by Stephanie Sturino

Saja, the ultimate in ethereal and beautifully simplistic wedding gowns, has made its way across the border and into the hands of boutique owner Cynthia Martyn (Sash & Bustle). The effortlessly elegant Spring 2010 collection from New York designer Yoo Lee has made a lasting impact on the non-traditional gown, and is now at the fingertips of Toronto brides-to-be. “Charming, dreamy and romantic,” describes Cynthia, who fell hopelessly in love with the small collection and is proud to say that she is its exclusive retailer in Toronto.

Saja offers an 8-dress collection of soft, airy fabrics, sweet details and simple, elegant silhouettes. Sash & Bustle has six of the eight dresses for now, and is expecting the other designs soon. The collection is getting a great reaction and a number of the dresses have been selected by brides who are planning a local-destination wedding in Picton, an upcoming hot-spot within beautiful Prince Edward County.

Constructed from 100% natural fabrics; most of the styles are made from a warm ivory crinkle-sheer silk organza, which gives the gowns their airiness and ease.  That effortless look and flow makes the Saja gowns ideal for warm weather destination brides who are looking for a simple bridal alternative. The gowns fall slightly away from the body, making them comfortable in hot weather, but also forgiving and flattering to most body types. The fabric also lends itself to travelling well, as it folds with ease and only needs a quick steaming on the day of the wedding.

A part of the collection’s airy beauty is its light price tag. All the gowns in the collection are less than $1,500, making it a lot easier to snag that perfect dress!

Notes: All images courtesy of Saja where the whole collection is available for viewing, including their gorgeous bridesmaid dresses which aren’t available in Canada yet, also check out Sash & Bustle

By: Stephanie Sturino

With a history spanning close to 100 years, the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre is the last operating double-decker theatre in the world. Built in 1913 and nestled in the heart of the city, the magnificent Edwardian style theatre offers a glimpse at the city’s cultural history and roaring past.

The Winter Garden Theatre

Today, the restored theatre, a National Historic Site, includes a variety of rental spaces, including the extraordinary opportunity of hosting a dinner reception on the stage of the Winter Garden theatre. Definitely a must for those couples that wish to revel in the spotlight, the stage offers space for an intimate dinner of 80 people. A seat on the famous vaudeville-era stage presents a panoramic view of the grand outdoor-garden themed theatre along with the contrasting scenery of backstage theatre production, which includes stage ropes and trussing. With hand painted walls meant to resemble an outdoor garden, and its ceiling a collection of natural beech leaves and twinkling lanterns, the Winter Garden is some kind of Midsummer Night’s fantasy.

The theatre centre offers other spaces such as their cascading lobbies and larger lounges that can hold up to 200 people.

Snapshot

Location: 189 Yonge Street

The grand staircase

Contact: Kevin Harris 416-314-3585

First Impressions: vintage, enchantingly intimate, a theatrically grand space

Capacity: Winter Garden Theatre Stage, 80 people for sit down; Largest lounge – Thomas Lamb Lounge – 200 people for sit down

Facilities: Couples receive basic facilities with rental of space, there is no kitchen

Venue Price: Stage: $2,900 flat rate for evening; All lounges are $800 per four hours

Exclusive caterers: Daniel et Daniel, Encore Food with Elegance; Herrera’s Catering; Urban Fare Catering; 10tation Catering

Perfect Shot: The vintage box office at the entrance of the theatre with the backdrop of the fast-paced city street captures that perfect mix of old and new. Also, the outright grandeur of the main staircase can create the ultimate classic shot.

Notes: A Special Occasion Permit from the LCBO is required, and must be obtained by the host.

Oh, Canada! Catherine’s in New York this week and each day we’re featuring one Canadian designer and Catherine’s “ah, lovely!” moment at their fashion shows.

Collection: Ines Di Santo, 2010

Dress: Crystal Encrusted Mini

Veronica Di Santo, Ines Di Santo and Catherine

Nestled in the heart of Toronto’s downtown, St. Lawrence Hall stands on a strong foundation of civic history. With its authentic gas lighting, gorgeously detailed and meticulously restored Great Hall, the beautiful venue is a prominent building on King Street’s chic stretch between Church and Sherbourne and sits across the street from St. James’ gorgeous gardens and a block from the bustling St. Lawrence Market.

This is just the spot for a couple looking to celebrate with an historic, rather than a vintage twist. And while it’s location makes for incredible photographs and the history of the building deems it an important landmark in our city’s history – it was the site of many of the negotiations regarding the underground railroad, the 150 year old design {smallish bar area, kitchen and cocktail areas} must be taken into consideration. For many reasons though, this is a venue that’s perfect for the quintessential Torontonian couple.

Venue Snapshot

Name: St. Lawrence Hall: The Great Hall

Location: 157 King St. East, Toronto

Contact: Special Events Co-ordinator, St. Lawrence Market Complex, (416)392-7130,  market@stlawrencemarket.com

First Impression: Stately and classic

Age: Built in 1850 and completely restored in 1967

Price: A rate card is here, but on most weekend evenings, The Great Hall rents for $1,100 with a $400 additional fee to have the space from 12 noon.

Capacity: The Great Hall can accommodate 120 for dinner and dancing.

Facilities: A small kitchen (no ventilation is a downside and a reminder of the age of the building) and a freight elevator.

Great Spot for a Portrait: Anywhere in the nearby neighbourhood would make a great urban image. And if you’re not renting the venue for your wedding but you’re in the area, the building is owned by the city and is usually unlocked during business hours – it’s always worth checking!

Photos courtesy of the St. Lawrence Hall/

Oh, Canada! Catherine’s in New York this week and each day we’re featuring one Canadian designer and Catherine’s “ah, lovely!” moment at their fashion shows.

