A green wedding

A newlywed shares her story of saying “I do” on the golf course

Many people have good memories from the golf course. Maybe it’s the time you scored a birdie on a tough hole, or had a fun business outing with clients. However, Alexis Poulin and her husband Mike, of Prince Albert, decided to spend August 22nd on Candle Lake Golf Course for a different reason: their wedding. But why would two people who don’t golf opt to marry at a golf resort? Alexis shared her memories of the big day. “It was one of the nicer places around the Prince Albert area,” said Poulin. “We wanted to do an outdoor wedding and I spent most of my life in and around the Candle Lake area. I had heard good things about the Candle Lake Resort.” h3. A prime location Alexis and Mike drove 45 minutes to Candle Lake to celebrate the day with eight members of their wedding party and about 200 guests. Family and friends came from Calgary, Alberta as well as Saskatchewan locations such as Saskatoon, Prince Alberta and Redvers. “I know a lot of people who came to the wedding stayed at Candle Lake and they golfed the morning of the wedding or the next morning,” said Poulin. “It was really handy because we had access to all the golf carts, (which) the photographer had set up.” “Just off the lake they have a gazebo. It was right off the side of one of the golf holes there, with the lake was behind us and the resort on the other side,” said Poulin, describing the wedding ceremony. “After the ceremony we walked down a path and there was a boat there. We hopped in the boat and we went for a cruise and came back and had our pictures from there.” h3. Obstacles and triumphs Getting married outdoors was not without challenges, however. “It rained all morning,” said Poulin, “and it had stopped raining an hour before the ceremony. Then the sun started shining when we walked down the aisle.” Being outside also influenced the choice of bridesmaid’s dresses, with the party opting for shorter skirt lengths that wouldn’t drag in the grass and sandals. For the bride though, it was all about a traditional look: “In the end I wanted the big dress,” she said. The couple also held a reception at Candle Lake, including a dance, drinks and dinner. Catered by Jeannette Kindzerski, food and beverage manager at Candle Lake, the wedding party and guests dined on brie and cranberry-stuffed chicken, perogies, cabbage rolls, cooked vegetables, potatoes and salads. The meal was finished by an impressive dessert. “We had a dessert assortment,” said Poulin. “It was a castle-type thing, (with) hundreds of different types of desserts all in a tier.” Ultimately the beautiful surroundings made for an excellent marriage venue, even for non-golfers. Candle Lake describes itself as the “Saskatchewan’s best northern wedding destination,” and with accolades like those from the Poulins, it’s easy to see why it has earned that distinction. “The grass was so green and with the trees and flowers it was very natural,” said Poulin. “Especially at Candle Lake because it was all on the lake—you got the best of both worlds, especially for the big golfers.”