Toronto Bride Anita Karunakar & Brittney Furtado from Inspire Event Rental and design share the planning and design of a beautiful Berkeley Church wedding photographed by Lucas T Photography.

How did you chose your wedding photographer and strategize with them to get beautiful wedding portraits?

A friend helped me with suggesting several wedding vendors. She also got married at the Berkeley Church , a year earlier, and her wedding photos were so beautiful so I met with her photographer and we really got along. Lucas and Tay are really nice and easy to get along with. I basically just told them some ‘must-have’ shots and they took care of the rest. They’ve got a lot of experience so they just knew which shots to get. The cellar of the Berkeley Church was definitely a must – we got some great shots there. They also got all the details shots of the table setting and cocktail hour before we arrived.

What is the story behind your beautiful wedding dress?

We had a quick engagement and so my girlfriends told me I had to choose my wedding dress ASAP. I went dress shopping everyday for a week straight and put on hold the dresses I loved. My girlfriends came back with me on the weekend to see the final dresses. As soon as they saw my dress they knew it was the one. They said they could tell I knew too, by my face and just the way I wore it. I wanted something elegant, firm fitting and with lace.

What were some of your first conversations with the Inspire Event rental and design team and at what stage did you bring them on board?

I was starting to feel overwhelmed with all the wedding plans and wanted to make sure my vision was coming to life. I wanted to make sure that on the day of the wedding I didn’t have to worry about anything, I just wanted to enjoy the day. Again my friend told me about Inspire and I met with Brittney. She was so warm and welcoming, she was just as enthusiastic about my wedding as I was. She has a genuine interest in making your special day the best it can be, her energy is one of a kind. I told her we didn’t have a huge budget and she was still able to work with in it and never made me feel like my vision wasn’t possible.

What was the meaning behind the beautiful hummingbirds incorporated into the wedding design?

I’m in love with hummingbirds. I’ve always loved the Hummingbird legend shared on the Papyrus Cards:

“Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration. Hummingbirds open our eyes to the wonder of the world and inspire us to open our hearts to loved ones and friends. Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover and to savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer and to celebrate the joy of everyday. The hummingbird’s delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life’s sweetest creation.”  

I really wanted to incorporate this message into the theme of the wedding. With Inspire’s help we manage to include it throughout the wedding from the invitations, setting and giveaways.

How did you gather, save and organize the wedding inspiration for your wedding?

I guess its been a vision in my mind from when I was a little girl. From the magazines, movies you watch and other weddings you attend, it’s almost a feeling you want to create and we did. We also used a wedding binder from “the wedding knot” it helps you with checklists and all the categories of things to think of – there is so much out there.

How did having a custom design team working with you help you bring your vision to fruition?

I was able to trust the design team, they had an idea of what I wanted and were able to just run with it – they built on the idea and brought it to life. Once they were on board I didn’t have to worry anymore.

What wedding choices did you make that you were the happiest about?

I’m so happy we stuck with the hummingbird theme – it was so magical and everyone loved it, I’m glad Inspire made it happen. I’m glad our reception at the Berkeley Church, it was so lovely for our guests to enjoy the mezzanine space during the cocktail hour and look upon the evening awaiting them. I still have fond memories just thinking about the stage and how magical it looked.

What experience did you hope your guests would have when you were in the planning stages?

We wanted our friends to feel relaxed and just have a great time. We wanted them to enjoy the space, the food and the music, we wanted to throw a great party and we did.

What made you chose the Berkeley Church for your wedding reception and what about this choice worked the best for your big day?

I really wanted a non-traditional venue. I’m so tired of the cookie-cutter banquet hall, that didn’t appeal to me at all. You can’t beat the unique architecture of the Berkeley Church, it was such a beautiful place to celebrate our most important day. We loved the stage and bar set up, it made for an awesome dance floor once we moved the king tables after dinner.

In conversation with Brittney Furtado from Inspire Event Rental

How did you arrive at a floral design for the wedding and tie it together so seamlessly with the other design elements?
 
We used inspiration photos that Anita had shown in her consultations, she liked soft and ‘fluffier’ florals, like babies breath, spray roses and hydrangeas. To take up more space and really stretch the look we decided to arrange these in mismatch glass bottles and scatter throughout the tables. That scattered look then went perfectly with all the scattered bulbs and hummingbirds overhead. 
There were lovely rustic undertones to the wedding design while the overall design was elegant and modern. How did you balance these elements so effectively?
 
We always love to just add little touches of rustic, not too much because Berkeley Church isn’t too rustic, we like to work with the look of the venue not try to change it. 
How did you communicate with Anita and (her husband ) about their design vision?
 
We had an initial consultation and she loved the work I had done in the past at Berkeley Church. Therefore I tried to come up with a design that brought in the styles I had done previously, but still creating something new. For all of our clients we put a design together and send it with a quote that includes descriptions. They loved it and we went from there! 
 
There was a warmth and intimacy to the wedding design achieved through the table styling. What choices contributed to this accomplishment?
 
Adding little personalized touches to the place settings, like the notes that explained the hummingbird seed paper, scattered florals to fill out the entire table and lots and lots of candles. 
How does choosing a team that does wedding design and planning fit together effectively for a couple?
 
There’s sometimes a loss of information or loss of concept when a planner and designer come from different companies. When you have a company that does both, the ‘theme’ of concept is kept consist in absolutely everything done throughout the day. There’s also less to learn if you’re planning and your company is decorating as well, you know everyone will be doing a great job and can be held accountable during the day. 
The stage at Berkeley Church was a central point for the wedding. The setting had a whimsical, elegant meaningful in its design. What was the inspiration for this setting and how did it add to the wedding experience?
 
At Berkeley Church we always love playing with hanging features. For this one, we decided to focus the hanging feature over the stage rather than the dance floor, which we’ve done a lot in the past. They love hummingbirds, so we decided to add those in there with whimsical bulbs. The photos don’t even do it justice, it was unbeteibale to sit underneath! 
How do you ensure that the wedding style a couple choses is a fit for their big day?
 
We try our best to get to know our clients, and then whatever we suggest, if they absolutely love it we usually run with it. If they show some hesitation we make changes until it’s perfect! 
How was the Berkeley Church a good setting for this design?
 
Oh absolutely, this venue is an absolute pleasure to work with. If we’re looking create something whimsical, light and magical, Berkeley Church is always a perfect choice.