I met Lauren and James a few years ago when thier dear friends, Mackenzie and Leslie, got married in my hometown. Lauren was in the bridal party and we instantly hit it off. Fast forward a few years, and Lauren reaching out about me documenting their Thanksgiving wedding, I was instantly excited and SO in.
They couldn’t of picked a better venue, Northridge Inn, to have a fall wedding at. The venue is nestled in the forest, on Lake Bernard, just outside of Sundridge ON, which is basically between the Muskokas and Algonquin Park. Northridge has EVERYTHING you would ever dream of. From an island ceremony location to glamping to cabins and rooms for all to a pool and even beaches! Not to mention, the most beautiful reception space and incredible decor throughout the whole space. When I asked Lauren how they chose their venue, she said “We (I?) had really wanted a rustic cottage-y feel to our wedding. We love spending time at the family cottage's in the summer so we wanted the same for our big day! We went to visit the Northridge Inn and as soon as we walked in, we fell in love. It perfectly suited both of our styles- James preferring more rustic, and I preferring more 'on trend' styles. We also loved the fact that at Northridge, we could have the entire venue exclusively to ourselves and our guests for our 'Wedding Weekend'. It was perfect. Like a cottage weekend with a wedding in the middle.
It was super important to Lauren that the rest of their vendors follow suit when it came to vibe and style. With Northridge being pretty all-inclusive, they didnt have to worry about too much more in addition to their booking. They booked me (obviously haha) but then also added a personal vibe by having James’ grandfather conduct the ceremony which made it so special.
When I asked them if they would do anything differently, they said “Well, maybe the weather” because they truly had the rainiest wedding day I have had in recent years. BUT boy oh boy every single person there was a trooper and sat through a pouring rain ceremony and let me take their photos in the rain. The rain added an unexpected element but fun and there truly is nothing you can do, but embrace it!
