Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Today isn’t just any old Monday at our house: it officially marks one month since Tania and I got married, and I honestly can’t believe it… it feels like it was just last weekend! There’s a funny sort of post-wedding comedown that happens after you get married – at least in my experience. You’ve just spent several months (if not years) planning what’s likely the biggest party you’ll ever host in your life. The “final countdown” leading up to it can definitely be chaotic with all the last-minute to-dos, inevitable hiccups and stress – I feel like I didn’t sleep a single night the week before our wedding. And then, in just a few hours, it’s all over. I truly felt like our wedding went by in the blink of an eye! So it’s only natural to feel a bit helpless and disoriented for the first few days (or even weeks) following the big day. I think it’s a combination of all the stress and excitement leading up to it, coupled with the fact that a wedding is just a hugely emotional event. We cried during our ceremony, we cried during our speech, we cried listening to everyone else’s speeches… I can’t express how overwhelmingly emotional it was to marry the love of my life surrounded by all our loved ones… the incredible feeling of having all our families and friends – from both sides, from near and far – together in one room… something that may not ever happen again in our lifetime. All that really does a number on the feels! The week after our wedding, I felt so off: exhausted and lethargic, with a huge to-do list but no drive or motivation to actually do any of it. It’s really only now, a month later, that I finally feel back to my old pre-wedding self – just with more bling – and am really starting to process and appreciate those beautiful moments and memories.
And would you believe it if I told you that one of my favourite wedding memories didn’t even happen on our wedding day? It happened three weeks earlier… at my bachelorette weekend!
If you’ve had or attended a bachelorette party in the last few years, you know it’s become a major event! What was once a simple girls’ night out (perhaps with a Chippendale’s show or a visit from the “police” thrown in) has become an elaborate, multi-day affair involving various outings, themed games, matching outfits and sometimes even plane tickets! And while I’m personally not the biggest fan of a “destination bachelorette” for budgetary reasons alone, the good news is that there are plenty of local destinations that are just as fabulous – no airfare required! For my bachelorette, my girlfriends and I spent a fun-filled weekend in Niagara, and it was honestly the best bachelorette I ever could have asked for. (For the TLDR version of this post, check out my Instagram reel of the weekend here!)
One key consideration when planning a bachelorette is who – and how many – to invite. Small groups allow for quality one-on-one time with your closest friends, while bigger groups definitely bring the party vibe – though the more people, the tougher it becomes to find accommodations and coordinate logistics. I got the best of both worlds: I rented an Airbnb with three of my four bridesmaids from Friday-Sunday (the fourth bridesmaid couldn’t join as she lives in the U.K.) and on the Saturday, we invited a larger group of friends for lunch and a wine tour. It honestly worked out perfectly – I wouldn’t have done it any other way!
The Airbnb we rented in Niagara-on-the-Lake was called – I kid you not – The Nut Farm. And no, they didn’t rename it that after our stay… it’s an actual hazelnut farm, and the property is gorgeous! The beautiful century home has three bedrooms, one-and-a-half baths and sleeps up to six guests. It was the perfect size for the four of us.
My favourite features: the garden patio with orchard views, the old-fashioned front porch of my dreams, and the fully-equipped kitchen, which has all the essentials (and then some) for cooking. I also love the pass-through window into the dining room… not to date myself, but I’ve wanted one of those in my kitchen ever since I saw it on Reba!
On Friday, I met my BFF (and MOH) Victoria in Port Dalhousie, a charming lakeside community in St. Catharines. We enjoyed lunch at the Dalhousie Yacht Club, which has a beautiful waterfront patio, then did some sightseeing around town. We went for a walk on the pier, checked out the lighthouse and beach, and enjoyed a sweet treat at Il Gelato Di Carlotta. Then Victoria headed to The Nut Farm to meet my friends Bethany and Katie and set up some surprises! While they were getting the Airbnb bachelorette-ready, I did some shopping in Port Dalhousie. Two favourite finds: Thistle – a cozy independent bookstore and café – and Glitzy Jools, a quaint antique shop selling vintage jewelry, collectibles, and various odds and ends. Stay tuned for a Port Dalhousie guide coming soon!
