Amanda Brugel is married. The Canadian actress, best known for her role as Rita Blue on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale, wed actor and filmmaker Aidan Shipley on Friday, Sept. 11, in Elora, Ontario, Canada. The couple exchanged handwritten vows in front of 100 guests at Potter Foundry, a historic 19th-century industrial site, with a reception following at Elora Mill. Brugel, 48, and Shipley, 33, celebrated with live music, a dance battle, and late-night snacks, capping a nearly eight-year relationship that began as a friendship before evolving into something more.
The wedding took place on Sept. 11 in Elora, Ontario, a small community northwest of Toronto known for its historic mill and proximity to the Grand River. The ceremony was held at Potter Foundry, a venue described as a historic 19th-century industrial site with original stone ruins preserved as a heritage feature. According to the couple’s interview with PEOPLE, the ceremony marked the first wedding ever held at the landmark.
The reception moved to Elora Mill, a property that began as a sawmill in 1833 before being transformed into a luxury hotel and spa. Brugel explained that the venue choice felt “organic and true” to the couple, who have made “special memories” while tubing down the nearby Grand River through the Elora Gorge with loved ones over the years.
The wedding was described as “bohemian” in style, a characterization reflected in several confirmed details from the celebration.
Brugel walked down an aisle lined with antique Persian rugs, escorted by her two sons, Jude, 15, and Phoenix, 12. The processional music was “On the Nature of Daylight.” The walk began through the woods overlooking the Grand River and ended at the doors of the Potter Foundry.
Following the ceremony, guests were led in a mass procession from Potter Foundry toward the town center, accompanied by live music from Juno Award-nominated Celtic band The Bookends. Brugel described this as a “cinematic transition from ceremony to celebration.”
The cocktail hour and reception at Elora Mill featured old-school hip-hop as guests arrived, with a DJ from 586 Event Group keeping the energy going into the reception. A dance battle pitted the bride’s side against the groom’s side.
During dinner, guests enjoyed a plated meal of their choice while listening to classical covers of pop and R&B songs. For a late-night surprise, guests were treated to Krispy Kreme donuts, Kobe beef sliders, and more.
Brugel wore two dresses on her wedding day, a detail confirmed in the couple’s interview with PEOPLE.
For the ceremony, she chose an off-white, ruffled De La Vali dress paired with a flower crown, a look that aligned with the bohemian aesthetic.
For the reception, she changed into a high-neck gown from Yellow the Label. The second dress features a pheasant print from a silk tapestry designed in 1779 by Jean Démosthène Dugourc as part of the “Verdures of the Vatican” series. Brugel said the choice was a nod to Carrie Bradshaw’s taxidermied teal bird of paradise headpiece, which the character paired with her Vivienne Westwood wedding gown in the first Sex and the City movie.
Shipley opted for a black double-breasted suit with a white rose boutonnière.
Brugel’s two sons from her previous marriage to Marcel Lewis were central figures in the ceremony.
Jude, 15, and Phoenix, 12, escorted their mother down the aisle together. They also served as Shipley’s groomsmen, a role that underscored the blended-family dynamic at the heart of the celebration.
The trio began their walk to the altar through the woods before reaching the Potter Foundry doors. The moment represented both a son’s role in their mother’s wedding and a visible integration of the family unit.
Brugel and Shipley have been together for nearly eight years. Brugel told PEOPLE they will celebrate eight years together in November.
She described their first meeting in vivid terms: “The moment I met him, I knew I met my best friend and the love of my life at the same time, which is like a fairy tale.”
Their connection developed organically over time. Brugel recalled that they “immediately got along like a house on fire” when they met, sharing mutual friends and working in the same industry. They kept encountering each other at events until, as she put it, they realized “we were not friends and we were very much in love.”
Brugel has described their relationship as “steady” and “rock-solid.” She said, “We always say it’s us versus the problem, and we very rarely have problems.” She added that marriage gives them “an even stronger foundation.”
Because the couple felt “basically already married” by the time they decided to make things official, they initially approached wedding planning casually, thinking of it as “just going to be a fun party.” But Brugel eventually became hands-on, even hand tea-dyeing 100 envelopes containing personal letters to guests, sealed with custom wax. She also created custom tissue packets for guests to wipe away tears during emotional moments.
Aidan Shipley is a Canadian actor and filmmaker. He was born on December 11, 1992, making him 33 at the time of the wedding.
Shipley is most noted as co-director, alongside Grayson Moore, of the 2017 film Cardinals. He and Brugel have been in a relationship since approximately 2018, which aligns with Brugel’s statement that they will celebrate eight years together in November 2026.
