Wedding Bells - WeddingsofToronto.com
Transcription
Wedding Bells - WeddingsofToronto.com
EDITOR ROSEANNE DELA ROSA. weddings TORONTO A GROOVY KIND OF LOVE Shira Leuchter & Christopher Hanratty May 23, 2010 Shira Leuchter and Christopher Hanratty threw a memorable DIY celebration that totally reflected their love of the arts. “It was important that the day represented us as a couple. We did this by handcrafting everything we could such as our celebratory flags and stationery, displaying items from our past (including family photographs) and sourcing local and ethical food and flowers,” Shira explains. The day began with a beautiful ceremony followed by a fun reception—both of which took place at Toronto’s Berkeley Church. To show off their quirky personalities, Shira and Christopher decorated their venue with whimsical spring garden items à la Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. “We wanted the room to feel magical and fun,” Shira recalls with a smile. “So we surrounded our room with decor elements like mushrooms, snails, birds and fresh blooms.” Shira and Christopher also hired a live band to keep guests on their feet. “For our first dance, our band suggested one of their original songs called ‘I Do,’” the pair recall. “It was quite the experience as our guests sang to us while we danced— TO SEE A CONTINUATION OF SHIRA AND CHRISTOPHER’S CUTE AND there’s nothing like being QUIRKY CELEBRATION PLEASE VISIT WEDDINGBELLS.CA/INTHISISSUE. serenaded by 100 of your friends and family!” 104 spring & summer 2011 | weddingbells.ca Clockwise from top Guests were treated to personalized straws; The duo thanked their guests by decorating the napkins with petite banners that said “we love you”; Shira incorporated her childhood into the day with her old yet well-kept baby shoe. DETAILS FAVOURITE DETAIL “For me, it was the pocket square that Shira embroidered with Raymond Carver’s poem ‘Hummingbird.’ And the poem banner that we strung up, with lines from ‘I Like You,’ which we read during our ceremony,” Christopher shares. “I loved all the small details that made our day unique to us— especially the flags. I think our guests had fun with them throughout the night,” Shira says. FLOWERS Coriander Girl, coriandergirl.com. Fresh blooms helped enhance the garden theme. Flowers were scattered throughout the room in small and large arrangements. GOWN Monique Lhuillier from Dina Alonzi Bridal, dinaalonzi bridal.com . “The staff here were helpful and fun, and the sample sale selection and prices are perfect for a bride who is looking for a high-quality dress on a smaller budget,” Shira explains. HONEYMOON The pair continued their celebration with a trip to France. “We spent five days in Paris,” the two recall. “Then we rented a car and drove to the south of France, where we stayed in an apartment in Hyères and visited the picturesque towns throughout the area—it was an amazing adventure.” Clockwise from top Celebratory words like “yahoo” were sewn into the flags; Mary Beaty from Weddings of Toronto officiated the ceremony; Shira and Christopher had custom bird cake toppers by Ann Wood; Alison Westlake from Coriander Girl pulled together a beautiful arrangement of flowers in shades of white, red and purple. Clockwise from left Bundles of flowers adorned every table; All the place cards were handwritten by Shira; Heart-shaped glasses showed off the duo’s fun sense of humour. PHOTOGRAPHY SARAH TACOMA/SARAHTACOMA.CA. weddingbells.ca | spring & summer 2011 105