Toronto Wedding by Mike Pochwat Photography + Illusions Media

There’s nothing quite like a little bit of glamour to start the day off right and these stunning Toronto nuptials by Mike Pochwat Photography are all caps GLAMOROUS and then some.  Boasting one of the most beautiful peony-filled bouquets I have ever seen by Sham’s Florist, a sophisticated pink color palette and cherry blossoms galore, this uber-chic soiree is the definition of ballroom elegance done oh-so right.  Not to mention the stunning bride, who also happens to be the fabulous designer behind Henkaa and those rockin’ bridesmaid gowns.  I know, right?!?  All planned to perfection by Ferri-Tale Weddings, you don’t want to miss a moment of pretty, so join me in the gallery for even more and then stay tuned for an uber-fabulous film by Illusions Media!

Click here for the entire gallery of images!

The pretty doesn’t stop there… We have an amazing film by Illusions Media to wrap up this fantastic day!  Enjoy!

From the Bride… We were friends for nine years and together for one before Stan got down on his knee and proposed to me on our washroom floor.  He really wanted to surprise me so catching me off guard while I was blow drying my hair on a breezy April day was the route he chose. Well, surprise me he did! At the time, cherry blossoms were in full bloom and I had recently started a convertible dress company, Henkaa, and named the first dress design “Sakura” (which means cherry blossom in Japanese) after discovering that the flower was a symbol for new beginnings. I knew it was a sign that cherry blossoms had to be our wedding theme, but little did I know how stressful having real cherry blossoms would be.  They bloom dependent on the weather and only last for less than a week every year so the timing of the wedding had to be perfect because Canada bans the importing of cherry blossoms.  In addition, I also wanted two huge cherry blossom alter arrangements and I had my heart set on a pure baby pink peony bouquet (which was out of season), so I was literally a florist’s nightmare. We had to come up with numerous contingency plans and ended up DIYing a lot of things until our florist finally told us a few days before the wedding that we were in luck.

Stan and I were both born in Canada, but I come from a very traditional Chinese family, so it was really important to infuse a lot of cultural elements into the wedding for the elders while still maintaining an urban modern feel for us.  I wanted to keep the décor, stationary, flowers, attire and accessories very clean, minimal and contemporary, but that was the exact opposite of my parent’s idea for a vibrant and bright Chinese affair.  From the menu to the décor to the color of the wedding invitation envelopes, it was a huge balancing act and we had to concede on many items (thank goodness we DIYed all the stationary so we could make changes easily!), but one thing we didn’t sacrifice was having fun.  We’re big goof balls at heart who love to have a good time, so we made it a priority that all our guests (which included 40 kids) had fun at the wedding.

Since we didn’t date for long before getting married, a lot of our friends and family had no idea how we even got together.  We’re both big fans of So You Think You Can Dance so we orchestrated a themed entrance with our bridal party and pre-filmed a pre-dance introduction video (both in the style of the show) that told our story before we entered with our funny first dance where Stan did the “Soldier Boy” and “Dougied.”  We also incorporated a lot of fun details and games like an activity kit for kids, a JoStanna’s Kiss Cranium game, a photo and video booth, a candy buffet with popcorn and cotton candy machines, and an interactive centerpiece game that got all 340 guests on the dance floor! It was the best night of our lives filled with love, laughter, tears and smiles shared with all the people who are near and dear to us – we couldn’t have asked for more.  To this day, even months after our wedding, people still tell us how much fun they had, so we think we achieved our goal!

Wedding Photography: Mike Pochwat Photography / Cinematography: Illusions Media / Flowers: Sham’s Florist / Décor & Chair Rental: Luxel Décor / Wedding Coordinator: Ferri-Tale Weddings / Wedding Ceremony Location: University of Toronto Multi-Faith Centre / Wedding Reception Location: Paramount Conference & Event Venue /  Shoes: Vintage Louis Vuitton / Grooms, Groomsmen, Ring Bearer and Flower Girl’s Shoes: Converse / Wedding Dress: San Patrick / Bridesmaid Dresses & Jewelry: Henkaa / Wedding Cake: I do! Wedding Cakes / Catering: Dragon Dynasty by Rovey Group / Hair: Puzzle Creations / Custom Dress Hanger: Floating Owl Designs