We wanted the ceremony to feel intimate, and the reception to feel like a fancy night-out in the city.
Tell us a little about yourselves, what you do, what you love…
Emily: Madison and I now live together in Toronto, ON with our new puppy Peppermint. He is a Paramedic working here in the city, and I work as an Architect. We both love the outdoors and take full advantage of the Ontario landscape around us. We ski in the Winter, hike in the spring and fall and spend our summers out on the lake doing water sports. Separately, Madison loves to spend his free time biking on the local trails, and I love to get creative, sewing or doing pottery at home.
How/where/when did you meet – and what were your first impressions?
Emily: Madison and I met in the summer of 2015 when I was 19 and he was 20 at a backyard party in our hometown. I quickly discovered that we both went to the same university in Ottawa, and he reminded me that we had actually crossed paths the summer before at a frosh event. We developed a friendship over the next few months and when we got back to school in September that friendship eventually led to us dating.
Madison: The first time I remember meeting Emily was at a frosh event in Ottawa in 2014. My roommate went to her elementary school and introduced us. It was a very brief moment in passing. When we connected (again) at a party the next summer in our hometown, I immediately remembered her and felt butterflies, knowing that she was special.
When did you first realise that this was someone you’d like to spend the rest of your life with?
Emily: Despite being so young – I knew I wanted Madison in my future after about two months of dating. It took me a minute to warm up to the idea of dating, but once I let myself fall for him, it was game over for me. He was so kind, funny, and adventurous, and I always felt so safe with him around. Ironically, we had a brief break up not long after we began dating and that experience made me realize even more that I didn’t want to go through life without him by my side. We quickly reconciled and never looked back.
Madison: Emily and I actually briefly broke up after a few months of dating, and it was the experience of not having her by my side that made me realise she was the one I wanted to spend my life with. Being young and having never had a girlfriend before, I was influenced by my seven single male roommates, who thought that playing video games and pick-up hockey would be the best use of my free time instead of having a girlfriend. Our break-up only lasted about a week before I came crawling back. I instantly realized the mistake I had made, and despite it not being one of my proudest moments, I’m so thankful now for ditching my pride and committing to building our lives together.
Was there a proposal? Tell us a little about it…
Emily: Madison proposed while we were visiting Kelowna, BC. It was our last day of vacation, and after 10 days on vacation, he (finally) worked up the courage to ask me to marry him. We were on a beautiful rock beach watching the sunset, and I can now admit that waiting for the perfect moment was worth it!
Madison: I had the ring for months, waiting for the perfect moment to propose. I decided to wait until an upcoming vacation to BC, and then, on the last day of a vacation in Kelowna, I pulled it out on a quiet rock beach during sunset. It was peak golden hour, and we were the only ones on the beach. It was a surreal moment and a feeling that I’ll never forget.
Tell us about the vision you had for the mood or style of your wedding.
Madison: We decided pretty quickly that we wanted to have an end of December wedding. Despite the summer months being the most popular time to host a wedding here in Canada, we both decided that winter suited us a little better and meant we could relax at the cottage for an extra weekend in the Summer.
Emily: There was also something about the time of year that felt so celebratory to us, so we eventually settled on December 30th as our wedding date. Given the time of year, it’s easy to get too caught up in a specific ‘theme’, but we managed to keep our wedding seasonal, romantic, warm and elegant without being overly festive.
Madison: We wanted the ceremony to feel intimate, and the reception to feel like a fancy night-out in the city. After touring a few spaces, we found that nothing could quite capture our vision for both parts of the day, so we started looking at separate venues. In the end we chose to host an intimate wedding ceremony at a photography studio, and then hosted a reception later in the evening at a historic industrial building inviting our extended families and friends.
Emily: The vision we had for our ceremony was for it to feel very intimate and very timeless. The photography studio acted as a great multifunctional backdrop for everything from getting ready, the ceremony itself and then the photos afterwards. Because the space was so paired back, it also allowed us to be really intentional about the florals and decor and lent itself to that timeless feeling. We then wanted the reception to feel celebratory, subtly festive, and have lots of ambience. We put a lot of thought into the music we played, the lighting, layout and order of events so that the whole evening felt perfectly effortless.
What was one element you were happy to splurge on?
Emily: We were really lucky to have my friend Yasmin photograph our wedding, so while we didn’t quite “splurge” on that element, we couldn’t have imagined anyone else by our sides that day. Not only is she an amazing photographer, but she also has an infectious energy that makes you feel so at ease and comfortable in front of the camera. I think that’s something that isn’t considered enough when looking for a photographer because you really do spend so much of the day with them.
