Amy and Justin share the beautiful details of their elegant Berkeley Church wedding and inside their creative planning process

Amy and Justin share the beautiful details of their elegant Berkeley Church wedding and inside their creative planning process.

If you were to describe the atmosphere and feeling of your wedding ceremony what would you say?

Our wedding ceremony was filled with emotion for the both of us. Recalling our story, and sharing our personal vows that we wrote in the presence of our friends and family was something we’ll never forget. All of our nerves melted away and we felt pure joy when we saw each other- it was a magical feeling where it felt like our dreams (and hard work) were coming true.

What did you learn during your planning process that surprised you?

We learned that it takes way more time and work than you could ever imagine- but it is so worth it! We planned well in advance, and worked hard to stay on top of the deadlines we made for ourselves. This really helped, but we still had a lot of last minute work to do that was overwhelming at times. Day-of logistics were challenging to plan, and we were grateful to have our ceremony, cocktail hour and reception all at the same location.

Your love of waterfalls in the Hamilton region and how you incorporated it onto your wedding day. It was so unique and meaningful that you shared your passion and unique experience with your guests. How did bringing in these and other unique elements enhance your wedding day?

We wanted to share our love story and passions with all of our guests so we incorporated personalizations in a number of ways.

1- Selecting an officiant that was open to personalizing our ceremony and retelling our love story

2- Passing out “Fun Fact” napkins at cocktail hour

3- Each table number had a meaningful location and a short description as to why it was important to us (Ex- Costa Rica was where we got engaged, Bali was where we were going on our honeymoon, and Liberty Village was where we bought our first home together)

How did your wedding planning process bring you together as a couple to focus on your shared interests and passions and how did you communicate this with your guests through your wedding day?

We divided up our main wedding tasks and created a project plan to keep on track. We were very excited throughout the entire process and would save wedding TikTok videos to share and watch together in the evenings. By keeping on track with our project plan we were able to reduce wedding planning stress and enjoy the process more. Guests commented on how much effort was put into the wedding, and we were happy to share which elements each of us took on (for example, did you know Justin found and booked our flower vendor?!)

How did you arrive at the vision for your gorgeous wedding design?

We wanted to let the natural beauty of the Berkeley Church shine through so we focused on more subtle modern decor touches and flowers. Our colours were sage and silver, and the flowers were white with greenery. We loved the added splash of colour from the stained glass windows of the church.

How did you communicate with your photographer your hopes and aspirations for your wedding album?

We searched for a photographer that matched the style we were looking for: light, airy and natural. We shared some inspiration pictures with Kendra, but mostly just trusted her to do her thing! It was important to us that we find a photographer that we enjoyed spending time with as we were with Kendra for the majority of our special day. In addition, it was extremely helpful to find a photographer that had already shot at our venue so we could have a clear picture of what our photos would look like.

“Light, air and comfort these three things you must always have in a room.” Elsie de Wolfe. What do you think of this quote in relation to the success of a design as it relates to your wedding experience?

Amy has always loved rooms that are flooded with natural light, so finding a wedding venue with lots of windows was a big win!

How did you chose your locations for your day portraits and what were some of the aspects of your lives you wanted to have archived as part of your story?

We really love the time we spend together outdoors so we wanted to incorporate both the beach and the park into our photos. In addition, our love story blossomed while living in Toronto together so we wanted to include a few skyline pictures. Amy has always loved the CN Tower and is quick to point it out whenever there is a clear view. We were thrilled to shoot our first look in a local Liberty Village park with a stunning skyline backdrop. It was really helpful that we were both able to walk down the street from where we got ready to meet at this spot for first look photos.

What is the story of your beautiful dress, finding it and was it what you set out to find?

My dress was the first wedding dress I saw, in the first store I went to! It was on the mannequin in the window, and I knew I had to try it on. I had the most lovely sales associate who was able to take my feedback on each dress I tried on and bring new dresses that met all of my criteria. The first time I tried on the “window dress” I quite liked it, but I hadn’t tried on many dresses yet so I was eager to keep going. The second time I tried it on I cried. I knew right then and there that this was my dress. Lucky for me because right after I bought it we went into one of our many lockdowns and all my other scheduled dress appointments got cancelled!

What did having a live music performer add to the experience of your day?

We wanted to incorporate live steel drum music during our cocktail hour as a unique experience for guests. Amy has always loved the sound of steel drums and thought it would be a fun and memorable touch.

What stands out as a choice you made for your wedding day that enhanced the enjoyment of your wedding day?

Scheduling fun guest activities into the day really enhanced the enjoyment of our wedding day for both us and our guests. Some examples of this included having cornhole during cocktail hour, a champagne tower toast, a “group photo” to get everyone on the dancefloor, and various dancefloor games such as groom/bride toss, skipping and limbo.