Wedding at The Toronto Hunt | Claire + Rob

When Claire and Rob first met, it was at a mutual friend’s family Christmas party. You might be thinking of kisses under the mistletoe, but you’d be wrong. Rob danced with Claire’s mum! The holiday magic was definitely there, though—Rob and Claire officially started dating a year later.

Their engagement turned out to be a long one, but the wait was worth it! Shares Claire, “Rob and I got engaged in October 2021 and didn’t get married until June 2023. This was mainly because 2022 was almost fully booked in terms of venues and vendors. We weren’t in a huge rush and I’m honestly so happy we had a long engagement and were able to get all the vendors that we did. They really made our day amazing!”

When it came to her dress, Claire visited us at our Toronto flagship bridal boutique. “I went to a few bridal dress stores, but there was something special about Lea-Ann Belter when I first walked in. I loved the customization possibilities, the private in-store visits, and Vanessa at the Toronto store had such a keen attention to detail that I couldn’t find anywhere else. When I first tried on the Dinah gown, I didn’t want to take it off, but I couldn’t make the final decision. I went back to the store three times and finally said yes to the Dinah but made a few edits to make it really me. I changed the skirt to make it fuller and longer for a bit of drama and I added a hidden slit as well.“

From Claire’s sweet first look with her dad to their outdoor ceremony and lovely reception, their wedding at The Toronto Hunt was all the romantic, classic things—even their oyster escort cards were full of romance. Those were “all oysters Rob and I had eaten the year leading up to our wedding day (we LOVE oysters) and they were hand-painted by one of my amazing bridesmaids, Liza.”

Read more about Rob and Claire’s love story and best day ever from our lovely bride below!

wedding dress: Lea-Ann Belter Dinah via the flagship Toronto bridal boutique | photographer: Beth Lear of Elizabeth in Love | scroll down for full vendor list

How did you two get engaged?

“Rob has a family cottage on Lake of Bays which is a place that we both absolutely love. He had planned a weekend in October 2021 to have my friend group up for the weekend (I have a group of about 10 friends from junior kindergarten and we’re still extremely close). Rob was heading up on the Thursday night, but it was my sister’s 50th birthday (Rob also shares the same birthday, funny enough) so I decided to stay in the city to celebrate with her. The next day, I drove up with my friend Sam, and when I got there, two of my best friends told me that everyone was down at the dock having a drink and that we should go. When I turned the corner to head down to the dock, I saw Rob at the end with flowers and photos lining my pathway. He proposed at the end of the dock with a few of my friends watching from the deck. As more friends showed up for the weekend, we got to surprise each group that we were engaged!”

Any special ways you incorporated your family or family history into your wedding day?

“I did a first look with my dad, and it was so special. He cried A LOT. He was honestly the star of the show in most of our photos. I also lost my grandmother when I was only 12, and we were extremely close, so I wore one of her rings on my wedding day.”

Tell us about your day!

“Rob spent the morning with his groomsmen, his dad, and my brother getting ready at our house in Leslieville. I got ready in the bridal suite at the Hunt Club with my bridesmaids, mum, and mother-in-law. Rob and I did a first look in the spot where I walked down the aisle. Then, we spent the afternoon taking photos with our bridal party and families. Our ceremony overlooked Lake Ontario, and it really just felt like it was just me and Rob. We were able to enjoy our cocktail hour and reception with all of our favourite people. Overall, the day was just very classic and romantic vibes. Because our venue gave this vibe already, we didn’t need to add much decor. One thing that we added at each table was a hand-painted oyster shell for each of our 150 guests. These were all oysters Rob and I had eaten the year leading up to our wedding day (we LOVE oysters) and they were hand-painted by one of my amazing bridesmaids, Liza.”

Where did you go on your honeymoon?

“We went to Spain and France! We flew into Barcelona and spent a few days there before renting a car in Barcelona and driving along the Costa Brava of Spain. We then flew from Barcelona to Nice and travelled along the coast of France and then headed north-west to the French countryside and then ended at a friend’s wedding just north of Marseille. It was the best way to end our three-week honeymoon!”