Lilies in Bloom!

It's mid-July now and lilies are in full bloom!

If you are going to be having a late June or July wedding, lilies are in season locally and would be cheaper than they would be the rest of the year. 

Here are some of the beauties growing right in my garden! 

Hydrangeas are also in full bloom, and have been for several weeks.  These are great filler flowers and are available naturally in white, pink, fuschia and even blue!

Roses are gorgeous throughout the summer and are always a beautiful addition to any bridal bouquet or centerpiece. 

Enjoy!

Angela & Brad: Botanical Beauty

Wanted to share some photos of a gorgeous Angela who married Brad, the love of her life, this past weekend at the Toronto Botanical Gardens. 

It was such a pleasure to assist Angela with the planning of her Big Day.  She is a very dedicated and hardworking teacher who loves kids and deserved to have the wedding of her dreams.

Her walk down the aisle....

Awaiting the "I Do's"

 The Kiss!

Pretty as a picture!

And the happy wedding party starts the celebrating!

Congrats you two!   Now enjoy that honeymoon in Punta Cana!

Paige & Mario: Downtown Trending

Yesterday's wedding was that of Paige and Mario, two super-sweet and super-likeable people (the world needs more of these!).

Both the ceremony and reception were held at the Berkeley Event Venue, a former church with its hip and urban feel. 

The ceremony was held upstairs underneath the stained glass windows.  Glorious!   Here is the vow exchange.  Mario was overcome with emotion.  Hearts were melting! 

And.... the kiss!

Photos were taken in and around the church property.  The sun was shining and it was hot!  But our happy couple were calm, cool and beaming!

Meanwhile, setup continued inside the main level dining hall. 

The decor was "minimalist chic" with black linens, white orchids, candles and crystals.  Blue was the accent colour of choice. 

The bride's mother created the floral arrangements, and her friend created the cupcake tower and made the cake also.

The overall appeal of the space, perfect for a live band and giving the guests lots of room to eat, drink, dance and be merry!

The couple cut the cake later that night to their cheering family and friends.

And the requisite photo of Karen and I with Paige and her new husband Mario!

Congratulations you two!

Vintage Beachfront Paradise: Sanaz & Andy

So this past weekend was a very busy one for us with two wonderful weddings!  

The first was the wedding of Sanaz & Andy.  The theme was vintage with black damask accented with green.  Sanaz was meticulous in her vision and execution.

The morning weather was looking quite ominous when we arrived to start our setup.

Fortunately however, it rained first thing in the morning and then held up for the rest of the day.  By evening it was glorious! 

Arriving together in their vintage Corvette, the bride and groom exchanged vows in a traditonal Ukranian Catholic Ceremony complete with bandurist choir.  It looked and sounded heavenly!  The vows were exchanged in this magical setting to a packed house of joyous family and friends.

Following the Ukranian ceremony, everyone headed to Sunnyside Pavillion for the remainder of the wedding.

First was the Persian ceremony called the Aghd.   The programs for the Persian ceremony matched those of the Catholic ceremony exactly.

There is a very elaborate spread of items set up on the ground, with symbolic meanings and steeped in tradition.  The couple will sit in front of this spread, facing East, while marrying.

There is also a beautifully made veil that is held over the couple during the ceremony.

Following the Persian ceremony, the guests moved downstairs to the Courtyard area of Sunnyside.

Meanwhile, the upper Observation Terrace was getting ready to receive guests for their reception dinner.

Greeting them at the front was the Welcome Table with seating chart and guest favors.

The dining area, overlooking the waterfront, rivaled anything in the finest Caribbean resort hotel.

The cake and sweet table was a main feature in the decor, set up in the middle of the room.

Sanaz had three cakes, pure white accented with crowns and white hydrangeas.

Around the corner, guests were able to contribute to a instant photo scrapbook memory album as well as have some fun with a vintage green sofa and some props for the photos.

And finally, we were able to get a photo with the busy bride.  What a fantastic day!