There’s a crisp, fresh chill in the air. The tree-lined streets are ablaze with red and yellow leaves. And across the country, Canadians are unboxing their scarves and sweaters for another gorgeous autumn.
While summer gets the lion’s share of attention from wedding planners and couples, fall can be an evocative choice for a marriage celebration. Venues are often (slightly) less busy in the fall months, and guests’ busy schedules tend to be more flexible.
If you’re planning a fall wedding in Canada, lean into it. Make autumn – with all its beauty, indoor warmth and coziness – an integrated feature in your wedding celebration. Here’s how.
Choose an Elegant, Collaborative, Easy-Going Venue
When planning a fall wedding, you’ll start where all wedding planning starts – with choosing the perfect venue.
For fall, you want something elegant yet modern – an indoor venue that you can decorate for the season, but with enough inherent character of its own. Importantly, the venue staff should take a collaborative approach to designing and planning the space, encouraging you to speak your mind about décor and proceedings. Lastly, the venue should make the event planning process comfortable and casual; work can be busy in the fall, so you want a venue that won’t exact too much of your time.
For a terrific example here in Canada, check out Le Treport banquet hall in Mississauga, a modern yet characterful venue with a highly experienced staff.
Work with the Venue Team to Decorate for Fall
Once you’ve chosen a venue, you can turn your attention toward decorating. Again, here’s where a collaborative venue comes in handy. Work with the event space staff to ideate and actualize your vision of the perfect autumn celebration.
Ideally, you’ll strike a balance between “classic wedding” décor and fall panache. You don’t want to go too over-the-top with fall decorations (i.e., no cornucopias and pumpkins). A few fall-forward table arrangements with foliage and branches, as well as rustic runners and table accents, should be enough to pay homage to the season.
Serve an Autumn-Inspired Menu
Whereas summer was all about bright flavours and leafy salads, autumn is a time for rich dishes, deep flavours and stick-to-your-ribs fare. A fall wedding menu should be comfortable, featuring long-braised dishes, roasts and hearty fall produce.
Work with your venue’s in-house catering to devise a fall menu. If you want an Italian flair on your menu, consider wine-braised short ribs, gooey polenta and rosemary roasted chicken. If you’re after something more traditionally western, consider a roast beef carving station, caramelized brussels sprouts and butter-basted carrots.
Arrange for Photographs in the Park
Fall in Canada is gorgeous. And while it’s certainly too chilly for outdoor festivities, that shouldn’t stop you from snapping some photos in the great outdoors.
Coordinate with your photographer on nearby locations. Parks and forest trails are great locations for wedding photos; if you go sometime in the mid-afternoon, you can typically beat the morning and evening crowds. For instance, if you’re planning a wedding in Mississauga, head to Centennial Park, Etobicoke Valley Park or even Port Credit to catch some autumnal photos between the ceremony and reception.
Craft the Perfect Fall Cocktail
As a final nod to fall, put a seasonally inspired cocktail on your menu. The possibilities are endless: Apple Manhattans, cranberry sangrias, Amaro mulled cider. Consult this list of fall cocktails to get inspired, then coordinate with your wedding venue to figure out service (i.e., will you do “punchbowl service” for cocktails or incorporate it in your regular bartending service).
With an elegant venue, an autumnal dinner menu, a photo shoot in the park, and a seasonal cocktail, you can make the most of your fall wedding.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
