Real Weddings: These couples got married at a whimsical Drake Devonshire pop-up ceremony

This summer, the Drake Devonshire hosted picture-perfect pop-up weddings, where five couples got hitched at the scenic Prince Edward County boutique hotel. Event planner Lynzie Kent, of Love by Lynzie, organized the afternoon: for $2,000, each couple got a gorgeous venue, florals galore, an official ceremony with 20 guests and a professional photographer. Part of the proceeds from each wedding were donated to Photographers Without Borders, an organization that gives volunteer photographers and videographers opportunities to document issues around the globe.

Meet some of the newlyweds:

Zoë McGrath, 34, and John Stockmann, 32, both teachers

Zoë: “Initially, I started planning our ceremony for summer 2019. I looked at flowers, invites, centrepieces, bridesmaids’ dresses, bouquets and party favours before realizing that I was getting sucked into a money hole. We decided it would be better to do something small, stress-free and affordable. The ceremony was beautiful, touching and well-planned. We had our own space, our own music, our own vows and we didn’t feel rushed. It was a perfect day.”

John: “I wanted our wedding to be as much about sharing the day with our friends and family as it was about celebrating our union. The pop-up chapel felt so intimate. Not having to fuss over the planning and specifics allowed us to focus on what mattered most.”

Julia Garland, 32, labour and delivery nurse, and Erik Werner, 37, exploration geologist

Julia: “We visited the Drake Devonshire three years ago on our first trip away together. I always secretly wished we could get married there. When I saw the ad for the pop-up chapel on Instagram, I ran the idea by Erik, and it turned into an impromptu proposal. We met while working in Rwanda, so the idea of having a big wedding seemed a little over-the-top for us, since we were used to living very simply while we were overseas.”

Erik: “The setup was perfect: there no hassle, it was a great location and an intimate ceremony. The Drake Devonshire was already special to us, but this made it unforgettable.”

Sarah Bailey, 24, administrative assistant, and Matthew Maynes, 24, software engineer

Sarah: “We’ve been together for over seven years and got engaged in 2017. We initially thought we’d elope, but still wanted to find a way to involve our closest family members. A pop-up wedding was the best of both worlds.”

Matthew: “We thought we’d try to plan a wedding to make our close family and friends happy, but realized we wouldn’t be able to satisfy everyone. This way, the planning was out of our hands and we could just enjoy the day—it was one we’ll never forget.”