An Authentic and Food-Focused Wedding at 100 Acre Wood in Prince Edward County

When Adam and Sammy set out to plan their wedding, they had one thing in mind: a celebration that felt true to who they are. Forget the flashy, over-the-top fanfare. Their dream day revolved around good food, a laidback atmosphere, and the people they love most. That vision brought them to the charming 100 Acre Wood in Prince Edward County, a serene spot nestled between Montreal and Toronto—a perfect halfway point for their families and friends.

From the moment they stepped onto the venue’s grounds, it was clear this was the place. With its natural beauty, an incredible team of in-house wedding planners, and a deep focus on creating unforgettable culinary experiences, 100 Acre Wood ticked every box.

Their wedding was a reflection of their personalities, from the meaningful touches in the décor—like handwritten notes for each guest—to the music choices that showcased their shared love for discovery and connection. And while their timeline from engagement to wedding was shorter than some, the couple leaned into what mattered most to them, ensuring every detail felt intentional rather than rushed.

Today, we’ll take you through their day, from the thoughtful fashion choices (a pre-loved dress, a Kensington-tailored suit) to their mouthwatering slab cake adorned with seasonal blooms. You’ll also hear about how they balanced introversion with the inevitable hustle and bustle of a wedding day, thanks to a stellar vendor team that kept things calm, cool, and collected.

We asked Sammy & Adam to give us all the juicy info…

What made you choose the venue?

We got married at the beautiful 100 Acre Wood in Prince Edward County (PEC), a municipality abutting Lake Ontario, situated between Montreal and Toronto. When we started exploring wedding venues, we wanted to find a place that our family in the Greater Toronto Area and our friends in Montreal could attend. Our main priority was to find a food-focused venue that offered a laidback feel. As two introverts who love food adventures, we wanted to host a celebration that felt like having an amazing meal with our favourite people. 100 Acre Wood was the only venue we visited – we immediately knew it was the place.

Did you work with an event planner?

We were super fortunate that our venue was all-inclusive, meaning we worked with two in-house wedding planners: Mary and Elizah. Mary is also the owner of 100 Acre Wood, and Elizah is her right-hand woman. Together, they are an unstoppable dynamic duo providing a huge amount of support in the selection of vendors, advice about decorations and other important considerations and preparation, along with day-of wedding coordination.

How did your story begin, and how did you get to your wedding day?

We met a long time ago! We attended the same elementary school in Toronto and briefly sparked a friendship in grade 2 (2002). Adam left for another school soon after, and we didn’t reconnect until a chance encounter at a City & Colour concert in 2013. Soon after, we began getting to know one another and met at two other concerts before our relationship blossomed at the beginning of our undergraduate degrees. We maintained a long-distance relationship for the next 6 years, juggling school and traveling between a variety of cities across Ontario, including Mississauga, Toronto, London, Hamilton, and Waterloo. In the throes of the pandemic, we moved to Montreal for Adam to continue his education and have lived there ever since.

On a summer day in August 2023, we got engaged while taking a stroll on the beautiful Plains of Abraham, just next to the Saint Lawrence River in Quebec City. In true fashion, we went for a fantastic dinner at Le Clocher Penché before staying at the historic Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac. We were married just under a year later in June 2024 at 100 Acre Wood. The process from engagement to wedding happened quickly, but why wait?!

Who designed your dress, and where did you find it?

I got my dress second-hand at Sixpence Bridal in Guelph, Ontario. I didn’t have a clear idea for dress style or designer, so shopping for a pre-loved dress allowed me to be both eco- and budget-conscious. The dress I walked out with was from Made with Love and it was the perfect mix of delicate and comfortable. And to top it all off, as someone with a shorter stature, it fit me perfectly and didn’t need any alterations!

What made you fall in love with your dress?

When I looked through the dresses on the rack, the dress I chose stood out to me because of the lace and open back. I was searching for something timeless and laidback with a touch of bohemian. When I tried it on, I thought it fell nicely on my body and would give me the space to eat and dance to my heart’s content on the wedding day (key priorities!). It was the first dress I tried on, and the one I ended up purchasing!

