This is such a tremendously sweet wedding. Not only because of the details which are, don’t get me wrong, as pretty as can be, but for the sentiment and love that went into each and every planning decision that this bride and groom made. They celebrated their love for each other and for their family members, both those who were present in person and in spirit, in some of the loveliest ways imaginable. NovaMarkina Photography captured every precious moment and every romantic, vintage detail. Click here to see them all!
Click here to see the entire gallery of images!
From the groom…Our day was special before we even got married, before we even got engaged. Our day was special for a very different reason, our day is the day Alisha’s Grandmother passed away; it’s been 8 years as of this year. So before we planned a single detail, we knew this day would be special.
We planned a day of nostalgia, we planned a day of family, we planned a day of décor looking as if it wasn’t planned, but rather – meant to be – LIKE US! The challenge was to create a special day out of an already special day – create a day that was a bittersweet reminder of Granny Kit – a day that was about us – but also about all of our guests. We started with us..
We like old things – we live in a century home, we go to antique shows and shops, we breathe new life into old things. Our home is proof. We chose the oldest, most beautiful church we could imagine, St. Peter’s. People often gasp when they come in, the beauty of St. Peter’s to us was it’s beauty – we only needed a single decoration – posie pockets. Alisha’s Grandma Jacquie lovingly hand-stitched one by one, then she hand starched them with Great-Grandma’s starch recipe 17 in total, each one as perfect as the next.
Next came the venue – we were sticky on this – how does a couple go about having a massive family wedding in somewhere other than a hall or tent? The London Club was perfect – a tight squeeze for 200, but perfect, established in the 1800’s as an “old boys club” it has maintained its nostalgia, class, and charm while allowing for some updates and female members. The next way we brought “us” into the day was in décor. Not only were most items antiques that we hunted and searched for over a year but they allowed for some DIY too. Table numbers were antique prescriptions with numbers stenciled over top, all the other candles were a mish-mash of old and new, some borrowed that were all unique and beautiful in their own way. The crates around the room added a rustic element that we were looking for amidst the ivory linens and clean candle light. The bottles on the tables are all pharmacy bottles (the groom is a pharmacist – hence why the table numbers and bottles work) they were borrowed from the pharmacy Mike works at and had about 50 years of dust and who knows what else on them when they were dug out of the basement!
A reoccurring theme was a tandem bike which we loved as it symbolized being on the same journey together. The save the dates, the table stationery and cake topper all followed this theme. We brought family into our day by displaying pictures of our parents and grandparents on their wedding days with the verse: “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue”. We cut our cake with the groom’s grandparents serving set used at their 50th wedding anniversary and subsequently at all grandchildren’s weddings after.
Now to bring in Alisha’s Grandmother.. Alisha wore her Grandmother’s earrings, the same ones Granny Kit wore on HER wedding day years before. We danced to her Grandmother’s favorite song, Elvis’ “Love Me Tender” –according to Granny Kit – it was the only REAL love song. In lieu of traditional wedding favors, a donation was made to Strathroy Hospital, where each of the 19 of Granny Kit’s grandchildren were born and where we said goodbye to Granny Kit 8 years ago.
The day was perfect, the nostalgia was there, our family was there, and most importantly, the loved ones who couldn’t be there – were there.
Ceremony Location: St. Peter’s Cathedral Basilica / Reception Location: The London Club / Transportation: Checker Limousine + Tourism London / Wedding Photography: Nova Markina of NovaMarkina Photography / Hair: Hair by Lindsey Boyd / Make-up: Janet Entwistle of Face Trends / Floral Design: Olive Lane Floral / Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal / Bride’s Shoes: Stuart Weitzman via Zappos / Bride’s Hairpiece: Prim and Posies / Bride’s Earrings: Her Grandmother’s (who wore them on her wedding day too!) / Groom’s Suite + Shoes: Hugo Boss / Groom’s Shirt: Nordstrom / Groom + Groomsmen Bowties + Pocket Squares: The Belle & The Beau / Custom Hangers: DIY Brides via Etsy / String Quartet: String Classics / Band: The Doug Varty Band/ Invites, Table Numbers, Guest Book, Drink Flags, Seating Chart: DIY / Cake: IncrEDIBLES by Lani