Tell us a bit about your love story…
Alex and I met on Tinder...the most magical of places! Ha. We talked for about a month and a half via text message, mostly about the show ‘Prison Break’, until finally I asked him out (he wasn't making the move!). We went on our first date at Batch Brewery in downtown Toronto. He was about to fly out for work in the coming days and I was headed to a friend’s cottage. However, due to our busy schedules, we only had a couple of hours to meet before we went separate ways again for a couple of weeks. The first date was different than any date I had been on. Alex really listened to what I had to say, he asked thoughtful questions, and I could tell instantly that he was incredibly kind and sincere.
We didn’t see each other again for a few weeks but I could not stop thinking about him. We continued to date for awhile and then Alex asked me one day to be his girlfriend. I swiftly said ‘nope’. He told me that he could see the rest of his life with me. Of course, that scared the heck out of me. He then stated, “I’m dating to ultimately get married”. In shock, I said back, “I’m dating to date!”.
He continued to ask me to be his girlfriend, and I continued to say no. You can’t blame a girl! In his eyes, I was going to be his end game the moment I said yes! I was 24 years old, working, and in school to be a nurse…I wasn’t ready.
Anyways, he then went on a trip with his family and I found out he didn’t mention me once… that was when I knew. I didn’t want to live a life whereby I was a secret and his family would never know me. He was my best friend.
He came back from that trip and I asked him to be my boyfriend. And from that moment on, we were completely inseparable. We quickly moved in together, adopted a dog, and he proposed in February of 2020.
Tell us about the proposal!
I work as a nurse and as such, I work all types of shifts. On February 4th, 2020 I was working an evening shift where I would end at 11pm. Alex was at home and he was texting me, eager for me to get home so we could watch the Bachelor. He is a huge Bach fanatic, so I wasn’t surprised, or suspicious, in the least.
I then got home and was walking down the hallway of our condo building and saw little piles of rose petals. Although Alex is the sweetest man ever, he’s not overtly romantic. I truthfully walked right by all the piles, thinking they were for someone else. However, when I got to the last one, I saw a note was placed on each pile. I snooped and looked at one and realized then that they were all for me. I ran all the way back to the first pile, reading all these sweet notes about the things Alex loved about me most.
I still had no idea what was about to unfold. Alex travels a lot for work and it was close to Valentine’s Day so I assumed that maybe this was a grand gesture for Valentine’s because he had to go away that week. I then got to the door and when I opened it, our dog came running to the door with a sign around his collar that said, “Dad has something to ask you”. I walked in and our favourite song was playing and Alex was down on one knee.
I still cry every time I tell the story. It was the most perfect night ever.
How did you know your Sixpence dress was the one?
I knew the moment I put my dress on that it was the one. I just loved being in it so much that I didn’t want to take it for I feared someone else would snag it. As soon as I walked out of the changing room, my mom and my godmother looked at me with water filled eyes and a huge smile on their faces; that solidified my decision. The dress was simple, nothing flashy which is exactly my style, yet its plunge at the chest and the open back made it feel sexy. I felt confident and beautiful in it that day and every single time I put it on.
Favourite details from the day?
Everything turned out exactly as I had envisioned; the florals, the colour scheme, the decor, the way the boat looked, everything. It was all perfect. I think my favourite detail of the day is honestly how much help everyone provided to make it as detailed and as much my dream wedding as I had hoped. I literally had a Pinterest board and a vision and showed up the night before to put it all into action. I feared it would not come to fruition.
However, I had so much help from friends and family to make it look exactly like the image in my head. Some came early just to help me out and some worked in the pouring rain putting garland on the boat to make it beautiful. Alex’s parents and grandparents literally made some of the décor from wood from their farm and my godmother and aunt DIY-d a bunch of the pieces as well.
So, although the details were absolute perfection, the help and unique nature of it all to make it that way was the most memorable and my most favourite part about it.
How did you make your wedding personal to your style and love story?
Our ceremony happened on my parent’s sailboat with the reception happening in a tent in the marina. This made the whole experience incredibly personal. By no means is the marina a wedding venue, but the staff, because they knew me and my family from years of boating there, worked with me leading up to the wedding to make it exactly what we had hoped.
