Dee and Dave's wedding was a real-life fairy tale: a castle, many loving people by their side, and incredibly beautiful outfits and floral décor. Keep reading for an insightful interview with the bride and the details of organizing a luxury wedding with "a cool party vibe" in the English countryside.
Tell us a little about yourselves. How did you meet? What do you do for a living? What are your hobbies?
David and I met in Toronto. I was out celebrating a friend’s birthday and David was out with a friend at the same restaurant. At first glance, it’s your typical ‘girl walks into a bar, catches boy’s attention, et cetera, et cetera. He says he immediately noticed me and quickly made an excuse to come talk to me. I adored how nervous he was, I found it endearing. We exchanged numbers and then it became a bit of a cat and mouse game for the next month or so, in which I played the evasive mouse. I finally agreed to a date and that was it, we’ve been inseparable since. David is in finance. He was arguably the most successful trader in Canada for over a decade with the Bank of Nova Scotia.
After leaving his position there, he now runs his own business, investing in many startups and companies across several different sectors. I run all of David’s business administration and manage life’s other little details to keep our ship sailing smoothly. Our work and life balance consists of spending most of our time travelling, running to catch flights all over the world. David’s hobbies revolve around sports, both playing and coaching. He also loves his karaoke, I’ve had my fair share of serenades over the years. I’m an avid reader and am usually engrossed in a book or two. Health and wellness, fashion, and interior design also make my list of pastimes. Together, we love to entertain, stay active, and dote on our dog and kitten, Achilles and Athena.
Can you share your engagement story?
It’s hard to get much past me, so I give kudos to David for managing to surprise me. Funnily enough, I had found a stunning sapphire ring in early December hidden in his closet that David ended up giving me as a Christmas gift but with no proposal attached...Come early February, we headed to St. Barths with friends from Texas. Well aware of my normally “hound-like” sixth sense, David had them bring the engagement ring so that I wouldn’t find it beforehand. In hindsight, I should have pieced it together. Our friends kept calling me “Mrs. Berry'' one too many drinks in the first couple of nights out. It was a few days before Valentine’s day, David had booked dinner at La Guerite oddly just for the two of us claiming we needed a night to ourselves. He was a bit erratic getting ready and unusually nervous, but for some reason I still didn’t put it together. We were almost at the restaurant when David said we had to head back to the villa because he had forgotten his wallet.
I later found out the forgotten wallet was actually the engagement ring. We had just ordered drinks when David set a beautiful diamond ring down in front of me and asked, “So, what do you think?” He was doing a terrible job trying to hide his nervousness. I told him I loved the ring looking at him waiting for what now I was pretty sure was coming. All the poor wreck could do was stare at me awkwardly smiling. Again, he asked, “Well, what do you think?” I took a minute to figure out this was his nervous way of proposing. I decided the poor soul needed a little help. “Is this an engagement ring?”, I asked. He managed a relieved, “Yes”, readily accepting my help out of a maze of awkwardness. What followed after we finally established that I said “Yes”, was a wonderful dinner, some dancing, and meeting our friends back at the villa to celebrate. It was such a fun, memorable trip with some of our favourite people.
Did you have any pre-wedding events, like a rehearsal dinner or bridal shower?
We hosted an intimate dinner at Casa Loma in Toronto a week later to announce our engagement. During our wedding weekend, we had skeet shooting the afternoon guests arrived. The first night of our wedding weekend was our welcome reception garden party for all of our guests, not just the wedding party as is tradition. This really made the difference as the icebreaker with guests the first night. Typically, at most weddings you don’t really have the opportunity to meet everyone other than your tablemates until after the dinner and speeches which is usually later into the night. All of our guests had bonded the afternoon and night before which was wonderful.
Where was your wedding? Why did you choose this venue?
Our wedding was at the spectacular Oakley Court in Windsor, a Soho House just outside of London. We chose this venue as London is one of our favourite cities. Oakley Court was the ideal fit as we had a lot of family attending from the UK and Europe. We wanted a venue that could host all of our guests in one place for the entirety of the wedding weekend that was also exclusive use. As so many of our guests were travelling quite the distance, we wanted a venue that also offered options for guests to curate an “experience” aside from our wedding. From champagne boat rides on the Thames, afternoon tennis, lunch by the riverfront, or a short trek to Windsor Castle, Oakley Court had it all.
Georgia, our wedding planner, did the initial site visit and after hearing her excitement and official stamp of approval, we didn’t need to consider any other venues. David and I, alongside Georgia, visited Oakley Court again in late November and completely fell in love. The team and staff at Oakley Court and how fantastic and accommodating they were. Anything we wanted, they were onside with and made happen.There was no “rule book”, so to speak. We knew our guests would want to keep the party going late into the early morning so cutoff times were important to us which was a problem we faced with the only other venue we considered before discovering Oakley Court. When we initially suggested a 3am end time on the night of the wedding and they didn’t blink at that, we revised it to 4am. In the end everyone partied and danced until 5am.
