Colin Hood and Kathryn Hood's wedding in Nanton, Alberta

We married at Coutts Centre for Canadian Western Heritage in Nanton, AB. We didn't initially set out to marry in Nanton, but the venue captured our hearts and was set up perfectly for a gorgeous outdoor wedding surrounded by Albertan mountains in the distance & expansive prairie views. We really wanted the reception to be outdoors too, and with an open-walled, rustic barn, this venue helped us capture that sensation without us having to bite our nails at the thought of possible rainy weather. The gardens, pathways, gazebo, and beautiful buildings on-site were just a few assets of this venue. Our guests are still raving (5 months later) about how beautiful the venue was. The venue staff were also very lovely and a huge help!

All of us got dressed and ready right at the venue and we walked down an isle of trees and said "I do" under a gazebo. Later this gazebo transformed into our dance floor where we tore up the night. No noise curfew at this venue was another perk.

Catering was provided by Highwood Catering - they took care of bartending, appetizers (served out on the lawn while the guests mingled and played lawn games and the wedding party took photos), a full buffet with tons of great options for guests with special dietary needs, a lovely dessert spread, coffee & tea, and late night snacks to finish!

The day was so magical and so much fun! One of our favourite and most memorable moments was when our photographer (Rose and Range Photography) snuck us away after dinner for some golden hour photos. The sunset was UNREAL! Better than we could have asked for or imagined. We even rehearsed a few of the steps for our first dance while we soaked in the views and some quiet time together.

At the end off the night, our guests "blew well-wishes to the new Mr & Mrs" with some fun little party bubbles and we drove off in our freshly decorated convertible BMW (thanks to one of the bridesmaids). Our guests danced a little while longer and then many of them took advantage of the complimentary shuttle bus service we provided through Southland Transit.

We organized a small, more intimate brunch the next day with our wedding party and family from out of town, which was a nice way to wrap up the big week. Then we set off on our honeymoon to indulge in a week of kayaking and bodysurfing in the ocean, and hiking and training in the mountains!