In a celebration that embraced the beauty of winter and the enchantment of Nordic traditions, Halley and Sam tied the knot in a truly unique way. Their ceremony, officiated by a pagan high priestess, infused Nordic and pagan elements, creating an experience which felt truly authentic to them.

They were married in January, a choice that they made because they prefer cooler weather. The bride explained, “The inspiration started with not wanting to melt on a hot, humid day since neither of us like warm weather. We ended up picking the wedding date based on the anniversary of our first date which was in January. We got engaged outside in the solstice circle at Cumming Nature Center so having the ceremony there too just made sense. We really wanted to use spaces that didn’t need very much decor and spoke for themselves.”

The ceremony, officiated by Pagan high priestess Rauncie Ryan, embraced various elements, including a handfasting ceremony, a toast, and the symbolic act of jumping the broom. “Our ceremony was our favourite part”, Halley continued, “We had the perfect amount of snow on the ground and some fluffy flakes in the air. Our guests followed a path into the solstice circle surrounded by tall pine trees. We walked out to different parts of Wardruna which is traditional Nordic Folk music. Our friend and Pagan high priestess had the most incredible ceremony for us. We each wrote our vows to each other and finished the ceremony by having our first dance right after the broom jump.”

When their original reception venue shut down just three months before their date, the couple took the opportunity to choose a smaller, more intimate place and cut their guest list. Although not their original plan, it actually turned out for the best and meant they could see and talk to everyone who was there. Guests enjoyed chili and cocktails and a chilled out evening, “It was nice to actually just relax and enjoy our nearest and dearest”, the bride said.

“It’s easy to get caught up in trends, norms, and expectations of a wedding. It’s your day, do what you want,” she concluded, underlining the importance of staying true to yourself amidst the myriad of stress and expectations that can surround weddings. “It’s your day so you should do what you want!”