Brittany & Ethan's Timeless Summer Wedding at Auberge des Gallant

Some love stories unfold quietly over time, growing deeper and stronger with each passing year. Brittany and Ethan‘s journey is one of those rare tales that reminds us what true partnership really looks like, from high school hallways and prom nights to life’s most challenging moments, and ultimately to a perfect summer day surrounded by willow trees and the people who matter most.

We knew their wedding at Auberge des Gallant in Rigaud would be something special. Not because of elaborate details or over-the-top florals (though Brittany’s dress from Ma Cherie Bleu was absolutely stunning), but because every single choice they made reflected who they are together. From their decision to have Brittany’s best friend, Kim, officiate the ceremony to those simple white rose arrangements that let the natural beauty of their venue shine through, this celebration was authentically them.

What struck us most about their day wasn’t just the gorgeous setting between those two willow trees overlooking a private pond, or even Brittany’s heartfelt vows that had everyone reaching for tissues. It was the way their guests—many of whom have watched this love story unfold over a full decade—celebrated not just a wedding, but a homecoming of sorts. After all, when you’ve been together since you were sixteen, your wedding becomes a celebration of the entire journey, not just the destination.

Their story includes moments that tested their bond in ways most couples never face, but also the kind of everyday magic that happens when two people truly see each other. And honestly? That midnight McDonald’s run they planned instead of a traditional wedding cake pretty much sums up their approach to the whole day—thoughtful, personal, and just a little bit unexpected.

Huge thanks to Lex & Ben for sharing these stunning photos.

Where did you get married, and why did you choose that venue?

We got married at Auberge des Gallant in Rigaud, QC. We are not city people, we like open space, nature, and peace. The vibe we were looking for was classic, timeless, elegant, and a beautiful space on its own. It was really important for our ceremony to be outside in the summer. The ceremony location was between these two beautiful willow trees (our favourite tree), looking out onto a private pond. The grounds were breathtaking, truly required zero additional decor. A huge piece for us was to have the ceremony and the reception in the same location, and also have the option for our guests to spend the night. It was so amazing for both Ethan and I to get ready with our bridal parties separately but under the same roof, and for people to feel they could have fun and party knowing they would be sleeping under the same roof, and come together for a lovely brunch the next morning.

Did you work with an event planner?

We did not have an event planner. Though this isn’t always easy, it made every detail even more special to us knowing we put all our heart and effort into every single moment. Auberge des Gallant does come with a day-of coordinator, which was very helpful in ensuring we were keeping to our schedule.

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

Our story is really special (at least we think so!). We are high school sweethearts, went to prom together and never looked back. Our partnership is so beautiful because we have grown as individuals alongside each other and have continued to fall deeper in love with each new version of one another. Every decision that we’ve made has been with our relationship at the centre. We both knew from the beginning we were each other’s person and we would be married someday.

At the year 8 mark, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive stage 3 cancer. For a lot of men, this would be their exit point. We didn’t know what my outcome would be or how hard and different my life would be when I recovered. We didn’t know if I’d speak again or ever eat without a feeding tube. A week before my surgery, we visited my happy place, Ogunquit, Maine. I cried on the beach, unsure if I’d ever be back here or have children to bring someday. Major surgery and two weeks in the ICU, Ethan never left my side in the hospital. Due to my condition, I was unable to speak for quite some time, and he was my advocate and my voice. Post-hospital recovery was met with months of daily radiation, dressing changes, all meals and drinks having to be specially made, re-learning how to eat and use certain parts of my body, he never even flinched.

I always knew I would marry him, but the way he cared for me… I truly don’t know if any other man would have done that. Year 9 of our relationship marked one year of remission for me. To celebrate both our anniversary and my health, we went back to my happy place, Ogunquit, Maine. On the day of our 9-year anniversary, Ethan took me for a picnic on a bench on a cliff overlooking the ocean, and he proposed. To say it was one of the happiest and most full-circle moments of my life would be an understatement. The next year was full of planning and excitement, and we were finally married on the day of our 10-year anniversary, a whole decade of loving and caring for each other every single day, in more ways than most relationships will ever have to face.

