Tell us about yourselves!
Steph works in Learning + Development for a tech company, Kaela is a self employed Wedding + Lifestyle Photographer. We met in 2014 while working together and for Kaela, it was love at first handshake. We didn’t get together until 2016 but since then we’ve moved 9 times, opened and closed a business together, raised 3 dogs and 1 cat, and gone through every amazing and every absolutely awful moment that’s come at us, together.
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
We knew going into this a few things were really important: we’re both Italian so choosing a venue that serves Italian food was a must. We also wanted an outdoor space so we could enjoy a mild Toronto evening in June. When it came to the look and feel, our venue offered a mix of warm Scandinavian-style wood finishes, a statement bar, an outdoor patio as well as a size that accommodated our guest list without making it feel cramped. It was also nice to get married in our neighbourhood!
How many guests did you have?
85 or so.
What was your budget?
Ideal budget would have been 30-35k but after all is said and done, not including the honeymoon, we probably spent closer to 45k. We’ve made a point of not going back and doing that math lol!
Tell us about your outfits.
Kaela: I always loved the idea of a slip dress, but quickly realized that I would be needing something with a little more structured for my body type. After searching high and low, I flew to Vancouver to visit my sister and ended up booking an appointment at Lovenote Bride. I immediately fell in love with their Merrick dress by their in-house line, Aesling. The fabric is what they call “liquid silk” and it felt so luxurious and beautiful! For my party dress, I came across this fun flapper-style short dress at Marciano by Guess. I hadn’t been in that store since high school but I saw the dress in the window and had to try it on.
Steph wanted something simple but timeless and most importantly, super comfortable. She found her outfit at Aritzia - the effortless pant with a matching blazer. She wore this with a pair of white leather Italian loafers from Club Monaco and later switched out to a pair of white leather high-top converse to party!
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
All we really wanted was for our guests to have a truly amazing time and walk away feeling as though it was the best wedding they’d ever been to. Many people told us it was, so mission accomplished. We didn’t want to have a large wedding party and assign people a whole bunch of 'jobs'. We wanted to handle as much of that ourselves and with our vendors so that our guests could show up, feel comfortable to come and go as they please (hence our choice to do cocktail-style) and not
prescribe too much of how the day or night would go.
Other than that, an extremely important piece for us was finding a photographer we loved and felt
would capture our day in a very authentic + real way - chaos and all. Choosing a wedding photographer as a wedding photographer is hard! But I (Kaela) had been following Nicole Plett’s stunning work for a while and was always inspired by her eye and film work. We knew we wanted a hybrid digital and film photographer with a documentary style approach and Nicole absolutely blew our minds, capturing moments (especially those with my Nonna and Nonno) that were seemingly so mundane but had so much emotion and rawness to them. There’s one photograph in particular in my grandparent’s home where my Nonna can be seen walking towards Nicole and I am on the otherside of the wall in my wedding dress with her wedding photograph hanging up on the wall. And the ones of my grandparents sobbing when we arrived to say hi! Ah, my heart.
These images will be cherished forever. We are so so grateful. And beyond her talent, Nicole is just the absolute sweetest person with a beautiful calming energy. We love her!
Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?
We’re big oyster people. Having an on-site shucker was something we knew we wanted to have. We’re also both Italian and wanted to ensure our guests were enjoying delicious food. Music was also suuuuper important to us!
Steph spent days curating different playlists for our DJ to work off of for each part of the day. We stuck to a mix of soul/motown/thai funk for cocktail hour, 80s-2000s party hits for dancing, and a few Italian classics! To kick open the dance floor, we played a few songs and had everyone participate in a 70s soul train. It was epic. The moves everyone brought to the dance floor were awesome.
In terms of the day as a whole, we wanted to keep it really casual and fun. Opting for a more cocktail-style reception was a big way we instilled that energy into the day.
Any tips for couples getting married?
Prioritize what feels right for you and your partner over everything and everyone else. As much as it’s about celebrating with the people you love it’s truly about you two as a couple.
Putting extra time and effort into your vows, choosing music that is meaningful to you as a couple, and creating memorable moments together is way more important than satisfying the masses.
Also, and this comes from personal experience and as a wedding photographer, hire a planner! I
make timelines for my couples all the time and felt that since our wedding was on the smaller side and was more casual, I could handle it. And while I did, it was just a headache that I wish I had delegated to a pro! There are SO many details to keep in mind and you really don’t want to have to be thinking of them the night before your wedding!
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
We were so lucky to work with so many incredibly talented vendors. Our florals were designed by a colleague and friend, Susannah of Bloem. Kaela’s bouquet was everything! Feminine, organic, and
interesting. They also installed a massive hanging arrangement above the bar which felt so luxe!
Photographer : Nicole Plett @nicole.marie.plett | Videographer : Super 8 by Patrycja Dasz @patricia.dasz | Ceremony + Reception Location : La Palma, Toronto @lapalmato | Celebrant : Modern Nun YYZ @modernnunyyz | Entertainment : DJing.ca | Flora : Bloem @bloemplease | Makeup + Hair : Eryn Shannon @esbridal | Stationery : DIY | Kaela's Dress : Aesling Bride @aeslingbride via Lovenote Bride Vancouver @lovenotebride | Second Dress : Marciano by Guess @guess | Steph’s Outfit : Artizia @aritzia | Engagement + Wedding Rings : Bread and Circus @breadandcricus | Kaela's Shoes : Badgley Mishka @badgleymishka + Gravity Pope @gravitypope | Steph's Shoes : Club Monaco @clubmonaco + Converse @converse | Kaela’s Earrings : Alighieri @alighieri