A Romantic, White Winter Wedding in Kleinburg, Ontario

Ryan and Michelle were engaged during a trip to New Orleans, when Michelle least expected it. "I thought we were just waiting on an Uber to brunch, but he had planned for a photographer to be there to capture his proposal! We were staying in a really beautiful old historic house turned hotel, so when a stranger offered to take our picture, I was all for it," Michelle recalls. "Little did I know, Ryan got down on one knee right there and the photographer captured the whole thing—it was perfect because he knew I would want the memory and the pictures also served as our engagement photos. We always laugh because it was October, and the next day the hotel's porch was covered with really aggressive Halloween decorations, so Ryan was really glad he popped the question early on in the trip!"

For their winter wedding, at The Doctor's House in Kleinburg, Ontario, the couple chose a monochrome theme with white and black being the main colours, with pops of deep burgundy and greenery in the florals. "We wanted to avoid anything too theme-y giving we were right around the holidays, so we went with more simplistic and romantic details," Michelle explains.

Both Ryan and Michelle agree that the best moment of the day was seeing each other in the chapel for the first time and getting married. "We didn't do a first look, so there was so much anticipation and even though we did a rehearsal, it's not the same as seeing it all come together and being dressed as the bride and groom with all your friends and family there," Michelle says. "We had a lot of fun with the tradition of ringing the chapel bell as well, and our confetti exit for sure was a great moment to cap it off."

Guests made their way from the chapel to The Great Hall for the reception, where the bride and groom shared their first dance to "Adorn" by Miguel. A tableau of three cakes made for a breathtaking display. "Ryan has a major sweet tooth and is definitely critical of wedding cakes, so we had 3 cakes all with different flavours—confetti, chocolate cookie and lemon buttercream," Michelle says. "We loved how impactful the display looked, but that it kept the really elegant aesthetic, and they tasted amazing! We also did take away black cake, which is a staple at Caribbean weddings."

A cartoonist was on hand to draw portraits of all the guests—the perfect alternative to a photobooth and a fun on-site activity for uests to interact with. "WE attended an event for my work several years ago and met artist Steve Manale who was working at the event and drew us—we loved it so much that we said we ever get married we would give him a call," Michelle explains. "That was a few years ago and we made good on our promise, and he remembered us! The portraits ended up being such a fun takeaway and so many of our friends still have them up somewhere at their house—including us!"

Michelle Agnelo and Ryan Thompson, December 15, 2018, Kleinburg, Ontario.

Photography courtesy of Brandon Scott Photography. 

Vendors Venue: The Doctor's House
Bridal gown: Made With Love Bridal from Pearl Bridal House
Bridesmaid gowns: Lulus Flowers: Blush & Bloom
Cake: Sammy Cakes
Music: DJ Lissa Monet
Hair & makeup: Jen Evoy
Stationery: Minted
Cartoonist: Steve Manale Seating chart: Via Calligraphy