Creating Your Own Weather, Forever and Ever

Jemma Dooreleyers | Aug 21, 2025

(Sponsored Content)

On the third-last Saturday in August, as summer gave one final bow, a congregation gathered at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Railton, Ontario, for a celebration that transcended the heat. Though the temperature soared to 35 degrees (save for a few flashes of yellow from Children’s First Missal, being used as personal fans), guests seemed generally unaffected as they were immersed in the warmth of something far greater: the love between Jennifer Lahey and James McGill.

Family and friends travelled from across the United States and Canada to witness the union, filling the small country chapel with joyful anticipation on August 16, 2025. The space was adorned in elegant simplicity—soft sage green accents and white roses graced the altar and pews, creating a fresh, serene atmosphere that perfectly matched the couple’s energy.

Jennifer walked down the aisle to a lilting string rendition of “I Can’t Help Falling in Love,” a moment both timeless and intimate. She was radiant in head-to-toe lace, while James, in a sharp three-piece tuxedo, could not have smiled bigger, beaming with pride and emotion.

Despite the sweltering heat, the couple remained composed and cool, their calm reflecting the depth of their bond. As they exchanged vows—promising love through sickness and health, in feast and famine, until death—they did so not just with obvious joy, but with quiet confidence. Steadfast in a belief that no matter what life brings, their love, the support of their community, and their shared positive mindset would bring them through any storm, assured in the knowledge that together, they can create their own weather.

The ceremony followed a traditional Catholic Mass, filled with heartfelt moments, soft laughter, and even a few celebratory fist pumps from the groom. And when the couple walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, for the first time as husband and wife, the room exploded in cheers, united in the feeling that this was more than a wedding. It was a beginning rooted in grace, strength, and unwavering devotion.

Later that day, James’ mother, Mary-Jane McGill, summed up the spirit of the moment perfectly:

“I’m incredibly excited. It’s a magical moment when one of your children finds their soulmate,and that’s such an overused word,but they are such an incredible match. They found each other in the most unbelievable circumstances, and we’re all here today.”

The theme of elegance, subtle nods to their relationship, and an insurmountable amount of love for each other and for their family followed guests down the winding road to the reception venue, the backdrop of their love story,the Lahey family cottage on Gould Lake, at the edge of Frontenac Park. The cottage, which had been renovated and landscaped extensively, was not only the perfect spot to host guests for a cocktail hour on the tennis court with breathtaking views of the lake through the trees, it was meaningful for the couple because that is where they spent their first few hours together—and all of their favourite memories since.

“This is where I met Jen, this is where our love started,” said James in a quick moment between family pictures and his time being introduced as Jennifer’s husband.

He was living in Denver. She was living in Toronto. Worlds apart—until a mutual friend decided to play matchmaker. Her best friend told her, “I’ve got the perfect guy for you,” and, curious (and conveniently in Denver for her birthday), she reached out to him on LinkedIn.
 But he didn’t respond.
 Why? He thought she was a recruiter.

Months passed. Then, her friend finally followed up and told him, “She’s not a recruiter. She’s the one I’ve been telling you about!” Realizing his mistake, he wasted no time—he FaceTimed her on the spot.

Her response? A smirk and a quick: “You snooze, you lose.”

But a few months of back and forth later and…

“I flew out from Denver to Toronto and we drove right up here—2 and a half hours—and you’ll get to know someone pretty well on the drive up to their cottage.”

Coincidentally, the Massachusetts native actually summered on Wolfe Island when he was younger.

“So when I told her I knew about Chez Piggy and Pan Chancho and Wolfe Island and all that—I knew I had her hooked.”

James, a senior vice president at an industrial real estate agency in Denver, CO, felt it was important to have the reception at the family cottage in Frontenac, not only from the meaningful memories that were made there early in their relationship, but because he feels like it was where he truly saw Jennifer shine.

“She is the best,” he said with a soft smile. “She loves her family. She would do anything for them. She’s got a great golf swing. She can be that fancy, flashy girl at the bar in the city, but she can also be so down to Earth, at the cottage in sweatpants and a hoody, on the pontoon boat.”

Jennifer, who has her Master’s in Science, is an award-winning businesswoman and keynote speaker, had much of the same to say about James, in a brief quiet moment while she got her hair touched up for the reception.

“He’s just funny and down to Earth, no drama, and he could keep up with me and my stubbornness,” she said. “He’s the love of my life. I also knew he was the one when I took him to meet our neighbours here, and when I met his family at Thanksgiving and they were just like mine.”

Jennifer’s father, David Lahey, the CEO of Predictive Success Corporation, offered his observation of the newlyweds, while beaming with pride for his daughter and her new husband.

“James and Jennifer are very much alike. They’re both left-handed, they’re both savvy business people. They’re both very high-energy people—which is helpful—and it’s very clear today that they are very much in love.”

From the meandering garden, lovingly prepared by Jennifer’s mother, Patty Lahey, with 857 individually planted flowers, to the champagne wall that included sippy cups for all of the children in attendance, it was clear that family was the central theme of the day.

As the sun dipped behind the trees and guests gathered under twinkle lights and a soft sky, the evening marked more than a union,it marked the start of something new.

In fact, Jennifer chose this moment,surrounded by loved ones, rooted in personal history, and buoyed by fresh beginnings, to quietly launch her new brand, Create Your Own Weather.

The brand was born from a deeply personal place. When Jennifer’s father was diagnosed with Stage 4 throat cancer and given just three weeks to live, he refused to accept the forecast. His steady refrain—“You can’t control the storm, but you can create your own weather”—became a guiding mantra, not only in that season, but in life.

Long before that, Jennifer’s mother had fought her own battle with breast cancer, doing so with grace, grit, and an unwavering belief that she could write a different ending. Together, Jennifer's parents modeled quiet strength, optimism, and the unshakable truth that while storms are inevitable, we are never powerless.

Create Your Own Weather is a tribute to that mindset. Represented by an upside-down umbrella logo, the brand is a reminder that what once felt like a burden can become a source of growth, shelter, and renewal.

More than apparel, it’s a movement—one of self-leadership, resilience, and intention. Guests were invited to take home items bearing the name and symbol of the brand: cozy sweatshirts, thoughtful keepsakes, wearable reminders that each morning brings a new forecast—and that we get to choose how we meet it.

On a day filled with love, legacy, and meaning, Jennifer and James didn’t just start a marriage. They launched a way of living—one built on purpose, perspective, and the quiet power of choosing your own weather.