Modern, Elegant Wedding in Toronto
Wonderfully elegant, this stylish Toronto soiree plays out like the loveliest fairytales. Every detail was carefully curated by the beautiful Bride, and it's safe to say I am head over heels for every single touch. Boyfriend Girlfriend was behind the lens to make sure we didn't miss a single moment, and you can see them all here.
From The Bride...My husband and I were on the same page that we wanted our guests to leave our wedding exclaiming it was the best wedding they have been to. The top items on our joint priority list were delicious, gorgeous, five star restaurant quality food with a focus on local and organic ingredients. We wanted wines that highlighted Ontario's fabulous wine country, and great music that ensured no one was left sitting! Overall we agreed we wanted a day that reflected us as a couple and the special relationships in our life. Each touch that we chose had meaning behind it.
My list of priorities was a bit longer than that...
Our ceremony was held at the University of Toronto Trinity College Chapel. We chose this venue as we met at the University and one day about two years into our relationship we were on the grounds and my husband said we should get married at a "place like this". It was the first real discussion about marriage and that venue was obviously a shoe-in after that conversation. The ceremony incorporated poetry and writings from Victor Hugo and Beethovan and we chose couples whose relationships we admired to provide our readings during our ceremony.
Fashion was another one of my priorities, again I craved simplicity and elegance as my daily fashion sense is quite tailored. My dress was a simple sheath style gown from Nicole Miller with a cutout back. I wore a birdcage veil for the ceremony and cocktails and changed to a vintage brooch with feathers attached that I purchased in Paris. My clutch was vintage inspired which I purchased in Paris as well. My shoes were Manolo Blahnik-my favourite shoe designer. I incorporated some sentimental touches into my ensemble, my earrings were borrowed from my mom, and tied around my bouquet was my grandfather's ID bracelet, whom I was named after. It ensured he was part of my special day as well. My bridesmaids wore classic cream one shoulder dresses which highlighted their gorgeous figures and put the focus on them as well as they are such special girls in my life. Our two ring bearers were in Burberry shorts with crisp white dress shirts and bow ties. Their look was finished off with deck shoes! Groom and groomsmen were in simple black tuxedos finished off with vintage pocket watches.
Having been to countless weddings that were dripping with crystals and rhinestones I craved a simple and elegant reception that showcased not one the beauty of the venue and its surroundings, but also the beauty of our guests. I went with a cream and white palette to complement the streamlined decor of the venue. Our flowers were long and linear to not only complement the length of the venue and our market tables, but to ensure maximum "chatability" for our guests. My husband and I have a love for beautiful architecture and the Philippe Starck ghost chairs in cream were the perfect complement to the table settings. Of course with the emphasis on modern, streamlined items we needed to infuse some vintage flair. We attached vintage skeleton keys to each guest's seating card tied with a variety of cream ribbons.
Our cocktail hour was designed to be fun and reflective of us as a couple. We incorporated appetizers from both of our cultures, my husband being Armenian we had falafel and spinach pastries, and myself being Italian and Ukranian we incorporated arancini, caprese skewers, and pierogies. We love oysters so we had to have an oyster shucker as well, and in lieu of a signature cocktail we went with classic champagne! Lastly, we had an all-white candy bar as we both have a bit of a sweet tooth! My husband loves jazz and our DJ ensured the best jazz music was played during the cocktail hour.
Our meal was focused on local and organic ingredients, and we chose a caterer who shared our vision and was also ethical. All of the food that is leftover is donated to a homeless shelter. Keeping with our strong sense of charity, in lieu of party favours we made a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society and Heart and Stroke Foundation in honour of our grandparents who were not able to share the day with us.
Our dinner consisted of a beet, arugula and orange segment salad, truffled mushroom risotto, beef tenderloin, arctic char and vegetarian strudel. Our cake designer designed a gorgeous salted caramel wedding cake for us.
Dancing was the highlight of the night. We wanted a different first dance that started the night off with a bang and our first dance was a hustle to Barry White's "My Everything" which was the first song we danced to when we were dating.
Our DJ did an exceptional job keeping our guests dancing. To quote my father in law he was "tearing up the dance floor!".
The next morning we hosted a brunch at La Societe, a french restaurant near the venue which we love. We then packed up and headed off to our honeymoon in Tahiti and Bora Bora.