Who was your photographer, and what did you think of their work?

We found our photographer, Steve Gerrard, through Instagram and instantly gravitated towards his work for its unique and natural documentary style. We especially loved how the people photographed in the shots across his website and social media were happy and just themselves. As two introverts who are pretty awkward in front of the camera, we felt comfortable knowing that we wouldn’t have to do anything uncomfortable on our wedding day.

Furthermore, we really connected with the fact that Steve has a long history both working as a musician (DJ) and photographing thousands of live shows. Music is central to both of our lives so knowing Steve brought that deep passion and perspective to his craft was central to our choice.

Did you have a videographer?

We did not have a videographer for our wedding day. Since we elected for a documentary-style photographer, we felt the day would be beautiful to relive through the story Steve captured in photos. We were extremely happy with our decision!

Who styled your hair and makeup?

In all honesty, I almost didn’t have my hair and makeup done on my wedding day. As a former athlete, I was not used to putting this sort of effort in, and I was worried I wouldn’t feel like me on the wedding day. But with a little social pressure from my six sisters, I found two amazing vendors for hair and makeup that were relaxed and worked with me to settle on a look that I’d be comfortable in on the big day.

My hair stylist was Tina Coutanche. As an introvert, her gentle, calming energy was exactly what I needed during the busy wedding morning. She curled my hair before pinning one half back and putting in some baby’s breath that I dried. It was dainty and down-to-earth. My makeup artists were Victoria and Kyleigh at Stacey Michelle Artistry. I was looking for a natural, soft look, and Victoria (my artist) nailed it. She was patient and gentle during application, and she also hyped me up which made me feel like a million bucks.

What did the groom wear, and why did you choose it?

I bought my suit at a multigenerational, family-owned tailor in Kensington, Toronto, called Tom’s Place. I grew up sneaking out of my parents’ house and meandering my way through Kensington to a variety of underground raves and concerts, then gorging on late-night food afterward in nearby Chinatown. It felt right supporting a longstanding local business where I had so many fond memories. My suit was brown, full canvas, and fit well without much tailoring. I liked the UK vibe to the piece and styled it with a matching floral pocket square and bowtie shipped from England. Peaky Blinders was definitely a bit of an inspiration, but I’m not a complete poser because Sammy is a British citizen.

Tell us about your flowers.

We imagine this is atypical, but we actually worked with three different floral vendors. With a wedding at the end of spring/early summer, we were inspired by seasonal blooms in pastel colours. For the arrangements at the front of the wedding ceremony, we worked with the incredibly talented Alysia at Begonia Moon. She took inspiration from photos we provided and we trusted her vision; we were so happy with the natural, wildflower arrangements she created. For the table décor and bouquets, we worked with Sas at Floralora Flowers to get seasonal floral buckets, as well as Matt at Sunset Farms for individual stems. Our wedding planner, Mary, guided us in piecing together bud vases and bouquets. With the help of loved ones the day before the wedding, we were able to be part of the floral design process, which was exciting and added a personal touch.

What was your wedding cake like?

We were very privileged to work with a food-focused wedding venue, where the owners, Mary and Kevin (partners in business and life), brough their expertise and experience working in bakeries, coffee shops, fine dining, and owning/running a restaurant in Toronto. They also brought in a talented chef de cuisine, Akshara, to lead their kitchen staff. We worked directly with Akshara to design a menu inspired by a variety of flavours that were nostalgic for us. Our wedding cake was a striking, meter-long slab cake (vanilla sponge, mascarpone mousse, chamomile pastry cream) covered with vanilla bean buttercream that was decorated beautifully with some of our PEC-sourced flowers, rhubarb compote, biscuits, and miniature meringues.

What did you do for entertainment?

