1. Real Weddings

Vignoble l’Orpailleur Wedding in Dunham, Quebec

Marie-Eve and Michael met as college classmates. After months of tentative flirtation (they were both in relationships at the time), a friendship unfo

Marie-Eve and Michael met as college classmates. After months of tentative flirtation (they were both in relationships at the time), a friendship unfolded. The two stayed “just friends” until it dawned on Michael that everything he did was just to pass the time until he saw Marie-Eve again -- so he finally asked her out. They caught a movie, had a few drinks, and then Michael walked her home. “We linked arms to keep from falling on the ice, and in that moment, I knew I never wanted to let go,” Michael says. “And I didn’t.” The Bride Marie-Eve Best, 28, branding agency editor-in-chief The Groom Michael Johnson, 27, marketing coordinator The Date August 8 After six years together, both Marie-Eve and Michael knew it was more a matter of when than if they would get engaged. Michael wanted Marie-Eve to help design her engagement ring, but to preserve the surprise of the proposal, he collaborated with Marie-Eve’s mother to get her grandmother’s wedding ring for a stand-in. After dinner at their favorite restaurant and a walk through their favorite park, Michael led Marie-Eve to a bench and nervously popped the question. She quickly said yes, and the two spent the evening on the bench calling their friends and family with the good news.

Marie-Eve and Michael’s wedding ceremony was held under large acacia trees on the grounds of a winery.
The bride’s mother created a wooden sign with the couple’s monogram to mark the entrance to the ceremony site.
To decorate the ceremony site, Marie-Eve enlisted the help of a few friends to create white paper bird garlands to hang in the trees.
For their reception, three long tables were decorated with birch branches, Mason jars, candles, and notebooks for the guests to sign.
During the cocktail hour, Marie-Eve and Michael took a minute for themselves to enjoy the beautiful vineyard surrounding their reception site.
For favors, Marie-Eve and Michael compiled mix CDs of songs that had played a role in their relationship, including their processional and first dance songs. They designed the cases out of 100-percent recycled materials.
To honor their guests, Marie-Eve and Michael displayed photos of their friends and trips they had taken together in a funky photo holder outside their ceremony site.
Marie-Eve’s mother suggested using an old frame to hold the reception seating chart. She covered the frame in birchbark to give it a rustic look, and Marie-Eve attached the modern seating cards.
Not wanting any of their guests to miss out on dancing, Marie-Eve and Michael provided comfortable shoes at the reception. “They were all gone by the end of the night!” Marie-Eve says.
Instead of investing in pricey vases, Marie-Eve and Michael decided to reuse old Mason jars for a rustic, eco-friendly decor option. All of the wedding flowers came from the bride’s aunt’s garden to create an authentic, “just-picked” look.
Marie-Eve asked her bridesmaids to pick out a dark gray dress they liked, then left the shoes and hair up to them. Simple bouquets of white hydrangeas (cut from her aunt’s garden) tied their looks together.
After dinner, the couple set up a cookie buffet for their guests. They dressed up glass jars with vintage patterned paper.
Marie-Eve and Michael had an artist create a custom poster featuring their silhouettes and wedding date for guests to sign.
Though they’re admittedly not designers, Marie-Eve and Michael crafted and printed their ceremony programs on recycled card stock. Marie-Eve used a fun floral print to decorate the covers and incorporated the motif in the reception menus as well.
Marie-Eve and Michael also designed their bilingual menus. Each menu was embellished with a different floral wallpaper pattern for a vintage feel.
With the simple additions of a burlap curtain, some tin birds, and a vintage, red chair from Marie-Eve’s cottage, the bride and groom’s ceremony altar arch was instantly converted into a DIY photo booth. “It was definitely a hit with our guests!” Marie-Eve says.