A Storybook Romance-Themed Wedding In Toronto
Having a unique celebration was important to Jaime Nugent and Ryan Irvine so a storybook romance-themed wedding seemed the perfect choice. “We wanted our guests to learn how we first met. We wanted to engage our audience,” Jaime shares. So they hired a children’s storyteller, in lieu of a traditional officiant, to share the fateful tale of their relationship. As it turns out, Jaime and Ryan were born five days apart in the same hospital and they actually spent one whole day together in the maternity ward nursery. Both of them were raised in Oakville, attended the University of Western Ontario and vacationed at the same resort in the Dominican Republic during Reading Week, but they didn’t actually meet until a mutual friend introduced them in 2005. Five years later on a warm summer night under the stars, Ryan asked Jaime to marry him, and she said, “Yes.” One year later she was ready to say, “I do.”
The night before the storybook romance-themed wedding Jaime checked into One King West, a chic hotel in downtown Toronto, with her mother. The weather forecast for the next day didn’t look favourable; in fact, thunderstorms were on the radar. To her surprise, Jaime woke the next morning to her mother throwing back the curtains to reveal a picture-perfect sunny day.
Before the storybook romance-themed wedding ceremony, Jaime and Ryan engineered a “first look” outside in a nearby courtyard. “I walked up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder,” Jaime recalls. “When he turned around I felt so incredibly lucky—he looked so handsome and happier than I’ve ever seen him. I could hardly believe he was going to be my husband in just a few hours.”
Post-ceremony, the fabulous celebration was at The Fifth Social Club, an urban nightclub, which was transformed into a romantic retreat. “We wanted everyone to feel welcomed and loved,” Jaime says. To enhance the family atmosphere, each guest was encouraged to select one main from the menu, while generous side dishes were passed around the table and shared. When it was time to hit the dance floor, guests grooved to the sweet sounds of live band Lady Kane. Jaime and Ryan had seen the band perform several times before, and Lady Kane was actually playing when the two shared their first kiss! In order to alleviate any awkwardness for their first dance, Jaime and Ryan practiced some moves they learned on YouTube in the weeks leading up to the wedding. They successfully made it through Otis Redding’s “These Arms of Mine,” which was the perfect tempo—“Neither too slow nor too fast,” Jaime laughs. The music was a hit with guests of all ages, and even their grandmothers joined them for a twirl. “Watching our family and friends laughing and singing on the dance floor was definitely one of our favourite moments,” Jaime recalls.
Jaime Nugent and Ryan Irvine, September 24, 2011, Toronto, Ontario.
Photography courtesy of Rebecca Wood Photography (www.rebeccawood.ca)
Vendors
Ceremony location: The Fifth Social Club
Reception location: The Fifth Grill & Terrace
Wedding planner: Cynthia Martyn Events
Dress: Jim Hjelm
Groom's tux: Pal Zileri from Via Cavour
Hair: FacesByCarla
Makeup: FacesByCarla
Music: Lady Kane
Caterer: The Fifth Grill & Terrace
Favours: DIY by the bride
Flowers: Fuscia Designs
Stationery: DIY by the bride
See all of the photos from this storybook romance-themed wedding.
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