Wedding | Mariane & Lem

Tell us a little about yourselves!

We met 16 years ago in high school. It was Lem’s senior year before he was off to uni and we got to know each other because we ran track together. At the end of the school year Lem wrote me a 10-page letter for a high-school time capsule. I opened it in 2019 to find a sweet surprise, “In 10 years I think I’ll be married to you.” Life took us through a few different adventures but nonetheless, we’re married and we’re here!

Why did you decide to get married where you did?

We always knew we wanted to host our reception in a restaurant because we wanted it to feel like one big dinner party. The idea of having all the attention on us in a grand space never felt like us. We wanted to treat our guests to a meal they would enjoy, cocktails they would ask seconds for and an ambience that felt familiar.

How many guests did you have?

We had 99 guests.

What was your budget? 

$50,000.

Tell us about your outfits.

Lem: I worked with a great sales associate who was genuinely into menswear and passionate about its history. When he learned I was looking for my wedding suit, he went above and beyond explaining the history of tuxedos, colour choices, and fabric options. It was great to get his nod of approval at the end of the customization process. It also happened to be his last day of work and I’m so lucky our paths crossed that day. 

Mariane: I was never the girl who dreamed of her wedding or wedding dress. I dreaded the idea of dress shopping thanks to watching years of ‘Say Yes to the Dress’ on TV. I knew I wanted the dress to be silk, comfortable and timeless. I ordered this Mirror Palais dress online and tried it on in my own bedroom. I did a little spin, and I knew it was perfect right away. I loved the simplicity of it and felt it was me through and through. I really wanted to purchase accessories that I could wear again and again.

When I was pinning wedding inspiration, I knew these Gucci kitten heels were the one. They popped perfectly with my dress, were comfortable to wear all day and can easily be worn again. I loved the idea of being able to wear a “wedding item” more than once. 

What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?

We really prioritized our guest experience. We knew we wanted support with coordination and planning because we didn’t want to take away from our family and friends time together on the wedding day. A lot of our guests were coming from out of town and a lot of them haven’t visited Toronto in over 5 years. With that in mind we didn’t want our friends and families worrying about details. Instead, we wanted them to be able to fully present and enjoy as much time together as possible. We opted to not have a bridal party to further allow our guests to enjoy the evening stress free. We we’re so lucky to work with Lei from Pretty Fly Event Creations who made the day seamless for us and our vendors.

Were there any elements that were important for you to incorporate?

We had a lot of dates at a local mall growing up. We asked Claire from Doxa Photography to take a few photos of us here because the inside of the mall is unchanged from when we first met. We ate egg waffles and ice cream before our ceremony and it really helped ease our nerves leading up to the nuptials. It was perfect because we were starving and knew we wouldn’t get to eat for a few more hours. Walking through the mall with our wedding attire on was so fun and we even got to eat a few snacks before we said, “I do.”  

Another important element we wanted to incorporate was our dog, Kona. Our ceremony and venue unfortunately didn’t allow pets so we knew we had to prioritize taking photos with him and incorporating him in unique ways. We hired a designer on Fiverr and she made amazing animations of us which we used as our signage. The signage was cheeky, fun and laid-back which felt like us through and through. Pets really do make the world better and we couldn’t imagine not incorporating him on our special day.

Any tips for couples getting married?

There are no rules; find out which parts of the wedding bring you joy and invest in those areas. And at last, take a moment or two in the night to look out at your guests. There are only so many times you’ll be surrounded by your loved ones from all over the world.

Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?

We loved all our vendors so much and we were so lucky to work with them. I initially discovered Claire from Doxa Photography when browsing on The Anti-Bride, so writing about her here feels like such a full circle moment. Lem and I always knew we wanted to be able to look back at our wedding photos and feel different parts of the day. We look back at our gallery now and can recall how each moment felt. It's hard to put into words the work that Claire does. She made a shy, reserved couple feel comfortable in front of a camera and love every memory. We often find ourselves browsing through our gallery and each time we find a new favourite photo or notice a new quirk. It's incredibly special to be able to relive the emotions of our wedding day through her work. Photography is such a priceless memento, and we hope other couples love their galleries just as much.

I’d like to highlight my facialist and make-up artist! I started seeing my facialist, Diana from Vo Beauty, in February to prepare for the wedding. All my life my make-up consisted of under eye concealer and blush. I knew that I wanted to keep the make-up minimal and therefore prioritized my skin. Diana tended my skin’s changing needs every month. I can’t thank her enough for the confidence my skin gave me on our wedding day. 

Gigi and I first met circa 2014. Our paths crossed again a few years ago and I’m so lucky to have him as my beauty guru in life. When he did my first makeup trial, he said it was soft glam, but to me, it totally felt full glam (lol). He was so understanding to soften the look to help me feel like myself. I hope every bride feels confident in her own skin and with her makeup on her wedding day.

Photographer: Doxa Photography @doxa.photography | Planning: Pretty Fly Event Creations

@prettyflyeventcreations | Reception Florals: Two Whimsical Florists @twowhimsicalflorists | Bridal Bouquet: Ha Floral @ha.floral | Ceremony Location: Prince of Peace Catholic Church | Reception Location: Canoe Restaurant @canoerestaurant | Makeup Artist: Gigi @g.ii.a.n | Hair Stylist: Jenn Joseph

& Ellie Han Hair @jennjoseph1 @elliesallhair | Catering & Beverages: Canoe Restaurant  @canoerestaurant | Dress: Mirror Palais @mirrorpalais | Suit: Indochino @indochino | Veil:

Secondhand from Facebook Marketplace | Engagement Ring: Engage Studio @engage_studio | Wedding Rings: Mejuri @mejuri | Shoes: Gucci @gucci | Bracelets & Earrings: Borrowed from Mariane's mother