Krista & Dan: A Lakeside Ceremony

Krista & Dan’s Lakeside Ceremony in Muskoka

Fall Colours and Blue Lakes

Fall weddings are becoming more and more popular, and it’s no wonder why. The fall colours in Muskoka are breathtaking and add in the crisp blue colour of the lakes and you’ve got a perfect backdrop for a wedding. 

For Krista and Dan, having their wedding in the fall in Muskoka was important to them. Not only because of the beauty that the season brings, but for the modest temperatures and quietness that can be found after a busy summer season.

Krista and Dan gave us a little glimpse into their day filled with family, friends and all things cottage-country. Enjoy!

What made you decide on a fall wedding?

Autumn is our favourite season, and we love the fall colours, the colours are so beautiful in Muskoka. When we planned our wedding, we knew that a fall wedding would mean cooler temperatures, and would make it more comfortable for our guests, but I think the weekend we got married was the hottest weekend yet…which was ok because the breeze of the lake helped cool things down! 

Dan and I also met in September, so we thought it would be fun to honour that moment by getting married in September.

Why Muskoka – and what made you choose Deerhurst?

My family has owned a cottage in Muskoka for 30 years and it has always been a childhood dream of mine to get married in Muskoka. When I brought Dan to my family’s cottage he also fell in love with it and so Muskoka was an easy choice for us.

My first thought was to get married at our cottage, but after some discussion we realized the space just wouldn’t work. Deerhurst is just 5 minutes from my family’s cottage and we pass the resort on the way to our cottage, so it was an obvious choice. Not only that, but Deerhurst is a special place for Dan and I.

The day we got engaged, we went to Deerhurst for dinner with my parents to celebrate. Also Dan competed in the Ironman, which was held at Deerhurst, a few years ago, and I was able to go and cheer him on, and again celebrate his finish at Deerhurst. So the resort has been with us for little moments throughout our relationship, so getting married there seemed fitting.

What did you consider when planning your wedding?

We really wanted the weekend to feel like a getaway for our guests because most of them were traveling a couple of hours to celebrate with us. On the Friday evening we hosted a campfire and it gave us time to welcome everyone, catch-up and just have fun – it really felt like we were all just hanging out at the cottage.

For the actual wedding day, it was important to hold both the ceremony and reception in close proximity, to make things easy and simple for everyone. And holding the ceremony next to the lake had always been my vision, and we were the first couple to get married at Deerhurst’s new lakeside venue – and it was incredible. I think my favourite memory is walking down the aisle, but the aisle at this location was a long pathway that winded its way down a hill and so as my Dad and I were walking down I got an overview of the entire ceremony and it’s just something I’ll always remember.

Food was another important thing for us, but because we had dined at Deerhurst many times before we knew the food on our wedding day would be awesome.

For décor we kept it Muskoka by incorporating small details into the room. Dan made a beautiful paddle for our guests to sign, which hangs in our home today.

---