Every wedding vendor team is created a little differently. In this series we explore how and why each couple selected the right wedding vendor team for their wedding day.
Kris and Jack got engaged in Miami, and six months later they dove into planning their wedding. The couple was inspired by Edward and Bella’s dreamy wedding scene in Twilight, and wanted a ceremony in the woods, which meant it was to be a destination wedding for the Toronto-based couple. With the vision in place and a date locked in, the next move was finding a planner who could guide them every step of the way.
After a referral from friends who had previously worked with Yiyi Luan of Bunny & Peony Events, the couple made their first vendor decision and step toward having a wedding that felt like it was suited for the silver screen. She also handled the design of the stationery, which began with a clear acrylic invite with gold text and an illustrated monogram with the couple’s first initials.
“Yiyi helped us have a super perfect wedding. She took care of every detail I mentioned and turned the wedding pictures in my mind into reality.” —Kris, bride
After Yiyi was on board, the venue search began. They needed an outdoor venue where they could recreate some Hollywood magic and found just the spot about 2.5 hours outside of Toronto at a glamping getaway called Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat. Two areas of the venue would be used: the forest wedding chapel for the ceremony, and a covered deck for the reception. The natural setting melded perfectly with the couple’s color palette of white and green, with touches of soft brown and gold.
After the location was secured, the focus moved to the design of the day, which was very important to the bride. Sweet Woodruff was chosen as the florist, and FireDog Creative Inc. was selected as the design production partner. Together they created a true feast for the eyes.
“Since the ceremony was held in the woods and we wanted to cover the entire site with a flower canopy we needed a florist with good taste and a good team, and a décor company with the ability to finish the huge project that combined faux wisteria and real delphinium, larkspur, and foliage.” —Yiyi Luan, planner
Because having great photos and video was essential to the couple, that was their next decision to tackle. The bride and groom decided on Will Reid Photo and Eric Frank Cinema.
“Because the couple was going for more of a dreamy, ethereal look and feel with an emphasis on the woodland location, when styling and photographing their details and capturing their portraits I was careful to take that vision into account in a way that felt cohesive and natural from beginning to end.” —Reid, photographer
The couple’s culinary preferences and global guest list played a part in their next decision. Because a majority of the guests hail from China, and the couple loves Japanese food, the search was on for a caterer that could prepare cuisines from both countries. When it came to Food Dudes, it was apparent that they could handle the desired culinary fusion.
With a movie-inspired day, a movie-worthy soundtrack was a must. Wellington Music (a classical ensemble) was chosen for the ceremony, and a DJ from Simpleonelove played the reception (where the bride performed a surprise song for the groom).
Yiyi suggested one of her go-to cake makers, dearDeer Patisserie, to create the towering, textured cake adorned with both fresh and sugar flowers. The reception also continued to take shape with the confirmation of rental companies: Chair-man Mills Corp, Linen Closet, and Detailz Couture Event Rentals.
To round out the dream team of wedding vendors for this forest wedding, Lusia Makeup was hired for both hair and makeup services, a horse from Fairytale Horse & Carriage was brought in for some picture perfect moments and portraits, Rocket Fireworks Canada was tapped to produce a fireworks display to light up the night sky, and Rev. Rudy Heezen was chosen to officiate the marriage ceremony.