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

My dress is the Hutton from Anais Annette, purchased at THE BEST wedding dress shop (I can’t recommend enough!), Ma Cherie Bleu.

What made you fall in love with your dress?

I tried on so many dresses, and every single one was beautiful. I really could have chosen any and they would have worked great. But when I tried my dress on for the first time, it just felt like me. I know it is SO cliché to say you’ll know when you’ve found the dress, but that is truly how it happened for me. If I could have designed a dress from scratch, that would have been it. The shopkeepers helped me in and out of every dress, but when they saw me in mine, they said, “We can see your personality shine in this dress.” I had been demure and thoughtful when trying the others on, but this dress showed my fun and playful side. I felt so beautiful and so confident.

I needed more opinions before I sealed the deal (the dress may have been 3x my budget…) so I booked another appointment with my mom, grandma, maid of honour, and mother-in-law. I tried on a few of the others I had liked and we all agreed they were beautiful. I saved the Hutton for last. I opened the curtains and they all began to cry. My mother-in-law said, “My son is going to faint when he sees you walk down the aisle in this.” I knew that I had found the one!

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

I could go on and on about our photographers. Hiring Lex & Ben to capture both our engagement shoot and our wedding was one of (if not THE) best decisions we made throughout the whole process. We interviewed a few different photographers before deciding, and of course their portfolio of wedding photos was beautiful, but what really sold us was their personalities and who they are as people. As people who are not super comfortable in front of the camera, we needed someone who could make us feel at ease, and understand our personalities and work with us the way we needed. We also have some interesting family dynamics to think about and respect on the day of the wedding. They did that and more!

After you sign your contract, most photographers won’t reach out until a couple of months before the big day. Not Lex & Ben. Lex would email me regularly, checking in to see how planning was going, if I needed recommendations, etc. I felt like they truly cared about us as a couple and about how our day would be. They were extremely thoughtful with every shot and every interaction. Our friends and family STILL talk about how incredible they were, not just as our photographers, but how they could have easily fit in as our friends. I have recommended Lex & Ben to every single person I know that gets engaged. They ended up doing the photography for one of my bridesmaids six months later! We simply cannot recommend them enough. They will surely be part of our lives for a while in capturing all of our special moments to come.

@lexandbenjamin

www.lexandbenjamin.com

Did you have a videographer?

No, we did not! We felt our photos could capture all the important moments.

Who styled your hair and makeup?

For hair and makeup, I was striving for clean, simple, elegant. As someone who doesn’t wear a ton of makeup regularly, I wanted to look like myself. For my hair, I worked with my regular hairstylist since I knew and trusted her work (@styledby_sammy). For my makeup and all my bridesmaids’ and mom’s makeup, I worked with @muaazale. Every person was OBSESSED with their look. They were both amazing and I would recommend them both!

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

My husband is big into fashion. He studied fashion in school and it is a big passion of his, so his suit had to be special. After trying on many that didn’t quite fit the bill, he ended up getting it custom made with Suit Supply. Every detail was so him and he felt really confident. My personal favourite part of his outfit was a tie pin he wore, a gold bumblebee. All our relationship, a bumblebee has been his way of representing me — “bee” = B for Brittany. He even has a bee tattooed on his chest over his heart. This detail not only looked great but was so meaningful to us.

Tell us about your flowers.

For flowers, my style remained the same. I wanted simple, timeless, elegant, and I wanted the space to speak for itself. For mine and my bridesmaids’ bouquets, they were done by Westmount Florist. My bouquet was simple white roses, while my bridesmaids carried white roses and baby’s breath. For the tables, I wanted simplicity. I wanted people to be able to speak to each other across the table with nothing in the way of creating connections and memorable moments. Across the tables were a row of vases, each with a single white rose — all from Costco! When it came to my table arrangements, I was definitely a DIY bride. I knew there were aspects of the wedding people would remember, and I didn’t feel flowers were one of them. I put my attention into a lot of the other more memorable and meaningful details.

