“Once in a while, in the middle of an ordinary life…love gives us a fairy tale.”
For Cassandra and Jonathan, that quote rang so true that they engraved it on the gorgeous glasses they gave out as favors. These two began their Mr. and Mrs. story at none other than Walt Disney World. It’s Cassandra’s favorite place, and while on vacation with her sweetie, he proposed right there in front of Cinderella’s Castle!
Cassandra shares her sweet story—and a pic from that moment—below:
“I had organized and planned a vacation for Jonathan and I to my favourite place…Walt Disney World! I basically grew up there…taking yearly trips throughout my entire childhood, and continuing those trips into adulthood whenever we found the time! It has always been a place of wonder and magic for me, and I have so many amazing memories there. Jonathan knew how special Walt Disney World was to me, and I was so excited to share this experience with him.
On the day that we went to Magic Kingdom, Jonathan had suggested that we get a picture in front of Cinderella Castle to commemorate our first Disney trip together! We walked down Main Street USA towards the castle; Jonathan kept bypassing each Disney photographer until he finally decided on the photographer that was stationed right in front of the castle—by far the best view! The photographer positioned us to stand in just the right spot, and as he instructed us to “Say cheese!” Jonathan got down on one knee and proposed to me! And it was in that moment that he made the most magical place on earth even more magical!”
Our sweet bride and her dashing groom then planned a wedding that reflected their modern-day fairy tale, a day which, from the moment Cassandra slipped on her custom Lea-Ann Belter gown to when she and Jonathan said good night, was all about “love, laughter, and happily ever after!”
From Cassandra:
How did you choose your gown?
“Let’s just say that choosing my wedding gown was not an easy task! I had a vision of what I wanted, and I just couldn’t find it…anywhere! Since I was getting married in November, I knew I wanted a wedding gown with long sleeves. I also wanted a wedding gown that was classic, but fashionable…simple, but still had that “wow” factor. I spent months searching…I was literally eating, sleeping, and breathing wedding gowns. Over the course of my search, I think I tried on close to a hundred dresses and visited over thirty bridal boutiques (including a bridal boutique that was a 7-hour road trip away! Thanks, Mom!) My wedding gown search was driving me crazy, but luckily I had very patient parents, bridesmaids, and a fiancé that helped me along the way! During one of my online searches in the middle of the night I came across the Lea-Ann Belter website, and I instantly fell in love! I made an appointment and attended the boutique where I was greeted by Vanessa (aka the most amazing person…ever!) I explained my frustrations to Vanessa and went over all the gowns I had tried on that were beautiful, but just didn’t have all the elements I was looking for. That was when Vanessa introduced me to the idea of creating my very own custom wedding gown by piecing together the elements I loved with the Lea-Ann Belter separates collection. And that’s how it all began! It was such an amazing experience to work with Vanessa, and I loved being able to wear a wedding gown that was created just for me! It’s completely mine!”
Tell us about your day! What inspired its look and style?
“I absolutely loved our day…it was the perfect modern-day fairy tale! The style of our wedding was classic, timeless, and romantic. I planned everything down to the smallest details, and when I walked into my reception venue I was overcome with emotions to see all of my planning and hard work come together so perfectly. The soft, neutral colours were the perfect backdrop to the gorgeous floral decor…and all of the twirling candlelight set the perfect romantic, fairy-tale-inspired atmosphere. It was such a special day for my husband and I!”
What was your favorite part of the day?
“Everything! The whole day was an absolute dream, but if I had to pick one particular moment, it would have to be when I walked down the aisle. When the violins started to play and the church doors opened, my breath was taken away. Walking down the aisle with my Dad and looking out to see all of our family and friends that gathered to celebrate such a special day in our lives was so precious to me. I’ll never forget all the emotions I had walking down the aisle to Jonathan…he is the man I could have only dreamed about before meeting. Every 11:11, birthday wish, and every shooting star I wished for him…and in that moment of walking down the aisle to marry him, I felt completely blessed. It’s a moment I’ll remember forever.”
What was your first dance song?
“Our first dance song was “Wanted” by Hunter Hayes, however, we chose the acoustic cover of this song by Boyce Avenue. The lyrics perfectly described us and our relationship…the acoustic cover just made it so much more romantic and simple. I can’t help but get a little emotional every time I listen to it! So cheesy…I know!”
What was your something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue?
“Something Old – A special baby bonnet my Mom had been saving. It was made out of a beautiful hankie, and it came with the most precious poem. “I’m just a little hankie, as square as square can be; but with a stitch or two, they’ve made a bonnet out of me. I’ll be worn home from the hospital, or on the christening day; then I’ll be neatly pressed, and carefully packed away. Now on the wedding day, so I have been told; every well dressed bride, must have something old, so what would be more fitting, than to find little old me; a few stitches snipped and a wedding hankie I’ll be.”
Something New – My gorgeous wedding gown! Also, a beautiful pair of diamond earrings from my new husband!
Something Borrowed – I can’t think of anything specific! I know my bridesmaids always had whatever I needed, so I’m sure there were a lot of things borrowed and shared! We did borrow my parents’ wedding knife set to cut our own wedding cake!
Something Blue – My adorable Ted Baker wedding shoes! Blue peep toes with bows…how could I resist?!”
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“For our honeymoon we traveled to Europe! Jonathan and I started our adventure in Rome, Italy…we ate, drank, and explored the city hand in hand! We then ventured over to Spain where our first stop was Valencia. From there we traveled by train along the southeastern coast to Barcelona. It was beautiful and perfect!”
Any advice for future brides/grooms?
“Your wedding day will be the longest shortest day of your life! There’s so much to do and so much going on in just one day, but it flies by so quickly! For us, it was an eighteen-hour day that went by in a blink of an eye…so my advice would be to enjoy and savour every moment that you can! Jonathan and I did a sweetheart head table with just us for the reception, and it gave us the perfect opportunity to just be with each other and take it all in. It was so nice just to sit there together and be able to look out at all of our family and friends who were celebrating our love with us. My advice would be to cherish those simple and quiet moments…you won’t regret it!”
wedding dress: customized Lea-Ann Belter Arabella top over our Audrey bustier with the Rose skirt and Ava veil, all via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photography: Revel Photography | scroll down for full vendor list
Cassandra + Jonathan’s Modern-Day Fairytale Wedding Vendors
wedding dress: customized Lea-Ann Belter Arabella top over our Audrey bustier with the Rose skirt and Ava veil, all via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photography: Revel Photography | groom’s attire: custom Atelier Munro | makeup: Spacifix Esthetics Studio | hair: Shapes Hair Salon | florals: VonMar Floral Boutique | decor: Gala Decor | film: Ripeful Heart Wedding Films | music: Liquid Entertainment | wedding cake: K’s Cupcakery | ceremony venue: Saint John Bosco Roman Catholic Church | reception venue: Stone Mill Ballroom | accommodations: Stone Mill Inn
