After spending two days with Sana & Derek for their traditional ceremonies, we were so excited to be apart of their Toronto Island wedding which was very much “them”. They had a chartered boat to take all of their guest across to the Islands, it was great to see familiar faces from the previous weekend. Sana & Derek had a beautiful ceremony on the beach, filled with emotion, laughter & lots of love! What a great suprise to see a rainbow on our walk to the beach after the ceremony!
– Niki
Describe the vision/theme you had for your wedding in 5 words or less: relaxed, sweet, nostalgic & hand made.
What are you favorite memories of your wedding day?
Bride: Arriving at the charter boat on the day of our island wedding. By the time we arrived at the docks, I was in a panic and incredibly nervous. We were late and I was scared that no one would be there. When we arrived, it was so incredible to see all the most important people in our lives there clapping and cheering for us. It was right then that I knew it was going to be a perfect day.
Groom: Getting snuck out the back door of the hotel for photos on the day of the Nikkah. We felt like celebrities on the run!! It was so amazing to have the opportunity to escape from everyone, be ourselves, and get ready to be married!
Best wedding related decision: Having two ceremonies! We wanted to have a traditional Muslim wedding, but it was also really important to us to be true to all aspects of ourselves. We felt we really needed to also have a day that was a little more fun, laid back, and quirky!
Advice for future brides & grooms: Time is everything!! We only had a three month engagement, so we had a whole lot to do in a very short period of time. If you have the option to take your time while planning your wedding, take advantage of it! The time goes by incredibly quickly, and we were taking care of details right up until the very last moment. Take time on your wedding day to step away with your partner, look around, and take it all in. Your special day will fly by faster than any other day of your life!
Would you change anything if you could do it all over again? We wouldn’t change a thing. Every lovely detail, every disaster, and every flaw made our wedding 100% genuine and true to who we are. We decided to do almost every last thing ourselves, because we knew that it would make the day truly our own.
Best surprise of the day: We had our hearts set on an outdoor ceremony on the beach. We feel so perfectly happy when we are outside together, and it would have felt wrong to be married indoors. Much to our dismay, it rained all morning and afternoon on our wedding day. When the time came to have the ceremony, we kept stalling for time in hopes that the rain would stop just for a few minutes so we could all go outside. Finally, we decided we couldn’t delay it any longer. At that exact moment, the sky began to lighten, and the rain let up. We all rushed through the lawn to the beach, and as our feet hit the sand, we looked across the water and saw a perfect double rainbow appear between the parting clouds. It was the most incredible thing, and it made our day.
Anything else you’d like to add: So so happy we decided to splurge on an amazing photographer. We treasure each and every image and memory that comes along with it. Thank you so much!
VENDORS:
Ceremony Location: Artscape Gibraltar Point / Windsor Arms Hotel | Flowers: Local native wild flowers hand picked by Derek’s parents Surprise on-the-fly bouquet by Shelley | Planning / Design / Invitations: Us!! It was a 100% hand made labour of love!
WEDDING SONGS:
Processional: Jasper – Aidan Knight | Recessional: Voice of the Mountain’s Song – Warped 45’s