What was your wedding cake like?

No wedding cake for us! We were way more excited (as were our guests!) about our McDonald’s midnight snack…

What did you do for entertainment?

We hired Gold Star with the DJ and MC package. They had come highly recommended to us from friends, and upon meeting them, they presented me with a 20-page questionnaire to fill out to help them bring our day to life. As a type A bride (and person), they were speaking my love language! With an interesting family dynamic, it was important to me to have multiple first dances (my dad, my mom, my grandma) and they were incredibly supportive of this. It was important to me to find high-quality vendors so I wouldn’t have to worry about anything on the day, and DJ Gold Star did not disappoint.

Who designed your stationery?

Not only did I have the most beautiful stationery, but the fact that one of my bridesmaids took time to do every single piece of stationery (menus, seating charts, thank you cards, bar signs, you name it!) made it feel so much more special and unique. My husband actually designed our wedding invitations online himself and we printed them at our local print shop!

How did you style your venue?

As per my aesthetic, our decor was very minimal and classic. We didn’t add anything to our outdoor ceremony other than real white rose petals down the aisle. For the inside, when you walked into the reception hall, we had a gorgeous fabric seating chart (made by my bridesmaid). You then had our guestbook table, which had the audio guestbook vintage phone from @lefotobooth_, which we absolutely loved because we were able to capture the voices of our loved ones that won’t be with us forever on such a special day (we also got to hear all the different phases of the party!). Next to that, we had our “in loving memory” table, with photos of loved ones that were celebrating the day with us from above. Our guest tables had rows of candles and vases with singular roses. We were hoping to create an intimate and warm space.

Who walked you down the aisle?

I was walked down the aisle by my dad. It was important for me to be traditional in this piece of the wedding. I wanted it to be my father who handed me off to my husband. As soon as I appeared at the end of the aisle, Ethan was bawling. Walking down the aisle and seeing the chairs filled with every single person I love and who loves us was one of the most emotional moments of my life. I will truly never forget the feeling of seeing them, and my husband waiting for me at the end of the aisle.

What song did you walk down the aisle to?

I walked down the aisle to “Here Comes the Sun” (an instrumental version). We chose this song because it was happy and uplifting. Everyone can recognize the song, and only happiness fills you when you hear it. Ethan and I truly are each other’s sun, so it just felt right.

Who officiated your wedding?

My maid of honour and best friend, Kim, officiated our wedding. This decision was important and felt right for us because not only has she been my best friend since as long as I can remember, but she also knew Ethan since they were small children. She has known both of us separately, and together, through many phases of life. She knows our relationship deeply. She was the perfect person to speak on our love and marry us.

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

Our first dance song was “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele. We listened to many songs before we decided on this one. This song felt romantic and intimate. To us, the song means you would do anything for your person, would do everything in your power to make them feel loved, and care for them no matter what you are faced with. The words were so true to our story and how we feel about one another. We would truly do anything to make the other feel our love.

What was your favourite moment of the day?

We truly would not change a single detail about the entire day. It was so perfect, beyond any of our expectations. There were so many special moments it is hard to pick just one, but we would have to say our ceremony. Words mean a lot to us, so exchanging our handwritten vows in front of everyone we love was really special.

Do you have any advice for couples planning their wedding?

I would tell them to enjoy every moment. The planning can be long and difficult, but it is all worth it to make it the most magical day of your lives. The day goes by fast, so enjoy every second and take moments for just the two of you. There are a million opinions from different people when you are planning, but remember this is YOUR day, not theirs. Make the choices that make you happy, it should not be about anyone else.