Every Recommendation You Need from My Two Micro-Weddings: Food, Photography & Venue
Photo by sincerely, studio
A lot of people dream about their big day. And it’s technically supposed to be the “best day of your life.” But what if you do it… twice? With the same groom. That’s exactly what I did. I mean, why have one wedding when you can have two? Not to be greedy or anything.
For many reasons, living away from home can suck. However, when it means getting to do something twice that you thought you’d only ever do once, it’s fabulous. Instead of asking all of my family and friends to fly to Toronto for my wedding — or asking our friends in Toronto to fly to the west coast — we had two separate micro-weddings.
My goal was to wear the same dress (JACQUEMUS, “La Robe Saudade”) for both occasions and style it differently. For each wedding I did my own hair and make-up. In Toronto, I went with a slicked-back bun à la Hailey Bieber. And in Victoria, I kept it simple and let my hair hang loose.
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A multitude of pearls clung to my ears in Toronto while gold hoops did the trick back home. I wore leopard & rhinestone-studded heels the first time and let my bare feet roam the grass at our backyard soirée in Brentwood Bay.
Without further I do ado, here are all the highly recommended details from my micro-weddings in Toronto and Victoria. Hint: I’d recommend literally everything we ate, drank, and used. It was perfection.
All the Recommendations You Need for a Fierce Micro-Wedding
Photo by sincerely, studio
Part I: Toronto, Ontario
Venue: Archive Studios
Something I’ve heard multiple times when showing off wedding photos: “Omg aesthetic goals!!” And that would be thanks to Archive Studios on Richmond Street East. It was gorgeous. Breathtaking! Since I had 3-month-old twins at the time we were planning this wedding, I had my friend Sebastian of Atelier Guarin go check out the space for me. He has immaculate taste so I know if he said it looked good, I’d have no hesitation booking it.
The booking process was super smooth, and the ladies running the studio were quick to respond and very helpful. Book your micro-wedding at Archive Studios here.
Photo by sincerely, studio
Food & drinks: Chau Toronto
For food, we hired Chau Toronto. We wanted something casual but mouth-watering. A sit-down dinner seemed a bit too formal for our micro vibe, so we went with passed appies. (Also, does anyone else say appies? My husband thinks I’m nuts.) On the menu: jerk chicken spring rolls, crab cakes, lobster rolls, miso grilled cheese, charcuterie, mini cheesecake, and more.
We communicated with Jane and she was so helpful with curating the menu and coordinating the schedule for the day. Book Chau Toronto for your next event here.
Photo by sincerely, studio
Dessert: Baked by Ari
Baked by Ari did our wedding cake. Ariana, one of my friends from my time working at Harry Rosen, started this little side hustle not too long ago. And she’s already been hired to do birthday cupcakes, mother’s day edible bouquets, themed cakes, and more. We took home a few slices of leftover cake and couldn’t wait to eat it — slightly hungover, not gonna lie — the next morning.
Ariana was very open to my ideas for the cake and she delivered it right on schedule. Browse Baked by Ari’s cake and cupcake creations here.
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Photo by sincerely, studio
Photo by sincerely, studio
Photography: sincerely, studio
Photography was extremely important to me. And I couldn’t be happier with how the photos of our day turned out. We hired Iris of sincerely, studio. What instantly hooked me was reading this on her website: “As a documentary-style photographer, I like to capture raw and imperfect moments between you and your loved ones.” Obsessed. After browsing Iris’s website, I didn’t even consider any other photographers. She was the one!
We ended up needing an extra hour and Iris was very accommodating. Everyone at the wedding loved her too. Book sincerely, studio for your next shoot here.
Photo by Morgan Cross
Part II: Victoria, British Columbia
Venue: My aunt’s backyard
Our second wedding was a lot more casual than the first. I didn’t want to do the same thing over again. It had to be a different aesthetic. I made a bouquet from flowers I bought at a farm stand down the street, I walked around in bare feet, and we mingled outside in the late spring sun. The weather couldn’t have been more idyllic.
Photo by Morgan Cross
Food: Food For Thought
Months later, people are still telling me that the food was the best they’ve ever had at a party before. And that would be courtesy of Food For Thought catering. I’m devastated that I didn’t even get to try everything! You know what it’s like — fluttering from one group to another, socializing and sipping champagne. At first, people thought I ordered too much food. (As if.) However, every single piece got savoured. There was nothing left.
On the menu from Food For Thought: duck rice paper rolls, crab wontons, a salmon platter, tomato + bocconcini skewers, sushi, mushroom risotto balls, honey glaze meatballs, seasonal crudités, and more.
Get a quote from Food For Thought catering here.
Photo by Morgan Cross
Photo by Morgan Cross
Dessert: Ooh La La & Empire Donuts
Just like having two weddings, we also did two desserts for this party. Ooh La La did cupcakes and the wedding cake and Empire Donuts did, well, donuts. We got some vegan and gluten-free options for guests with dietary restrictions as well. Each bite was more delicious than the last. The cake was salted caramel with buttercream and oh my god, it was the best thing I’ve ever tasted.
Order a cake here or donuts here.
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Photo by Morgan Cross
Photo by Morgan Cross
Décor: DIY Vibes
For the backyard, we decided to make a lot of the décor ourselves. I made a board on Pinterest to gather all of my ideas. Two of my favourite features were the farm-fresh flowers in glass jars that we hung from the giant cherry tree. And the “wish you were here” table that showcased photos of my dad, grammy, great-gramma, and uncle Glen.
Photo by Morgan Cross
Photography: My cousin, Morgan Cross
My cousin graciously offered to take photos for us, which was amazing. Since the event was so low-key, I figured we could keep the photography chill too. Mostly just candid shots of guests here and there. We also used a bunch of disposable cameras!
So there you have it. Every micro-wedding recommendation I have from my two celebrations. Which is more your vibe?
—ᴍᴍᴍ
Ps. I’d like to note that no one paid me to write this. I’m blogging like it’s 2007 and I’m just sharing a few of my faves.