Leanne & Brian’s Intimate Puddicombe House Wedding in New Hamburg, Ontario
Leanne and Brian’s June wedding at Puddicombe House brought together a beautiful celebration of family, friends and plenty of meaningful moments. They chose this historic New Hamburg venue for a relaxed celebration surrounded by the people closest to them, with the Grand Hall providing the setting for getting ready, their first look, ceremony and family photographs.
The weather kept us on our toes throughout the day, but we were able to work around it and make the most of every opportunity. When the rain stopped for a little while, Leanne and Brian headed outside for their couple portraits before everyone made their way to cocktail hour.
Getting Ready at the Grand Hall
The day began with Leanne getting ready in the bridal suite at the Grand Hall. This quieter part of the day is always a nice opportunity to capture some of the details and anticipation before everything gets underway.
Once Leanne was ready, she and Brian had their first look at the Grand Hall. It gave them a few quiet moments together before the ceremony and the rest of the day began.
A First Look and Ceremony at Puddicombe House
Leanne and Brian had their first look at the Grand Hall before their ceremony, giving them a few quiet moments together before the day got underway.
Their ceremony also took place in the Grand Hall. With June weather in mind, they had always planned to keep the ceremony indoors, while hoping to take their family and couple portraits by the river if the weather cooperated.
Family Photos in the Grand Hall
With the rain still coming down, the Grand Hall became our backup plan for family photographs. It gave us a clean, open space where we could bring everyone together comfortably and keep things moving while we waited for a break in the weather.
Weather is one of those things you simply can't control on a wedding day. Rather than waiting around for the rain to stop, we went ahead with the family photos indoors and then took advantage of the break when it finally came.
A Break in the Rain for Couple Portraits
And eventually, we got our chance.
The rain stopped for a little while, so Leanne and Brian headed outside for their couple portraits. We stayed close to the Grand Hall and made our way around the Puddicombe House property, which gave us plenty of pretty spots to work with. Even with a short window before the rain returned, we were able to take advantage of the grounds and enjoy some time outside together.
I love these little pockets of time during a wedding day. You don't necessarily need a long portrait session to create meaningful photographs. Sometimes a short break in the schedule—and in this case, the weather—is all you need.
Cocktail Hour on the Patio
After the portraits, it was only a very short walk over to the cocktail hour.
The glass-enclosed patio was one of my favourite spaces at Puddicombe House. With its basket-style lighting, greenery and cozy atmosphere, it felt especially inviting on a rainy June day. It gave everyone a comfortable place to gather and visit while still having that feeling of being outdoors.
Cocktail hour took place between the patio and indoor spaces before guests made their way into the restaurant for dinner.
Dinner at the Historic Puddicombe House
The historic Puddicombe House itself is home to the Puddicombe House restaurant, giving the property a completely different atmosphere from the Grand Hall.
The restaurant has the character you'd expect from a historic home, with 12-foot ceilings, moulded cornices and burnished wooden floors. Its approach to dining is casual fine dining in an elegant setting, making it a beautiful space for the evening portion of a wedding celebration.
Photography wrapped up as guests headed into the restaurant for dinner, giving Leanne and Brian the chance to enjoy the rest of their evening with their family and friends.
A Wedding at Puddicombe House
One of the things that makes Puddicombe House such a convenient wedding venue is the variety of spaces available throughout the property. The Grand Hall is a dedicated event space, while the original historic Puddicombe House is home to the restaurant.
For Leanne and Brian, the original plan was to have their ceremony outdoors by the river and take their family and couple photographs outside as well. When the rain made that plan impossible, we moved the ceremony and family photographs into the Grand Hall instead.
Luckily, the rain eventually gave us a break, and we were able to get outside for their couple portraits after all.
Puddicombe also offers a couple of different options for the reception portion of a wedding. Couples can hold a more formal reception in the Grand Hall, or choose to have their dinner in a section of the restaurant. For Leanne and Brian, the restaurant was the perfect choice for the dinner portion of their day.
I really liked how easily everything came together. Even with the weather changing the original plan, the different spaces at Puddicombe meant there was always another option close by.
