Natasha & Tyler
Like many other couples, Natasha and Tyler’s original wedding plan was to have family and friends come together for a big celebration. “We had approximately 175 people on our guest list. Family would have come from Peru, United States and around Canada. For some, it would have been their first time visiting Toronto, so we had created a ‘Travel‘ section on our wedding website with suggestions and our favourite spots. Our date was set for our 10 year anniversary!” says Natasha. But, as she explains below, things changed.
How did you feel before and after your plans changed?
We ended up planning around five weddings all varying in guest count, location and even a city hall marriage. Throughout the process we often felt demoralized and unmotivated to plan because it felt as though any arrangement we devised would not work given the state of the pandemic. However, as our final date (we had cycled through three dates) approached we felt excited and emotional that it was really going to happen. Today, we are absolutely thrilled with how our plans worked out. Now that the wedding has come and gone we could not imagine the day going any differently.
What was your favourite part of the day?
It is so difficult to pick one favourite part of the day! The entire wedding day experience was blissful from start to finish. If we had to pick one thing it would be our ceremony; it was exhilarating, beautiful and intimate. Our ceremony was at Fantasy Farm in the picturesque Don Valley of downtown Toronto. The garden and forest was in full bloom (early August), which created an oasis within the city. All of the colours and sweet heat of summer made for a beautiful experience and for vibrant photos.
Prior to the ceremony I felt faint from the anxiety of walking out in front of a crowd of people. Eventually I was able to ground myself and found the courage to take the long walk down the pathway and aisle. I took off my shoes and walked barefoot along the stone path and we felt such deep comfort being surrounded by nature and our closest friends and family. It was exactly what we had imagined.
Did anything go wrong?
With our wedding day being on Friday the 13th we definitely considered some bumps! There were a number of small mishaps throughout the day but nothing that derailed our plans. For example, we had a little rain right before the outdoor ceremony, our best man left his speech in his Uber, our emcee forgot to print her lines, Tyler’s 99-year-old grandmother had to leave before dinner because she was too sleepy, and we forgot to coordinate the removal of our decor from the venue.
However what stuck out the most was my pre-ceremony jitters. I was too anxious to walk down the aisle with everyone watching; I felt so nervous to be in front of people as well as a live video stream with many people watching from home. We ended up having to delay the ceremony by an hour or so. We felt so grateful for our amazing team of vendors who stayed and supported us through it all.
These all turned out to be very minor issues and we feel that we actually had as close to a perfect wedding day as you can get!
Favourite wedding detail?
Our favourite detail of our wedding was our Peruvian flair. I am half Peruvian and grew up surrounded by tradition and vibrant colours. I really felt passionate about including this into our wedding so we had Vicente, a Peruvian pan flutist, play all of our ceremony music, as well as terracotta vases as centrepieces inspired by Peruvian pottery, and handmade napkin rings with traditional Peruvian manta (fabric) made by my Mom.
What will guests remember most?
I hope guests remember the feeling of love and connection that we felt at our wedding. After the long lockdown and feelings of isolation, the whole day felt like a dream. Celebrating in a small group with the comfort of the fresh outdoors made everyone feel comfortable and refreshed to be around others again.
Also, our version of Music Bingo was also a big hit!
What advice can you give to couples who are planning their wedding?
Any couples planning a COVID wedding should know that it will be a pretty unpredictable ride. The advice we would give them is to never forget why you are doing this; never lose sight of your love for one another in the process of planning. Don’t sweat the small details, they are not worth your stress! We would recommend taking a few days off to relax leading up to your wedding so that you feel fresh and ready to enjoy the special day that you worked so hard to plan.
Wedding Planning: Sueños Wedding & Events
Photography: Carly Kratzer Photography
Videography/Livestream: Dream Streams
Venue: Fantasy Farm, Toronto
Wedding dress: Taylor’s Bridal Boutique
Groom’s suit: Tom’s Place
Florist: Sweet Pea Florals
Décor: Rose Petal Decor
Macrame: Tying Loose Ends
Makeup/Hair: Michelle Gomes Make Up & Hair
Officiant: Mike Hauser
Ceremony Musician: Indio Feliz/Vicente Carbonel
Band: Sidecar Music
Transportation: King Tours and Limousine Service
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