You don’t need a big white wedding dress and rose bouquet and a sit down dinner to have a fantastic wedding! Amy + Steve’s unique celebration included a bride in a purple dress, fans instead of flowers for the bride & her bridesmaids and a falafel bar for dinner (delish!!) I absolutely love it when a couple stays true to their unique vision for their wedding day – it’s so much more meaningful and interesting for your guests (and your photographer!) Thank you so much for inviting us to capture your beautiful celebration Amy & Steve – we loved it!

– Heather

Describe the vision/theme you had for your wedding in 5 words or less: Wanderlust, DIY

What are you favorite memories of your wedding day?
Amy – I was very touched by the funny and thoughtful speeches from our family and friends. I also enjoyed the laughs: making jokes with the wedding party before we made our entrance; mixing up my vows; Steve and I lifted up on chairs; and dancing, dancing, dancing! It was also important for me to have a special, quiet moment with Steve after the ceremony.
Steve – The build up to the wedding itself was intense, challenging and fun. Amy and I were the main planners, so it was a privilege to take charge of the process. Being a former audio technician, I took a lot of pride in being able to set up the audio myself. The two hours before the wedding were fantastic, when all the key participants started showing up to help out and take in the scene.

Best wedding related decision:
Amy – We planned everything from abroad and it actually worked in our favour. It meant we didn’t have to run around the city to several venues or vendors or be inundated with constant (but well-meant!) questions about our plans from friends and family. We were able to plan independently and create the wedding we envisioned.
Steve – Open bar for the guests! Also, making our own soundtrack meant a lot to me, as a former radio DJ.

Favourite detail:
Amy – I really enjoyed organizing the decorations. We made the bicycle wheel ‘guestbook’ and the map-covered card box, bought vintage postcards and second-hand vases, borrowed globes, and we brought in apples from a farm near my hometown in the Ottawa Valley.
Steve – We made our own wedding rings at the Devil’s Workshop (http://www.thedevilsworkshop.ca). Also, the groom party and I wore miniature Purple Heart medals instead of corsages.

Advice for future brides & grooms:
Amy – Keep it simple: there are so many extras that are unnecessary. Do you really need seat covers? Do your bridesmaids have to wear the same dress or exact colour? Can you make something yourself? Remember that the most important goal is for you and your family and friends to have fun and celebrate.
Steve – Don’t get too stressed out. Stress is contagious! Also, don’t ask too much from your friends and family. If it’s something you’d never do yourself, don’t expect that they’d do it to.

Would you change anything if you could do it all over again?
Amy – Perhaps a rural venue might have been a nice way to do it. However, it was better to stay in the city because of logistical reasons and much easier for guests to find accommodation and transport.
Steve – Nothing!

Best surprise of the day:
Amy – To celebrate Steve’s Hungarian background, me and Steve’s mom secretly planned a grand surprise entrance by a 3-piece Hungarian band with 2 traditional dancers!
Steve – The number of people who joined the Hungarian dances really stuck out in my mind. It was a real surprise to see so many people relating to something totally foreign to them.

Favorite HRM picture from the day (and why?):
Amy – I am so impressed with the ceremony photos – in reality, there was virtually only candlelight, but in the photos everything shone through!
Steve – I really love the picture of Amy and I walking up a path, linked arm in arm with our wedding parties. It has a real “Follow The Yellow Brick Road” look to it.

VENDORS : Ceremony Location: Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club (http://www.argonautrowingclub.com) | Reception Location: Toronto Argonaut Rowing Club | Officiant (if not a church ceremony): Lindsay-Ann Cox | Cake: LPK Culinary Groove – cake (http://www.lpksculinarygroove.com/) | Yummy Stuff – cupcakes (http://yummystuff.ca) | Dress (designer and/or store): Vivienne Westwood bought at Galeries Lafayette | Wedding Planner: Ourselves! | Flowers/Decorator: Ourselves! | Hair/Makeup: Melissa Nicholl – makeup (www.stellardesignz.ca), Daina | Schreiber – hair (http://thesaloonsalon.com/) | Caterer: Sequel Event Catering (http://www.sequel.ca) | DJ/technician: Steve’s ipod/Andi Barnaba | Drink: Sparkling mead from Fermentations (www.fermentations.ca)

WEDDING SONGS: Processional: “Here Lies Love” by David Byrne & Fatboy Slim ft. | Florence Henderson | Recessional: “This Will Be Our Year” by The Zombies | Entrance: “Love Is Strange” by Mickey & Sylvia | First Dance: “Crown of Love” by The Arcade Fire | Parent Dances: “In My Life” by The Beatles

Favorite HRM picture from the day (and why?):Steve – I really love the picture of Amy and I walking up a path, linked arm in arm with our wedding parties. It has a real “Follow The Yellow Brick Road” look to it.

Guess where Steve proposed?

Facebook Tweet Pin