Sections

A French Vintage Wedding in Cambridge, Ontario

Updated Apr 23, 2015

When Katherine and David wed on November 2^nd, 2012, they fulfilled a pact that began 12 years earlier in a high-school drama class. “David and I met in grade 10, and we were just friends initially. I watched My Best Friend’s Wedding for the first time and got it into my head that we should make a marriage pact, so we agreed to get married if were both still single when we were 28 years old,” Katherine recalls. “We didn’t even realize until after the fact that we were both 28 on the day of our wedding.” And that wasn’t the only happy coincidence when it came to their wedding date—as it turned out, the two got engaged on 2/11 (February 11^th) and married on 11/2.

The stars were also aligned when it came to picking a venue. The Cambridge Mill, located an hour outside of Toronto, has a charming old-world feel that was right in step with Katherine’s French vintage theme. “The stonework makes it look very European,” she shares.

In fact, Katherine, who has Scottish roots on her mother’s side, admits the river views and surrounding fields reminded her of Scotland. Needless to say, her special guests who flew in from Britain felt right at home! “We had 10 people from Scotland and England at the wedding,” Katherine says. “My aunt actually brought handmade Scottish tablet with her, and we gave it out as favours!” Speaking of sweet treats, Katherine and David decided to give dessert a French twist by serving a croquembouche in lieu of a wedding cake. “When I laid eyes on it, I shrieked,” Katherine recalls. “It was so much better than I had imagined, and it added the major French flair I was looking for. I especially loved the rippling bow detail, and the taste was absolutely mind-blowing.”

Deciding on the perfect wedding-day look—and the perfect shade of lipstick (M.A.C “Rebel” in case you were wondering)—came naturally for Katherine, who works as the health and beauty editor at ELLE Canada magazine. “A berry lip is my beauty standby,” she explains. “For my hair, I chose an updated marcel wave with a 1920’s feel.” To correspond with Katherine’s bold lip colour, her bridesmaids wore bright fuchsia dresses by Kenneth Winston. “Hot pink is definitely my punctuation colour,” Katherine smiles. “I loved how the dresses looked in photos.”

At the ceremony, Katherine and David started things off on a memorable note with her uncle leading the guests in a singalong to The Beatles’ famous tune “All You Need is Love.” “We really wanted to create an informal, comfortable atmosphere at the ceremony, and the song was a great way for us to shake off our nerves,” Katherine explains. Later at the reception, tables were topped with ticket stubs from favourite concerts instead of traditional table numbers. “We love going to concerts together,” Katherine notes. “The ticket stubs were like a trip down memory lane.” When it came to the music-loving duo’s first dance song, there was actually a last-minute change to the lineup. “We had decided on ‘Be Mine’ by the Alabama Shakes, but a week before the wedding Dave suggested City and Colour’s ‘We Found Each Other in the Dark.’ We cued it up, took it for a spin in our kitchen, and the change felt right,” Katherine explains.

To cap off the night, guests fortified themselves with hot chocolate before heading out into the chilly autumn air to give the happy couple an unforgettable send off. “Everyone lit sparklers and surrounded Dave and I on the steps of the Cambridge Mill,” Katherine recalls. “It was truly magical.”

Katherine Flemming and David Greczko, November 2, 2012, Cambridge, Ontario.

Photography courtesy of Scarlet O’Neill.

Vendors Ceremony and reception location: The Cambridge Mill Bridal gown: Alvina Valenta
Bridal party attire: Kenneth Winston Color from Bridesmaid Bliss
Groom’s tux: Sergio Benetti Cake: Patisserie de la Cicogne
Music: Justin Jacques Stationery: Renee Nicole Design (sayhello@reneenicoledesign.com)