A Vintage, Schoolhouse Wedding In Toronto

Wedding date: July 17, 2011

Wedding theme: Vintage, books, relaxed Sunday afternoon BBQ and pie

Guests: 95

Budget: $25,000

Best moment: “Ben is an incredible singer and piano/guitar/banjo player. He wrote a song on his banjo to sing for me as a surprise after dinner. At least half the guests were streaming with tears by the end of the song, including me!” says Catherine.

Favourite detail: “Our wedding favours for our guests were copies of our favourite books and had custom bookplates in each with a picture of us and a thank you to our guests. Ben and I both love reading and yet we have very different tastes. Our guests were so excited to each get very unique gifts and some even said it felt a little like Christmas morning,” explains Catherine.

Wedding song: “Le Ciel Dans Une Chambre” by Carla Bruni. “It is probably the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard. It’s in French (which I love since I spent some time living in Paris) and translates to: ‘When you are so close to me, this room hasn’t got any walls, but the trees, yes, an infinity of trees; and when you are so close to me, it’s like the ceiling here doesn’t exist anymore; I see the sky leaning towards us, and we remain like this, abandoned like this, there is nothing more, no nothing from the other world.’ Our good friend Rick Temporao sang it as I walked down the aisle and his own song ‘Crazy Love’ as we walked away,” says Catherine.

Honeymoon: Maui