A honeymoon and wedding in one place
Nimmo Bay is a proudly family-run business, but family doesn’t start and end with the generations of Murrays who have been leading the way since 1980. This spring, we had the honour of hosting the wedding of one of Nimmo’s long-standing team members, Brianna Sloan, who has been part of the family for more than a decade.
Brianna and her partner Ryan hadn’t planned on getting married, but the past year made them rethink their decision to forgo this once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“Neither of us is very traditional, so getting married was never a priority,” Brianna explains. “I lost a family member a few years ago, and the idea of throwing a big party with someone missing didn’t feel right. We made the commitment to spend our lives together, and we started a family with a baby boy last year.”
Between caring for a newborn in the middle of a pandemic, beginning a new adventure in farming, and juggling two busy careers, 2020 was a year that challenged Brianna and Ryan in ways they had never imagined.
“We’ve never experienced highs and lows like that before,” Brianna says, “So when the idea of getting married at Nimmo came up we thought… maybe we should take this opportunity to reconnect, just the two of us. There isn’t a lot of room for ceremony in our adult lives and after getting through this year together we felt like it could be really special to mark this stage of our relationship.”
Disconnecting to Reconnect
There’s something magical about stepping onto the dock and leaving all your responsibilities behind. It’s a rare gift to let go of all distractions, forget your to-do list and sink into nature. A proper cocktail doesn’t hurt either!
Brianna knew from her years of experience working with guests that the more you let go at Nimmo Bay, the more you discover.
“A common thing guests find is that suddenly all of this space opens up to connect with the people you’re with on a much deeper level,” she says. “Instead of just focussing on the wedding day, we wanted to plan an elopement and honeymoon in one so that we could really sink in. Each day was a chance to just be together, having these incredible experiences in a world so far removed from our busy lives.”
A Wedding on the Water
Another thing Brianna knew all too well is that, when you give a spark of an idea to the Nimmo crew, it often starts a bonfire.
It began with finding the perfect spot for the ceremony. Brianna brought up the idea of a driftwood arbor with Becky and Fraser, owners of Nimmo Bay. Soon after, the vision was coming to life with a whale bone-inspired arch constructed on top of a floating dock that the bride and groom would reach by canoe at sunset.
It seemed fitting that the couple would have their own floating island to say their vows surrounded only by ocean. “I know that Ryan would have been uncomfortable being the center of attention if we had had a big wedding, Brianna says.
“Being just the two of us out there allowed him to sink into the moment… We had written our vows but left them behind and spoke from the heart.”
An Album of a Lifetime
“I found my grandparent’s wedding photo from the 1950’s a little while ago and it made me think about how a photograph like that can encapsulate a time in your life,” Brianna shares. “Now we have an entire album of all these beautiful moments.”
Instead of starting with an image in mind of what their wedding should be, Brianna and Ryan let their imaginations run wild and trusted the Nimmo Bay family to always take it one step further. They spent the week indulging at the lodge, finding jaw-dropping locations by land, air, and sea, and soaking in the untamed beauty… all with photographer and friend, Jeremy Koreski along to remind them to cozy up, steal a kiss, or do something wild!
As anyone who has visited Nimmo Bay understands, no matter how perfect your plans, the wilderness has a way of inspiring you to change course, let go of expectations, and take your connection a little bit deeper.
Words: Nikki Sequiera
Photos: Jeremy Koreski