MAGDA & HODGEE: TELLING YOUR LOVE STORY THROUGH DESIGN

Magda and Brent’s wedding was an ultra-funky weekend extravaganza at the cool and quirky Algonquin hotel The Northridge. Wanting a camp weekend away with all their friends and family, this weekend was a stand out of the summer for everyone on the guest list. Set on a large waterfront property in Sundridge, Ontario, The Northridge is a renovated boutique inn with both hotel and glamping-style accommodations on site. Decorated top to bottom with off-beat and upscale vintage finds, the place is one of a kind and the perfect setting for creative spirits like Magda and Hodgee who aren’t interested in taking the traditional wedding route.

Unexpected and surprising wedding favours

Lovers of the unconventional and avant garde, Magda and Hodgee were super creative with the aesthetic of the weekend. We created a logo for them, which they used in all sorts of fun and inventive ways (like their own special flag flying on the pier!). With lots of guests travelling in to attend and spend the weekend with them, the couple felt it was important to really thank them and make them aware that their presence was valued. Leading up to the event, Magda and Hodgee spent many a night hand pouring candles for their guests’ welcome packages, and stuffed them into custom tote bags along with beer cans, disposable cameras, motel-style key chains, all specially branded with their wedding logo, and packed them along with their favourite candy and Polish vodka drinks. We also created a Do Not Disturb hotel door sign for them, a super fun keepsake!

An old-vegas inspired wedding altar for a kitschy muskoka wedding

Magda and Hodgee got married on the pier overlooking Lake Bernard and its gorgeous pine trees. True story: Magda and Hodgee met in Las Vegas and almost eloped there, but held off and instead brought this inspiration back to their wedding design. To pay homage to their love story, we designed an altar inspired by Old Vegas. We took the classic stretched diamond shape and custom built two vertical backdrops of different heights and with varying diamond sizes. As we do with all our Full and Signature Planning couples, when we first brought them on board, we created a complete design deck for them including a colour palette, and we painted the diamonds in their wedding colours of muted red, coral, and orange. The result was a blast of colour and shape at the front of the ceremony space which drew the eye but did not overtake the setting. Coupled with large ground floral arrangements sitting at the base of the backdrop, we created a special space for Magda and Hodgee on the white pier and we couldn’t have been happier with how it turned out.

everyone’s favourite - a vodka receiving line!

After the ceremony the couple met all their guests with a vodka receiving line, a tradition in the bride’s family - everyone takes a shot with the couple! Guests were decked out in their retro wedding finery and bore their favourite album as a gift. Everyone looked amazing and fit right in with the upscale thrifted vibe of the Inn. It was a vibe.

Groovy tablescapes for a fresh retro motel aesthetic

After cocktail hour with everyone mingling on the lawn and kids running and laughing, dinner started. Magda and Hodgee wanted their reception to be fun with lots of colour and flowers. We designed the tabletops and florals to match the vibe of muted Muskoka meets 1960s retro hotel, with groovy, asymmetrical, bloom-heavy florals in the couple’s colours of lavender, orange, coral, and lime green. Our in-house graphic designer It’s Okay Studio had lots of fun with fonts and patterns while creating their double-sided mismatched menus. Muted purple and blue taper candles lined the table and you couldn’t help but feel happy looking at all the unique and surprising details on this fresh, fun and groovy tablescape.

A CEREMONY BACKDROP that DOUBLES as a dance party light installation

We can’t lie, the bride and groom were itching to party! As soon as dinner was done, everyone evacuated their seats and hightailed it to the dance floor on the patio. When we built the ceremony backdrop, we designed it to double as a dance party light installation, with the diamonds lined with little light bulbs ready to shine all night long. It was a perfect evening in July, and on the patio overlooking Lake Bernard, the party was raging. There were speeches, towers of pink meringues, and silly group dances with kids and adults alike.

retro poolside chic at a kitschy motel pool

The party continued all night and into the next day. Most guests stayed overnight and got to enjoy a leisurely recovery by The Northridge’s kitschy pool. Everyone dressed for the occasion in their retro poolside outfits (turns out the dress code was a complete hit and it really unified the group look - would recommend!). It truly was a one-of-a-kind weekend, one that will not soon be forgotten, and this Old-Vegas-meets-Muskoka-Motel wedding was by far one of our favourites of the year!

Want a fabulously unconventional wedding planner?

Do you love this wedding as much as we do? Please, get in touch! We are always on the look out for our next one-of-a-kind couple! With our boundless sense of style, effortless organization, and years of experience, we are one of Ontario’s top wedding planners for a reason. If you’d like to see more of our work, please venture over to our portfolio!