This week we are taking a look back at some of our favourite features of 2010, enjoy!
“Our wedding day was a freezing, hailing, raining mess,” recalls recent bride Vanessa Teall, who despite the bad weather had one of the best days of her life. The couple’s many family and friends were forced to seek shelter inside the venue — a private barn in Shakespeare, Ontario — and huddle together around a series of rented heaters. The intimate scene, however unplanned, was representative of the wedding’s overall feel: cozy, affectionate and warm.
While they had no control over the weather, Vanessa and her now husband, Jeffrey Simonetti, worked hard to create an atmosphere filled with personal touches that would reflect their unique relationship and personalities. And so the September 25th wedding included a combined Jewish/Anglican ceremony (officiated by both a rabbi and a priest); a striking orange and blue colour scheme; a BBQ dinner plus fresh pizza delivered at midnight; and a sweet table that included a whopping 18 pies baked by Vanessa’s doting mom. And, to keep guests entertained while waiting for the ceremony to begin, Vanessa and Jeffrey created a crossword puzzle containing fun facts about their relationship and families. They also filled brown paper lunch bags with crayons and toys — “treat bags,” as Vanessa calls them — for the many children in attendance.
Speaking of children, Vanessa and Jeffrey, along with Vanessa’s brother and his girlfriend, built the chuppah (wedding canopy) themselves. “It was a fun and hilarious process,” says Vanessa, who hopes to one day incorporate part of the chuppah into handmade quilts for her and Jeffrey’s future children. (We love the sentimentality!)
One of our favourite elements of this wedding, however, is the contrast of a truly rustic setting with men clad in sharp suits, the bridesmaids in pretty floral-print skirts, and the bride herself in a short dress paired with stunning Manolo Blahniks. Or, as Vanessa describes them, “My something blue!”
Photography by: Lisa McPeek/Ikonica
Venue: Private residence outside Shakespeare, Ontario
Dress: Sposa Italia
Shoes: Manolo Blahniks
Suit: Canali
Caterer: BBQ Gourmet
Invitations: Studio X1X at Kid Icarus
Flowers: The Flower Box
Cake: The Cake Box
Sweet Table: The bride and her mother
Cake Topper: Naked Peggies
