Tons of love and laughter went down on Allie and Matt’s Toronto wedding day. These two have known each other since they were teenagers, and it’s clear they have the best time ever together. We bet the notebook of ten years’ worth of photos together that Matt made as part of his proposal was the same—all smiles!
Though their venue search initially felt a little like Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Allie and Matt found their perfect match at The Symes. When the day arrived, shares Allie, “The weather was perfect and made our day so easy. Getting ready at my parents’ house was particularly wonderful—being able to take our photos in the same place we have family dinners was so special. Matt and I are such homebodies that it just made sense. Another “us” thing was the bread. Matt has been a long-time bread baker, so instead of the standard bread basket, each guest received a mini-baguette from Matt’s favourite bakery.”
More from Allie, who found her Felicity gown at our Toronto boutique and first danced with Matt to “Home “by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, below:
How did you guys get engaged?
“Matt and I had been together since we were 16 and 17, so we had a long relationship of accumulating pictures. One day in June 2019, I came home to our condo to see a table in the front with a small vase of my favourite flowers (Calla lilies!), a notebook, and an envelope. I opened the notebook to see a note from Matt, and then the envelope to see about 100 pictures of us from the past decade. He then came into the room and popped the question!”
wedding gown: Astrid & Mercedes Felicity via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photographer: Assaf Friedman | full vendor list at bottom
How did you choose your gown?
“After going to a few bridal shops, I was feeling pretty dejected. I had an idea what it was that I was looking for, but I just wasn’t finding it. Finally, I had an appointment at Lea-Ann Belter that I almost cancelled but went just because. Vanessa was so amazing to work with and pulled dresses that were perfect despite my inability to explain what I was looking for. I finally tried on THE dress and knew instantly it was the one. The next week, I brought back my mother, sister, mother-in-law, and best friend to confirm!”
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
“When we were looking for venues, we wanted something that could fit a large guest count but still felt like us. The hotel ballrooms we looked at were beautiful but felt formal, and some of the other spaces we considered looked great but were a bit small. When I was on the phone with my planner (the amazing Kiera Caruso), before she had even signed on to do the wedding, she said to me, “I know we just met, but you need to get married at the Symes.” We went to look, not knowing what to expect, and found the perfect space for our wedding. This was so lucky for us, especially as our plans began to change due to the pandemic. Namita and the entire Symes team were so amazing with all of the changes that needed to be made.”
One detail you couldn’t live without?
“Our sweetheart table was so important to us! It was so nice to be together and really take in the night. We were really able to just be together.”
What was the most important aspect for you, in terms of planning your wedding?
“While the pandemic obviously made things more challenging, it helped us put so much in perspective. We were able to focus on what was most important to us, which ended up making our day so much more personal!”
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“We are planning to go on our honeymoon this summer, to Italy and France!”
Allie + Matt’s Toronto Wedding Vendors
wedding gown: Astrid & Mercedes Felicity via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photographer: Assaf Friedman | wedding planner: Kiera Caruso | venue: The Symes | catering: Toben | florals: Jackie O. | rentals: Simply Beautiful Events Decor & Event Rental Group | printing: Smudge Designs | band: Soul Power
