ALAINA Giannasi wed Matthew Snow in a winter wonderland themed wedding last December.
Mother Nature did not provide the ‘Snowy Christmas Hallmark Wedding’ that the bride had hoped for. The forecast for Dec. 11th came with a severe weather alert for record high winds and rain. Luckily, the rain dissipated before the ceremony and did not dampen the bride and groom’s spirt nor the beautiful celebrations of the day.
Alaina and Matthew were married at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs in Delhi with Father Augustine Ogundele officiating. At the end of the ceremony, Mr and Mrs Snow were piped out by family friend Ben Reid.
With high winds swirling outdoors, family photos moved inside the church. The wedding party then headed to Charlotteville Brewery for more photos with unique backdrops captured by Andrea of Splash Photography. The brewery was also the location for the couples’ engagement photos and may produce their favourite beverage.
Alaina wore an Aire Barcelona dress crafted in soft, flowing sienna and beaded lace bodice with off the shoulder design and three-quarter length sleeves. A full skirt with a bow in the back completed the classic look.
Her cathedral length veil was embroidered and beaded with poinsettias. Special heirlooms covered the old, new, borrowed and blue traditions. Alaina’s Grandma Daly’s kilt pin and family ring (fourth generation) were old. Matthew’s grandmother Barker’s pearl earrings were borrowed and the new wedding dress had a tiny blue bow sewn inside. Jane Johnstone made the alterations creating the perfect fit.
Alaina’s bouquet consisted of winter greens with eucalyptus and leafy greens and ferns, white roses, navy berries, blue thistle and pinecones tied with flower of Scotland ribbon to represent her Scottish heritage.
Matron of honour was sister of the bride Stephanie Benish and bridesmaids were Diana Villamar, Nicole Parks, Rehanna Lee and junior bridesmaid Samantha Duprée, all friends of the bride. Their dresses were navy blue full-length gowns with faux fur wraps. The adorable flower girl, niece of the bride Charlotte Benish, wore a white dress with white wrap. Their bouquets were smaller versions of the bride’s and tied with navy ribbon, designed by Patricia of PD Floral, Norfolk County. Amy and Anita were thanked for enhancing the beauty of the bridal party along with family friend Roula of Healing Beauty.
The groom wore a black suit with a boutonniere of a single white bloom accented with winter greens and navy berry. Matt wore a Rob Roy Tartan Buffalo plaid tie as did his dapper ring bearer nephew Miller Snow. Brother of the groom Mike Snow was best man and groomsmen were the groom’s brother Marcus Snow, bride’s brother Anthony Giannasi, and best friend Ross Fairley. They wore black suits with black ties and French cuff shirts with boutonnieres of blue thistle with accenting foliage.
Cranberry Creek Chapel was the setting for dinner and reception. Upon arrival, the church was in darkness as the winds had taken out several trees in the area knocking out the power. A generator made it possible for Black Creek DJ Service to operate and, for illumination, Edison lights were strung along the interior walls with candles added to the table decorations making for a romantic setting.
Gorgeous winter décor decorations supplied by Nancy of Creative Country Designs greeted the 66 guests who enjoyed a cocktail hour and charcuterie table from Port Dover Cheese Shop. That was followed by a delicious dinner by Devlin’s Country Bistro.
Master of Ceremonies Gaige Benish was also the hero of the evening. Between introductions for speeches, Gaige, who is an electrician by trade, ran to the basement to work on the electrical issues. Just as dinner commenced, the lights and heat were restored and Gaige was thanked with a round of applause.
Keeping the Christmas theme, a special guest made an appearance after dinner to surprise the bride. Santa Claus stopped by for the father and daughter dance.
The evening festivities ended with the cake cutting. Brittney of Sweet B Cakes made a gorgeous two-tiered cake and keeping with the winter theme it was topped with pinecones.
After a honeymoon in Calgary, the newlyweds are residing locally. Alaina is the daughter of Pauline and Mike Giannasi of Tillsonburg, and Matthew is the son of Beverly and Brad Snow of Port Dover.
