Last summer, Doug Elliott and his partner of 31 years, Greg Lawrence, tied the knot at The Toronto Hunt Club in a spectacular Scottish affair.

Hardly the first gay couple in Canada to wed, their marriage is important to gay rights history in our country — Elliot is Canada’s “pre-eminant gay rights lawyer” Michael J. Law (Canadian Bar Association) said of him after his 10 year battle with the Supreme Court over the issue of same-sex marriage. What Melissa Haggerty, the couple’s event planner found so moving about their union was that it didn’t take place immediately after Elliott’s big win, but years later.  She quoted his comment to her regarding their choice to finally marry after 31 years, “[the fight] was never about us” rather it was a fight he took on for every other same-sex couple in the country. For many Canadians, Elliott is a hero of the finest sort, and we’re thrilled to be profiling his wedding from 2009.

The invitation to the wedding suggested Scottish attire and Haggerty was amazed at how many men (and women) showed up in plaid… her blog post about the event “Plaid Explosion” says it all. However, under her guidance the two grooms, who both wore the Elliott family tartan, kept the event minimal and elegant. Bill Fulghum’s super-sized arrangements of red roses, Scottish thistle and magnolia leaves kept the colour scheme simple and masculine and the tables were dressed with splashes of the Elliott tartan to tie everything together.

Notes: Melissa Haggerty (SpectacularSpectacular) was the event planner, Bull Fulghum (formerly of Church Street Flowers) worked his magic on the blooms, and Storey Wilkins (Storey Wilkins Photography) worked her magic with the camera while the Toronto Hunt Club provided the perfect spot for a sophisticated and understated party.

We are so excited to be presenting a new format of show this spring in conjunction with Toronto’s super fab Drake Hotel on May 1.

The Spring Wedding Show is literally going to be a crossroads between couture and indie style: everything you’ve come to expect from a Wedding Co. event (think super amazing quality of people and products, the city’s best when it comes to weddings and a fun, relaxed, elegant event) but this time we’re blending it with our current obsession with ‘the independent spirit’ of design and the DIY inspiration for modern wedding creativity.

If you attended The Wedding Show and enjoyed the Handmade Stand, or you love our DIY projects on the blog, this is definitely the show for you.

Get a spot in the or (letterpress) workshops we’ve planned by calling The Wedding Co.: 416.597.0143, in the meantime, check our events page for a few more details.

What do Dufflet and Museum Studies have in common? Weddings of course, and each have an event this month that you might want to check into: the famous Toronto cake creator’s “Did Dufflet Make Your Wedding Cake” and “Beyond the White Wedding: Reinventing Tradition”.

Beyond the White Wedding

Just wondering … Did Dufflet Make Your Wedding Cake?

If your answer is yes, get your wedding picture (one that features your cake) to Dufflet … they never get to see their final product enjoyed, so to celebrate with their past clients they’re choosing one couple’s image to re-create the top tier of that cake for it to be enjoyed again.

Your names and your wedding date are required along with high resolution images by March 31, 2010 and you can submit them by email (where you can also get more information),  deliver them to one of the three locations, or mail them to:

787 Queen Street West
Toronto, Ontario M6J 1G1

Beyond the White Wedding: Reinventing Tradition

An exhibition of the history of the white wedding: opening at 7pm Thursday, March 25 and running to May 13, 2010 at Robarts Library, University of Toronto and curated by Museum Studies students Marla Dobson, Nicola Jago, Thomas Kessler.

The white wedding is a tradition practiced by many though its origins are known by few. Explore the modern interpretations of this tradition, told through the wedding stories of selected couples. Discover the history of the white wedding and uncover for yourself the significance behind the tradition.

For more information go to the exhibition’s webpage.

Click the links below to go directly to each of our DIY projects — pick one to do with a group of friends and put a personal touch on your wedding. Each one includes materials, instructions and an idea of the finished product or what to do with it, although we highly encourage experimentation and would love to see you use these projects as a starting point for something entirely your own. As always, we LOVE pictures and comments, let us know what works and what doesn’t, and always feel free to submit your own ideas, we always give credit to the creator.

Customized Tote

Custom Buttons

Ribbon & spool unravelling valentine

His & Hers Coffee Jackets

Ribbon Sachets for Trinkets

Love Doves

Origami Cranes Crane Place Card Holder

Paper Purses

Luminarias

Take The Cake

No matter what your budget is, there are many, many options for a spectacular and quality honeymoon. Creating a trip that provides high adventure in the wilds, serious R&R, or a taste of culture is all possible, but depending on your budget, may require a little creativity in terms of when and where and for how long you honeymoon. We asked two local travel experts, Shannon Coyle, senior travel consultant at New Wave Travel and Gilbert Manza, the owner of Executive Travel Services Ltd. to provide us with a spread of travel options, based on current honeymoon trends. Shannon had a $2,000 budget, while Gilbert’s was $20,000.

