Christina Kalipersaud and Vitaly Lanochkin
This couple had to make new pandemic plans, changing their destination wedding in Mexico to an intimate gathering of 30 guests on Canadian soil. Here is what the bride had to say about their wedding day.
Tell us a bit about your love story: Believe it or not, Vitaly and I are a Tinder success story! Yes, that is right – we both swiped right and after four years, a new home, a pizza proposal, and a complete change in wedding plans we couldn’t be happier. To be completely honest, I wasn’t 100% sure at the time if I would even see V after our first date, but I guess it’s true when they say: love happens when you least expect it.
What were your original plans for your wedding day? Something bigger? Our original wedding plan was a destination wedding in Mexico on July 3, surrounded by our friends and family. Everything was booked and planned, all we had to do was show up. However, due to COVID those plans quickly crumbled and eventually were canceled. Like any other couple who experienced the effects of COVID, our hearts were truly broken.
If you had to change your plans, how did you feel before and after? Will you be having a larger celebration next year? As you can probably imagine there was an abundance of feelings when we learned we had to cancel our wedding. We struggled a lot with the idea of postponing it to next year, but with too many unknowns we accepted the fact that we would not be having a destination wedding. After having our intimate wedding here in Toronto, we decided not to have another celebration next year as our hearts couldn’t be more full from the wedding we ended up having with our closest family and friends.
What was your favourite part of the day? This may sound cheesy, but the entire day was truly amazing, from getting ready with my girls, meeting my handsome groom at the altar and being surrounded by so much love, we couldn’t have imagined a more perfect day. However, if I absolutely had to pick – it would be the fact that my grandma was in attendance and had the opportunity to be apart of this big day with us. One of the most important things was having her there to watch me walk down that aisle and I will never forget the look on her face when we did our first look. I am forever grateful that I had her by my side as Vitaly and I became husband and wife.
What will guests remember most? The mother son dance! Vitaly’s mom absolutely owned the dance floor. This wasn’t your traditional mother son dance, this was an upbeat, full of energy, ‘screw you covid’ kind of dance. They picked a Russian song that his mom absolutely loves and it truly was her time to shine. I don’t think there was a single phone in the room that was not recording this amazing moment. Definitely one to remember!
What advice can you give to couples planning a wedding? Remember that your wedding day is exactly that, it is YOUR day – you and your partner celebrating the love you both share for one another. As long as you both have that love, it really doesn’t matter when or where you have your wedding. One of my biggest worries was our guests and disappointing those who we could not invite. At the end of the day, I was the only one worried about this. The amount of love and support from everyone was so overwhelming – your guests will always understand, and they will always support you. I would also advise if you can get a wedding planner, please do so! I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done if it wasn’t for Marianne at Dukes and Daisies. Having to replan a wedding can be emotionally and mentally draining so having someone who can help you through that with a clear mind is so helpful, especially during these times where there are so many restrictions in place. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it will make the planning process much more enjoyable and will allow you to take in and truly enjoy your wedding day.
Ceremony/reception location: Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto ON
Gown designer: Enzoani
Suit designer: Zara
Photographer: Mango Studios
Décor: Dukes and Daisies
Flowers: Dukes and Daisies
Cake: Joni & Cake
Planner: Dukes and Daisies
Videography: SDE Weddings
Stationery: Sincerely Camille
Tea Favours: Sloane Tea
Pianist: Linda Jung
Officiant: My Wedding Officiant
Seating: Detailz Couture Event Rentals
DJ: Danny Floh Back
Masks: Gitch Sportswear
Makeup: Sweven Beauty
Hair: Natalie Primerano Hair
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