Whistle Bear Golf Club Wedding | Claudia and Scott
Claudia and Scott’s Whistle Bear Golf Club wedding happened on the first day of November last year. It also happened to be the first snowfall of the season. We only got a thin layer of snow on the ground that morning so luckily, it didn’t last on the as soon as the day hit it’s high of 1 C. It was cold.
What’s unique about Scott and Claudia’s wedding is that they both have males and females on their sides, so using the terms “bridesmaids” and “groomsmen” didn’t apply. It was easier though for the men to get ready separate from the women. Since they’re all friends anyway, that arrangement worked quite well.
My coverage of their day started with Scott and the male members of the wedding party. Scott got ready at their home in Kitchener. His friends enthusiastically helped him in his suit, and when they were done, they did a short round of ping pong in the basement.
Once I was done with the guys, I headed over to Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Cambridge to meet Claudia and the ladies. Claudia has a big personality and her infectious smile can brighten up any room, any time. Even though the cold, grey sky weather didn’t really cooperate with us that day as we had planned to do photos outside that morning for her First Reveal with Scott, it didn’t faze her whatsoever. She was getting married that day after all. She was genuinely happy.
Claudia and Scott chose the Pioneer Memorial Tower in Kitchener as the site for their First Reveal. The limo picked the ladies up at the hotel first before driving to Scott and the guys. The plan was to blindfold both Claudia and Scott in the limo so as for them to avoid seeing each other until the First Reveal. Once they arrived at the Pioneer Tower, their wedding party guided them to the base of the tower and had them hold a bunch of colourful balloons. The balloons hid them from seeing each other for a few seconds.
As if on cue, the clouds opened up and the sun rays beamed through creating a spotlight for Claudia and Scott as they saw each other for the first time that morning. The short appearance of the sun only lasted for a few minutes but it brought enough warmth for Claudia and Scott to pose for a few portraits after their First Reveal was done.
As their wedding was in November, Claudia and Scott also planned to have their photos done indoors at the Clay and Glass Museum in Waterloo. The museum does allow photography indoors, but they do ask for a donation in return. They have a space large enough for big wedding parties so if you’re getting married in Waterloo Region, Clay and Glass Museum is a good indoor location to have.
After their portraits were done, we all headed to Whistle Bear Golf Club for their wedding! Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge was recently renovated by the same people who runs Cambridge Mill. They did a phenomenal job upgrading the place. When you first walk into the club house, you are greeted by the a grand fireplace and oversized couches on each side. Your first impression is going to be, “wow!”.
When the weather is nice, Whistle Bear Golf Club typically have their wedding ceremonies outdoors. But on times when it’s a little bit unpredictable, the staff at Whistle Bear orchestrate wedding ceremonies between the three rooms they have. Claudia and Scott had their wedding ceremony in the Rose Room overlooking Whistle Bear’s famous golf course. I love the circular motifs seen in the architecture of the wooden beams and backs of chairs.
Claudia beamed as she walked down the aisle with her father, who looked so proud walking beside his daughter. Claudia makes such a beautiful bride. Everyone’s eyes were on her. I remember a touching moment when she and her father reached Scott. She became emotionally overwhelmed when she reached to hug her father. I guess it all became real for her right then.
One thing I’ve never seen at a wedding before was the presentation of salt and bread. Claudia’s family were Polish and this was a tradition from their culture they had incorporated at their wedding. Basically, their parents offer them bread sprinkled with salt. The bread symbolizes the hope that Claudia and Scott will never go hungry while the salt represents the hardships they might encounter together as husband and wife. After eating the salted bread, the bride and groom had to drink a shot each. Their parents were supposed to prepare two shots — one of vodka, the other of water. Whoever chose the shot of vodka was going to hold the pants in the marriage. Luckily, Claudia and Scott’s parents believed in equality. Both shot glasses were vodkas.
For their wedding reception, Claudia and Scott chose Whistle Bear Golf Club’s Grandview Room for their guests to comfortably celebrate with them. Whereas the Rose Room played with rustic touches, The Grandview Room at Whistle Bear Golf Club was modern Art Deco. Gatsby himself would have thrown a lavish party here, with the mirrored pyramid shaped ceiling right at the center. It looked really cool when the LED lights hit these mirrors once the dance floor opened. Lights of different colours bounced everywhere!
Whenever I look back at the images I took from Claudia and Scott’s Whistle Bear Golf Club wedding, I could not help but smile. They are such a lovely couple together who truly care for each other. They were wonderful to work witth.
Here are a few moments from their wedding day.