As they planned their Toronto wedding at the Pearle Hotel, Nicole and Akaash made sure it was whimsical, fun and romantic…just like them!
At every opportunity, these two infused their day with elements of their love story such as a crock-a-doodle guestbook, scratch card favors, and all sorts of sweet details. But when it came to what to wear, Nicole didn’t have a clear vision. As she began her shopping journey, she found herself “loving parts of one dress, and parts of another, but was never able to find one that had it all.”
Love at First Fitting
At the recommendation of a cow-worker, she made an appointment with Vanessa at our Toronto wedding dress shop, and fell in love. With the dress, that is! Or maybe a little bit with Lea-Ann Belter’s owner-stylist, too.
“Vanessa was a huge part of why I chose Lea Ann Belter. She was very warm and friendly, and she had expertise in bridal dresses that no sales specialist had.” Together, Vanessa and Nicole started trying on lace wedding dresses, A-lines, and jackets, narrowing down the field until our lovely bride figured out what she liked best. “Then, I was able to create a one-of-a-kind dress that was perfectly what I wanted.” Which, it turned out, was a lovely strapless sweetheart ball gown with lace at the bodice, and a blossom-embroidered sheer net jacket.
Throughout the process of choosing her gown and fittings, Vanessa’s “expertise made me feel confident and helped me decide on a dress that would be comfortable, look amazing, and be exactly what I wanted for the day of.”
More of Nicole and Akaash’s love story and wedding day details from our playful bride below!
Tell us about finding your gown! What made you choose Lea-Ann Belter?
When I started my journey for the perfect dress, I had a vague idea of what I was looking for, but nothing specific. As I started trying on dresses, I was finding myself loving parts of one dress, and parts of another, but was never able to find one that had it all.
A coworker recommended Lea-Ann Belter Bridal, and I am really glad she did. Vanessa was a huge part of why I chose Lea Ann Belter. She was very warm and friendly, and she had expertise in bridal dresses that no sales specialist had. With Vanessa’s help, I was able to customize my dress to my liking.
As I tried on gowns, we narrowed the pattern, style, and fabrics that I liked the best and then was able to create a one of a kind dress that was perfectly what I wanted. Her expertise made me feel confident and helped me make a decision on a dress that would be comfortable, look amazing, and be exactly what I wanted for the day of.
Where was your first date?
Akaash asked me out to dinner and we met in Toronto. I was secretly very hungry since I’d had an exam that day and had to skip lunch. Akaash had eaten a big lunch and asked if I wanted to grab a coffee first.
Two hours passed at Starbucks and I was still yet to be fed. When they finally went to eat dinner, they went to Jack Astor’s and Akaash got a soup – the smallest meal possible. Now knowing how much I eat, Akaash is surprised I agreed to a second date. He has since learned his lesson and always makes sure to plan all dates and adventures around my meal times!
Where did your get engaged?
Akaash had spent a lot time looking for the perfect place to propose. When he visited Silver Birch Beach, he fell in love with the beautiful scenery and knew he found the right spot. He tricked me into to visiting the plant by telling me he had to deliver a court document to a client on their way out of the city. Upon arriving at the beach, I was questioning why a client wanted to meet on the beach and was fearful for their lives. When I saw a beautiful floral arrangement next to the water, I was so surprised! After he proposed, we celebrated the occasion in their favourite place…Blue Mountain!
What are your favourite movies to watch together?
Akaash has been fascinated with sharks since he was a child and that fascination soon evolved into a love of shark movies.
Before we met, I did not have a care for either Sharks or their movies. However, Akaash was persistent that I give them a chance, and introduced me to many of his favourite Shark movies. Now we are both always looking forward to the newest release. He wants to go swimming with Sharks one day, however, after all these Shark movies, I am not convinced that’s a good idea.
What atmosphere did you want to create on your wedding day?
How did you personalize your day?
We wanted our reception to give everyone the opportunity to have a glimpse into our love story, so every choice we made, we did it consciously.
Our first trip together was to Blue Mountain, and we had the best time! We went swimming, browsed the shops, ate great food, and painted at Crock-a-Doodle. Now, visiting Crock-a-Doodle is an annual tradition, and our place is full of our masterpieces. We wanted our guest book to be another one of those keepsakes, so we put out plates from Crock-a-Doodle that guests could sign using a paint fun-writers.
Akaash is a big sports better, and him and his friends love to place bets on anything. Akaash has gotten Nicole to make a few sports bets from time to time. So, we had betting slips for the guests to complete during cocktail hour, where they could bet on the events that would take place during the reception. We had scratch card favours because Akaash always got Nicole scratch cards on random days as a cute surprise.
We love going to concerts together, and in a nod to that, we had light up wristbands for the dance party to mimic a concert. We had pictures of our loved ones on display to showcase all the love that shaped ours. Throughout the reception, you would find so many DIYs – personalized pencils, hand made name cards, and all the signage. We did it all, together, and that made the reception all the more special.
Any advice for couples currently planning their wedding?
Wedding planning can definitely feel overwhelming at times – there is a lot of little things to think about and do, and a lot of opinions to consider. At the end of the day, the wedding day is the start of a new and exciting chapter between you and your partner and that is all that matters. Grounding yourself in the WHY can really help put things into perspective – especially when it comes to choosing fonts and plates.
Choosing vendors who we trusted and vibed well with, made all the difference for us. It helped us relax and be present leading up to the wedding and on the day of, knowing we hired vendors who understood our vision and would execute it seamlessly. Finally, make sure to add a little bit of you to the wedding. It’s your love day and your love story, and your wedding should showcase that love between you and your partner and your personalities. It makes the moment all the more special and meaningful when you add personalized touches.
Nicole + Akaash's Toronto Wedding Vendors
wedding dress: custom Lea-Ann Belter gown via theToronto flagship boutique | photographer: Liam Good Visuals | wedding coordinator: Memory Vine | videographer: Lovely Sparrow | florist: Dynasty Events and Florals | hair & makeup: Allyssa Helm Beauty and Co. | dj: EJ Entertainment | photo booth: Burlington Photo Booth | event rentals: Element Event Solutions | ceremony venue: St. Ann’s Roman Catholic Church, Ancaster | reception venue: The Pearle Hotel & Spa | bridesmaid dresses: Morilee via Amanda-Lina’s | groomsmen suits: Indochino
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