A Fall-Inspired Wedding At Mill Square in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada

Imagine living in the same building as your future spouse for nearly two years without knowing. This is how the love story of Jonathan Lazdins and Christina Girard began. The two often wonder how many times they passed each other in the lobby or shared elevator rides before officially meeting.

“We finally connected at a local coffee shop, where we sparked a conversation and soon discovered we lived in the same building – just one floor apart,” Christina says. “We both felt an immediate connection and realized we shared a passion for food, family and travel. These passions would become the springboard for our relationship.”

Eight years later, the couple had experienced many travel adventures around the globe together. During a trip to Giverny, France, Jonathan and Christina rented bicycles and packed a picnic of fresh baguettes, cheese, strawberries, and a bottle of French red wine. While sitting in a field with rolling hills and a beautiful chateau in the distance, Jonathan proposed. The custom designed engagement ring featured a bezel set Canadian diamond that incorporated three smaller stones on the side of the band, which were from Christina’s mother and grandmother’s original engagement rings.

Mill Square – a 120-year-old paper mill in Canada – was selected as the wedding venue, and the couple envisioned a theme of “a mid-fall night’s dream.” Details of their travels and favorite things were incorporated throughout the décor, as Jonathan and Christina wanted all 175 of their guests to feel like they were sharing an intimate Thanksgiving meal. The menu was carefully selected in collaboration with a renowned local chef and included figs, butternut squash soup, Cornish hens stuffed with wild rice, and roasted fall vegetables. For desert, a rustic tiered pumpkin cake was served.

Mill Square had undergone a complete transformation. An industrial crane, which once hauled heavy equipment, was used to display delicate branches and enchanting orbs. A magical ambiance surrounded the newlyweds and their loved ones, with hundreds of white pumpkins and an endless stream of candles filling the space.

“We will never forget walking into Mill Square on our wedding day and being overwhelmed with feelings of warmth, magic, love and support,” says the bride. “Reflecting back, we are grateful to have enjoyed such an elegant and unique wedding, showcasing the very things that brought us together – family, food, travel and, of course, our enduring love for one another.”

WEDDING TALENT