What happens when you take a historical cottage, a historical church, ancient Persian traditions, a modern style of catering, some beer, some cigars, and a beautiful bride and groom?
Magic. That’s what happens.
Niloo approached me back in 2016 to ask me to plan their epic outdoor Muskoka wedding that was to be built at Mike’s property, one that has been in his family for generations (literally!). In fact, Bala Manor (as it was aptly named) used to be a resort for families, until they reverted back to private property. Now, the manor is a collection of stunningly preserved cottages, big enough to fit at least 25-30 guests at any given time, with a sprawling lakefront lawn that was perfect for their celebration.
The church around the corner also has its own story, as it has been there as long, if not longer, than the cottage itself. In fact, Mike’s grandmother had dedicated a stained glass inside the church which still stands today (and was a point of discussion during the rehearsal).
That being said, Niloofar comes from a Persian background, and it was important to her to infuse these elements into the wedding, too. So the traditional sofreh, or Persian wedding ceremony, was built into the day following the church ceremony. The guests were led Pied Piper style to the lakefront lawn where it was to be conducted by a bag piper to pay homage to Mike’s Scottish roots. Truly a fusion to remember!
After the sofreh, the Pinterest reception come-to-life took place in the adjacent lawn (yes, the property was THAT big), where the musical stylings of Switchbeat kicked off the evening full of passed food, craft beer, a S’mores station, and a sparkler first dance.
Honestly, it was the wedding of our dreams and we couldn’t have been happier with how everything turned out - many thanks to Niloo and Mike for being open to our suggestions and being fantastic people to work with.
Thanks also to Mango Studios for the amazing shots and the rest of the vendor team….
Videography: Brightside Films
Makeup: BlushPretty
Hair: Hair Energy Muskoka
Florals: Envision Floral Studio
Catering: Treeline Catering
Cake: The Sugar Garden
Tent and Rentals: Affair Rentals
Vintage Rentals: Warehouse 84