Collection: Sarah Houston 2010
Dress: Sapphire
Notes: Very hard to tell from this photo but there is a blue underlay to this dress. It was the most exciting moment of the collection. The colour came from her aunt’s wedding dress and I loved the feather details at the bottom and the lace, it had a wonderful vintage feel to it.

Sapphire

Catherine and Sarah

Oh, Canada! Catherine’s in New York this week and each day we’re featuring one Canadian designer and Catherine’s “ah, lovely!” moment at their fashion shows. Check back later today for a report on the Martha Stewart Wedding’s party last night at the Plaza Hotel.

Collection: Adele Wechsler Eco Couture Collection
Dress name: Cypress
Details: 100% vegetable dyed silk, Guipure lace; Colour: Sandstone

Notes: Loved the lace and colour on this dress

Cypress

Catherine (left), Adele (right) and model

Tucked away behind an outdoor corridor and surrounded by those amazing old buildings that make up Liberty Village, CaFfino has established itself as a popular spot for intimate weddings. The Italian restaurant, which opened 15 years ago, has received many favourable reviews including this one from Dine.ca: “Caffino is the very essence of Italy in Toronto. It was established just for the joy of getting together, eating, drinking and having a good time in a purely European atmosphere. Its mosaic décor and authentic cuisine separate it from other Italian restaurants.” For me, the only obvious downside was the toilets – kinda small and definitely in need of an overhaul to bring them up to par with the rest of the space. The open kitchen and separate, and more casual, bar area create that buzzing, friendly atmosphere and we’ve heard couples often opt for a tent in the courtyard off of the dining room to increase the space.

This would be a great spot for a turnkey 30-100 person wedding. The restaurant’s manager, Gemma Muscillo, says most couples bring flowers for the tables but aside from that, the more casual bar area is already decorated to the hilt with photographs, mirrors and sconces on the walls and an eclectic set of distressed furniture, while the dining room, referred to as  the ‘Opera Room’ has a beautiful neutral grey palette, massive windows and unique light fixtures that leave the space feeling complete, but not overdone.

The Opera Room

Snapshot

Name: CaFfinO

Location: 1185 King Street West (just east of Dufferin)

Contact: Gemma Muscillo, Manager, (416) 588-7920, gemma@caffino.ca

First Impression: Romantic, easy and warm in an urban environment

Age: The restaurant is 15-years-old but the building it’s situated in has heritage written all over it.

Price: Because the menus are all tailor-made, Gemma didn’t have a standard rate but dinner for 100 at $50-$60 per person is doable. Anything less and rental fees will be charged. Prices are based on food alone, there is no minimum bar tab.

Capacity: In the Opera Room, 80 can be seated nicely (leaving the second room for cocktails), with a tent attached to the Opera Room, 130 is the maximum.

Facilities: Being a restaurant, CaFfino has a full kitchen and bar, no special permits are necessary. They also have chairs, silver, stemware and linen if you choose, or they can arrange for rentals.

Great Spot for a Portrait: No matter where you situate it, it’s going to be hard not to have the backdrop of the incredible old architecture of the area.

Until the ’60s, FC Burroughes Furniture Co., an Ontario-based company, had its flagship store on Toronto’s Queen Street. The company, known for treating its clientele like family and VIP guests, was ahead of its time: and they were known for throwing lavish tea parties at their Queen Street address and staying open until 10pm to serve their clientele. FC Burroughes shut their doors almost half a century ago and the building remained a retail spot until a few years ago when Queen Street Partners bought it and turned it into an event, gallery, pop-up space of carefully curated tenants. It’s not often that a wedding takes place here but that’s not for any reason except that right now, the company has a hard time facilitating dates further than a year into the future. That’s changing though, and it won’t be long until the space is regularly used by brides and grooms.

First floor and Second Floor three-sided balcony

In the meantime, if you’re able to plan your do in a few short months, The Burroughes Building might be just the spot.

This is a place that can go posh or party-wild, while it does evoke a commercial, almost industrial feel, the age of the building makes it feel more polished than the usual. Each space is divided into smaller areas: the 6th floor has access to the roof, the second floor balcony looks over the first floor and the middle floors are divided by the remaining parts of the original exterior walls (an addition was added in 1910) – because of this, you can move your party from one space to another for cocktails, dinner and dancing or let your guests spread out.

A Snapshot of the Space

Name: The Burroughes Building, currently owned by Queen Street Partners

Location: 639 Queen Street West & Bathurst

Contact: Jen Foster, Director, Corporate Partnerships, StyleforStyle Jen@styleforstyle.ca 647.218.3380

First Impression: Gorgeous polished floors, great architectural elements and a wonderful vintage elevator, the toilets are on the small side, and  the rooftop patio has lots of potential.

Age: Renovated recently but built around the turn of the last century.

Price: Rental fees weren’t available for this posting but they do require you get insurance and will charge a $500 clean up fee.

Capacity: On each floor, approximately 100-150 people, on the rooftop, 100 standing

Facilities: This is a straight up venue so there’s no kitchen, very little storage space, no rentals and you have to get yourself a Special Occasions Permit; the nice thing is, you can do everything exactly the way you want.

Great Spot for a Portrait: Against the original exterior wall where the original store’s logo has faded over the years.

Love this 1940s picture is from the private collection of Catherine Lash and Stephen Bulger.

Create whimsical name cards that add to your décor.

This is one of our favourite ways to easily and inexpensively tell your guests where their seats are without being predictable. Love Doves are easy to customize by changing their colour, size or even their shape: use our white dove design to inspire your own flight of fancy for the project. At the end of your event, your guests will eagerly pocket the doves, they make adorable mementoes of an evening.

Instructions (PDF) & Template (PDF)