What was the one thing about your venue that made you know it was the one?
We visited a number of venues around the city and none of them had the character of the Berkeley Street Church. That unique, vintage feel really went along with what we wanted out of our wedding – a vintage-chic look that only this particular venue could help us achieve.
Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?
We made our own wine for the wedding and created custom labels based on the names of each of our two cats, Dorito and Pinchy. The white wine was called Dorito Vineyards, and the red, Sir Pinchington Estates.
The old-fashioned photo booth was the perfect fit for our theme, and guests could sign a fantastic guest book with each of their pictures available in there immediately.
Our custom-made cake toppers based on our Xbox 360 avatars
Give us the one moment in your wedding day you can’t stop thinking about.
My husband and I wrote our own vows and unbeknownst to each other ended up copying each other in one key line – that we would always be each other’s “Player 2.” The combination of surprise and the reaction of our guests was one of the most memorable parts of the whole day.
Which three details from your wedding were your favorites?
There were a lot of details we were very proud of, but for me, the top three would be:
Our rings – We chose to present each other with identical wedding bands. This was important to us because we truly see ourselves as equals and teammates in our relationship and this marriage, and wanted matching rings that would remind us of that forever. We joked about engraving them with “World Series Champions 2012” or something of the sort to reinforce that we’re on the same team, but decided that the rings themselves would be sufficient for us!
Our place cards – For our save-the-date cards, we presented a board game theme by featuring Scrabble tiles in the card design. We decided to continue this theme with our place cards by using Jenga blocks to mark each guest’s spot. My sister attached stickers to the blocks with our guests’ names so that they would be able to find their places at our very long table, and we also supplied Sharpie pens so that guests could write a message to us on their blocks after sitting down. Towards the end of the meal my mother collected all of the Jenga blocks into a basket, leaving us with a very personalized and memory-filled game that we can play for years to come!
Our table – From the outset, we agreed that we wanted to sit with all of our guests at a single long table. I took a trip with my family to Tuscany seven years ago, and we lunched in a vineyard, huddled around one gorgeous table with wine and conversation flowing freely. It remains one of my favourite memories, and I wanted to recreate it on my wedding day. We didn’t want to be on display at a head table, but part of the group, with our families and friends, sitting elbow to elbow. We likewise didn’t want to organize our guests into a traditional wedding hierarchy of who’s known who the longest, or who likes who more. In the end, the table was breathtaking and turned out even better than we’d imagined it, and Graydon Hall Manor was the absolute perfect place for it. We kept our guest list small so that all 59 of us would fit comfortably at the 64 foot-long table, decorated with candles and lemons and floral centerpieces I had put together the day before with my mother and sister. The seating chart was definitely a little intimidating to tackle and arrange, but we made it work!
From the Bride: Bride: “We met on the very first day of university in 2000 – we were next-door neighbours in residence at Queen’s University. We both knew from that very first year that we were made for each other – it just took us another 10 years to come to terms with that fact! We had remained best friends for a decade before taking the leap into the dating world and falling in love all over again. I was paddled to the ceremony in a canoe by my dad. Canoeing has always been such a huge part of my life growing up in Northern Canada. It was our favourite thing to do as father and daughter. My dad hand-crafted a paddle for the wedding, and he had all of the most important and influential people from my home-town of Kenora sign the paddle. A lot of them weren’t able to make it to the wedding, but they were there in spirit, as he used the paddle to take me to the church! Alex and I really loved the intertwining of city and country that the Toronto Islands brought to our wedding. I grew up in the outdoors and in a small town, and Alex is more of a city boy so the setting was meant to reflect our different upbringings. We wanted a casual yet classy feel, and we wanted our guests to feel as though they were entering into a magical world just outside of Toronto. We got so lucky with the weather! I think the ferry ride to the church was a fun way to arrive at a wedding! The lawn-bowling at cocktail hour was meant to achieve a really fun garden-party flavour. The flowers were local and eco-friendly which was important to us. Admiring the Toronto skyline from the cool breeziness and lake-air of the islands added to the magic of the day! Alex (along with Whitney) actually planned the whole day to incredible detail. I only had to pick out a dress and enjoy the ride! He’s such an amazing husband (albeit a bit of a groom-zilla).”
About the Wedding: “Buckles and boots, saddles and 5 gallon hats.. now this is my kind of wedding! Matt is a pro rodeo world champion steer wrestler while Tamaron has a few bragging rights of her own as multiple champion barrel racer! The wedding was held on the brides family farm just north of Toronto in Hillsburgh. Although the couple wanted a western feel they wanted the flowers and decor to be glamorous and memorable. The brides carried classic flowers of red roses, peonies, stock and mums. The ceremony decor was rustic but rich. The white carpet aisle was lined with rose petals and old fashioned floral baskets on vintage aisle hooks. The reception held in a wedding tent was breathtaking with twinkle lit draping, manzanita tree centrepieces and a warm red glow. Whether its a down town city vibe or a western country feel, flowers and decor are the key to creating a memorable atmosphere at a wedding.” -Rachel A. Clingen Wedding And Event Design