Shannon, who predicts the ongoing success of boutique and luxury hotels, in particular the Small Luxury Hotels of the World group, has said her most popular destinations requested this year by couples looking for both destination weddings and honeymoons have been Europe’s Greece and Croatia; Thailand, Cambodia and Laos and the South Pacific for Asia and Jamaica, Barbados and St Lucia in the Caribbean.

Her first suggestion for a $2,000 honeymoon budget would be Costa Rica’s Hotel Punta Islita, which has been on Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List of destinations for the last four years and is a member of the SLH and the World Heritage Alliance for Sustainable Tourism. A “Surrender to a Storybook Escape” promotion is in effect at the hotel which includes: one Couple’s Tandem Massage and the choice of an eco-adventure (Canopy Zip-Lining, Hiking, Horseback Riding) for $989 USD per couple for three nights, add on about $800 for flights and you’re winging your way to a long weekend of bliss.

A second option is the Pink Beach Club in Bermuda, another Small Luxury Hotel and designed as a cottage colony. With their current promotions a three-night stay includes an Ocean View Junior Suite, and meals including a five-course gourmet dinner daily for $1185.00 USD per couple. Flights are approximately $350 each.

Shannon’s third option is the Inn at Manitou, a spot two hours north of Toronto, which she calls “our very own hidden secret.” For $1794 year-round, a couple can spend three nights with all meals including afternoon tea and have access to all facilities. All Meals (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Afternoon Tea) daily at the Winner of the 2009 World’s Best award from Travel & Leisure.

Gilbert estimates that the average honeymoon budget he works with is between $7,500 and $14,000 and that close to 15% of his honeymoon clientele plan to spend between $15,000 and $20,000 on their post-wedding travel. His European itinerary begins with flying business class to Paris for three nights at the left-bank Esprit St.Germain hotel before flying to Barcelona and staying another three nights at the Arts Hotel. From Barcelona, he’d recommend taking a Royal Caribbean 12 night Mediterranean cruise.

A second option Gilbert provided was 10 days at either The Veranda (an all inclusive resort which even includes international calls) or The Somerset in Turks and Caicos. While airfare and the resorts add up to $10,000+, this is a great spot to plan each day as you want, from shopping to adventure trips, sightseeing and lounging. Setting up camp for a nice stretch of time in one place can be relaxing and give you the opportunity to explore the place to its fullest (and squeeze in a little romance for good measure!)

Notes: These ideas were all based on current rates at the time of publishing this post, and while we suspect there will almost always be a special package for honeymooners, be sure to double check before counting on these ideas specifically when setting your budget. Images courtesy of The Veranda, Esprit St. Germain, Arts Hotel, L’Express & Hotel Punta Islita.

Yesterday, in Welcome to the Country, we posted a photo of our welcome bag idea for a wedding in Prince Edward County. Today, we’re dishing on just how easy it is to create something so pretty and personal (and how cheap).

To start, we’re going to presume you already have some kind of image you want to use, ours was a free online image that we added the word Picton and the date to complete it, but yours could be anything: your names, your monogram or an image of an icon which identifies those in the know with your big day. It can be created on any software from Illustrator to Word, whatever you have available to you but we suggest picking something with a solid border that’s easy to trim closely.

Materials:

-Canvas tote bag (ours is from Creative Bag $1.40).

-Iron-on Printer Transfer Sheets for Light Fabrics @ any local craft store (approximately $13.99 for 5 sheets).

-Tissue or shredded paper for packing (optional)

Steps:

-Run a tester of your image by printing it onto regular paper and testing to see if it’s the size you want.

-Set your printer’s options to Mirror Image or horizontally flip your image, and print it again on transfer sheet, there are instructions on the back of the package for correctly using the transfers.

-Allow ink to dry.

-Set iron to Cotton setting and turn any steam function off.

-Cut out design , leaving an even ¼ inch margin around image.

-Place transfer sheet on your bag with the print side facing downwards.

-Using a dry iron (with no steam) press transfer for 15-20 seconds on a hard surface.

-Allow it to cool completely, and then peel off the release paper on back.

-Stuff your bags with the tissue or shredded paper and add your gifts, a ribbon and a tag you’ve printed or handwritten.



When it comes to putting a wedding together at a distance, the lines of communication need to be open at all times. And you need to be as upfront and early as possible with guest-related information as possible. The earlier you can nail down your dates, recommend a hotel and suggest what activities people can plan for, the more likely you’ll get your full guest list ‘on-board.’

Hint: Hotel, flight and a rough idea of the events you’re planning should be made clear to your guests at the 6 month mark, either with the save the date or as a separate package!

Destination weddings to tend to be less formal than their at-home counterparts and there’s no better way to convey your lightness-of-heart and excitement for the big day than through your invitations — your official and easiest way of communicating with your guests. I just love this classic idea of the passport-style invitation, not only does it evoke the sense of travel (obviously) but it shouts ‘lets go have fun’ and also includes LOTS of space for important information, from hotels, to maps, to planned activities to flight numbers and dress codes. The boarding pass save-the-date is also fun, and again, can convey a whole bunch of important information in one {cute} fell swoop.

