I first met Samantha at the Island Wedding Show in Charlottetown in early 2015.  I keep notes at my shows when I get a moment so I can remember people for later, and my note for Sam says “super sweet”.  I am going to say that my first impression of her held true on her wedding day.

Saint Andrews, NB is a place I had never even heard of before, let alone knew where it was, but after arriving, it’s a place I won’t forget, it’s this idyllic little seaside resort town, the kind of place you’d like your kids to make their childhood memories.

The wedding was on August 1st, holiday Monday.  The girls from Luxe Day Spa & Salon arrived at about 7, and I arrived at 8 to see the bridesmaids getting ready.  There were a lot of smiling faces as the girls played through a YouTube music playlist, even if some people had trouble sitting still while getting their makeup done when “The Night That Pat Murphy Died” came on.  I guess some songs just make you want to dance, even at 8:30am.

A morning wedding is where being a guy becomes extra convenient, no early wakeup calls, just get up, shower, and put your suit on.  Vince and his groomsmen all looked awesome in their grey suits, custom ties, and of course, their superhero socks.  I made arrangements with Vince for his first look and went back to Sam for the end of her getting ready which was just as relaxed and laid back as when I had first arrived, this day was going to be great.

Vince and Sam had their first look in the courtyard of the Seaside Resort in front of their families, and exchanged gifts, a pocket watch for Vince, a vintage Jane Austen book for Sam.  You could tell they loved their gifts, Vince was checking the time on that watch all day, and Sam had her book on the table in front of her at the reception later in the day.

We did family photos and some of just Sam and Vince at the resort before we left for Kingsbrae Gardens for the ceremony and reception.  I thought it was a nice touch to have a bunch of old photographs in frames, along a stone wall which all the guests passed on the way to the ceremony, and then the hearts on sticks lining the aisle were cool too.

The skies cleared up and the hot sun was shining down while those in charge of the music tried to remedy an issue which turned out to be un-fixable.  The ceremony went ahead without music, but it didn’t really matter.  The little flower girl was so excited to throw the flower petals, it was cute.  The ceremony went off without a hitch and the next thing we knew, we were out on the lawn for the cocktails which included some goats and alpacas.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Sam and Vince even got to give a bottle to a 6 week old alpaca and had a bouquet of food for a goat to eat.

The lunch reception was inside, beautifully decorated, and the right size for the occasion.  No-one needed a podium or a microphone to speak to the group and it felt intimate without feeling cramped.  I couldn’t imagine a nicer setting for a wedding of 50 people, it was perfect.  Actually, it was better than perfect, it was perfect, perfect, just like the entire day.  Sam and Vince are 2 awesome people and I felt completely welcomed by then, their friends, and families.  I couldn’t be happier for Sam and Vince to have had such a wonderful day, it will make for some great memories for everyone for years to come.

Congratulations Sam and Vince!!!

Enjoy!!!

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