It’s hard to describe your own wedding day in words, but if I had to try, I would say: love, happiness & magic! Being surrounded by so much love from family & friends under the same roof, my husband and I felt like the luckiest people alive! I am beyond ecstatic to be sharing all these pictures with you, as it was truly the happiest day of my life! From the bottom of my heart I dedicate this post to my family & friends as well as all my vendors that made this day an unforgettable one! Enjoy this gallery along with details regarding my vendors, as well as tips & tricks for new brides!
The dress: It’s true what they say, you end up buying something completely different from what you initially thought. Well, it was the case for me anyway! The reason this happens is that once you get into that dress, you get to see how it looks on your body type and you expect a certain feeling: all eyes on you even though nobody is looking type of thing! Always remember – it’s the girl that makes the dress, not the other way around ;) It’s hard to describe, it’s not always emotionally charged, I did not cry, but I felt fierce in this dress! Yes it’s true that I knew I would opt for a mermaid cut, but I was really opposed to lace and puff, lol. Not that I don’t like it ( I love lace) but I thought it wasn’t “me” when it came down to wedding dress choice.
On my 1st shopping trip, I decided to be open minded and I strongly encourage all future brides to do the same. You just never know until you try it on, so I decided to try on all the styles. I had initially pictured myself in a very simple mermaid dress , but when I tried it on, it didn’t feel special enough to me. Then, I tried on a mermaid dress that was nice, but I seriously looked like a cake topper! Yet, all eyes were on me at the store and my mom, aunt, cousin & sister all loved it and with their praise, I began to like it too… there is your 1st tip girls: don’t bring too many people with you when you shop for your dress. Everyone has their own opinion and their own style, and they might sway you in a completely different direction. The less people, the more pleasant the shopping experience, trust me! Deep down, it didn’t feel like it was THE one, so I left it behind, and I am so glad that I did! It took me 6 shopping trips to stumble upon this dress! Ladies, do not be afraid of sales people!!! I’m sorry to say, some of them are pushy & try to make a quick sale even if you don’t like the dress. Don’t give into the pressure, stand your ground and buy only if you love it! I experienced some bad and some amazing sales people, and I bought this one from an amazing one ;) My dress is an Allure Couture and when I put it on, I had a strong feeling that it was the one, but truth be told, I did not leave with it on 1st try. I came back to get it months after! I finally knew it was the one b/c every dress I tried on, I kept on comparing to this one! One more thing, when you receive your dress, 99.9% of the time you will need to alter it! If you don’t want to pay an arm and a leg, find a good seamstress.
The veil: I owe it all to my mom. She insisted on buying me this stunning long satin veil even though the price was ridiculous! However, I do not regret it, it’s what made the outfit honestly. It was spectacular and the pictures below testify to it! As a special note, I want to thank my mom for this gift, and all other gifts she have given me throughout my life, not only the material ones but most importantly the non-material ones that make me the person I am today. I am so lucky to have been raised by such an amazing woman – I love you mom!
The accessories: The details make a huge difference! I feel like details are an expression of your personality. I opted for Valentino white studded heels b/c they’re beautiful but also edgy – I thought that together with the “Wifey” bag, they brought out the adventurous side of me! And of course the Las Vegas on the clutch was a little ‘inside’ for me and my hubby as it was the last trip we took before becoming husband and wife. To complement my lace mermaid dress, I went with these stunning & delicate Pearl Dangle Earrings from Bella’s Treasure & matching bangle! I love pearls as they hold a special meaning to me – my 1st gift from my boyfriend (now husband, which is still weird to say by the way…) 7 years ago was a pair of pearl studs and I cherish them to this day!
