A reluctant night out turned into something wonderful for Deanna and Austin. Though neither are country music fans, friends dragged them separately to a country bar. The instant they met, what the band was playing faded to the background, and the rest is history!
Following a sweet surprise engagement, they began planning and chose the gorgeous Hotel X as the spot. As the other details fell into place, Deanna went in search of a dress and visited us at our flagship Toronto bridal shop.
“Austin’s colleague actually recommended Lea-Ann Belter to me! She had a lovely experience and was she right! From meeting Vanessa I knew that I would be able to find my dress at Lea-Ann Belter. Vanessa was so knowledgeable and patient, she was the perfect person to help create my wedding dress. I had elements of a few dresses that I loved, and Vanessa helped combine everything I loved into one perfect custom gown!”
Read on for more of their wedding day story!
wedding dress: custom Lea-Ann Belter gown via the flagship Toronto bridal shop | photographer: Daniel Clements Photography | scroll down for full vendor list
How did the two of you meet?
“We met in 2013 at a country bar in Kitchener which we were dragged to by our friends who like country music. We were both students at the University of Waterloo.”
How did you two get engaged?
“In late December 2022, Austin planned an evening downtown starting with the Christmas Market (which had such a long line we ended up skipping it!) and dinner. On our way to dinner, we walked through the beautifully decorated Brookfield Place where he stopped me, got down on one knee and proposed! We then went for dinner at Chotto Matte where he had arranged for champagne and flowers to be set up at our table and had a wonderful dinner. I was completely in shock, I couldn’t believe he surprised me!”
Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day?
“To honour our parents & grandparents, we had photos from their wedding days on display.”
Why did you decide to get married where you did?
“We absolutely loved the gorgeous ceremony space at Hotel X and heard amazing reviews about the food, which were two very important elements to us. It ended up being perfect for us day of and we’re so happy we chose Hotel X.”
Tell us about your day!
“Our wedding day was perfect—from spending the morning with our bridal party, to a beautiful ceremony in a beautiful space with loving vows, to our reception with all the little details to make our guests’ experience even better. Something really special that we did was a first look, in our ceremony space. Austin was at the top of the aisle, and faced me as I walked toward him, as if we were starting our ceremony. It was a great way to have a first look without losing that ‘walking down the aisle’ moment. The day was honestly perfect and I could gush about it forever. Even when things didn’t go to plan it didn’t matter as overall it was just the most wonderful and memorable day.”
What part of your wedding day was most important to you?
“We wrote our own vows and kept them a secret until the day of, so it was such a surprise to hear them live.”
Any tips for couples getting married?
“Give yourself time so there is no panic or rush, think of the flow of the day and how you as a guest would like it (vs. just doing whatever you think is just ‘typical’) and definitely hire a coordinator!!”
Deanna + Austin’s Toronto Wedding Vendors
wedding dress: custom Lea-Ann Belter gown via the flagship Toronto bridal shop | photographer: Daniel Clements Photography | content creator: Core Memory Creative | wedding coordinator: Envision Weddings | hair + makeup: Corrie Elle Artistry
