The Cutest French Café Wedding Ever

Stephanie Weers
April 26, 2017
Categories: Real Weddings, Romantic, The Blog, Whimsical
Tags: Fashion Trends, Skirt

Dom and Amanda first met at a restaurant, so celebrating their wedding at Colette Grand Café felt like coming full circle. They wanted an intimate affair with only their closet friends and family, and the pros behind Lexington and Co. Events helped them achieve exactly that. Amanda stunned in an ethereal Carol Hannah skirt, which was graciously gifted by a fellow bride she met online! Read the full story below and don’t miss a single image from the incredible ARTIESE Studios.

From the bride, Amanda… Dom and I met in the summer of 2014, shortly after he moved to Toronto, at a busy downtown restaurant. Being the cheeky flirt that I am, I took off his baseball hat and put it on my head. He later told me that he fell in love in that moment. One drink turned into dinner, which turned into a second dinner at another restaurant down the street, and so began our shared love of good food, good wine, laughter, and being together. We have been inseparable ever since.

We wanted to create a special, intimate celebration with just close family and friends. As soon as we walked into Colette Grand Café, we fell in love with the space and booked it right away. The décor is classic French style: warm and elegant. The ceremony took place in the sunny white latticework pavilion outside, framed with hanging ivy pots and a floral backdrop.

We have such a talented group of artists in our family and circle of friends, and they added so much sparkle to the day. Family and friends played acoustic Edith Piaf and Beatles songs during the ceremony and classic love songs by Dean Martin during the cocktail reception. My mom read a beautiful indigenous poem that left not a dry eye in the room. My aunts did makeup and dress alterations, and my cousin made our vintage-inspired, delicious wedding cake. Exquisite details by my sister-in-law, who runs a DIY blog, tied everything together with a bow.

I would be remiss not to mention a very special person I met throughout this process. When we started planning the wedding, I came across the dress online. It was a skirt, actually. An ethereal, blush pink linen skirt worn by a beautiful bride named Katie who lives in Pennsylvania. I called a store in Toronto that carries the designer, Carol Hannah, told them I wanted to buy the skirt, and made a fitting appointment. My mom and I showed up on appointment day to take measurements, and when we got there, the owner of the shop told me that there had been a mixup, and that my dress wouldn’t arrive in time for the wedding. I was heartbroken. I called seamstresses to see if it could be recreated. It couldn’t. I called other boutiques across North America that sold the skirt. No one would sell me a sample. As a last resort, I emailed the photographer, who photographed Katie’s wedding, and explained the situation. The photographer promised me he would contact her. That night, I got an email from Katie. She said she wanted me to have the dress, and that she would put it in the mail the next day. Her only request was that I send her a picture of me in the dress, so that she could put it next to hers. I will never tire of telling this story. It’s an uplifting reminder of the good in people, and the kind of person I want to be.

Special thanks to our wedding planner Lexi for bringing our vision to life, and photographer Therese for capturing the most memorable day of our lives with such grace and professionalism. We ate dinner by candlelight, we laughed, and we cried. Just me, my best friend, and the people we love. It was the perfect way to start our life together.