Jenna Banks & Sean Fontyn
Tell us a bit about your love story: Sean and I met 7 years ago when I was working as a server at a country bar in downtown Toronto. I served him and his friends and at the end of the night he asked for my phone number. We hit it off right away and have been inseparable ever since. Four years later, Sean got down on one knee on December 22, 2018 in the private wine cellar at the top of the CN Tower. Two-and-a-half years and three wedding dates later, we finally tied the knot on June 30, 2021 almost exactly 7 years after we met.
What were your original plans for your wedding day? We originally planned a large wedding of 300 guests on July 3, 2020 at The Arlington Estate. We originally postponed the large celebration to 2021 and when it seemed like we still wouldn’t be able to host 300 guests without restrictions, we decided to host a smaller ceremony and dinner with just immediate family and postpone our larger reception to 2022.
How did you feel after changing your plans? It was a very bittersweet feeling. We were excited to finally be hosting our wedding, but were sad that we couldn’t celebrate with all of our family and friends. It ended up being a very beautiful and intimate day with immediate family, and made us that much more excited to celebrate with everyone at our reception next year.
What was your favourite part of the day? My favourite parts of the day were my first look with my dad and walking down the aisle. I have a very close relationship with my dad, so having him see me for the first time as a bride was really emotional for both of us. Sean and I really wanted our first look to be when I walked down the aisle, and we are so glad that we did. It was another very emotional moment for the both of us and one that we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
Did anything go wrong? It was a very windy day and the ceremony was held outdoors. I wore a long cathedral veil and as I was walking down the aisle my veil blew up and out of my hair. My dad then had to place it back in my hair in the middle of the aisle and hold it for the rest of the walk. While it wasn’t the ideal situation, it ended up lightening the mood a bit and is now a funny memory that we look back on. It just goes to show that no matter how much planning you put into the day, some things will happen that are out of your control that you need to just roll with and laugh off.
Favourite wedding detail? This would be a close tie between my bridal bouquet and wedding cake. I work for Inspire Design Studio located in Toronto, and our Creative Director, Brittney De Paola, put together my bouquet. She really has a talent for bouquets, and it completely blew away my expectations. It was big, bright, and unique. I was also blown away by our beautiful cake by The Cake Box located in Kitchener, Ontario. I have always been amazed by the craftsmanship that goes into wedding cakes, and this cake was truly a work of art. My design requests for this cake were bold, with a mustard yellow fondant and blush and ivory sugar flowers with a touch of gold, but the end result was really elegant.
What will guests remember most? I work as a wedding planner and designer, so the overall design, details, and experience were very important to me. After the pandemic left a dark cloud on the world for the past year, we wanted our wedding design to be bright and fun, so we went with an untraditional colour palette of blush, ivory, and mustard yellow. It was a bold choice, but it ended up looking very whimsical and elegant. Our guests are still raving about the decor and the beautiful venue with amazing food and hospitality.
What advice can you give to couples who are planning their wedding? My advice would be to remember what the day is really about and to not sweat the small stuff. You can plan for years and there will still be things that don’t go exactly as planned on the wedding day, and that’s OK. While the details, décor, venue, food, entertainment, dress and guests all contribute to the experience of the day, the most memorable and special part will be making that lifelong commitment to your partner.
Ceremony/reception venue: The Arlington Estate, Kleinburg, ON
Photographer: Cloud 9 Photography
Planning, décor & flowers: Inspire Design Studio
Wedding dress: Muse, by Berta
Suit designer: Moores
Hair/makeup: Jen Evoy Makeup Studio
Stationery: Polka Dot Paper Shop
Tabletop rentals: Event Rental Group
Cake: The Cake Box
Videographer: Raw Media
AV: BB Blanc
Officiant: My Wedding Officiant
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