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Modern Bride
Claire Salloum and Christopher Tindal, July 26, 2008, Toronto. By Sadiya Dendar
About the Couple:
Bride: Claire Salloum
Groom: Christopher Tindal
Occupations: Claire is a graduate student in neuroscience and Chris is the manager of a national newspaper website.
How they met: Claire and Christopher met at summer camp in Bracebridge, Ontario.
Fave date: Chris visited Claire while she was studying in New Zealand. “One of our most memorable adventures was climbing the Fox Glacier in the middle of a heavy rainstorm. By the end of the day we were soaking wet, exhausted and freezing cold, but we definitely felt like we could take on anything together.”
What attracted her to him: His musical prowess.
What attracted him to her: Her sense of humour.
Engagement story: Chris knew that Claire wanted an antique engagement ring that had been passed down to her from her great-grandmother. He called Claire's grandma to ask if he could have the ring, intending to propose when he got it. Claire's grandma said that she'd let him have the ring, "as long as he didn't give it to another lady." Chris proposed to Claire in a canoe on the middle of the lake at the summer camp where they'd met. Afterwards there was a big party with their friends on the beach.
The Wedding Day:
Wedding date: July 26, 2008
Guests: 150
Wedding theme: Marigold and periwinkle.
Her best moment: “Dancing with my dad to Paul Simon's ‘Father and Daughter.’"
His best moment: “Seeing Claire. We hadn't seen each other all day!”
What they would have done differently: “So many friends and family members helped with all the little details we planned. I wish I had prepared a grand ‘thank you’ so they would know how important their help and support had been.”
Advice to others: “Our advice would be to try your best to make decisions that authentically reflect who you are as a couple, as opposed to taking on traditions or clichés that may not be right for you. We picked a few things that were really important to us and didn't compromise on them, and by doing that, we were able to let the other details slide.”
Wedding song: “Our first dance was to the Beach Boys ‘God Only Knows.’"
Most unexpected moment: “Leading up to the wedding, we kept on telling ourselves to expect something to go wrong. We were ready to laugh off any mishaps and save them for stories we'd tell years later. In the end, nothing went wrong at all. The day went so smoothly; there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. How disappointing!”
Fave wedding detail: “Our lovely photographer set up a photo booth. It was a lot of fun for our guests and a really awesome way to capture a snapshot of who was there.”
What made her day: “We had friends and family who travelled a long way to be with us. It really meant so much to have my cousins from the U.K. and my best friend who travelled from Korea there.”
What made his day: “We chose the Berkeley Church as our venue for both the ceremony and reception. From a planning standpoint, this was the best decision we made—the staff, the building, the food, the decorations: everything was incredible!”
Honeymoon: “Quebec City by train. Very romantic and laid-back.”
The day in three words: “We got married!”