Another element we didn’t mind splurging on was our reception venue. We both love cooking and going out to restaurants so it was really important for us to have food that we loved, and ensure that the service would be top notch. Our reception venue had an amazing menu to choose from and the staff were all incredibly friendly and helpful.
Did anything happen on your wedding day that you laugh about in hindsight (even if it was stressful at the time)?
Emily: Now that we’re a year past it, we can look back and laugh, but Madison and I ended up getting really sick just before our wedding. I was bedridden for about three weeks, which made last-minute planning really stressful. Madison’s sickness didn’t last quite as long as mine, so after he started to feel better, he was the best caretaker for me as I recovered. By some miracle I started to improve in the days leading up to our wedding and felt back to normal on our big day (thanks adre naline!). Being sick in bed was not how we envisioned spending the weeks leading up to our wedding, but it made both of us so thankful and happy to have each other and to feel healthy on our day. The whole ordeal really put into perspective what was truly important - being healthy, being surrounded by loved ones, and that we were each marrying our best friend.
Tell us about your main outfits, what was unique, is there a story?
Emily: The path to finding my wedding dress was a long and winding road, something I’m sure a lot of brides can sympathize with. After booking our wedding date, I made appointments at a few bridal shops in Toronto and the surrounding area. After the third attempt at ‘finding my dress’, I realized that my vision was very specific and that I might have to change my approach. Rather than spend more time searching for something that might not exist, I began reaching out to local dressmakers to see if they were available and able to bring my vision to life. I met with Catherine and immediately knew I wanted to work with her. As a trained architect, I came prepared for our meeting with a detailed sketch of what I envisioned for my dress. She was so receptive to my ideas and gave her own expert insight, which immediately put me at ease, knowing that my future wedding dress was in capable hands. Over the next few months, we met several times for fittings, material selections, design revisions and alterations. To this day I am so happy I chose to have my dress custom made. On my wedding day, I felt so timeless, authentic, beautiful and also proud to say that I designed my own dress.
Madison: I envied the amount of thought and detail that Emily spoke about when designing her wedding gown, so I wanted to apply a similar approach when it came to what I wore. I found out that Suit Supply offers custom options for men’s dress fashion, and I soon made an appointment. I wanted it to be simple and classic, with nothing too trendy or distracting. After seeing some options, I decided on a black tuxedo jacket with a thin shawl collar, complete with our wedding date stitched on the inside. It was made of a beautiful, rich black wool material, even the collar. For my pants, I opted not to have the typical tuxedo stripes so that the look would be kept super clean. I finished off the look with a classic white pleated shirt. I felt comfortable and confident throughout the whole day and night, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
CEREMONY LOCATION Archive Studios, @archivestudiosto RECEPTION LOCATION Storys Building, @storysbuilding PHOTOGRAPHER Yasmin Al Samarrai, @yasminalsamarrai PLANNER Studio Adieu, @studio.adieu FLORIST Isabel Mendoza – Floret, @floret.dundaswest CELEBRANT Julia Grcevic, @jjgrc ENTERTAINMENT Pianist – Liz Craig, @lizcraigpianist; DJ – DJ Floh Back Productions, @djflohback CAKE Groom’s Aunt STATIONERY Design – Studio Adieu, @studio.adieu; Print – Trip Print Press, @tripprintpress SIGNAGE Design – Studio Adieu, @studio.adieu; Print – Oakville Blueprinting, @oakvilleblueprinting.ca RINGS Pamela Lauz, @pamelalauzjewellery BRIDAL DRESS Designed by Bride; Made by Catherine Langlois, @catherinelangloisbridal BRIDE’S SHOE Bella Belle Shoes, @bellabelleshoes BRIDE’S ACCESSORIES Purse – Anthropologie, @anthropologie; Velvet Cape – Made by Aunt; Pearl Necklace and Earrings – Family heirlooms; MAKEUP Jess Scafiezzo, @jsfaces HAIR Schulz Beauty, @schulzbeauty BRIDE’S FRAGRANCE Poppy & Barley – Jo Malone, @jomalonelondon TUX Suitsupply, @suitsupply GROOM’S SHOE Hugo Boss GROOM’S ACCESSORIES Necklace & Bracelet – Mejuri, @mejuri GROOM’S FRAGRANCE Eidesis – Aesop, @aesopskincare BRIDESMAIDS DRESSES Rented from The Fitzroy, @fitzroyrentals BEST MAN’S TUX Suitsupply, @suitsupply
