Rabbit Hole

Rehersal Dinner

Mill St. Brew Pub

Wedding Day

Ceremony

Reception

Hilton Garden Inn Downtown

Brunch

* Please note that proof of vaccination will be required - see Q&amp;A tab *

Our Wedding

A Thoroughly Modern Love Story

Andrew and I met in September 2017 in the least romantic way possible - on a dating app. Our first date was spent watching football (my Green Bay Packers CRUSHED his Seattle Seahawks), eating pizza, and discussing school. With Andrew in his last year of law school and me finishing up my Masters, neither of us were really sure what the future would hold for us. Luckily both of us landed awesome jobs in Ottawa after finishing school, meaning we could start to put down roots here.

Once we started working full time, everything started to fall into place pretty easily. We continued to bond over our shared love of cheesy game shows, concerts, and craft beer. Families and friends were introduced and future plans started to develop. In December 2018 after a year of dating, Andrew moved in with me and Cici the cat; she still likes me better, but he's a close second!

In November of 2019, I was offered a dream job, with one catch: it was in Montreal. Andrew was super supportive and helped me move into an apartment on the West Island. We had planned to do long distance for a full year, but when the pandemic hit I was able to come back to Ottawa to work from home permanently. Since then, we’ve moved into our first house, adopted a dog and another cat, and finally binge-watched the entire Star Wars saga together.

We’re so excited to be able to start the next chapter of our lives together surrounded by all of our closest friends and family!

Our Story

Getting Here

From the Airport: The Ottawa airport is located in the south end of the city, while the hotel and venue are located in the north end. If you're flying into Ottawa directly, you can either rent a car at the airport, take a cab or Uber/Lyft (15-30 minute trip depending on time of day), or take public transit (combination of bus and light rail, ~1 hr).

From the Train Station: If you're coming to Ottawa by train, the best and easiest option is to take Light Rail from Tremblay Station into downtown (Lyon Station). The trip will take ~10 minutes and it's only a 2 minute walk from Lyon Station to the hotel. You can find more info about fares here: https://www.octranspo.com/en/. If you would prefer to take a cab or an Uber/Lyft from the train station, that is definitely an option as well!

Staying Here

￼We have reserved a block of rooms at the Hilton Garden Inn from Friday, September 23 until Sunday, September 25. The hotel is an easy walk to the venue and back. Note that the block of rooms is at the Garden Inn and not the Homewood Suites, which is connected to the hotel but is a separate entity.

Hilton Garden Inn

Travel

Ottawa is sometimes described as "the town that fun forgot" but in my opinion nothing could be further from the truth! Whether you're here for the week or only staying in town for the weekend, there's tons of stuff to see and do. Below are some of our personal faves but if none of these pique your interest, feel free to reach out to us for some more recommendations :)

By far the most recognizable landmark in Ottawa, Parliament Hill is a must see if you've never been before. It's also right down the road from Mill Street and the hotel, which is a bonus!

Parliament Hill

The Locks are located right where the Rideau Canal meets the Ottawa River. From here you have a beautiful view of the Chateau Laurier, the Parliament buildings, and across the river to Gatineau and the Museum of History. You can also walk along the Capital Pathway, which goes along the river behind Parliament Hill all the way to the venue.

Rideau Canal, Locks 1 - 8 - Ottawa

If you're wanting to get out of the city, you really can't beat Gatineau Park, especially in the fall. There are tons of great hiking trails as well as some great lookout spots that you can get to by car. Personal favourites include Pink Lake and the Champlain Lookout (pictured). Hopefully the leaves will be starting to turn by the end of September to really give you that amazing view, but it truly is stunning all year round!

Gatineau Park

The National Gallery of Canada is home to some pretty amazing artwork, but personally I think the building itself is probably the biggest selling feature. Also the home of the (in)famous spider sculpture and a stone's throw away from Nepean Point where you can enjoy arguably one of the nicest views in the whole city.

National Gallery of Canada

If you're like me and you enjoy geeking out over dinosaur bones, this is the place for you! Even if that's not totally your thing, the museum building (built in 1842) and gardens are super pretty and worth a visit.

Canadian Museum of Nature / Musée canadien de la nature

The Arboretum is a part of the Central Experimental Farm and is a great place to explore! Tons of green space but still a stone's throw from the Rideau Canal and Dow's Lake. Within walking distance are the Ornamental Gardens and the Tropical Greenhouse as well as the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum (very fun for kids).

Dominion Arboretum

Things to Do

Laura and I have been friends since the first day of middle school; luckily no one had a camera phone in those days so little to no photographic evidence exists from that awkward period ! We have been friends for over 15 years and she's been there through every major event in my life - so happy to have her with me on my wedding day too!

Laura

Liz and I met during orientation for our Masters program at uOttawa. We bonded over our shared win of the orientation scavenger hunt, and the rest is history! Liz is like a much cooler version of me and she’s my go-to for everything from style tips to career advice. 

Hannah and I met through Laura, and bonded while we were in Laura's wedding party. Hannah is the kind of friend that everyone wants to have, frequently dropping off baked goods and floral arrangements just because!

Hannah

Anastassia and I met in karate class in 2004; in fact I was known to her friends and family for years as “karate Alex”! She holds the record for the longest friendship, and is always there when I need a dance party or a laugh. 

Anastassia

He is the groom’s only brother. That’s it. That’s the joke.

Kilian and Morty met in the back row of their first year law school classes. They then lived together in second year, which was probably not a good idea for their livers or their landlord. Kilian is now living in Halifax, a place where actual good lawyers go to to practice

Kilian

Eli and Morty also met in their first year of law school, and bonded over their mutual infatuation with Roberto Luongo, sound public policy, and cold beers.

Andrew and Dylan met in grade 3. Over the past 20 years, Dylan and Andrew have done many great things together, most of which were wildly irresponsible. 

Alexandra & Andrew

Alexandra & Andrew

A&A

Wedding Day

5:30 PM

Ceremony

6:00 PM–1:00 AM

Reception

Brunch