As I drove towards Niagara-on-the-Lake, I got “the call” to come on down! I have to say… I always knew I had the best friends in the world, and this bachelorette weekend just proved it! As I pulled into the driveway, Shania Twain was playing and my eye immediately caught the glitter “Let’s Go Girls” banner adorning the porch. If you’re a regular reader, you may know that I love country music – especially 80s and 90s country, and ESPECIALLY the Queen of Country herself, Miss Dolly Parton – and my friends took that theme and ran with it.
Every square inch of the Airbnb was covered in pink, glitzy, country and Dolly-themed decor. There were banners, signs, framed Dolly quotes, door streamers, cowboy boot balloons, a full-on photo wall… walking through that house, I felt like a kid on an Easter egg hunt. There was something fabulous around every corner! Planning a bachelorette takes a lot of work – I planned Victoria’s earlier this year, and I know how much time and effort goes into it – and these girls knocked it out of the park! They made me feel so special and I’ll honestly remember it forever.
I wonder which room is mine…
We enjoyed a delicious welcome cocktail (pink, of course)…
Then we took some photos with the adorable banner, and hung out on the patio while Bethany cooked a delicious roast chicken dinner. I was not allowed to help with anything… seriously, I felt ridiculously spoiled!
Then I got even more spoiled with some truly fabulous gifts – this bedazzled “Bride” cowgirl hat is honestly the best accessory I’ve ever owned in my life. We spent the evening playing some fun bachelorette games before turning in for the big day ahead.
The next morning, Victoria was up bright and early making pancakes. She knows me well – I always lean sweet over savoury when it comes to breakfast (who doesn’t love an excuse to start the day with dessert!?) and whenever we go for brunch, I usually order pancakes, French toast, or anything else I can drown in maple syrup.
When I say EVERY detail was on point…
After breakfast, it was time to get dressed for our big day out. Katie designed these adorable invites to send to all the girls, with a very strict dress code. How do you think we did??
The first order of business was lunch at Stonewall Estates. Located in Lincoln, this family-owned and operated winery is located on 120 acres of beautiful farmland, including vineyards, orchards, hop fields and forest trails. This was my first time at Stonewall Estates, and I was blown away at how stunning it is! The patio is surrounded by lush gardens and is fully covered, so you can enjoy an al fresco lunch even on rainy days. Luckily, we were blessed with abundant sunshine all day!
I can’t say enough good things about the team at Stonewall Estates. We’d looked into other restaurants for a group booking, but everything was super complicated, requiring contracts or prix fixe menus or hefty deposits… Stonewall made it so easy! They didn’t even require a deposit, we just booked it like a regular reservation. As soon as we showed up, the table was all ready for us, and they made everything beautiful.
My “bride tribe” and I arrived a little early so we could set out the favours: pink heart-shaped sunglasses (I got this set on Amazon) and bags of assorted candy (all pink, of course!)
When it came to the dress code, everyone understood – and frankly, aced – the assignment. From denim to diamonds, florals to fringe, all the girls came in full cowgirl glam.
Stonewall Estates’ lunch menu consists of casual favourites like sandwiches, salads, flatbreads and charcuterie boards. And wine, of course! We really enjoyed their Cabernet Franc Rosé.
We also ordered this cheese board for the table, and everything on it was delicious! You can never go wrong with wine and cheese…
For my main, I chose the Gardener’s Flatbread, which is topped with local asparagus, portobello mushrooms, arugula, goat cheese, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic and pesto drizzle. The flatbread was a popular choice all around, as was the asparagus salad.
I truly can’t recommend Stonewall Estates enough! The food and wine was delicious, the setting gorgeous, and everything was so reasonably priced. They also host weddings – they happened to be setting up for one that day – and honestly, what a dream of a venue! I absolutely loved our wedding venue (Honsberger Estate Winery) and wouldn’t have changed it for the world, but not gonna lie… if we’d known about Stonewall Estates back when we were venue-hunting, they would have been a very close second.
