A donut tower spelled L.O.V.E for Ingrid and Alex! Shares our wonderful bride, “I knew I was in trouble when I found myself dropping off a donut tower and sparklers at a bar so that I could surprise Alex when we arrived later for his birthday drinks. I’m not really one for big gestures, so that was pretty out of character for me.” On the receiving end of that tower of yum, Alex knew Ingrid was his person “When she got me a cake made of donuts – ha!”
These two got engaged in May of 2019 in Central Park. Then, in the midst of their plans, the pandemic struck. So it wasn’t until the summer of 2022 that these two finally exchanged vows and celebrated their wedding in Massa Lubrense, Italy.
wedding gown: customized Lea-Ann Belter Coco gown via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photographer: Luigi Reccia Photography | scroll down for full vendor list
Ingrid’s quest for her dress led her to our flagship Toronto bridal boutique. She’d been there once before for her MOH’s bridal gown fittings. “I knew I would find a well-constructed, beautifully tailored dress at Lea-Ann Belter. I’d seen Vanessa work her magic before, so I knew I was in good hands. Buying a made-to-measure dress also completely relieved the stress of worrying about weight gains/losses. Good thing, too – I picked my dress in 2019, and our wedding didn’t take place until Aug of 2022 due to Covid!”
To her sleek customized Coco gown made of Italian silk crepe, Ingrid paired “…Heels made in azure suede for a pop of blue with my initials on the sole. I finished the look off with a delicate gold bracelet I was gifted for my 100-day celebration (a Chinese tradition for babies) and a pair of Olive and Piper earrings I had picked up on my last work-trip before the pandemic.”
Our darling bride and groom share more of their day (including what made them choose Massa Lubrense, Italy as the perfect spot to finally get married below.
How did the two of you meet?
“We met in the fall of 2015 at a patio after a BlueJay’s game! A friend went behind my back and invited Alex to come out after the game. I was not impressed since I was leaving for a weekend business trip and was not looking to meet anyone. I was frantically trying to get the bill when Alex walked up to the table, and to my surprise, we really hit it off! I wasn’t expecting anything to come of it since I was leaving for a bit, but Alex reached out the day I got back, we had our first real date a week later, and the rest is history.”
How did you two get engaged?
“Alex proposed in May of 2019 in Central Park. I had no idea it was coming. As we walked into the park, I even told him I’d previously seen a man propose along the footpath and how mortifying it was to watch strangers clap. Thankfully Alex picked a quiet stranger-free zone to propose. He asked me to take a selfie and pulled the ring into my field of vision out of nowhere! We got the very moment I caught on to what was happening in a Live Photo, so that was pretty special.”
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
“We were initially planning on eloping since neither of us are big-wedding people, but it became clear that it would not fly with our families. My only requirement was that I didn’t want to get married in Toronto – we wanted a place we would want to revisit for nostalgia’s sake. Since we wanted a small wedding, we picked Massa Lubrense in Italy. There are no direct flights from Toronto, so it automatically shrank the list of likely attendees without cutting down the invite list. We also wanted to make it a vacation that our friends and family would forget – the setting over the Amalfi Coast and dinner view of Capri made sure of that!”
Tell us about your outfits! How did you choose your gown?
Alex: “Easy – I wanted a blue suit for Italy and had great help from Pat at Harry Rosen (Bloor St) putting together a made-to-measure Armani.
Ingrid: “I’m picky about the quality and construction of my clothing. I was looking for a dress with a clean, modern feel where the silhouette and tailoring stood out. I’m not the tallest person, so it was tough to find a dress proportioned for my 5 “3 frame that didn’t feel fussy.
I had been with my MOH to her fittings at Lea-Ann Belter, so after a couple of uninspiring bridal appointments, I made a b-line for the Broadview salon. I knew I would find a well-constructed, beautifully tailored dress at Lea-Ann Belter. I’d seen Vanessa work her magic before, so I knew I was in good hands. Buying a made-to-measure dress also completely relieved the stress of worrying about weight gains/losses. Good thing, too – I picked my dress in 2019, and our wedding didn’t take place until Aug of 2022 due to Covid!
I ended up going with the Coco in Italian-silk crepe (a nod to our wedding locale) and added a structured bow. I wanted to keep my look simple so that the silhouette of the dress would be the focus. I had a pair of heels made in azure suede for a pop of blue with my initials on the sole and finished the look off with a delicate gold bracelet I was gifted for my 100-day celebration (a Chinese tradition for babies) and a pair of Olive and Piper earrings I had picked up on my last work-trip before the pandemic.”
Tell us about your day!
“We booked a small hotel called Relais Blu with several gardens and terraces for our wedding. We had a sunset ceremony in a small garden, dinner on the roof, cocktails, and dancing under fairy lights on the main terrace. Because our wedding was small, nearly all our guests stayed on site, and we got to have breakfast and hang out at the pool with everyone the next day too. Our favourite part of the wedding day was cocktail hour. We had an incredibly talented guitarist/singer play while guests enjoyed aperitivo and the gorgeous sunset. It was surreal to be on vacation with most of our close friends and family and to be surrounded by so much love and support. It had been a difficult few years, and it felt amazing to finally be together in such a stunning setting. Alex and I are incredibly lucky to have incredible friends and family willing to travel so far to celebrate with us!”
One detail you couldn’t live without?
“Our wedding singer, also named Alex! He was incredible and really made our day.”
What was the funniest moment of your day?
“The August sun in Italy is not for the faint of heart. It was over 36C and sunny (with a capital S). During our first look and the first words I said to Alex were, “Oh no, you’re so sweaty!” His response was, “It’s so hot, I’m dying.” Once the sun went down, things were perfect, but serious kudos to the people at our wedding who braved the heat in suit jackets.”
Where did you go on your honeymoon?
“We treated our wedding as a dual wedding-honeymoon, so we haven’t had a REAL honeymoon yet. But we’re in the process of planning one, likely camping for a couple of weeks in the Nordics. We’re big campers and had to miss out in 2022 due to all the business around the wedding.”
Any tips for couples getting married?
“Set a budget early, and cut nonessentials to make room for a wedding planner or a day-of coordinator if you can! Our wedding planner Simona was a godsend. We would not have been able to pull off an event like this without her support and guidance.”
Ingrid + Alex’s Massa Lubrense Wedding Vendors
wedding gown: customized Lea-Ann Belter Coco gown via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photographer: Luigi Reccia Photography | venue: Relais Blue Hotel | planner: Happy Brides Sorrento | makeup: Ombretta Terr | hair: Alessandro Mancin | groom’s suit: made-to-measure Armani via Harry Rosen | ceremony music: Unfortunately, we don’t have our guitarist’s contact. His name is Alex, and he’s from Ravello. He’s excellent!
