Elegant fairy-tale like wedding at Casa Loma in Toronto

For gorgeous bride Sarah, the planning of their wedding was an incredibly enjoyable time. Along the journey she realised whilst she was inspired by a lot of visuals she'd seen, it was very important that the wedding felt like their own and not simply a copy cat of others she'd seen. "I thoroughly enjoyed being inspired and found so much excitement in planning our day. Although I did spend a lot of time thinking about wedding design, what was most important to me was the expression of sincerity and emotion on the actual day. The tears of excitement during the ceremony and the true laughter and love we felt during reception… I knew that those were the memories that would remain in our hearts forever."

Held at CASA LOMA in Toronto, it was captured by JESSICA ROSE PHOTOGRAPHY. Working with wedding planner extraordinaire SINCLAIR & MOORE, they incorporated a lot of dusty blue into the wedding. With the interior of the castle itself being so inspiring it didn't need a lot in the way of additional decor. The reception – held in the glass room of the castle garden – was a blank canvas and they created a fresh, elegant and summer based style in a blue and beige palette.

HOW DID YOU MEET? I met Lambert in 2011 when we were in high school. We were introduced by a common friend. At that time, we were naive and stubborn, and fought with each other a lot. I only knew how to be loved but didn’t understand how to be grateful.
When we were 20, we moved to Toronto together. In this strange city, we had no relatives and friends. We counted on each other. Even though we were in different universities and lived far away from each other, we met every week no matter how bad the weather was. It was the simplest time for us but the best time for me. I have always said Toronto is my favourite city, because it is where we share our best memories. We learned to be kind to each other in this city, and our relationship became strong and stable.

After graduating from university, I went to America alone for a master’s degree. We missed each other so much and Lambert had such concern for me. When he visited me for the first time, we embraced at the airport with tears in our eyes. We have come so far together and has not always been easy. We’ve grown up together, Lambert has taken care of me and always had my back every step of the way.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PROPOSAL: In 2018, we decided we were ready to get married, and I couldn’t have been more excited. I’d been looking forward to this day for so long. My high school sweetheart since 17 was finally going to become my husband, my family, and my life companion.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THIS LOCATION? For our wedding ceremony, I wanted it to be a sacred experience, so when I was searching for a wedding venue I was looking for a room with a strong sense of ritual. Casa Loma felt like the perfect choice, it provided such a strong sense of solemn elegance with an added dream like quality that felt almost out of a fairy tale. The room where the ceremony takes place is full of light (something very important to us), with a roof made of glazed glass, surrounded by arched windows. After the ceremony, we wanted our guests to relax with outdoor activities, food and drinks in the castle garden before the reception began.

TELL US ABOUT FINDING YOUR WEDDING DRESS: I didn’t expect to fall in love with a wedding gown to quickly, but I was one of the lucky ones that did! On my very first wedding dress shopping experience, I saw the Vera Wang's Eglantine wedding gown, and immediately fell in love. Simple and romantic, the skirt had beautiful layers, that reminded me of the lightness of a soft spring fog. I immediately placed a deposit. I made a few alternations to make it my own, and I’m so happy with how it turned out (so was my husband!). I chose a veil that was longer than the tail of the wedding dress. This was an intentional choice that felt royal and suitable for a wedding in a castle. When I walked with my father down the aisle, I loved the way the veil swept to the ground behind me.

My second white gown is from BHLDN, it is shorter in length, and easier for me to move around in, which was also important to me. I also bought a red dinner dress, because red is the traditional Chinese colour. It’s in satin, and was also a very special choice.

FAVOURITE DETAIL OF THE DAY: Although I did spend a lot of time thinking about wedding design, what was most important to me was the expression of sincerity and emotion on the actual day. The tears of excitement during the ceremony and the true laughter and love we felt during reception… I knew that those were the memories that would remain in our hearts forever. For me, the biggest significance of the wedding is to let us look back at the road that we have walked together. It has been full of highs and lows, and we made it through them all!

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OUT TO A COUPLE PLANNING THEIR WEDDING? While planning I came across many beautiful weddings on the internet, along with great guides and tips on planning and design. For me, I realised that as much as I was inspired by what I found, I wanted our wedding to be our own. I felt no need to compare or imitate. I thoroughly enjoyed finding inspiration and found so much excitement in planning our day. I encourage all couples planning their wedding to do the same! To make it a true celebration of their unique love.

MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT? Because we have been together for so long, neither of us expected just how strong the emotions would be on our wedding day. During our ceremony Lambert was so moved and he lost control many times with tears of happiness. This day made us understand the value of each other even more deeply, and we are so happy with the promises we made to be together for a lifetime.