After lunch, it was time to head to Trius Winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake for a wine tour and tasting. If you’ve ever been to a Niagara bachelorette, chances are The Trius Tour was on the itinerary! With its Insta-famous backdrops (they describe it as “the most Instagrammable winery tour on the planet”) and rosé-all-day ethos, it’s an obvious choice for a bachelorette bash. There were brides everywhere! I’d done The Trius Tour once before on a corporate retreat and had a great time – see my post here – so I couldn’t wait to come back and experience it again.
The tour begins in the winery’s lookout tower, where tourgoers sip Trius Rosé (one of my favourite rosés out there!) while admiring panoramic views of the surrounding vineyards. Of course, we had to take some photos by their “Rosé All Day” flower wall. Honestly, I think whoever dreamed up this tour had bachelorette parties in mind from the very beginning!
The next stop: Canada’s largest underground sparkling wine cellar, where you can partake in tricks and treats long before Halloween. The trick? The sabering of a bottle of Trius Brut, performed expertly by our tour guide. The treat? A glass of said Brut, of course!
In the Trius Red Barrel Cellar, we enjoyed glasses of their best-known wine: Trius Red. This blend of Niagara Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc was the first Canadian wine to be recognized as The Best Red Wine In The World at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 1991. Over 30 years later, it’s still one of Canada’s most celebrated wines.
The tour ended on an appropriately bubbly note, with glasses of Trius Brut Rosé – paired with pink cotton candy, no less – in The Sparkling House. This room is filled with fun photo props and backdrops, from the balloon-covered clawfoot tub to the pink neon sign to the muselet-shaped swing (a muselet is the wire cage around a champagne bottle’s cork… yes, I had to look it up!)
Don’t miss the hidden infinity mirror room!
After the tour wrapped, we hung out on the patio enjoying refreshing glasses of Frosé: the adult answer to a Slurpee.
Then we did some browsing in the gift shop. When I saw these pink plastic butterfly goblets, I knew it was meant to be – Dolly Parton’s trademark/logo is a butterfly – and picked up a set for my bridesmaids and I, so we’d all have a memento to remember the weekend by. I also got some fun vintage motel-style keychains – they’re only 99 cents each!
Once the other ladies had headed home, my “bride tribe” and I headed back to the Airbnb for what else but a game of Dolly Parton-themed cornhole!?
We had planned on going to Niagara Falls that night, but we were all so tired from our day out that all we wanted to do was have a girls’ night in with spa masks and pizza. We watched my favourite movie of all time: Legally Blonde. Fabulous fashion, an empowering message, and a hefty dose of Y2K nostalgia – what’s not to love!?
The next morning, after a hearty breakfast of bagels and lox, we loaded the cars, said our goodbyes, and I drove to Honsberger to meet Tania for our final pre-wedding meeting – something that now feels like it was ages ago. As I process all the memories from our special day and the events leading up to it, I feel immense gratitude: for my amazing wife, for our loving and supportive families, and for my incredible friends who are really more like family. As I said in our wedding speech, it’s not everyone who’ll throw you a Dolly Parton-themed bachelorette party… can I get an amen (and a yeehaw)!? If you guys are reading this… I love you!
And if you’re reading this because you’re planning a bachelorette in Niagara, you’ve made a great choice! If the bride-to-be is a wine aficionado, then you’re obviously in the right place, but Niagara has so much more to offer besides just wine. Spectacular scenery, hiking trails, gardens, animal experiences, spas, casinos, teahouses, Michelin-starred restaurants, boat cruises… there’s truly something here for every bride! If you need some recommendations, here’s a great place to start. And if you have any specific questions, feel free to leave a comment or email me – I’d love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading and I hope everyone has a wonderful week ahead… I’ll yeehaw to that!
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