The Planner Becomes the Bride: Rustic + Romantic Toronto Wedding

Old Factory Wedding

Always the planner…never the bride? Shealyn has been working in the wedding industry for over 5 years, producing luxury weddings in the Toronto area to rave reviews, but perhaps it’s all led up to one particular wedding: her own! After planning numerous unions + events to the tune of someone else’s style, Shea happily took on the task of pulling together a few of her own favorite elements before donning the white gown herself.

Shea tells us: I really wanted to create a wedding for myself that felt somewhat different. Not necessarily “totally out of the ordinary,” but something that felt unique to my soon-to-be husband + I, and something that I could see as different from my clients. My favorite part of the wedding was the laughter and the love. Even though I felt the pressure to have a wedding that was not only beautiful but well planned, the best compliments are from the people who tell me that they’ve never had so much fun at a wedding – that is when I know I have done a job well. It was truly the best day of my life.

Shea called on friend and photographer, Tara McMullen, to play not only one but two important roles in the wedding day! We’ll let you find out for yourself just what that means in the beautiful images below!

floral invitation suite

SO MUCH GOOD in this photo already! Let’s begin with the invitation suite by Paper and Poste. You’ll see this floral theme pop up quite a bit in Shea + Mike’s day! The Grecain-inspired hairpiece is by Oliva Brun and those pointed-and-perfect shoes are from Nine West!

blue suit groom

indochino suit

Mike’s striking blue suit is from Indochino and the bow tie from Tie Bar.

Paloma Blanca Wedding Dress

There she is! Shea tells us that the day’s theme seemed to revolve around two words: rustic and romantic. The mixture of rich blooms covers the rustic piece and Mikaella by Paloma Blanca provided the romance with Shea’s beautiful lace gown.

burgundy protea bouquet

Old Factory Wedding

Old Factory Wedding

Old Factory Wedding

fall bridesmaid dresses

Shea +Mike let the bridal party choose their own attire within the burgundy, brown, and navy color story. Jackie O Floral Affair created individual bouquets for each ‘maid, choosing unique blooms for each. Shea’s bouquet was a combination of roses, dahlias, ranunculus, and proteas mixed with lush greens.

burgundy protea bouquet

fall wedding party attire

Old Factory Wedding

Old Factory Wedding

Old Factory Wedding

The ceremony took place at Evergreen Brickworsk in Toronto, a unique former brick factory-turned-venue, lush with trails, ponds, abandoned warehouses, and stunning sunsets.

Old Factory Wedding

Old Factory Wedding

Old Factory Wedding

Our Favorite Memory From The Wedding

I have two favorite moments from the ceremony. One, was having our friend, Marcel, read "Sonnet 17" by Pablo Neruda, which was the poem Michael proposed with. The second was surprising our guests by drawing names for two witnesses to sign our wedding certificate. We really felt that it didn't matter who signed because every one of our guests was a special witness to our love that day. It ended up being such a highlight because our good friend Tara McMullen (our wedding photographer!) was chosen as one of the witnesses. To say the photos of her reaction are hilarious is an understatement.

Old Factory Wedding

fall floral seating chart

Old Factory Wedding

For our reception, we took guests into the heat of the city to a loft space called The Burroughes. The space was converted from a furniture factory to an event venue, complete with exposed brick and beam. We softened the look by bringing in some of the greenery guests experienced at Brickworks. I worked with florist extraordinaire, Todd Kjargaard from Jackie O Floral Affair, to design a green trellis to hang above the guests during dinner. 

Old Factory Wedding

Candles lined the long, harvest tables and window sills and spots of burgundy florals dotted the room. Gorgeous mixed vintage furniture from Contemporary Furniture Rentals gave guests somewhere to take a load off while enjoying the music and cocktails, and we had custom pillows made with the floral pattern used on our invitations and stationery.

fall inspired table setting

Guests dined on Shea +Mike’s favorite foods, prepared by chef Matt Basile from Fidel Gastros: fried chicken, tacos, carne asada, poke salad, and Matt’s world famous Pad Thai fries. YUM.

hanging greenery

Fall navy floral cake

Admit it: your jaw just dropped!! This incredible work of art was hand painted by Nadia & Co. to match the floral stationery and decor peppered throughout the venue.

Old Factory Wedding

What a stunning day, starring the expert herself! For a sweet recap (that might just bring a tear to your eye), check out the beautiful video by Outside In Studios below. Many congratulations to Mike and his gorgeously talented bride, Shea!

photography: Tara McMullen Photography // venue name: Evergreen Brickworsk, Toronto, Ontario, Canada // event design: Shealyn Angus Weddings & Events // planning: Shealyn Angus Weddings & Events // florals: Jackie O Floral Affair // wedding dress: Mikaella by Paloma Blanca // wedding dress boutique: Ferre Sposa // hairpiece: Oliva Brun // bride's shoes: Nine West // bride's ring: Twain Designs // hair stylist: Ashley Readings // makeup artist: Ashley Readings // groom attire: Indochino and Tie Bar // groom's shoes: Black and Brown from Hudson's Bay // groom's ring: Twain Designs // videography: Outside In Studios // paper goods: Paper and Poste // calligraphy: The Lettering Studio // catering: Fidel Gastros // cake: Nadia & Co. // tabletop rentals: Chairman Mills // furniture rentals: Contemporary Furniture Rentals // linen rentals: Around the Table // specialty rentals: Plate Occasions // music: The Barriers // officiant: Dean Kennedy

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