Ahhhh paradise! I had been looking forward to June 30th for, well…for about eight months (since I first got an email from the lovely Luise). Luise is a stunning and lovely young woman from New Brunswick who relocated to Ontario a few years ago for work. When she and her fiance Maciej were dating they travelled to New Brunswick to coordinate a meeting of their respective families which ended up taking place in a picturesque seaside town called Saint Andrews.
I LOVE St. Andrews…I ended up there by chance last summer while on a whale-watching-road-trip-adventure and honestly I think I left a little piece of my heart there last year. When Luise asked if I was interested in going back to this little slice of Canadian paradise to shoot her wedding I jumped at the opportunity. I decided to incorporate a holiday with this wedding and spent a week driving through the provinces of Quebec and New Brunswick (as an aside, I am disappointed to report I am now zero for two on drives to the east coast and moose sightings). I had time to visit Hopewell Rocks and Grand Manan Island before the wedding and I will certainly be heading back to New Brunswick for more exploring in the future – I absolutely love it out there. I was supposed to go out to Machias Seal Island one day (from Grand Manan) but the swells were too high and my charter boat had to cancel at the last minute.
Even though Luise and Maciej live in Ontario they are not in the GTA so we didn’t actually meet face to face until the wedding day. Here is the beautiful bride a few moments after we met at Serenity By The Sea spa:
Once the ladies finished getting ready it was time to head back to the imperial Fairmont Algonquin Hotel to get dressed.
Next up was a private charter boat trip over to Ministers Island.
The island is in Passamaquoddy Bay (isn’t that fun to say?). The small island (only two square kilometres) is only accessible at low tide by a wide gravel bar for cars…otherwise you have to take a boat at high tide. The island became somewhat famous in the last decade of the nineteenth century as the summer home of Sir William Van Horne (president of the Canadian Pacific Railway)…in fact, rumour has it he extended the railway all the way out to New Brunswick so his friends could come visit him at his summer home (that rumour is also associated with the construction of the Fairmont Algonquin Hotel as the high end guests needed somewhere to stay while in town).
Sir William Van Horne (among many other talents) was quite an accomplished painter. He had a bath house built near his home as a workshop for his painting and it was just outside where Luise & Maciej exchanged vows overlooking the Bay of Fundy. Here is her Dad walking her down the aisle…
Maciej, you may now kiss the bride…
The reception was held nearby in the cilindrical bath house surrounded by windows with gorgeous sunlight streaming in. The meal was created by the uncomparable Chef Alex Haun. Alex has 12 culinary gold medals to his name (five of which are international wins) including a win at the culinary olympics held in Erfurt Germany. He and his lovely wife Jennie now own and operate Savour (a restaurant located in St. Andrews, NB). There, they create monthly tasting menus using fresh and local ingredients paying close attention to their environmental footprints by using items from local suppliers and even their own farm.
The grounds of Ministers Island are stunning. Luise, Maciej and I took some time for photos while the guests sipped wine on the shore.
We found some horses nearby and since Luise loved them we took a few pics with them grazing nearby.
An owner came by to feed her thoroughbreds and insisted the bride get photos with the horse. Luise actually got up on the horse in her gown – what fun!
We ended the night back at the Fairmont Algonquin where the guests enjoyed drinks on a patio until the wee hours of the morning.
Normally, I don’t have an opportunity to see my clients the day after the wedding day but since this was kind of a destination wedding we were all still together for brunch the next day. Luise & Maciej had booked a special trip with Fundy Tide Runners for everyone to go out whale watching. I stopped by to catch a few shots of the crew heading out for the day before I started my drive home to Ontario.
Luise & Maciej…what can I say? Thank you so much for having me document your special day. I had such a great time getting to know you and all the guests. Your wedding was absolutely lovely and I look forward to staying in touch with you guys. I wish you both all the best for a future full of love and happiness!
by Amelia
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