Our day was filled with love and fun, the speeches were heartfelt, and one guest said they could feel the love in the room. Reflecting on the day it not only was about the love we had for each other, we were surrounded by those we loved the most. We kept our wedding on the smaller side to ensure we could spend quality time with each and every one of our guests, being able to do that, made us feel relaxed and that it truly was a celebration.
My list of priorities was a bit longer than that...
Our ceremony was held at the University of Toronto Trinity College Chapel. We chose this venue as we met at the University and one day about two years into our relationship we were on the grounds and my husband said we should get married at a "place like this". It was the first real discussion about marriage and that venue was obviously a shoe-in after that conversation. The ceremony incorporated poetry and writings from Victor Hugo and Beethovan and we chose couples whose relationships we admired to provide our readings during our ceremony.
Fashion was another one of my priorities, again I craved simplicity and elegance as my daily fashion sense is quite tailored. My dress was a simple sheath style gown from Nicole Miller with a cutout back. I wore a birdcage veil for the ceremony and cocktails and changed to a vintage brooch with feathers attached that I purchased in Paris. My clutch was vintage inspired which I purchased in Paris as well. My shoes were Manolo Blahnik-my favourite shoe designer. I incorporated some sentimental touches into my ensemble, my earrings were borrowed from my mom, and tied around my bouquet was my grandfather's ID bracelet, whom I was named after. It ensured he was part of my special day as well. My bridesmaids wore classic cream one shoulder dresses which highlighted their gorgeous figures and put the focus on them as well as they are such special girls in my life. Our two ring bearers were in Burberry shorts with crisp white dress shirts and bow ties. Their look was finished off with deck shoes! Groom and groomsmen were in simple black tuxedos finished off with vintage pocket watches.
Having been to countless weddings that were dripping with crystals and rhinestones I craved a simple and elegant reception that showcased not one the beauty of the venue and its surroundings, but also the beauty of our guests. I went with a cream and white palette to complement the streamlined decor of the venue. Our flowers were long and linear to not only complement the length of the venue and our market tables, but to ensure maximum "chatability" for our guests. My husband and I have a love for beautiful architecture and the Philippe Starck ghost chairs in cream were the perfect complement to the table settings. Of course with the emphasis on modern, streamlined items we needed to infuse some vintage flair. We attached vintage skeleton keys to each guest's seating card tied with a variety of cream ribbons.
Our cocktail hour was designed to be fun and reflective of us as a couple. We incorporated appetizers from both of our cultures, my husband being Armenian we had falafel and spinach pastries, and myself being Italian and Ukranian we incorporated arancini, caprese skewers, and pierogies. We love oysters so we had to have an oyster shucker as well, and in lieu of a signature cocktail we went with classic champagne! Lastly, we had an all-white candy bar as we both have a bit of a sweet tooth! My husband loves jazz and our DJ ensured the best jazz music was played during the cocktail hour.
Our meal was focused on local and organic ingredients, and we chose a caterer who shared our vision and was also ethical. All of the food that is leftover is donated to a homeless shelter. Keeping with our strong sense of charity, in lieu of party favours we made a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society and Heart and Stroke Foundation in honour of our grandparents who were not able to share the day with us.
Our dinner consisted of a beet, arugula and orange segment salad, truffled mushroom risotto, beef tenderloin, arctic char and vegetarian strudel. Our cake designer designed a gorgeous salted caramel wedding cake for us.
Dancing was the highlight of the night. We wanted a different first dance that started the night off with a bang and our first dance was a hustle to Barry White's "My Everything" which was the first song we danced to when we were dating.
Our DJ did an exceptional job keeping our guests dancing. To quote my father in law he was "tearing up the dance floor!".
The next morning we hosted a brunch at La Societe, a french restaurant near the venue which we love. We then packed up and headed off to our honeymoon in Tahiti and Bora Bora.
Our day was filled with love and fun, the speeches were heartfelt, and one guest said they could feel the love in the room. Reflecting on the day it not only was about the love we had for each other, we were surrounded by those we loved the most. We kept our wedding on the smaller side to ensure we could spend quality time with each and every one of our guests, being able to do that, made us feel relaxed and that it truly was a celebration.