Today we share our first Bridal Testimony of 2018! There are many reasons why we choose to run an annual Bridal Series, but hands down, our favourite reason is because we get to share some of the beautiful love stories that we have had the privilege of being part of on our farm. In addition to sharing the love, we hope that featuring bride testimonials serves to provide some insight for our newly engaged couples. What were the planning highs and lows? What would couples change if they could do it again? What advice do our South Pond Alum offer to couples getting ready to walk in their shoes? We hope that these testimonies leave you excited and inspired. Without further ado, I am pleased to present a piece written by Melissa and her wife Ashley.
My name is Melissa Cordick. I live in Bowmanville with my now wife, Ashley Page. We both enjoy spending time with family and friends and can usually be found frequenting concerts or sporting events in the city, attending our favourite local brewery Old Flame or curled up at home watching the latest Netflix series.
After nearly three years of dating, I had not fulfilled my promise to take Ashley to Peggy’s Cove. I had taken a trip to Halifax, Nova Scotia when we first began dating and during that trip I promised Ashley that we would one day return to Peggy’s Cove together. So when my parents invited us on their annual trip to PEI in September of 2015, I knew this was my chance to not only take Ashley to Peggy’s Cove but to also ask her to be my wife. September came and Ashley and I headed to Halifax. We planned a quick three day stay, just the two of us and then we would head to PEI to spend a week with my parents at the cottage. When we arrived in Halifax, we ate all the seafood our hearts desired, walked the pier day and night and truly just enjoyed our time together. This was the first real vacation that we had taken as a couple and boy, was it going to be a memorable one. On September 4, 2015 I proposed to Ashley at Peggy’s Cove.
There is no such thing as stress free wedding planning, but South Pond Farms helped make the process as stress free as possible with their inclusive venue. Catering and bar service were confirmed with our booking. We used the recommended DJ, Officiant and had Danielle French create all of our beautiful flower arrangements on site. We secured a few outside vendors for small décor items and personal touches but South Pond took care of the rest. We loved taking part in the Tasting Event that was offered to all of the couples getting married that upcoming season. This event was a fun filled afternoon that helped take a lot of the guess work out of the planning process. We were able to view the farm once again, ask any pressing questions, hear planning tips from then coordinator Christine Briggs, and our favourite part of the day, sample ALL the menu items and specialty cocktails South Pond has to offer.
Ashley and I were married on September 9, 2017. It may seem cliché, but it really was the best day of our lives. Everything about the day and venue was flawless. When my Maid of Honour walked into the barn to check on set-up and came back near tears, we knew we had chosen the right venue. Some of our stand-out moments were the ceremony, mingling with our guests at cocktail hour, sharing our first dance in the middle of the barn and sneaking away for a couple minutes during the reception to take sunset photos in the field. We have so many special memories from our day and we would honestly do it all over again tomorrow if we could. We look forward to spending another evening at the Farm and reliving many of the moments we loved about our wedding day.
For any couples planning a wedding at South Pond Farms, we highly recommend attending your cocktail hour. We had not originally planned on attending ours, but our planning sessions with our amazing photographers paid off and we were able to capture all the photos we wanted quite quickly and join our guests. Being able to grab a drink and a bite to eat while casually mingling with all of our guests was one of the best parts of our day.
In closing, there are no words to describe the feeling you get when you marry your best friend in a place like South Pond Farms. Walking down the aisle and suddenly, only being able to see Ashley, her face and that huge grin. If it weren’t for pictures, I couldn’t tell you who was sitting by the aisle. It was all a blur except for her.