The bridesmaid dresses: Meet my crew! Love these girls so much! My sister (Karolina), my cousin (Kat) & my friends since childhood (Klio, Silvia, Karolina & Diana – missing one of course, Meriem!) – I am so lucky to have them in my life! To be honest, I had no clue what my color scheme would be for a long time, I wanted black and white but my mom was opposed to that: ‘black is for funerals’ and although I disagreed, I was happy to oblige when I stumbled by pure luck on these stunning dresses at a sample sale. I grabbed them all and headed to the cash. Good thing I know my bridesmaids, haha, all the dresses fit like a glove – well, with one minor setback a week before the wedding, but it was taken care off, lol – that’s why you need to chose your bridesmaids wisely, you will need the help, especially when it gets closer to the big day! These dresses were from Nordstrom, a-line, empire waist with embroidered little crystals on top – absolutely stunning and they all look beautiful in them! I’m not a fan of typical bridesmaid dresses, and I don’t believe in the whole ‘they might outshine me’ thing! Well dressed bridesmaids cannot ‘outshine’ the bride, they can only add to her beauty :)
The bridesmaids accessories: Since the dresses were already so busy, only earrings were needed to add that wow factor and I thought it was a perfect bridesmaids gift, so I chose these Chandelier Sparkle Earrings from Bella’s Treasure. I tried on smaller earrings thinking that maybe these were too much, but the smaller earrings didn’t do justice to the dresses. These however were perfect, and my bridesmaids loved them! They still wear them now to other occasions, makes me so happy :)
The Makeup: When looking for a makeup artist, check out their work 1st and then ask for a trial. That’s the only way you can find out if it’s a fit! I honestly did not look far, as makeup artist extraordinaire, Elizabeth D’Amico who has 11 years of experience doing makup just got me at 1st try! She did mine, my bridesmaids & my mom’s makeup for the wedding & I have to admit that she did a phenomenal job! She’s professional, punctual, extremely friendly and she understood precisely what I wanted on my wedding day! I wanted something natural, smokey eye to make my blue eyes pop & I needed it to last all day of course. She nailed it! My bridesmaids and my mom looked so beautiful, I couldn’t have made a better choice! Love her! My mom looked at herself in the wedding pictures and she was like: ‘Is that really me? But I look so young’!!! Way to go Eli! xoxo
The hair: It took me a while to find the right hair salon. Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing salons out there, but some of them are really expensive and you will realize while planning your wedding that it costs a fortune, lol. Then finally I contacted BLOME salon. They offered a great price with at-home service & they just understood my needs! I really wanted to get ready at my mom’s place, as my family from out of town was staying there and I wanted to spend time with them, plus they were also getting ready with us! I opted for wavy hair down, b/c that’s what makes me feel the best. People always keep telling me that whenever I put my hair up it’s beautiful, but remember girls, this is YOUR wedding day and you are the one who will be looking at the pictures for the rest of your life, so make sure you’re happy with your choice! The ladies from BLOME did an outstanding job, my hair usually uncurls within minutes but they made the impossible happen and my curls stayed put until the end of the night! Not to mention that they made my hair look nice and full! My bridesmaids were extremely happy too. They all chose different hairstyles that suit them and they got exactly what they asked for! Amazing service, highly recommend; they know hair like it’s nobody’s business ;)
The groom: Meet my hubby :) Doesn’t he look sharp in his navy James Bond 007 inspired suit? That was all the craze this year and luckily his & the groomsmen suits matched perfectly with me and my bridesmaids (he picked it all by himself, I didn’t even get to see it)! He’s my best friend, my lover & my everything! I love him more than words can say and his positivism even in the darkest moments, his support, his generosity, his unconditional love & understanding make him my “magnesium based alloy” – the strongest metal on earth, b/c well, rocks break! ;) 
Limos: We rented a white Lincoln Town car in white for the ladies and a Lincoln navigator in white for the gentlemen from Link Limousines to take us to Montreal Old Port for pictures and then to the venue. A little touch of classiness for the girls and of edginess for the boys, hahaha! The service was impeccable & the drivers were very professional and friendly. A true red carpet service! That was pretty much the only place I contacted and booked with them right away. 
The Photographers: Lightbox Studio took some crazy shots! Love love love all the wedding pictures! They captured the moments and the emotions – I couldn’t be happier with my choice! They are so artistic and they gave me exactly what I wanted, an urban feel for my chic weeding. The choice was not difficult honestly. They did two of my bridesmaids’ weddings and I seriously don’t know how they did it but on every picture, I looked damn good, lol! As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, well – look :) 
The venue: When we started looking for a venue, I wanted something out of the box. I didn’t want an empty shell as those are usually too much work, since you need to find your own caterer, rent everything from A-Z, hire staff…no. Wedding planning on your own (I was my own wedding planner) is extremely stressful already, I needed some help. At the same time, I did not want a reception hall with more than 1 wedding happening at the same time, I feel it takes away from your special day. Also, being Polish, I wanted lots of good food and lots of quality booze without paying an arm and leg for it! We visited some of the venues of Groupe Madison and although I liked the menu, the locations were too simple for me. Then, Salvatore (from Groupe Madison), who btw was absolutely accommodating & met my every request (and I had a lot of requests lol), said he has a new venue, been only on the market for weddings for 2 months but it’s very ‘different’. Well Salvatore my friend (I said) you just said the magic word, let’s see it! Love at 1st sight with Le Paradoxe, I knew this was where I wanted to get married as soon as I stepped foot in it! It’s an old church that has been transformed into an auditorium and recently became a wedding hall. Spectacular tall ceilings, draping on the walls, simply stunning! Not to mention, the wedding package included the food, the alcohol, the service, the tables, the chairs, the plates and cutlery and the candelabras! For the price, it’s a steal! So happy with the location and service – truly outstanding! We had our reception upstairs, cocktail in the vestibule and the dinner in the main hall. The food was cooked to perfection and let me tell you, between the international buffet, the filet mignon sit down dinner, my mom’s sweet table (more on that below) and the midnight table, people rolled home! And we were so happy to see them roll :D hahaha
The reception backdrop: Tenue de Soiree – The NYC banner used for our ceremony was created by Tenue de Soiree, they have amazing decor pieces! There are two reasons why we decided on this banner: 1- We got engaged in Central Park – NYC; 2- Friends, the theme of our little home made video & our favourite TV show happens in NYC. Tenue de Soiree did an amazing job dressing it up to look like a window overlooking the city with curtains on each side – exactly as I envisioned! Our ring bearer was a secrete agent, taking care of ‘missio impossible’: delivering a locked safe with the rings ;)
The Theme: The Wedding: Movie Premier! Both my hubby & I love movies and what’s more classy than a Black Tie Red Carpet Movie Premier? So we decided to star in our own movie: The Wedding ;) Honestly, it’s not until I started to plan this wedding that I realized that maybe I’m not so bad at DIY projects. I created this movie poster by myself and printed it online at Vistaprint for peanuts! I wanted a theme wedding but without being tacky, so I opted for small details that truly made all the difference: little clapper name holder, personalized invites and menus, a spectacular fill roll cake (below), popcorn at the sweet table, a cool photobooth background for the pics (below) and we even made a little home movie with the bridal party to show at the wedding :) It was magical!
