Sections

A Glamorous Art Deco Wedding in Toronto, Ontario

Updated Mar 09, 2016

| By Rachel Cravit

A Glamorous Art Deco Wedding in Toronto, Ontario

Brides Christine Davies and Meaghan "Meg" McCluskey may have gone big with one of the most glamorous art deco banquet halls in Toronto, but that didn't stop the pair from supporting small businesses throughout their entire wedding celebration. A proud East Toronto couple, Christine and Meg worked with as many local vendors as possible, including their own neighbourhood bakery. The result was a glamourous art deco wedding filled with enviable details and executed from the heart. Arcadian Court, where Meg and Christine hosted both their ceremony and reception, was an ideal location for the festivities. "We wanted our guests to really enjoy themselves at our wedding, so it was important to us that the venue be conveniently located and offer excellent food. Arcadian Court, located at the intersection of Bay and Queen streets in downtown Toronto, certainly delivered on both fronts," raves Meg. The pair commissioned Amber Richman of The Beaches floral boutique Cool, Green & Shady to create lavish floral arrangements which felt right at home at the glamorous art deco wedding. Bursting with bright shades of pink and cranberry, the blooms added the perfect panache. "For budgetary reasons, we made the centrepieces ourselves, purchasing cranberry vases from Ikea and bulk cranberry orchids from another source. One of our pieces of advice for brides is to focus attention on a few showcase items. We feel this helped us get the look we wanted while staying on budget," says Meg. After posing with their bridal party around Nathan Phillips Square, Meg and Christine proceeded to Arcadian Court, but not without attracting considerable fanfare along the way. "Many tourists approached us at Nathan Phillips Square and took pictures of us. Some even asked us to pose with them! It was all friendly and in good fun. I guess you don’t see two brides in many other countries," says Meg.

After arriving at Arcadian Court, the glamorous art deco wedding kicked off with a heartfelt ceremony performed by Rev. Brent Hawkes of the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto, who played a considerable role in fighting for marriage equality in Canada. "We were very excited and honoured that he agreed to officiate our wedding," says Meg. The ceremony also included readings from The Corinthians and the love poem "I Carry Your Heart" by E.E. Cummings. The brides exchanged traditional vows as well as their own, with Meg promising to make Christine coffee every morning and Christine vowing to support Meg's home renovation projects. Following the ceremony, the 160 guests enjoyed a massive wedding feast catered by Oliver & Bonacini. The glamorous art deco continued with dancing until 1 A.M., thanks to DJ Lyndz -- who kept everyone on the dance floor -- and the strategic placement of Arcadian Court's mobile bar. "We stuck the bar right next to the dance floor so that people wouldn’t wander too far from the heart of the party. The strategy played out pretty well," advises Meg. The couple even served their own specialty cocktail called the "Cranberry Snapper" (consisting of Crown Royal, Amaretto and cranberry juice) to reflect the evening's colour scheme.

In lieu of traditional favours, guests were prompted "vote" for one of three charities which Meg and Christine would then donate to on their behalf; choices were indicated by the placement of name cards into the charities' respective boxes. A sweet finale to the glamorous art deco wedding, Meg and Christine cut a chocolate and vanilla cake with buttercream icing. " It was the elegant, fun, relaxed day we had hoped for," says Meg.

Christine Davies and Meaghan "Meg" McCluskey, May 20, 2012, Toronto, Ontario

Photography courtesy of eyecontact photography (www.eyecontact.ca).

Vendors
Ceremony and reception location: Arcadian Court Brides' dresses: Pronovias from Becker's Bridal (Christine); Allure from Windsor Bridal (Meaghan) Bridal party attire: Alfred Sung (bridesmaids); Gorman's Menswear (man of honour and fathers of the brides) Hair and makeup: Marissa Magrath, friend of the couple (416-912-2163)
Music: Lindsey Pallister, DJ Lyndz
Cake: Celena's Bakery
Caterer: Oliver & Bonacini
Favours: Charitable donations to Egale Canada, Metropolitan Community Church and Worker's Action Centre
Flowers: Amber Richman, Cool, Green & Shady
Stationery: DIY