Mélanie Hartshorn-Walton, co-owner of Hartshorn-Walton Music and Durham Wedding Chapels and Venues, is a musician by day and wedding buff by night. After many years of organizing live music for over one hundred and fifty events through her company, she began looking for ways to give back to the community. Initially she began by organizing Arts-oriented fundraising events featuring cocktails, dinners, silent auctions and concerts.
For two years, she was the Director of Scarboro Arts in Calgary, and it was there that she learned to put her event planning skills and knowledge of the arts together to produce weekend events, concerts, art exhibits and more. In 2008, inspired by the seemingly limitless volunteerism and ethos of her father, Paul Hartshorn, she realized that there were many church/community centres which were being under-used and under-appreciated. This led to the creation of Durham Wedding Chapels, which began as a way to facilitate the rental of an Oshawa Byzantine Church for wedding ceremonies and receptions. It has since grown to encompass other locations, with the goal of creating income, awareness, and vitality for previously neglected community and religious spaces.
Mélanie and the Durham Wedding Chapels and Venues are excited to have found a new home at Harmony Creek Community Church.