Muskoka Wedding Photos – Amanda & Norman

Spending every summer in Muskoka as a child, choosing a venue for her wedding day was a no-brainer for Amanda. “The forest was such an important part of my upbringing and holds a deep spiritual value for me, and now, for Norm as well.”

Amanda and Norman met in 2008. She was in college working at Starbucks, and Norman was working at George Brown College and was a regular customer. “I was so nervous around Norm (even though we hadn’t spoken), and I would run into the back room whenever I saw him come in. Anybody that’s ever spent 5 minutes with me knows that this is a very unusual reaction. One of my coworkers eventually got his number for me, and the adventure began from there.” Amanda remembers.
A good friend of Norman, who is an artist, had created a couple of custom drawings of big moments of their lives—when they met and when they moved in together. Knowing that he would propose, Norman asked her to create a drawing of a bee proposing to another bee. They got engaged just before Christmas of 2014. While Amanda was getting ready for their night out at the Nut Cracker ballet, Norm put the framed drawing on their living room table, lit some candles, and waited for her to come down. When she did, he showed her the drawing and asked her to marry him. “It was so simple and perfect. We had discussed getting married, but I had no idea when or how he was going to ask formally.”

Amanda and Norman tried to keep in mind what they wanted for their wedding vs. the cultural expectations of a wedding. They thought carefully about each item and tradition and honestly asked themselves if they saw value or beauty in it. What mattered most to them was that their wedding day was for both of them, and not for the rest of the world. Amanda’s father has a beautiful piece of land near Gravenhurst, ON, and the forest in his backyard was a natural choice for their wedding venue. Amanda and Norman are like Mr. Handyman and Ms. Handywoman. The list of things they did themselves was just crazy: the altar, the cake toppers, all the non-floral centrepieces, the beautiful family tree, the rose and lavender flower confetti, the cake stand (carved by Norman), and all the signs (made by their neighbour). Being both beer lovers, the two wanted to buy their beer locally and chose Sawdust City Brewery located in Gravenhurst, ON. The brewery surprised them with a custom-made label for their wedding beer named: “NORMANDA – In the Middle of the Forest.”

Amanda and Norman’s wedding is the perfect example that you can celebrate your wedding just the way you want. Most people are left with just photos and memories of their wedding day; these two will also have their Mrs. and Mr. matching axes.