This Art Deco-Themed Wedding in Toronto Was the Definition of Modern

You're Invited

Vogue Ink's Cathy Vogel, the couple's family friend, offered to design their invitations, menus, place cards, and welcome-bag stationery—all of which incorporated blush tones, gold accents, and Art Deco fonts.

A Venue with Retro Vibes

Looking for an intimate venue with a trendy atmosphere and great food, Krista and Will ultimately decided on Oretta, a restaurant in downtown Toronto. "Good food was definitely a big priority for us, but most importantly, I met a few of Krista's cousins and best friends at Oretta when we had started dating, so it had a special significance for us," Will says. The couple took advantage of the space's patterned tiles, high arches, and gold light fixtures to enhance the retro-meets-modern style they were after.

Getting Ready

The bride's getting-ready outfit—a pair of monogrammed silk pajamas with feather accents, which she wore with pointed-toed mules—perfectly foreshadowed her wedding dress to come.

A Fashion-Forward Look

Krista had a tough time finding a simple, modern, form-fitting wedding dress. She took a trip to Chicago with her sister and cousin to start the hunt, but left each salon empty-handed. She later invited her mom to Toronto to go dress shopping with her and Will's mom, and, at the final appointment of the day at Loversland, her mother picked out the gown that she ultimately wore on the big day. "It was the perfect balance between the sleek, modern look I wanted with slight feminine lace details throughout," Krista says.

All About the Accessories

Given that snow was in the wedding-day forecast, the bride paired her gown with a luxe white fur. She also wore pearl-embellished Chanel sandals, a 1960s white hard-shell purse, pearl drop earrings by Sophie Buhai, a pearl bracelet borrowed from her mom, and a veil from Loversland.

The Groom's Look

Will went with a custom classic black tuxedo on the big day. "I wanted a velvet bow tie to make it a little more relaxed, but still formal," he says. He also wore his grandfather's pearl cuff links for a special touch—they happened to match Krista's shoes and earrings.

The Family

The couple's parents looked just as stylish as the bride and groom, which made for next-level family portraits.

The First Look

Looking back on the day, the couple says their first look was one of the most special moments they shared. "We were both shaking and got so emotional seeing each other for the first time," Krista says.

"I had not seen Krista since early that morning, and I was amazed at how beautiful she looked," Will says. "She always smiles with her eyes and she was smiling ear-to-ear. I felt so lucky in that moment."

A Ceremony Under Flowers

After a short, private bedeken, or Jewish veiling ceremony, with just close family and friends, the couple headed into their ceremony space, where the rest of their guests were waiting. They were married by their rabbi underneath a floral chuppah that Krista created with Lisa from Sweet Woodruff.

Chuppah Details

"I have to admit, I never made a Pinterest board or dreamed about any specific wedding details since I was young, but I had one thing I had my mind set on—which was the chuppah with a roof full of blush roses hanging by their stems in all different heights," Krista says. "It made for the most beautiful photos and it served as the focal point for all of our guests as they first entered the wedding venue."

The Ceremony

To maximize their time with their guests, the couple skipped over a few wedding traditions and held a short standing ceremony in the middle of cocktail hour. "It felt really intimate to be surrounded by everybody as they enjoyed mingling and having drinks," Will says. Although they didn't exchange written vows during the ceremony, the couple prepared a speech during dinner that represented what they would have said in their vows.

The Cocktail Hour

Cocktail hour took place on the second floor of the restaurant, overlooking the dining room. While a quartet played, guests enjoyed passed hors d'oeuvres like truffle crostinis, polenta fries, and caprese skewers, along with drinks including barrel-aged negroni cocktails, Champagne, and wine.

The Restaurant Reception

The reception was held in the restaurant's main dining area, where several long wooden tables were set up throughout the space. Each table was topped with taper candles, tea candles, and white-and-blush floral arrangements.

The Dinner

At each setting, a blush circular menu, complete with the duo's logo, was placed on top of the plates. For dinner, guests had a choice of mushroom ravioli, seared flatiron steak, or a sea bass filet. The couple chose a seated dinner service "so that it would feel like [our guests were having a] night out with friends," Will says of the true restaurant experience.

Krista and Will also offered a stocked dessert table featuring cookies, gelato, cannolis, and bomboloni, an Italian donut filled with Nutella, lemon curt, or pastry cream.

The Dancing

Shortly after guests hit the tiled dance floor, Krista and Will were lifted in their chairs for the traditional hora dance.

Into the Future

At the end of the evening, guests waved sparklers as the couple exited the party. The pair took off on their mini-moon to Iceland—they have their official honeymoon trip to Greece, Croatia, and Italy planned for this summer.

Sources

Photography, Barb Simkova of Tara McMullen Photo

Venue and catering, Oretta Restaurant

Event planning and design, Ashley Lindzon

Invitations, Cathy Vogel of Vogue Ink

Flowers, Lisa Gray of Sweet Woodruff

Bride's gown and veil, Loversland

Bride's accessories, Chanel (shoes); Sophie Buhai (earrings)

Hair and Makeup, Allison Kam; Ace and Hatchet; Lac Beauty

Music, St. Royals