We spent a few months crafting our own playlists for cocktail hour, dinner, and dancing. Going to live shows and discovering new music together is central to our relationship, so this was super important to us. We debated bringing in a DJ or live music (a few of our close friends and guests are musicians), but we decided to save that for the vow renewal aha! Toward the end of the night, Adam and some of his friends from music school gave a live a capella choral performance by the bonfire.

Who designed your stationery?

Wedding signage is a whirlwind! Despite having grand ideas about this, we ended up purchasing a design on Etsy and then recruiting the help of Sammy’s twin, Katie, to personalize the template and print them. We printed two large signs: one for the order of events and another for the seating arrangement. We also printed smaller signs for our memory table and a QR code for guests to upload any pictures they took throughout the evening.

How did you style your venue?

We selected a venue that embodied the feeling and style we were striving for, so we did not add much in the way of décor choices. We had taper candles in pastel tones line the dinner tables and votive candles to add additional light throughout the space. We grabbed a bunch of fresh fruit from Jean Talon market in Montreal – anything from lychees and apricots to grapefruits and Amalfi lemons. These were strewn across the dinner tables, as well as the bar area. Our favourite personal touch were handwritten notes we left to each guest on their dinner plate. When they entered the tent, they were met with a love letter thanking them for being there and acknowledging the special role they have in our lives. Writing these notes was a beautiful opportunity to reflect on and be grateful for the special people who were joining us on a big moment in our lives.

Who walked you down the aisle?

Both of us had our mother and father walk us down the aisle. It was important to us to have both parents be part of that moment – and for them to be part of it, too.

What song did you walk down the aisle to?

Adam walked down the aisle to “The Dreamer” by the Tallest Man on Earth, a Swedish singer-songwriter that he discovered early in late high school, soon after meeting Sammy. Sammy walked down the aisle to “To Build a Home” by the Cinematic Orchestra. Our recessional song was “You’re The One” by Kaytranada, an upbeat track by a legendary Montreal DJ and producer.

What can you share about your vows?

We both wrote our own vows for the ceremony, which allowed us to personalize them. To no one’s surprise, Adam’s lack of a driver’s license came up independently on both accounts, as did disagreement about how long we have really been together (ten or eleven years?).

Excerpt from Sammy’s vows:

Admittedly, I was nervous when you asked me to be your girlfriend since I’d never been with anyone and honestly hadn’t really given much thought to partnership. But in the years since, I can confidently say I made the best decision that day. Here was this person who told me he liked my frizzy hair, who demonstrated a true desire to know and understand my interests, who gave me respect as an athlete, and who can truly hold his own at every Chown family gathering (everyone knows Tara and Becky are the sisters to fear and I think they love you more than they love me). I’m in complete awe of your insatiable ambition, your dark humour, and your curiosity and open-mindedness. You are the most amazing person I know, and I am so proud to be standing up here with you today.

Who officiated your wedding?

The one and only Karin Desveaux of Weddings by Karin was our officiant. She made the whole process seamless and was a constant source of support and reassurance both in our preparation for the day and during the ceremony. Professing your love in front of other people is a beautiful, but nervewracking, thing. However, Karin’s kindness, calmness, and authenticity really helped us feel relaxed. It felt like she really celebrated our day with us.

What was your first dance song, and why did you choose it?

Our first dance song with “Mariella” by Khruangbin and Leon Bridges. We think it’s a hauntingly beautiful song that just gives us shivers every time. As a plus, we sang it to each other while dancing.

What was your favourite moment of the day?

Adam: Unsurprisingly, it’s hard to pick a single moment, but my favourites were probably seeing everyone congregate together during dinner and speeches, followed by dancing in the field.

Sammy: A highlight was listening to the a capella choral performance by the bonfire. The sun had set, and all of the guests had gathered around the fire. Growing up attending an overnight summer camp, the smell and ambiance of a bonfire while listening to Adam and our friends sing together was so special.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their wedding?

Be authentic and don’t fall privy to what people tell you a wedding should be!

Huge congrats and thanks to Sammy & Adam for sharing such a beautiful wedding with us. And thanks also to Steve Gerrard for the authentic photographs.