Relaxed Micro Wedding at The Cogswell House Airbnb in Halifax

Woman in white dress and man in dark green suit, standing and holding hands in front of seated group of people, at wedding ceremony at the Cogswell House in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Have you ever thought about having your wedding at an Airbnb? Jenna & Kyle did, and it ended up being the perfect venue for an intimate, unforgettable, family-filled wedding weekend!

White wedding dress hanging on wood hanger, hung on ornate gold mirror at wedding venue in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Diamond engagement ring rests on diamond infinity women's wedding band and men's wedding band, with white gold and diamond contrasting against blue background, taken by Nova Scotian wedding photographer.

Jenna and Kyle always knew that they wanted a casual and inviting wedding atmosphere, so planning a family-centered micro-wedding was an obvious choice. Their wedding venue, the Cogswell House, provided the perfect setting for a weekend-long family stay, and allowed them to have the ceremony and reception all in the same beautiful location!

Bride popping champagne bottle at Cogswell House in Halifax, NS on wedding day.

Bride and bridesmaids are seated on bed, wearing matching styled robes, smiling at Cogswell House wedding in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Blonde woman wearing white robe is seated on bed, putting in an earring in preparation for wedding ceremony in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

After a year of long-distance dating and then moving together to Halifax, Jenna and Kyle were engaged at the Halifax Public Gardens in 2020. They were able to plan a romantic, intimate gathering that so perfectly reflected who they are as a couple, while incorporating their families and other personal details into the day.

Jenna and Kyle chose to have a first look in the living room of the Cogswell House, in front of the fireplace. It was such an honor to witness and document some of the sweetest moments between the two of them before we went on with the rest of the day!

Jenna’s advice to those wedding-planning now: “Take your time planning and enjoy the process. Pick two or three things that are the most important to you and invest your time and energy into those elements (ours was the music, food, and decor). Most importantly — make sure you schedule time, even just a few minutes, for the two of you to be alone, take in the magic of the day and celebrate together.”

Jenna purchased her stunning dress from Sinders Bridal House in Carleton Place, Ontario, where she grew up. One highlight of wedding planning for her was being able to try on wedding dresses with her mom in her hometown!

The dress, the Lenox gown designed by All Who Wander, originally had flared bell sleeves, but Lovely Bridal Alterations worked her magic and transformed the gown into Jenna’s vision!

Choosing the Cogswell House for their venue meant that Jenna and Kyle were able to play off of the home’s bright and lively decorated style. They made their wedding decor unique to their own taste by mixing neutrals and a few bold pops of color into the details. The couple had fun planning a few unique style choices, like Kyle’s dark green suit, while also sticking to classic details like gold metal accents and a green, cream and white floral palette.

At the reception, guests loved the “grazing table” which included amazing snacking options and beautiful bright colored dishes from Anemone Dining. Another star of the show: the “Ottawa-famous” Golden Palace egg rolls that Jenna’s dad had specially shipped to Halifax to serve as a nod to Jenna’s hometown.

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“We are so grateful for you, Alyssa, for capturing every little moment from our favourite day. Our emotional first look, photos of our family, brand new baby niece and best friends in the Public Gardens where we got engaged, the moment my veil got stuck coming down the aisle (lol) and all the little in-betweens. We’ll cherish all these memories forever!”

— JENNA

Music was a special theme for Jenna and Kyle’s wedding (in fact, they first met when Kyle was visiting Toronto to attend a Dave Matthews concert!). They were able to incorporate their love of music into the details of the wedding reception, having their first dance to “I’m Yours” by Joel Plaskett, and their processional to “Weak in the Knees” by Serena Ryder, one of Kyle’s dad’s favorite songs.

One of Jenna and Kyle’s favorite moments from their wedding was finishing the night with the Mull River Shuffle, with friends playing fiddle and guitar and everyone dancing around the Cogswell House living room.