With connections to Ontario, this Montreal living couple were keen on making Muskoka cottage country their destination wedding setting. I figured it would be an intimate group (less than 20), you know with the travel expectations from Montreal, a pandemic … but no, when the guest count kept rising and 40+ people were determined to travel from Montreal.. I realized I am dealing with a pretty special couple, whose friends and families support could easily be felt from one province over.

Now what we/I would soon learn in the evolving world of covid restrictions that dancing would be on Bianca & Fred’s “must have” list and that without it, there would be no wedding (I say this dramatically for added effect) ... Therefore after 3 date changes to ensure this important detail could be met with, we landed on the perfect Summer Sunday, that gave this French-Romanian duo the party they were after.

Things that stood out for me at this wedding were; a) the sun finally came out after my really bad track record thus far in the season. A huge sigh of relief for all vendors with the majority of our set up was planned to be outdoors b) all the cultural elements that Bianca made sure paid tribute to her Romanian roots!

From the traditional embroidered gowns the girls wore during the ceremony, to part.2 of the day, the reception where guests would join hands in a large circle and some very fancy footwork to the musical accompaniment of the “hora”.. and possibly my favourite, ‘kidnapping’ the bride – friends of the bride would steal her from the wedding party and take her somewhere else to enjoy herself for a bit, before demanding a ‘ransom’ for the groom to get her back. Happy to report the groom paid his dues and I am certain, will live happy ever after.