My Turquoise Bag

Today marks one year since we got married.

One year since I walked down the aisle wearing my Mom’s vintage wedding dress.

One year since our closest family and friends tuned in on a screen from around the world to witness our wedding ceremony in the middle of a pandemic.

One year since we chose to create an entirely new wedding vision and not letting postponements get in the way of our dreams.

In honour of that milestone, I’m inviting you to relive that moment with me through the photographs captured by the renowned Daring Wanderer.

I hope this wedding post brings you along a dreamy little escape, and inspires a moment of nostalgia, celebration, romance, beauty, hope and faith in time.

Vintage romance

Delicate petals of eucalyptus and ranunculus set the stage of a family backyard transformed into a wedding venue. Under the birch tree, handwritten vows laid on ivory lace and wedding bands were neatly placed inside a vintage jewelry box, ready to be exchanged.

An intimate first look

The eve of our wedding, we kissed goodbye in our sweatpants and messy hair. We were tired, nervous and excited from planning every little detail of our DIY pandemic wedding.

We had spent the last eight months planning, pausing, grieving, postponing, re-planning and changing directions with very little control of how things would turn out.

But on this day, seeing each other for the first time dressed as Bride and Groom got us both emotional. In that moment, our tears were saying: “We made it. We’re finally here”.

Walking down the aisle

Our 92 guests awaited on screen with a jazz playlist and the camera pointing at a welcome sign. The first guitar strums of I Can’t Help Falling in Love by Kina Granis start to play, and the ceremony began.

Holding onto my Mom’s arm as I wore her wedding dress was a once-in-a-lifetime moment I will forever cherish.

Our vows

There was something very intimate about reciting our vows in a private backyard. Words handwritten on delicate paper were spoken with dedication and promise.

These familiar words have already been said to one another over the years, but in that exact moment, saying these words ceremoniously in front of witnesses felt so official. I couldn’t believe this was the moment my best friend was becoming my husband.

Our first dance

We swayed to Blue Moon by Billie Holiday with the greenery of cedar and birch trees as our backsplash. We whispered, giggled and took deep sighs of relief.

I have danced a million dances with him before. His hand has been on my waist a million times, and the scent of his cologne caressed my nose a million times.

But this was the one dance that made me feel like I was floating.

Greeting our guests

Our closest family and friends were dressed in their best with a drink in hand, raising a toast and joyfully cheering from all corners of the world. From Lebanon to Finland to Germany to Abu Dhabi to Paris to California to Montreal, and to our native Toronto.

During a historical time of social distancing, it was so touching seeing everyone’s smiling faces in one space, especially the elder family members that lived far and wouldn’t have been able to witness this day if it wasn’t for the pandemic’s enablement of virtual connection.

The love and joy that everyone brought was an energy that could be felt beyond the screen. It physically filled our hearts to the brim.

Toasting to family

Our wedding was a teamwork effort.

From my in-laws sprucing up their backyard for this day, to my mother-in-law lending us her finest crystal and silverware, to my father-in-law helping install the canopy and lights.

To my Mom altering her own wedding dress to fit me, to my Dad picking up our wedding cake, to my brother and sister-in-law helping set up our reception food.

To one family friend who officiated our ceremony and another family friend who managed the audio visuals.

Our hearts were bursting with gratitude at how much our parents, siblings and chosen family deeply love us and support us.

Backyard reception under the stars

Vintage porcelain, pressed linen napkins and tea light candles elegantly lit our wooden harvest table. A spread of cheese and charcuterie, crudités, seafood, and Lebanese and Finnish appetizers filled the picnic table.

Jazz played in the background, glasses clinked and laughter echoed quietly under the white canopy where we shared our vows only a few hours ago.

Our wedding cake was sliced, the raspberry jam and vanilla Chantilly cream delectably consumed. More champagne was poured, and glasses continued to clink under the late August stars.

Just us and the forest

The outdoors is a shared passion we connected over when we first started dating. This particular location was where we had our first hike together – the first of many.

He proposed to me on a hike in Montreal, and we hiked all over Ireland during our honeymoon.

Forests and being in nature is where we feel the most like ourselves, and it was appropriately fitting that we were greeted by the same forest on our wedding day.

I am so grateful for these captures. This is why I value photography so much. They are emotions in a frame, and a story you can cherish and revisit for the rest of your life.

Thank you to everyone who made this day unforgettably special.

Thank you to Daring Wanderer for capturing our day through your incredible lens.

xo 🖤