Dan and Taryn share their exquisite day at Berkeley Church Wedding Venue Toronto. In Conversation with Toronto Bride Taryn Abate and Inspire Event Rentals and Design about the design and planning of this mesmerizing wedding beautifully captured by Mdd Photography.
In conversation with Toronto Bride Taryn Abate.
You clearly prioritized the guest experience at your wedding as it is so evident that it was a joyous and happy experience for all your guests. How did you achieve this alongside your other wedding goals?
The first priority for the day was that it would be an enjoyable day for everyone attending – from the guests, to the wedding party, family, and us as well; Everything else was secondary. Having a priority like that allows you to let go of control over some of the details and focus on what’s important – the fact that you’re getting married!
There are some beautiful day of wedding portraits around the Berkeley Church. How did you plan for this and what were your thoughts when you first saw them?
I was lucky enough to have an amazing photographer who has a good eye! I knew I wanted pictures in front of the beautiful windows on the top floor and I loved the courtyard, but otherwise I knew I could trust Michael to find the best spots. Michael sent us a sneak peak of photos 2 days after the wedding and we were over the moon – he captured the day so well from beginning to end, with a perfect mix of posed and candid shots. Our favourites are some of the pictures upstairs in front of the windows, just the two of us and also the one of me and our flower girl in the courtyard – I couldn’t have asked for any better!
What is the story behind your beautiful wedding dress?
It was literally the first dress I pinned on Pinterest. Then I pinned hundreds more. The first 2 stores I went to didn’t carry the exact dress, so I tried on many others and found nice ones that I could live with, but nothing I felt truly suited me. Thankfully, Superior Bridal had it and it was an instant winner. I loved that it was simple in design, but had the detailed lace and champagne colour. It felt like me.
What are five words you would use to describe your wedding?
Love & magic with friends & family. (Do the &’s count??)
What was the first decision you made after you got engaged?
Location. I’d seen pictures of Berkeley Church on Instagram and always loved the look. We made a few appointments to see different venues, with Berkeley being the first and we knew right away it was where we wanted to get married. I thought the rest of the decisions we made from the dress, to the flowers and décor would all depend on what type of venue we selected.
When you first met with Inspired Event Rental & Design what were you hoping to find in the creative partnership with them?
After selecting Berkeley Church as our venue, I was looking at pictures on Instagram of the venue and the ones that Inspire had decorated caught my eye. I’m not very creative and didn’t want to have to coordinate with multiple vendors so when I saw on their website that they could do décor and flowers and help with design/organization, I was very excited. I met with Brittney with a few pictures – my dress, the MOH dress colour, and a few pictures I had pinned on Pinterest. I was hoping she could turn it in to something beautiful… and she and her team far exceeded my expectations!
The floral installations added a stunning design element to the wedding. What was the inspiration behind this beautiful creation?
You’ll have to ask Brittney! The only floral pic I showed was an idea for my bouquet. We talked about the feel of the wedding – twinkle lights, soft colours and pretty… and she came up with the rest. When she explained the idea to me, I have to admit I didn’t even fully understand what she had in mind. She did a demo as well and I kind of understood then but was not sure how they would hang in the venue. It was breathtaking and an amazing part of our wedding day to walk in to the venue and see the magic that she had created!
What in your mind was the standout detail of your wedding – the one that meant the most to you?
I don’t think I could pick just one… I loved my bouquet, I loved the flower crown for the flower girl – I hadn’t even thought of it and Inspire recommended it and I couldn’t have been happier with how cute it looked on her, and of course the floral installations and hanging glass bulbs (Brittney — what would you call these?) were stunning – it was so unique and made the night so magical!
Looking back what choices did you make that you were most happy about?
The choices I’m most happy are about were the choice of venue, using Inspire, and my photographer/videographer team. Having the right people help to organize, plan, and support you in preparing and executing this day makes it possible to relax and ENJOY the day marrying the person that makes you the most happy.
In Conversation with Inspire Event Rental & Design
What was your process for conceptualizing the wedding day with the wedding couple?
First we met with the client to chat about what they love, a little about who they are, and look at inspiration photos they’ve chosen for their special day. Then we come up with a unique design custom for that couple and they let us know if they love it, or if they’d like anything adjusted!
What was the vision for the style of the wedding and what elements contributed the most to the stunning atmosphere?
We’ve worked at Berkeley Church quite a bit, so we’re always looking for ways to come up with new, interesting designs to use in that beautiful space, while also taking advantage of the upper level with the balcony to incorporate hanging features. We’ve always wanted to hang centrepieces above tables so we came up with beautiful greenery chandeliers and hanging bulbs which really made a statement when guests walked in to the space.
The tablescaping had a perfectly balanced design with a great combination of glitter, bold design lines, and lush floral arrangements. What were the steps for this achievement?
Based on some of the inspiration Taryn sent us, we wanted to add just a touch of glam but also keep the florals simple because the venue is so stunning and busy! We kept the design light, luscious, and feminine which complimented the touches of glitz and glitter perfectly.
What are some of the benefits of handling the florals, planning and co-ordination all in-house for this stunning wedding?
We really love being able to take care of design, florals, and planning so that we can ensure every detail of the event runs and looks cohesive to what we know the couple will love. Also, offering exceptional service is extremely important to us so being able to build a relationship with our couples, their family, and friends, and watch a perfectly run, and gorgeous, event unfold is the most rewarding!
What are some key design principles you adhere to when you approach a wedding design?
Even though we try to come up with unique designs for each client, we still try our best to stay true to our Inspired style. One rule we’ve given ourselves is that if the client want’s something that isn’t quite our style, we’ll respectfully let them know there will definitely be someone who can achieve that style much better than we can. Our main design principles are stay ahead of the trends, incorporate interesting florals, and add contemporary touches.
The wedding planning fully utilized the unique historic setting at Berkeley Church in particular the lower level of the church for the cocktail reception. How did you plan the use of the space so effectively?
We try our best to use every bit of Berkeley Church in an interesting way. It also gives us an opportunity to add finishing touches to the reception area while guests enjoy themselves during cocktail hour. What’s so interesting about Berkeley Church is that every room and space within it is so different and interesting, therefore we believe guests should be able to experience all the beauty that Berkeley Church is and check out each space during different parts of the wedding.
You talk about loving a creative challenge and embracing it to make it work. What was the creative challenge in this wedding process, and how did you deliver such beautiful results?
The creative challenge was definitely coming up with an interesting hanging feature, which for this wedding was the greenery chandeliers with the hanging bulbs. Ensuring they were styled and hung perfectly so that when guests arrived they really created an impact was super important to us. In the end, I think we definitely achieved it!
What did the location of Berkeley Church add to the wedding experience and how did you respond to the historic setting?
Well first, it’s always an absolute pleasure working with the Berkeley team. Second the space is so interesting that whatever we design for that space looks unbelievable. What’s important is working with the aesthetic of the Church and creating design that compliment what’s already there. Adding too much would take away from the beauty of the venue and we absolutely would not want that!
Photographer Mdd Photography
