The Clearing

Imagine walking down an aisle shaded by tall hardwoods, with string lights in the branches and the quiet of the forest all around.

The Clearing is an outdoor wedding venue on Fifth Line in Shedden, just south of the 401 on the southwest outskirts of London. Owners Jeff and Sandy Vachon, with their family and friends, transformed a wet, unproductive piece of their farm into a private, picturesque setting.

The venue itself is an acre set within a 30-acre hardwood lot, so the ceremony and reception are surrounded by real trees, natural gardens and wildlife rather than borrowed greenery.

Ceremonies take place in an enchanted forest space with bench seating. Afterward, the reception moves into an elegant tent that accommodates more than 200 guests, with stone flooring, a stage and a dance floor.

At the centre, a stone dance floor glows beneath a rustic chandelier, and a covered open bar built from an old oak milled on the property becomes a natural gathering place.

Wood chip pathways with string lighting run along the north and south ends of the property, and beyond them willow trees over a pond, an old grain silo and open farmland offer more places for photographs.

Packages include venue coordination meetings, bartending services, modern washroom facilities with wheelchair access and use of the grounds for engagement photos. Electricity, municipal water, secure storage, refrigeration and overnight parking are also provided.

For couples who want a forest ceremony and a celebration under the stars, The Clearing offers a setting where elegance and nature truly meet.