A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore *

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore *

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore
Photos by Darren Brown

Offbeat partner: Beth

Offbeat partner: Mitch

Date and location of wedding: Chateau Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada — May 11, 2019

Our offbeat wedding at a glance: Mitch and I had talked about having a wedding for years but because we kept being posted to remote places away from family and friends, we kept putting it off. When we were moving to Ottawa, we decided “This is it! It has to happen now!” However, that still meant that ALL of our families and some of our friends had to travel to make it to the wedding (I’m American and my family lives across the US, and Mitch’s family lives in Alberta). We decided on our venue because it was in the perfect location in downtown Ottawa (and overlooking Parliament), so all of our guests could fly in and have access to a huge variety of places without having to drive.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

We also love the history of CP hotels, fabulous food, and, it turns, out, everything expensive, so it was easy to go with a general vintage/art deco ballroom theme but difficult to decide where to cut to stay on budget. In lieu of a rehearsal dinner the night before, we invited everyone for a scavenger hunt downtown as a wedding meet/greet and finished with dinner and drinks at an art deco brasserie.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

Tell us about the ceremony:
Our ceremony was quite simple. Mitch was not a fan of anything resembling a ceremony and vows, and it was most important to me to celebrate with the people closest to us (most of whom we don’t see often) and that everyone has a good time. Mitch let me get away with a 10-minute long ceremony, which would be concluded with a champagne toast.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

Our dogs are a cornerstone in our relationship, so it was important to have Riley and Penelope at the ceremony with us. We were so lucky that close friends wrangled them for us before and after the ceremony. My cousin, who we are both good friends with, officiated the wedding and did a lovely job. It was short, sweet, and hey, champagne!

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

Tell us about the reception:
After the ceremony, we had a receiving line with me and Mitch and our puppers. There were treats set up so everyone could give us hugs and give the good dogs nibbles.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

Speaking of nibbles, we had too much food at the reception. There were hors d’oeuvres during cocktails, and then we sat down to a plated four-course meal, followed by a dessert bar in lieu of a wedding cake, and late-night snacks to end. It was all so delicious, but almost nobody had enough room to even hit the dessert table.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

Following dinner, we had a band play jazz and blues standards and vintage covers a la Postmodern Jukebox. Our first dance started as “Our Love is Here to Stay” and changed mid-tune to a vintage-style Rickroll.

Looking back by the end of the night, I was thrilled that our wedding felt like such a success. Not because every detail was undeniably “us,” not because we had the most amazing food, gorgeous venue, and flowers, great music, etc., but because our primary mission was fulfilled: everyone close to us had come together, helped out, became friends, and had a fabulous time enough that strangers commented on the fun we had. The smiles and the laughs from our incredible network of people are still our greatest takeaway from that day.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

What was the most important lesson you learned from your wedding?
To stay on budget, and because I am a crafty bitch (and a bit control freak), I DIYed almost everything at the wedding. The theme really should have been “Opulence! I MADE EVERYTHING!!!”

I bought my strapless dress at a sample consignment store but sewed a bodice overlay with an art deco pattern to wear for the ceremony and remove after, and sewed in my own bustle. I made my necklace and earrings. I made the vintage telegram save-the-dates, the invitations, and the programs (filled with fun goodness from Offbeat Bride).

I printed paper with the sheet music of our wedding song and made more than 500 paper flower decorations. I created all of our signs with vinyl lettering on mirrors, made the felt flower collars for the puppers’ ceremony garb, and instead of table numbers, I reprinted vintage concert posters from the ’20s and ’30s and then put in a bio with quirky trivia about each musician on the back of the frame.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

The problem: for several reasons, I never decided on whether to hire a day-of coordinator. In the end, I just felt I ran out of time, and I enlisted my sister and cousin to help with setup and running the schedule for the night since they both have backgrounds that lend well to event management. To be honest, it was still a LOT, but I had many friends and family members pitch in to make everything come together, and I’m so grateful. I couldn’t have done it without them, and many of my fondest memories are from that.

A far-flung art deco ball with pups and glam galore

Vendors

Florist: Capital Florist • Photographer: Darren Brown • Favours: Peace by Chocolate • Band: The Gatsby Gang

Gallery

Click to view slideshow.

Vintage-Inspired Ottawa Wedding at The Chateau Laurier *

Vintage-Inspired Ottawa Wedding at The Chateau Laurier *

Holly and Steve have us swooning over their vintage-inspired wedding at The Chateau Laurier. Holly loves the glitz and glamour of the ’20s and ’50s so the minute she laid eyes on Knox Presbyterian Church, she knew it was the venue of her dreams. Photographers Joel & Justyna perfectly captured the church’s natural light, stained glass, and The Chateau Laurier’s old-world feel. The bridal party added to the magic with the bride’s royally inspired Lee Grebenau gown and the custom bridesmaid dresses designed by the maid of honor, the bride’s sister! With sparkle and glamourous touches, this wedding is definitely one meant for royalty.

The Couple:

Holly and Steve

The Wedding:

Knox Presbyterian Church & The Chateau Laurier, Ottowa, Canada

Why The Chateau Laurier

I love history and knew I wanted our wedding to have that old nostalgic flair. I took inspiration from vintage style from the ’20s to the ’50s, moody Vanity Fair photography, and The Royal Weddings. I wanted the day to feel swanky, elegant, and romantic. My mom and I would joke about asking ourselves “Would Duchess Kate have this at her wedding?!?”

The Lee Grebenau Gown

I chose a slinky beaded gown from Lee Grebenau. I tried a lot of dresses but when I put this one on there was no comparison, it was perfect. I wanted my dress to be unique to me and it was important that I got my royal moment with the big princess skirt, so we created a custom removable overskirt with a 10-foot train. It was so dreamy. I couldn’t have felt more royal.

The Knox Presbyterian Church as Their Wedding Venue

I love the look of old English churches and wanted to find something that would be similar. The first time I saw Knox church I knew it was perfect. It has the most beautiful natural light, stained glass windows, stone pillars, and the longest center aisle. Its natural beauty needs very little decoration.

Plenty of DIY Went Into this Vintage Ottawa Wedding

I did a lot of DIY. I designed the invitation suite, programs, seating chart, menu’s, and our website. I also created a custom monogram, illustrations of our venues, and hand-lettered our welcome sign. I’m a graphic designer and illustrator so I was excited to be able to take on all the print work and web design myself.

 

The Wedding Team:

Photography – Joel & Justyna
Event Planning & Floral Design – The Design Co.
Ceremony Venue – Knox Presbyterian Church
Reception Venue – The Chateau Laurier
Cake – The Girl with the Most Cake
Officiant – Reverend Peter Mcintosh
DJ – Oxygen Entertainment
Makeup Artist – Beauty by Haneen
Hair Styling – Cosmetalogy Beauty Bar
Wedding Dress – Lee Petra Grebeneau
Bridal Accessories – Brides and Hairpins
Bridesmaids’ Apparel – Saks Fifth Avenue
Groom’s Apparel – Harry Rosen
Groomsmen’s Apparel – Morris Formalwear
Rings – Mark Lash
Rentals – Joe’s Prop House & Plate Occasions
Transportation – Vegas Limousine
Printer – Lunar Caustic Press

 

Congratulations to the beautiful couple, Holly and Steve! Thank you to Junebug member Joel and Justyna for capturing this beautiful day. To check out more of their work, visit their profile in our directory of best wedding photographers in the world!

 

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