What was the concept behind your wedding and how did you find your inspiration?
We wanted an English castle wedding with a cool party vibe, the overall guest experience was really important to us. We chose to take inspiration from our surroundings for the design, enhancing the idyllic countryside setting. To make sure each part of the day would suit its exact surroundings, we decided to split the wedding day into three. The ceremony was inspired by the River Thames, which was the backdrop. The concept here was for us to ‘walk on water’. We had a bespoke waterfall structure built at the top of the aisle. This was paired with a mirrored aisle with water troughs on either side. The reception concept was an English secret garden. We wanted to pull some inspiration from Dior and their ‘secret gardens’ for our design.
For the final part of the day, we wanted to shy away from your typical wedding party. We have a lot of friends from the entertainment scene in Toronto, so there was a lot to live up to. Our goal was to have a party that no one wanted to leave, and that people would be talking about for years to come. To execute this, we opted to take over the ground floor of the Mansion House, creating the ultimate house party and an explorative experience for our guests. We used the different rooms for different means. My favourite was the gorgeous Drawing Room, where we housed the main party. Our guests could not help themselves, and were very quickly up on the stage with the DJ. I also loved the attended whiskey and cigar lounge, for those wanting to take a moment away from the dancing. David’s favourite spot was our vintage candy stand, where we featured his favourite childhood candy.
How long did it take to plan your wedding? Did you encounter any challenges during the planning process?
Our wedding took a little over a year to plan. We were engaged February 9th, 2022 in St. Barths and our wedding day was August 6, 2023 at Oakley Court in Windsor. I was a little anxious about starting the wedding planning process at first. We spent a fair bit of time going back and forth on where we wanted to have our wedding. Once we decided on the UK, we immediately started looking to engage a wedding planner. Social media and bridal magazine lists led us to Matthew Oliver Weddings, their work was absolutely stunning. We were introduced to Georgia Haldenby, our phenomenal wedding planner who took care of everything. Having Georgia was so critical to the entire process especially given the situation of the two of us living in Toronto and in a different time zone. She made everything stress free on our end, having dealt with any challenges before we had our morning coffee most days.
How many guests did you have? And what was the seating arrangement at the wedding like?
We were lucky enough to have 160 of our nearest and dearest travel from around the world for our wedding weekend. Due to the unpredictable nature of the English weather, we opted for an indoor reception. Oakley Court has some pre-existing sperry tent structures, but we decided to transform their ballroom instead. We decided on 14 round tables of 10 guests, with one long top table of 20 guests, heading up the room. We wanted the guests to be immersed in our Dior-esque secret garden and felt this seating arrangement would do the job perfectly.
Tell us about your outfits. How many different styles have you tried?
My top three main focuses about the wedding were the flowers, the photography, and most importantly the fashion, which led me to going on what I call the world tour of bridal outfit searches. For the ceremony, I lived out my princess, fairytale ball gown dreams. I fell in love with my gown and the sequin and pearl beading, ostrich feather detailing throughout the skirt, and the sweeping train. It was the perfect combination of the elegance and romance I wanted. I also had a custom Tony Ward cathedral length veil and beaded headpiece that were absolutely exquisite. For the reception, I wanted a gown that was glamorous, silhouette hugging, elegant, and sexy, something I would more typically wear and be drawn to. My gown had crystal beading throughout, a plunging neckline, and full, floor length tulle sleeves.
The big question mark for me was the welcome night look. I was stuck on what direction to take until our lovely photographer, Katie Julia, who has amazing style by the way, suggested I go away from classic bridal white and do something more bold and colourful as our theme was ‘English Garden Party’. I did a golden yellow Tony Ward gown with a plunging neckline, beading with floral appliqué, and painted lilac detailing. It was great advice and ended up being one of my favourite looks. Not to be outshone, David had his four outfit changes as well. Our guests all dazzled with vibrant colours, floral gowns, and unique prints for our welcome night, looking ever so iconic at our welcome garden party. Our wedding day was black tie and our guests were the picture of romance and elegance with beautiful gowns and tuxedos.
What was your first dance song? Did you choreograph or improvise?
We went back and forth on whether we would do a first dance. David would have loved something choreographed but we ultimately scrapped the first dance and ended up just dancing with guests when the band went on.
Did you have any special performances or entertainment?