I have always loved boating. I have never known anything but sailing and being out on the water on weekends. It’s my happy, serene place. Alex felt this same way as soon as he came boating back when we were dating; he felt at peace out on the water and just being on a boat with family, out in the middle of the lake, really brings you close. As a big family man, he loved that part of it. So, naturally, we knew that this was where we wanted to get married.
I am a HUGE Disney lover. So, one of the things we did to incorporate the Disney magic was having each table number have a Disney love quote on it. I also used Disney VHS tapes as the centrepieces on the desert table; a subtle but meaningful touch to us.
The centrepieces on all the individual tables were made up of flowers from Alex’s parent’s farm which meant a lot to me and to him. The prior year we were out on the farm on ATV’s and we stopped and I noticed the beautiful flowers, and some unique looking weeds even. I made an arrangement that day and it looked so neat and rustic that I suggested we include something like this for the wedding and we did! Alex’s parents went out a few days before the wedding day and picked a bunch of the flowers, and weeds (!!), for each centrepiece.
Fitz, our dog, is a huge part of our life as well. We rescued him a couple of years ago and he quickly became our ‘furson’. The way Alex has cared for him over the years has only made me love Alex more. And because of how much he means to us, he was in Alex’s wedding party as a groomsmen. Another incredibly personal touch for us.
We also had cannolis as our desert item. The reason we had such was because when Alex and I first started dating, I had told him about this small cannoli bakery in Boston, his next work trip location. He found that spot while he was there and brought ‘make your own cannolis’ back from Boston for me and him to have together. That was the moment I knew I loved this man. So, having cannolis as part of our wedding food was very important to us!
Lastly, one of the things that made our wedding so personal and resonant of our love story was our entrance song. We played ‘Shout!’, the Buffalo Bills touchdown theme song. As a new Coon (my husband’s last name and my new name), I knew, by default, I was going to have to love the Bills; it’s a long standing family tradition for them. Thus, it seemed like a great way to enter the wedding, and enter this family, by dancing away to Shout.
What was the most memorable part of your wedding?
Because we got married on my parent’s sailboat and the ‘aisle’ was the dock, the most memorable moment for me was getting out of the car, and as I walked down the dock, I could see everyone was standing outside watching. It was pouring rain just moments before and it had momentarily stopped, just giving us enough time to do the ceremony on the boat as we had hoped. I didn’t expect all the guests to come outside of the tent; given how cold and rainy it was. And yet, they did. Every single one of them. It meant the world to me.
The rain was on and off all day and night on our wedding day, however, at one point it stopped that evening and someone yelled, “it’s a double rainbow!” We ran outside and sure enough, a double rainbow had appeared over the water. It was the most perfect moment I could have ever imagined. It felt surreal and straight out of a fairytale.
What advice would you give to other couples planning their wedding?
I think the most pertinent advice I would give, would be to not stress so much about the little things. So many people told me this, but I never actually listened to them and appreciated what they were saying. I got so caught up on the small things; what colours the napkins should be, what type of beer should be served, what side salad to have, etc., when, in reality, what matters is you putting on your dress and feeling like a princess for the day and celebrating your love with your partner, surrounded by the people that matter most to you. Just remember that as you plan your wedding!
Additionally, take moments on your day. Stop, look around at what you have created, and appreciate it. Take it all in. The day goes so fast and before you know, it’s over. Take in the moments you have.
Any other tidbits you'd like to share?
I have raved about Sixpence to friends and family now because of the wonderful experience I had getting my dress there; how fun it was to try things on without feeling any pressures or time constraints (which you can feel in other places). They really want you to get exactly what you want that will make you feel like your best self. I loved that. I raved about it so much that my sister-in-law just got her dress there! And the experience was just as incredible. I can’t thank Sixpence enough for the kindness and patience they showed me throughout the whole process.
Please list any vendors who helped bring your day together: (photographer, venue, etc.)
and their IG handles if applicable
Décor rentals and floral: Georgian Roots- @georgianrootsfarms
Food: Culinary Creations By Christina- @culinarycreationsbychristina
Makeup: Makeup by Lee -@muabylee
Photography: Hannah Brown – hannahbrown.photo
Officiant: Christine Cooper - christinecoopercelebrant