Northbrook Farm hosts Brittany and Matt's sunny I dos in Orillia, Ontario

It's game day at Northbrook Farm Weddings for these two cool cats. After meeting Brittany and Matt for the first time way back when - I knew they were my kinda couple. From the way they laughed and teased one another to the amazing time and energy Mat put into asking Brittany to marry him - more about that in their engagement session.

Weddings are crazy-fun for me... flexing my photo-nerd each weekend in different locations, with different people gets me pretty pumped. But crawling into bed after a long day of shooting and thinking, "f*$k that was an awesome time!" That's the good stuff. And Brittany and Matt brought some serious good stuff with all the attention to detail of their gifts to one another, their bridal party and reception details.

ProTip: For Brides looking for a classy, authentically rustic wedding venue... put Northbrook Farm high on your list to see. I listed it as one of my top Muskoka wedding venues. Built in 1852 and located in Severn Township, just outside of Orillia - this country home oozes class and history. The grounds are a wonderful combination of tall trees, gardens, fields, sweeping lawns and water features. From a wedding photographer's perspective, it's pretty damn sweet.

But enough yammering from me, let's hear how Brittany and Matt's Northbrook Farm wedding day went down - read on below...

WHAT DID THEY LOVE MOST ABOUT THEIR NORTHBROOK FARM WEDDING

Brittany: It is hard to say just one thing when the day was truly perfect! Seeing the venue set up with all my décor and watching my vision come to life was truly breathtaking! It was my very own fairytale. Also having all my best, lifelong girlfriends and sister as my bridesmaids made my day beyond special. So every moment spent with them from setting up, to getting ready and helping me through the day are memories I'll never forget.But I would have to say the BEST and one of the most memorable moments for me was our "first look”.

I have never in my life been so full of happy emotions and nerves as I was seconds before seeing my man for the first time as a bride. It was truly one of the best moments of my life and I will NEVER forget the look on Matt's face when he turned around and saw me as his bride. In this moment it was such a special, intimate time that I truly cherish.As the day went on we were so busy socializing, picture taking, and spending time with family and friends, that it was so nice to have even that ten minutes to ourselves to stop and be truly present with each other. It makes me warm and fuzzy every time I think back to it, and I'm so glad we had Vaughn to capture it so I will always be able to look back on my favorite moment in time. Anybody who is at all considering a first look, DO IT!! You won't be disappointed.

Matt: Well to be completely honest, I thought this would be a harder question to answer considering the day was filled with amazing times, friends and memories. But I have two memories that really stood out to me. The first one was the first look picture, when I had that special moment with my bride all to myself. Nothing else mattered, I didn’t think I would react the way that I did either. Most people said you're going to crumble, I didn’t believe it but that’s what happened. It was a moment, and a feeling I will never forget. The second memory that I hold very close is when my 11 year old son went up to the podium and spoke from his heart. He went up there totally unexpected, and winged this amazing speech that blew everyone away and made quite a few people cry. It was a moment that will stay with me forever.

A COMMENT ABOUT THEIR NEW BRIDE/HUSBAND:

Brittany: First off I must admit my hubby pulled out some dance moves on our wedding night that I didn’t even know he was capable of, but apparently he has a hidden talent! I will say it definitely worked in his favor later that night ;) haha

But on a serious note, Mathew you have made me incredibly happy since the day we first met, and I have no doubt you will continue to make me the happiest wife. He is one of the most selfless, hardworking men I know who always puts his family and friends first. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for us and all the adventures we will take together. There is no one else I would rather have beside me through this crazy ride we call life. I love you, too the moon and back!

Matt: Well it's been over a week now, and I have been asked over and over again “so how is the married life?” I just laugh as my response is always “nothing changed it's pretty much the same.” Now some of you might think that’s a lame response, but what I mean is that I have always felt like Brittany was my wife, my life partner and biggest supporter. From the first time we met and spent hours and hours talking on a park bench, I knew that she was the one. So as we have grown together, I am forever reassured and surprised at times at how amazing Brittany is. I am so lucky to have found someone so great to both my son and myself.

Wedding Ceremony photo at Northbrook Farm - before they added stone walkway

Northbrook Farm Wedding Ceremony photos in Orillia

A TIP FOR FUTURE BRIDES FROM BRITTANY:

Before my wedding day I was told over and over again the same advice... to make sure to slow down, breathe and live in the moment. To take a look around and soak in all the love around you, because the day truly goes by in the blink of an eye. I now can understand exactly why everyone had said that. The day truly does go by so fast and there is often no time to just stop and soak it all in. So my biggest tip for future brides would be to do exactly what I was told. It will truly be one of the best days of your life so take time to enjoy it.

With that being said, I do need to add in another tip, and that is to make sure you pick yourself a dream team! What I mean by that is when picking vendors, read reviews, talk to past brides and dig deep before making your final choices. I will say I am beyond happy with every single vendor I chose for my wedding day, and it made my day truly go off without a hitch!

The number one vendor I put the utmost thought and consideration into was photography. At the end of the day, when all the excitement is over, and your memories start to fade, all you have is your pictures to relive your big day. One of the best decisions I made when planning my wedding was choosing Vaughn to capture all our special memories!

A TIP FOR FUTURE GROOMS FROM MATT:

Now a tip for the future grooms out there, my advice would be to enjoy every moment that comes your way that day. Don’t stress, don’t worry, and remember to tell your bride how amazing she looks. Slow down and take it all in because the day goes by faster than you know. But in the process of it all make sure you drink, get drunk, laugh, have fun and party like it's your last night out - because it just might be. Hahaha Cheers boys!

Planning a wedding at Northbrook?
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WHAT MADE THEM CHOOSE NORTHBROOK FARM

From the moment we pulled up to Northbrook Farm I knew it was where I wanted to get married! After visiting and viewing almost 8 different venues we knew what we wanted and what we envisioned. Northbrook spoke to exactly that. Between the beautiful country home built in the 1850’s, to the landscaped gardens, ponds, to the stunning tent for the reception - I knew it was absolutely perfect for the rustic country wedding I had dreamed about. Northbrook Farm Weddings truly is a hidden gem!

HONEYMOON PLANS

Our honeymoon was actually the thing we planned first! Haha We decided to check a few places off both our buckets lists. We both have a huge love for cruises so we decided to cruise through the Mediterranean and Greece for 13 days with Royal Caribbean cruise line. Wanting to stretch it out a bit longer we booked 3 days and two nights in Barcelona Spain to kick off our romantic honeymoon. We then board the ship in Barcelona and travel to Cannes France, Florence Italy, Rome Italy, Athens Greece, Mykonos Greece, Santorni Greece and lastly Valletta Malta! We both are so excited knowing it will be our first trip together where we are going somewhere that neither of us has been..

BRITTANY & MATT'S DREAM TEAM

Photography - Vaughn Barry Photography

Officiant - Rev. Glen Eagles

Florist - Astilbe Boutique, Katelyn Collie

Makeup - Make Me Beautiful, Melissa Hall

Hair - Blush Bridal, Rebecca Vitums

Catering - Catering by Colin

Northbrook Farm Venue Information

Northbrook Farm Address: 3952 Fairgrounds Rd, Severn, ON L3V 0Y2
Northbrook Farm Parking: There is plenty of outdoor parking on site.
Northbrook Farm Reviews: See Reviews on Google
Northbrook Accommodations for Weddings: Popular hotel options are the Fairfield Suites and Horseshoe Valley Resort.
Northbrook has space for events with up to 160 Guests