Beks in The City October Edition – by Bekah Pitts

Father, Daughter and family prepare to walk down the aisle at the Ford-Edmondson wedding at Mohawk Park in Brantford.

My partner and I are coming into a time where weddings are a frequent event. It can be lovely to spend the weekend out of town, exploring a new location, or creating a mini-holiday out of the road trip you take to watch your loved ones get hitched. But this past month, it was a very neat experience to attend a couple of weddings locally. We got to check out locations we’d been to before, but as a new kind of guest.

On a warm, fall evening in the beginning of September, my partner and I made our way to the gazebo in Mohawk Park. We stood with several others watching the handsome groom beam, as he watched across the lawn as the wedding party and stunning bride walked towards us through the trees. This was not your traditional location or ceremony, but it was beautiful, peaceful and in the heart of Brantford.

The next afternoon,we made our way out to Mount Pleasant where we met a trail of flower pedals through the trees leading us to a clearing beside a pond with an arbor off to the right. The groom was there with his best men mingling with everyone as they came to the clearing. As we all settled, the bride entered from the other side of the clearing with her father, and again we stood to witness another pair of wonderful people celebrate the unity of their lives.

These two locations are just a couple of many spots throughout Brantford that provide the ideal canvas for a wedding or celebration. In Mohawk Park, the gazebo served as a stage for the guests to watch as the couple happily shared their vows. The Mohawk Park Pavilion was transformed into a romantic haven lit by hundreds of candles, decorated with hundreds of hand-made origami cranes and feathers. The back deck looking over the Grand River, built around giant trees, gave the illusion that we were in Muskoka ,while we were in the comfort of our own city.

The Mount Pleasant Community Centre was decorated beautifully with local flowers, orange and green accents, and my favourite, a photo booth station set-up with the greatest of costumes and accessories. It was lovely to attend a classic wedding that again, was only a short jaunt from home.

Both of these weddings incorporated and supported local business, further complimenting the level of professionalism and talent we have in our own backyard. From the catering to the wedding cake, the photography to the officiant, all services were executed proficiently and with class.

Weddings are a time for the couple to share their relationship with their family and friends, and celebrate in a way that is unique to them. Both of these weddings were elegant and intimate in their own way, and neither had to be held out of town, or out of budget.

Brantford and Brant may not appear as a roaring tourism destination or top location of choice for brides-to-be, but for those who look, they will find it does have a charm and elegance that is accessible for many in the Southern Ontario region.

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