Almost a year has past since we said “I do” - this is so crazy to us! What a year it has been!
Anyway, we realized that we have shared our “love story” and “how we became story” with our followers yet, what might be more helpful would be to share our actual wedding story with you all!
If you can think of a better equation for a perfect wedding day than working with some of your industry favorites at a beautiful barn wedding venue, please let me know! Because this day was almost impossible to top (according to our family and friends)!
From our rehearsal the evening beforehand- a simple BBQ dinner at a local campground with family and our wedding party, to the moment that the barn doors were closed on September 16th, 2018, our wedding day was full of the authentic joy of two people who truly are made for each other, we think anyway 📷;).
From the beginning of our wedding day, we made it clear to each other how excited we were to be spending our lives together. I (Kait) hid a letter and small gift for Kyle to open before he would wake to get ready for the day. The purpose of this gift was to remind Kyle of the reasons I chose him daily. It also built anticipation for Kyle in regards to my vows for him. After the gift was hidden and we finished setting up the venue, I left the property to spend the night at my best friends.
On the morning of our wedding (September 15th, 2018), I was awakened to a beautiful breakfast and heartfelt note written to me by Emilie (love you girl) and Kyle had “a few” final details to wrap up before he could begin to get ready for the day. After getting ready (hair and make up) at a local hair salon (Richard’s Place in Verner) and having our makeup done by my talented friend Danika Landry, we returned to Emilie’s where we all got dressed up and shortly after, it was time to head over the the venue (we were late, 20 minutes late in +30 full sun weather, oops!). Before I forget to mention, I received my flowers from Near Nature Florals on the morning of my wedding and I have to say that they exceeded my expectations. I had made traditional dreamcatchers for my bridesmaids (red willow, sinew, beads, etc) and Lindsey had so beautifully added florals to them for the girls, they were PERFECT.
From Emilie’s, my step dad drove me over to the venue and honestly, I think that he was more nervous than I. He typically drives slower than “Sunday driver’s” yet, he was flying down the dirt road, dust flying everywhere behind us. As we approached our previous venue property, my heart was racing and I felt I would pass out. We came to a stop at the side entrance of the barn and I knew, it was “show time”. I should add that I had seen a Psychic Medium the week before the wedding. I need to know “what to look for” in “feeling my dad’s presence”. What the Medium suggested was exactly that- extreme overwhelm and heat that hit me as soon as the vehicle door opened for me to get out. I broke down instantly and felt as though “someone was holding me up”.
As I approached the barn and gathered my emotions a little, my husband’s groomsmen (who I have also known since I was 14) stood in awe and complimented me. Keep in mind that these men are “tough guys” and so naturally they caught me off guard and the waterworks were on once again. Our officiant read a poem for my dad before the doors opened - this was to acknowledge both his physical absence and spiritual presence; there was not a dry eye in sight.
Now, it was time to make my way down the aisle; the barn doors on the opposite end of the barn were closed and before they opened, I could see just how perfectly Liz from Elemental Elegance had decorated our venue. It was breathtaking. 1,2,3 the doors were opened by my step dad and my brother-in-law and my uncle (dad’s brother) held me tighter as we walked the most special walk of our lives together. EVERYONE was turned to look at us yet, all I could see and focus on was my “tough guy” husband falling apart as we locked eyes (this might sound cheesy but, it is the truth!).
The vision for our wedding was a “classy barn wedding” with hints of my heritage (Indigenous) and of “wine and whiskey” theme. My husband and our wedding party stood infront of a traditional teepee (Nomadic Canvas) and our officiant was an Elder (Dot Beaucage-Kennedy) from a local reservation. Our wedding ceremony is still our favorite wedding memories - it was truly the best part! We personalized our vows and struggled to vocalize them but that made the day that much more special. The Elder smudged us and our wedding party as well as drummed a beautiful traditional song upon our exit. One of the biggest appeals to creating a barn wedding venue and being the “first wedding” was the outdoor ceremony options, despite the intense heat.
Immediately following our ceremony, we hosted a cocktail hour for guests which included hors d’oeuvres, refreshments and light music while we took photos with our wedding party and our families. We hired Danielle Aisling - this woman is incredible. She managed all of the photos with ease and was so positive during the entire process. I think that it is also really important to add that Danielle captured a “rainbow” in most of our photos. Remember when I mentioned what the Medium had told me 📷;)?
Finally, a very warm, sweaty and dehydrated Mr. and Mrs. Carneiro entered into our wedding reception. Our first dance was to us, so suitable and was by Dan + Shay “From the Ground Up”. Over dinner, catered by Duchesne Roasters-omg yum!, speeches and toasts had us laughing and tearing up along with the guests were shared.
Danielle and our videographer, Shawn from Memory Lanes, invited Kyle and I out for sunset pictures - our second favorite part of the entire wedding. Finally, we had 30-40 minutes of alone time and we could soak in some of what we’d just experienced! The photos and our wedding video are breathtaking and something we still look at least weekly.
The remainder of the evening was also a ton of fun, though we did not spend much time together! As mentioned, the benefit to barn wedding venues are the indoor/outdoor options as well as the relaxed environment with such beautiful architecture and workmanship and so this is perfect for keeping guests entertained while they take it all in or if they prefer, the can head outside to play lawn games. We also hired KayBooth Photobooth and this served as our wedding guest book, our party favor and an excellent source of entertainment for guests.
I highly recommend a photobooth! For our wedding, we decided to have a “toonie bar” - we were paying for the wedding ourselves and could not afford an open bar and in some ways, wanted to control alcohol consumption in a way that our guests would not require hospitalization, lol! Our bartenders were great and we would be happy to refer them to anyone who is looking for bar service. As a side note - we did provide refreshments during our cocktail hour (sangria) and signature shots before guests entered the reception as this is a Portuguese tradition. We also provided wine on the tables for dinner and Jell-o shots later in the evening.
At the end of the evening, we provided a bus shuttle service for guests through Binette Bus line in Lavigne. The owner and driver arrived right on time and all the guests who utilized the service thought that he was great! I would highly recommend this service to all of our clients.
We hope that you enjoy the “blog” of our wedding day!
Our wish in sharing this story is that all of our clients experience the same love and joy that we experienced on our wedding day.
Lots of love,
Kait xo.
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