The rentals: Although most of the rentals were provided by Le Paradoxe/Groupe Madison, we have rented a few pieces (table cloths, screens, lounge, etc) from Celebrations Group! They have some great furniture & accents for a really good price! And, they were extremely accommodating. When the hall was being set up the day prior to the wedding, we realized that we forgot to rent tablecloths for the cruiser tables in the cocktail area. In a frantic panic (lol, as all brides are on ‘wedding eve’), we called Celebrations and they prepared the table clothes right away, we picked them up & drama avoided!!! 
The cake: WOW! When I 1st showed a picture to May from Chocolata as an inspo for the cake, she was like really? That’s a piece of cake (get it? get it? ok enough with my lame jokes)! It was a simple white cake with a film roll. Boy, did she ever rise to the challenge; she did way way more than a simple white cake!!! The cake looked amazing with the film roll containing actual pictures of me and my hubby printed on fondant – A DREAM CAKE, simply & purely! She’s a phenomenal baker, cake & sweet table decorator! And of course the cake tasted as good as it looked!
The DJ – That’s Amore: Johnny, Johnny, Johnny! He kept the dance floor busy all night long! Having 30+ years of experience with multi-cultural weddings, he knew how to get the party started and how to switch it up if people were not engaged! Everyone kept on saying how amazing the music was. He perfectly matched the music to the event happening at the moment, be it the cocktail, the sit down dinner or the party afterwards! We only met 2 djs during the planning phase, and we knew he was the one as soon as we met him!
The entertainment: We didn’t want our guests to be bored, so we had lots of activities! Some Moroccan & Polish traditions (my hubby is Moroccan), a video, Marco tam tam (who brought the party back to life at 12:30am), etc. You will get to see all this in The Video by Studio 55 which is to come, stay tuned, I will be posting it once I get it!
The Photobooth – Le Selfie Booth was a huge hit! So much so, that there was a line up to take pictures! The white booth fit in perfectly into the wedding decor and the props were super cute! The prints were outstanding, the quality impeccable, all my guests kept on saying how picture perfect they were. They even designed a special background for the prints to go with my wedding theme which made them extra special! And of course, they went perfectly with my clapper picture holder favors! Nancy was so sweet, she made sure that my hubby & I took some nice pictures since we were running around everywhere! Highly recommend, this is the best photobooth service out there! 
The sweet table: My mama :) She’s crazy and I love her for it! After spending years preparing sweet tables for other weddings, she could not resist but to go all out for her daughter’s wedding. She prepared the most extravagant sweet table my eyes have ever seen…it was 10 tables long and it was a true feast for the eyes (and stomach)! It was so huge that people had to take most of it home and of course my mom prepared for it! She got clear boxes ready to be taken home. And of course, being the artist that she is, she carved a ton of sculptures out of fruit for the occasion! It was spectacular and everyone is still talking about it! 
To conclude, the GREATEST TIP I can give to all couples is to HAVE FUN during the entire day! You will not sleep the night before but don’t worry adrenaline will be flowing & it will keep you going until last call and then some (we got home at 6am hahaha)! But if you truly enjoy every moment and spend time taking it all in, you will not feel like it passed by in a blink of an eye and you will remember it as if it was yesterday! That was the case for us. And let me tell you one thing, although weddings are expensive, you do not regret the money you spent, you only regret the money you didn’t spend! This is not to say: go crazy and don’t stick to a budget, not at all! What it means is, if it’s important to you, spend money on it, if it’s not, don’t. My only regret is not investing more in flowers, I was not too happy with my choice, but at the moment I was planning the wedding, I didn’t want to spend thousands on flowers that will be dead the next day, but now that I look back, it seems like it was more important to me than I thought. But then again, it’s a detail that nobody besides me remembers and everytime I mention it people say: what?! The roses were stunning. But hey, not everything can be perfect, but cheers to happily ever after! ;)
Kisses,
WCX & WCG