Amanda Brugel was born on March 24, 1978, in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, a suburb of Montreal. She is a Canadian actress with a career spanning more than two decades.
Her acting debut came in the 1999 drama film Vendetta. She went on to appear in a wide range of film and television projects, including Jason X (2001), Room (2015), Suicide Squad (2016), Maps to the Stars (2014), and Becky (2020).
On television, Brugel has held roles in Seed (2013–2014), Orphan Black (2015), Kim’s Convenience (2016–2021), and Pretty Hard Cases (2021–2022). In 2021, she joined the judging panel of Canada’s Drag Race.
Brugel has received several accolades, including two Canadian Screen Awards—one for her work on Kim’s Convenience and one for Canada’s Drag Race—and an ACTRA Award for her performance in Sex After Kids.
Brugel’s most internationally recognized role is Rita Blue in The Handmaid’s Tale. She joined the series in its first season as a recurring cast member and was promoted to main cast beginning in season two.
Rita is a Martha—a domestic servant in the fictional Republic of Gilead—who works in the household of Commander Fred Waterford and his wife Serena Joy. Over the course of the series, Rita becomes a quiet but significant presence, developing a complicated alliance with June Osborne (Elisabeth Moss) and participating in the underground resistance against Gilead’s regime.
Brugel also appeared in the sequel series The Testaments, reprising her role as Rita Blue in a guest appearance.
Beyond The Handmaid’s Tale, Brugel has built a substantial body of work across film and television.
Her film credits include Room (2015), the Oscar-nominated drama about a mother and son held captive; Suicide Squad (2016); Maps to the Stars (2014); and Becky (2020). On television, she has appeared in Orphan Black, Kim’s Convenience, Workin’ Moms, Snowpiercer, and Dark Matter.
In 2013, she founded a non-profit organization called Brugs Army.
Several personal touches distinguished the celebration, according to the couple’s interview with PEOPLE.
The handwritten vows exchanged by Brugel and Shipley were a deliberate choice. Brugel also hand tea-dyed 100 envelopes containing personal letters to guests, sealed with custom wax. She created custom tissue packets for guests to use during emotional moments.
The couple’s first dance was to James Blake’s cover of Billie Eilish’s “When the Party’s Over.” Brugel explained the choice: “We’re artists and so I think artists always lean toward the melodramatic. The lyrics in that song really applied to when we first started dating. Although they seem probably not the most happy, I think that it really reflects the sort of grounded, measured, honest way we entered this relationship, which is, ‘Call me friend, but keep me closer.'”
Brugel also encouraged guests to bring changes of clothes, explaining, “We’re dancing people.”
Several elements set the Brugel-Shipley wedding apart from typical celebrity celebrations.
The venue itself was historic: Potter Foundry had never hosted a wedding before, making theirs the first ceremony held at the 19th-century industrial site.
The mass procession from the ceremony to the reception—accompanied by live Celtic music—created a transition between locations that felt more like a parade than a typical wedding movement.
The dance battle, pitting the bride’s side against the groom’s side, added a competitive and playful element to the reception.
Brugel’s second dress, featuring a pheasant print from a 1779 silk tapestry design, added a layer of historical and pop-culture significance to her bridal fashion.
Amanda Brugel married Aidan Shipley, a Canadian actor and filmmaker.
They married on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026.
The ceremony was held at Potter Foundry in Elora, Ontario, Canada. The reception took place at Elora Mill.
The wedding was described as “bohemian” in style.
Aidan Shipley is a Canadian actor and filmmaker, best known for co-directing the 2017 film Cardinals.
Approximately 100 guests attended.
Yes. She wore an off-white, ruffled De La Vali dress with a flower crown for the ceremony and changed into a high-neck gown from Yellow the Label for the reception.
Yes. Her sons Jude, 15, and Phoenix, 12, escorted her down the aisle and served as Shipley’s groomsmen.
She plays Rita Blue, a Martha in the Republic of Gilead.
She is known for her roles in The Handmaid’s Tale, Kim’s Convenience, Room, Suicide Squad, and as a judge on Canada’s Drag Race.
Yes. She was born in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, and is a Canadian actress.
They have been together for nearly eight years, with their anniversary approaching in November.
The couple shared details and photos with PEOPLE in an exclusive interview.
The ceremony was the first wedding held at Potter Foundry, featured a mass procession with live Celtic music, included a dance battle between the bride’s and groom’s sides, and showcased two distinct bridal looks.