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Home2023-06-27T18:36:06-04:00

It’s Official!

William and Catherine tied the knot on June 27, 2020 in what turned out to be an absolute magical day.  Despite COVID, despite the weather and despite the low turnout due to the ongoing restrictions, they were able to pull it off.

We look forward to celebrating with you when we can. In the meantime, you can read all about our wedding day that was.

– Catherine & William

Catherine & William look forward to inviting you to their wedding celebration at a date and location still to be confirmed.

“And so, together, they built a life they love.”

Our wedding was and our marriage is a testament and a promise — a testament to the love we have grown and a promise for the life we will build. Having you join us to celebrate this is a blessing, and our lives are richer for all those who will share the day. Let us together build lives we love.
– Catherine & William

Our Wedding

A fancy dress, bridesmaids, cake, flowers and dancing are all wonderful traditions, but what will make our day truly magical is sharing the ultimate expression of our love with our friends and family.

The Stonefields Venue

When searching for a wedding venue, we wanted somewhere close to Catherine’s family who mostly reside in the Laurentians, Montreal, Ottawa area. After considering a venue close to Lachute, we choose Stonefields for its beautiful environment.

This centuries old estate is breathtaking in its beauty. From the sweeping fields to the old stone farmhouse, rustic barns and country gardens, Stonefields offers everything we need for our special day. Our reception is being held in the centrepiece of the property, the Stonefields Loft. It is a beautifully restored barn that blends European charm with modern elegance.

Located in Beckwith, Ontario, the estate is a twenty-minute drive from Ottawa.

Our Very Own Love Story

We thought you might like to hear our journey of how we got here.

Once upon a time, a young girl was born and raised in La Belle Province, in a town called Lachute in the lower Laurentians outside of Montreal.

Five years earlier, upon a time, a young boy was born and raised in Don Mills, north of Toronto.

With the exception of attending the Montreal Expos together, we were not destined to meet officially
until several decades later….

Catherine and Liam at Hockey Rink

OUR FIRST DATE!

We met on a Tuesday evening (thanks to the Internet) and by Saturday night we were on our first date attending a hockey game. — Don’t ask us who won  😉

OUR FIRST VALENTINE’S DAY

We enjoyed our time together while being snowed in at our lovely Bridesmaid (plus Co-Officiate and dear friend) Liana Bagworth’s lovely condo in Collingwood. Thank you Ms. Liana!!

Catherine and Liam at Christmas

OUR FIRST CHRISTMAS TOGETHER

Once again we enjoyed ourselves at Liana’s condo but this time with Rebecca (Liam’s youngest daughter – also known as Becky) joining us. Liam and I transformed Liana’s place into Christmas wonderland in under an hour flat! Everything from a fully decorated tree with gifts underneath it to stockings hung by the fire and scented pine candles lit to fill the air with aroma of Christmas.

OUR FIRST VACATION TOGETHER

We spent a lovely week in Mayan Riviera at the adults only 😉 Secrets Resort where later we met up with dear friends of Liam’s, Luis Serrano and Emmalay Rattana Serrano, in Cancun, Mexico.

Catherine and Liam with Champagne

MOVING IN DAY

The whirlwind begins! Liam and I both sold our respective homes (mine in Toronto and his in Barrie) and we bought this home together in Barrie. Becky took possession of the basement apartment and shortly thereafter her bestie, Rachael Bebb, also joined the family by becoming Becky’s roomie.

ARIZONA

Our second far away trip together and what a wonderful time we both had. So wonderful in fact, we’ve decided to buy property there once we are ready to retire and become snowbirds. Half the year spent in Lachute, Quebec and the other half in Chandler, Arizona. Not bad….

Catherine and Liam in Arizona
Catherines Engagement Ring

DAY BEFORE THE ENGAGEMENT

As we enjoyed a cold but lovely day at Ste. Anne’s Spa, unbenounced to Catherine, we would be leaving as an engaged couple.

ENGAGEMENT NIGHT

What can we say? Catherine knew this already, but it was reaffirmed this special night that Liam is a true romantic! Upon returning from New Year’s Eve dinner, he kissed her outside of the bedroom door, wishing the two of them a wonderful New Year and opened it up to a room filled with red rose petals and a ring sitting on the middle of the bed, surrounded by a heart of roses. Soon thereafter, he was on his knee proposing, and the rest is history, as they say. The first person to hear the news was our lovely Maid of Honour, Karen McOuat, who Catherine has known since they were kids.

St. Annes Bed with Rose Petals

“From very early on in our relationship we both felt a very strong connection to each other.  We found so many similarities in our childhood and in our lives that it felt so natural to be together.  Our lives have changed so much in the last couple of years and we both are very excited on what the future holds.”

WILLIAM
Catherine Thorburn

“I had a wish list a mile long. When I met Liam, I discovered he fulfilled all of my needs by the kind of man that he is. It’s been a magical ride together that continues to keep us both on our toes and smiles on our faces and love in our hearts. Each day promising to be even more special than the one before. Adding Hillary and Rebecca to the mix makes it all the more special.”

CATHERINE

Together Forever

Marriage is a mosaic you build with your spouse — millions of tiny moments that create your love story.

The Fine Details

If you have any questions or concerns not addressed below, please let us know when you RSVP. We will be happy to address them.

Yes, children are welcome. Please let us know your plans when you RSVP.

You’re invited to our wedding, when we both say ‘I Do’
And as you know we’ve been ‘I do’-ing for at least a year or two!
We’ve lived together a couple of years, and have a few lovely homes,
There’s not that many items we don’t already own.
So if your thoughts were on a gift, your presence will suffice;
But if you really feel the need, donations to a honeymoon would be really nice!
The choice is really up to you and we’d just like to say;
That most of all, we hope you come, enjoy yourselves, and have a lovely day!
If you have special dietary needs, please indicate them on your RSVP.

Yes, there a few choices.  We have booked 20 rooms each at three different Kanata hotels:

Homewood Suites by Hilton (booking link)
900 Great Lakes Ave Kanata, ON K2K 0L4 (613) 270-2050
King bed studio suite for $169

FairField Inn and Suites (booking link)
578 Terry Fox Drive Ottawa, ON K2L 4G8 (844) 468-0570
TownePlace suite for $169

Holiday Inn and Suites
101 Kanata Ave Kanata, ON K2K 1E6 (613) 271-2390
Two Queens: $160  Queen Suite: $175  Exec King Room $195

For the Holiday Inn, call (613) 271-3057, or  1-800-465-4329.  Ask for the Thorburn/Forrest Room Block and quote code ‘TFG’.  You may also go to www.hisottawa.ca and use the same block code.  Block reservation held till May 27.

There is also Brookstreet Hotel Kanata, Best Western Plus Perth Parkside Inn & Spa and possible AirBnBs in Beckwith for private accommodations.

Yes! Stonefields is a lovely country venue and our wedding ceremony is expected to take place outdoors. So please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for a warm summer’s day and evening. We would appreciate our guests to dress in traditional wedding attire with hats and/or fascinators (for the ladies) to accompany! Men are also welcome to wear a hat provided it doesn’t fall into either of these two categories: cowboy hat and/or baseball cap. Bring out your creative flare and have fun with it!!

We sincerely hope you can join us to celebrate our renewal of vows once it’s safe to re-unite.

You will be able to RSVP here once we send out formal invitations.

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