Recently, there has been a little buzz about a newly rediscovered destination spot within Ontario that has left people intrigued — once populated by the earliest United Empire Loyalists, Picton is emerging as an important historical and architectural, not to mention cultural hotspot, and a popular location for a local destination wedding.

By Stephanie Sturino

Couples and planners are discovering the beauty and charm of the small town feeling and intimate splendor of Prince Edward County. Situated at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, this island county has plenty to offer vacationers and wedding guests alike, including 800 kilometers of shoreline and a variety of heritage sites. The County is becoming better known for their culinary advances, wineries and breweries that all offer a treat for the senses, as well as their list of festivals that include a Jazz festival and Art festival during the summer months.

Picton, the county’s main town, has become a place to be and becoming a great local destination spot for couples who want to venture out of the city and experience the intimate charm of the county life, where the likes of Chef Jamie Kennedy have taken up residence for its local flavour and rural appeal.

For those couples who want to create a weekend celebration with their guests, Picton and its surrounding towns offer a great selection of activities. A great idea to introduce wedding guests to any destination location is a welcome bag full of information and treats from local companies, ours includes locally-made County Crackers and County Cider to tide guests over between meals or when they arrive and give them a flavour of what’s to come throughout a weekend in the county. It allows guests to become acquainted with the location and help them find and enjoy things they like, especially when you insert maps, local magazines and tourist booklets.

For our bag, I’ve also created a Weekend Itinerary*, detailing what’s happening when. Even though all the events taking place during a destination wedding are probably outlined in the invitation, it’s always nice to provide guests with additional copies and further details once they arrive.

Sample Weekend Itinerary

Friday

Rehearsal Dinner at The Claramount Inn 7:00pm
97 Bridge Street
—

Prince Edward County Jazz Festival at The Regent Theatre 9:00pm
224 Main Street

Saturday

Spa Treatments at The Claramount Spa 11:00am – 1:00pm
97 Bridge Street
OR
Beer Tasting & Tour at Barley Days Brewery 11:30am – 1:30pm
13730 Loyalist Parkway
—

Wedding Ceremony & Reception at Huff Estates 3:30pm
2274 County Rd #1
*Coach bus to be at the hotel for pick-up to wedding site 3:15pm

Sunday

Brunch at The Waring House 11:00am
221 Main Street
–

Antique Shopping along Main Street

*Note: if putting together your own itinerary or timeline of events proves tough, consider Ottawa-based Tagz, a stationery company which has a great collection of timeline products from day-of to week-long

Couples looking for a bit of adventure mixed with an ample amount of luxury and class on their honeymoon might want to shoot for Toronto’s Butterfield and Robinson and land among a stellar constellation of travel opportunities.

After leading a student biking tour in France forty-four years ago, George Butterfield, his wife Martha and her brother Sidney Robinson knew they were on to something good. Their pioneering trip evolved into the premier active travel company Butterfield and Robinson, a company that really knows what it means to travel the world and experience its pleasures. Based on the slogan “slow down to see the world,” B&R offers travel adventures in categories of biking, walking, boating and also custom designed trips around the globe. The point is simple, to experience and explore your surroundings by taking it slow and soaking it in while traveling, something we all at least aim for during our travels.

With assistance from expert guides, who range from historians, athletes, interpreters and sommeliers, B&R offeres travellers an experience beyond an average vacationer’s grasp. And with trip itineraries for Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa, the Middle East, as well as North and South America, B&R clients have a range of choices. Travel adventures, like walking atop the mountains of the Amalfi Coast, along the celebrated “Path of the Gods” in Italy, or biking past Southern China’s grand karst formations in Gullin, or exploring the breathtaking Wadi Rum while on a camel at sunset is just a few of the activities the company offers. B&R’s travel advisers also help those first time travelers by rating the activity levels of the designed trips in difficulty and experience, making it worry free.

As honeymoon destination trends are leaning towards the unexpected, spots like Croatia and Thailand are becoming increasingly popular with couples who are looking for something different and creative. Butterfield & Robinson’s private bespoke trips are custom-tailored and personal, which is great for a dream honeymoon or special anniversary celebration. There’s nothing like star service when you’re feeling VIP!

Note: All pictures courtesy of Butterfield & Robinson (who just happens to have a very wicked website)

I have been so excited to show this wedding off. Jessica Blaine Smith emailed me a link to her blog a few weeks back to check it out and I just love the glowing dinner party {see the last picture!}. This is a gorgeous example of a not-so-far destination wedding near Huntsville, Ontario last June where Nienke and Derek rented a large cottage for the week to host a petite celebration.

Jessica wrote, “Their ceremony took place on a dock on the lake and they then had a beautiful dinner that took place as the sunset. Nienke’s Dad acted as the officiant for the ceremony. Her grandparents flew in from South Africa for the celebration. The wedding was a beautiful, intimate one but they still went all out in terms of decor and attire.” Sadly, Nienke’s grandmother passed away not long after the wedding and so the photographs of it along with the intimate and very personal feel of the wedding have become even more important to the family.

Notes: photos courtesy of Jessica Blaine Smith, and you can see more images from the wedding on her blog.