Madsen’s Greenhouse Wedding - Rachel And Joe

Real Wedding Description

Madsen’s Greenhouse Wedding

It’s phenomenal how just a few personal touches can completely transform a wedding. While we were at Madsen’s Greenhouse just recently to capture a Winter wedding, Rachel and Joe`s March wedding at Madsen`s Greenhouse was definitely so unique and so special - their playful spirits and their deep love for their dog, Tobi, was evident in every little detail of the wedding. No matter where you looked, you could feel Rachel and Joe’s personalities and love for each other and for Tobi shine through. For us, there is no better way to describe Rachel and Joe’s wedding than as Whimsical Puppy Love!

Joe got ready with Tobi and their friends at one of the groomsman’s homes. After a quick RPG board game, Joe and the groomsmen got dress for the big day, with Tobi supervising every move to make sure that Joe didn’t forget anything. While it’s not immediately obvious, Joe was wearing a ton of personal details! His suit, lined with a gorgeous nautical themed fabric, had his name and their wedding date stitched on the inside; Joe’s belt, a wedding gift from Rachel, had their initials engraved; and his bracelet matched the bracelets of the groomsmen, which were actually gifts from Joe to his groomsmen. It was fun capturing the little details as I discovered them one by one.

Once the belt was buckled, the fancy suit was straightened out, and the shoelaces were tied, it was time for a nerf war! Yep! Nerf war! The groomsmen set up nerf war barricades in the basement and surprised Joe with a personal tactical vest! Tobi decided to sit this one out.

Rachel and the girls got ready in a stylish Air BNB home with a bright and airy bay window, the perfect backdrop for Rachel’s delicate bridal details. The bridesmaids’ dresses, soft blue in colour, matched the gentle blue and peach hues of the gorgeous bouquets from Bundle of Blooms, and Rachel’s dress, light and flowy, went perfectly with her classic pearl necklace and shimmery shoes. Rachel looked absolutely radiant as she sat by the window for her bridal portraits, while the rest of the ladies enjoyed sipping on cocktails, chatting up a storm, and just relaxing before heading over to Madsen’s Greenhouse for the ceremony and reception. And while Rachel didn’t have Tobi to supervise her getting ready, Tobi was still very much a part of Rachel’s morning as she had a custom make-up bag designed with one of their engagement photos, featuring Tobi, printed onto it. So sweet!!

Once at Madsen’s Greenhouse, it was time for Tobi to get dressed and put on his fancy little suit, in which he looked rather dashing, for Rachel and Joe’s first look! With the gorgeous florals of Madsen’s Greenhouse as their backdrop, Rachel and Joe finally got to see each other and savour this special moment. Tobi actually also had his moment to shine as he strutted toward his parents for his first look, with the Maid of Honour and Best Man by his side to calm his nerves.

After their first look, Tobi took Rachel and Joe for a quick carriage ride while they took their couple portraits. It’s clear he took his role very seriously as he got them back just in time for the ceremony.

The ceremony space was absolutely beautiful, and while Madsen’s does an amazing job with all the flowers, trees, and chandeliers that adorn the ceremony space, it’s Rachel and Joe’s personal touches that made their ceremony space that much more special. From the hanging crystal balls and paper lanterns, to the LOVE sign that welcomed the guests to the ceremony, along with the personalized picture frames, every detail was uniquely them and created the perfect atmosphere for their ceremony.

The ceremony itself tugged at every heartstring - thank goodness everyone came prepared with tissues as there definitely wasn’t a single dry eye when Rachel and Joe exchanged their vows. And the ceremony wouldn’t have been complete if Rachel and Joe’s love for dogs, Tobi in particular, wasn’t somehow incorporated. The best man, who was asked to deliver a reading at the ceremony, read a poem by Taylor Mali, titled How Falling in Love is Like Owning a Dog, and he nailed it! The reading was perfect and fitting, and had everyone giggling and awe-ing at the sweetness of the poem.

With the conclusion of the ceremony, it was time to eat and party! The reception space also saw Rachel and Joe’s touches throughout. Picture frames and candle light greeted the guests as they entered the reception, who were then invited to share a piece of marriage advice on a Jenga piece; tables were decorated with rustic centerpieces and soft spring colours, with stickers of Tobi on the decorative wine bottles announcing the table numbers; and a whole roast pig kicked off the cocktail hour and a night of feasting on tantalizing dishes, playing games lead by the vivacious MC, and dancing to the tunes spun by DJ Rick!  

Rachel and Joe, thank you for having us capture your lovely wedding! It was such a pleasure discovering all the personal touches you so lovingly incorporated into the day!