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Mannix Velho met his future wife Valérie Gratton after answering a call to help one of her relatives. After getting engaged on a trip to Portugal, the pair began planning a wedding that would celebrate new beginnings in more ways than one. On December 31, 2011, Valérie and Mannix exchanged vows at Side Door Restaurant, the venue for their chic New Year’s Eve wedding. With 115 guests in tow, the blue and silver-specked soiree featured a glittering brooch bouquet, photo booth and colour-coordinated candy bar. Valérie and Mannix, who posed after the ceremony in a 1954 police car, enjoyed a slideshow and fun speeches from friends and family, including the bride’s two sisters, who performed their own version of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air rap. The chic New Year’s Eve wedding continued with a midnight balloon drop and poutine bar, much to the delight of the guests. Paper hats and poppers contributed to the festive New Year’s atmosphere, as well as centrepieces of towering ostrich feathers. In lieu of traditional table numbers, words describing love, marriage and New Year’s Eve were written in English, French and Portuguese to reflect the couple’s multicultural background. Guests departed the chic New Year’s Eve wedding with snowflake ornaments, a nod to the season of new beginnings.

Valérie Gratton and Mannix Velho, December 31, 2011, Ottawa, Ontario.

Photography courtesy of Troy St Louis Photography (www.troystlouis.com).

Vendors
Ceremony and reception location: Side Door Restaurant
Dress: Paloma Blanca from Baroness Bridal Boutique
Groom’s tux: Tip Top Tailors
Bridal party attire: BCBG
Hair: Texture Hair Salon
Makeup: Lorraine Bourgeois
Music: MellowDee
Cake: Royal Tiers Cakes
Caterer: Side Door Restaurant
Favours: Snowflake ornaments purchased at Bouclair
Flowers: SolBijou on Etsy
Stationery: Inky Design and Print located in PaperPapier

See more photos of this chic New Year’s Eve wedding here.