A Wedding Weekend Written Like a Love Story: Emilie & Beau
May 2nd, 2025 - Windsor, Ontario
Photography: Will Reid Photo
Some weddings are beautiful. Others are unforgettable. Emilie and Beau’s celebration was both, a wedding weekend designed not simply as an event, but as a living, breathing story told through fashion, music, emotion, and atmosphere.
Set in Emilie’s hometown of Windsor, Ontario, every detail felt deeply personal while transporting guests into entirely different worlds across the course of the weekend. From an English countryside inspired rehearsal dinner to a cinematic Old Hollywood welcome party, a deeply sentimental church ceremony, and a romantic vineyard reception filled with music and candlelight, every moment unfolded with intention and artistry.
But beneath the grandeur and glamour was something even more meaningful: family history, timeless romance, and the joy of celebrating love surrounded by the people who mattered most.
An English Countryside Rehearsal Dinner
The weekend began softly and romantically with a rehearsal dinner inspired by the charm of an English countryside estate. Layered greens and whites, delicate candlelight, flowing drapery, and an intimate acoustic duet created a setting that felt warm, elegant, and deeply inviting.
For Emilie, the evening carried an even greater emotional significance. She wore the sparkly “Robyn” dress by Galia Lahav paired with Valentino heels and her beloved Van Cleef & Arpels Rose de Noël set in mother-of-pearl.
The look was a beautiful nod to a private chapter in their love story. One year earlier, Emilie and Beau had quietly eloped at San Ysidro Ranch with only their immediate families present, and the couple chose to wear the same outfits again for the rehearsal dinner.
“It almost felt as though time had stood still,” Emilie shared. “Like we were simply continuing the celebration, but now surrounded by all of our family and friends.”
A Welcome Party Straight Out of Old Hollywood
If the rehearsal dinner felt romantic and intimate, the welcome party was pure cinematic glamour.
Hosted inside the historic Willistead Manor, guests stepped into a world inspired by 1950s Old Hollywood elegance. Deep reds, mahogany wood, gold accents, candlelit ceilings, and a grand piano overflowing with florals transformed the manor into something that felt lifted from a classic film set.
Guests arrived dressed for a “night at the Oscars,” adding to the magic and grandeur of the evening.
Emilie fully embraced the glamour in the Magnolia gown by Naeem Khan, styled with dazzling Harry Winston diamond loop earrings and soft waves that perfectly captured the mood of the evening.
“It was dramatic and statuesque in the best possible way,” she said. “I fully embraced the Marilyn moment.”
A Ceremony Rooted in Family Legacy
The wedding ceremony itself was perhaps the most emotional chapter of the weekend.
Emilie and Beau were married at Ste-Anne Parish, the same parish where Emilie was baptized, received her First Communion, where her parents were married, and where generations of her family had worshipped for decades.
Because the ceremony took place during the Easter season, the church was already adorned with florals, creating a lush and romantic atmosphere that felt almost ethereal.
Music became the emotional heartbeat of the ceremony. Guests were welcomed by a trio of flute, harp, and cello, while a soprano vocalist performed Ave Maria. As the newlyweds walked back down the aisle together, soaring trumpets and organ music filled the church in a moment that felt timeless and triumphant.
For the ceremony, Emilie wore a breathtaking Berta Couture ballgown she discovered while shopping with her mother in New York. Though she originally imagined herself in something entirely different, the moment she tried it on, everything changed.
“I immediately started tearing up,” she recalled. “It felt romantic, regal, and unlike anything I had ever worn before.”
She completed the look with a Mikimoto lace pearl choker, matching pearl earrings, satin Jimmy Choo heels, and for select portraits her mother’s crystal tiara from her own wedding day.
With soft waves, the gown felt enchanting and fairytale-like. Later, with a sleek bun and cathedral veil trimmed in lace, the look transformed into something regal and timeless.
“It genuinely felt like the wedding scene from The Sound of Music.”
A European Vineyard Dream by the Water
For the reception, Emilie and Beau wanted guests to feel as though they had wandered into a romantic European vineyard celebration hidden away in the countryside.
They selected a quiet lakeside winery in Windsor that had rarely been featured publicly, allowing them to completely transform the space into their own vision. Rustic stone architecture and warm wood details blended beautifully with pastel florals, dramatic white ceiling draping, layered tablescapes, candlelight, and music flowing throughout the evening.
Cocktail hour featured flamenco guitarists bringing a subtle Spanish influence, while dinner transitioned into live jazz before the night eventually evolved into a lively country concert atmosphere.
Part of the inspiration came from the iconic party scenes in Sabrina and its remake glamorous, romantic, elegant, and alive with effortless celebration.
Later in the evening, Emilie changed into a fitted Berta Couture gown that felt sleeker and more modern while maintaining the same ethereal romance. The dress carried another sentimental connection: it was the same gown she wore walking down the aisle during their San Ysidro Ranch elopement.
“The lace corseted silhouette felt feminine, sultry, delicate, and ethereal all at once.”
The Ultimate After-Party Moment
As the night continued, the atmosphere shifted one final time into pure joy.
Emilie changed into a fringe mini dress by Netta BenShabu paired first with Christian Louboutin heels before later switching into Tecovas cowboy boots and a custom Rustler hat.
Her bridesmaids joined the fun in short pink dresses, creating what Emilie described as a “reset moment” for everyone before the after-party truly began.
Then came the surprise.
Emilie joined the country band on stage and sang for Beau and their guests, fully stepping into her dream Nashville moment.
“In that look, I felt flirty and dazzling,” she said. “Like I was fully living out my dream of being a country star.”
A Weekend Filled With Music, Beauty & Emotion
What made Emilie and Beau’s wedding so extraordinary was not simply the scale or beauty of the design though every detail was undeniably stunning but the way each part of the weekend felt emotionally connected.
Every atmosphere was intentional.
Every outfit told a story.
Every song deepened the feeling of the moment.
From the intimacy of their English countryside-inspired dinner to the grandeur of Old Hollywood glamour, from generations of family history inside Ste-Anne’s to the joy-filled vineyard celebration by the lake, the weekend unfolded like chapters in a timeless romance film.
Above all else, Emilie and Beau created exactly what they hoped for: a celebration that felt immersive, elegant, deeply personal, and overflowing with love.
*Check Out Emilie & Beau’s wedding feature in Wedluxe!
https://wedluxe.com/2026/02/18/a-vineyard-homecoming-wedding/
Vendors:
Planning: Courtney Elizabeth Events
Photography: Will Reid Photo
Video: Wild and Free Films
Venue: Sprucewood Shores
Florals: Forever Wild Field
Beauty: Team Hair and Makeup
Stationary: Letterland Studio
Music: St Royals, Rachel and Ayden
Rentals: Simply Beautiful Decor, Studio RC Rentals, A&B Event Rental
Cake: A.Tomic Cake Design