the table plan. We designed and sewed the invitations (it was a handkerchief). We put paper flags on all the straws. We built a big pig in plywood (it was the piggy bank). We created a sort of “cotillion explosion” for the first dance. We made darling little paper fortune tellers, with jokes and questions about us on the inside. I designed my dress, and had a wonderful seamstress bring it to life. And last, I sang my vows to Gaëtan during the ceremony, with a little ukulele.

Any advice for brides currently in the planning process?

Enjoy each second of this special day. Let your friends help out as much as they can. Choose a good friend or someone you trust to help organize the flow of the day. Choose a good photographer (even if it costs a lot, it’s better to have beautiful souvenirs for always) Be yourself and choose things that you reflect both of you. – Violaine, the bride

Event Credits

Photographer: Bonnallie Brodeur Photographe // Venue: La cabane à sucre au Bois Normand // Florist: Les Petites Excuses // Catering: La Meute // Videographer: Outan // Dress: Designed by the bride and executed by a local seamstress // Grooms attire: Our Legacy