The entertainment and music portion of the wedding was really important and a top priority for David. We had the unbelievably talented Sensation Band that really set the tone, getting the party started. Friends of ours had arranged for Esther Anaya, a Music Producer, DJ, Violinist, and Singer/Songwriter to perform at our wedding. She had performed at the Super Bowl that year. Esther did a violin rendition of one of my favourite songs, Dandelions by Ruth B. alongside Sensation Band’s string quartet during our ceremony. She also performed after Sensation Band and their DJ’s set and got the late night party vibes going with a two hour set wrapping up around 3am. Oakley Court’s resident DJ took us into the early hours of the next morning.
What was the most memorable moment from your wedding day?
The entire ceremony was the most memorable with typical, unpredictable English weather of course. It was raining while I was having my portraits taken, but magically, the skies cleared and the sun came out shining right before the ceremony. It was incredible walking through the waterfall and down the aisle constructed over water that David had envisioned which was fabulously brought to life by Will and his team at Luminaire Designs. During our ceremony, we were cheered on by people cruising by on a boat down the Thames, had a mild run in with bees, and just as the Archbishop concluded our ceremony, the skies opened up and the rain came pouring down for a few minutes. Luckily, the rain didn’t last long and we had gorgeous, clear skies again for our outdoor cocktail reception. Some of my favourite photos were taken during the brief downpour. It was the best kind of chaos; a moment of happiness and laughter shared with our friends and loved ones.
Are there any vendors that you would like to tell us a little more about?
Georgia Haldenby is the wedding planning queen of Happily Ever Afters. I cannot say enough amazing things about Georgia and her entire team at Matthew Oliver Weddings. From our initial meeting with Georgia, we were put completely at ease. We bonded immediately, her enthusiasm and attention to every single detail showing how genuinely she cared about us, ensuring all of our wedding dreams became a reality. Her natural eye for beauty and elegance, paired with her creativity and resourcefulness was perfectly aligned with what we hoped for in a planner. Having Georgia and the Matthew Oliver team at our wedding was like having your amazing friends host your wedding for you and our guests loved them all. I shared so many incredible moments with Georgia, she was a big support for David and myself and I have gained a wonderful friend throughout the process.
Our vendors were all unmatched in talent and expertise, exceeding every expectation. Our photographer, Katie Julia is a treasure. Katie is exceptional, having captured every element and emotion of our wedding flawlessly. She was an absolute joy to work with, her vibrancy and warmth was felt throughout our entire wedding. She was adored by our guests. I was ecstatic going through our wedding gallery. Katie's done a phenomenal job including beautiful portraits of our guests, which I loved. Justyna and Greg at HD Moments filmed every amazing moment that is now on repeat and shown to everyone David comes into contact with. Paula Rooney, our florist, was absolutely incredible. The floral design was so important to me and Paula created such breathtaking designs for every space. The ceremony was nothing short of perfection, my bouquet, a work of art. She completely transformed our reception space into something out of a fairytale, it was breathtaking.
The floral arrangements Paula paired with Georgia’s tablescape designs captured the elegance, romance, and ethereal beauty we had envisioned and that our guests can’t stop raving about. Will and his entire team at Luminaire Designs are superstars who worked tirelessly to create our waterfall feature and special effects. The mirrored aisle and the waterfall feature really brought the idea of “walking on water” down the aisle. It was extraordinary. My bridal glam team, Luke Pluckrose and Aaliyah Diaz, are the best of the best. They made me look and feel so confident and glamorous. I loved spending time with them, they were wonderful to be around. The entire team and staff at Oakley Court were rockstars, thank you.
Were there national/religious traditions at your wedding and how did you implement them?
Emily & Jo did a spectacular job with our wedding invitations and stationery. David is Christian and I’m Muslim so it was important for us to incorporate both of our faiths. My step-father selected verses from the Quran that were implemented throughout our invitations, the seal was beautifully done in Arabic. We had an Anglican ceremony.
Did you have any special or unique elements (such as a signature cocktail or a fragrance) at your wedding?
My wedding day fragrance was Byredo “La Tulipe” and David’s fragrance was Byredo “Tobacco Mandarin”. The espresso martinis to kickstart the evening were a big hit amongst guests.
Did you make a gift for guests, and what was it? What did you give each other as a gift?
David had custom diamond floral earrings made for me to match my ceremony gown. David tends to lose track of time and I couldn’t have him be late so I had given him a Rolex pocket watch he wore during the ceremony. We also had collectively gifted ourselves a signed Folio Society edition of “Love Poems” by Imtiaz Dharker that we used for inspiration in parts of our ceremony.
What gift from guests do you remember the most?
What resonates the most with us are the generous donations made by a number of guests to our foundation. These donations have allowed us to make significant contributions to humanitarian causes that we’re passionate about.
What helped you cope with the anxiety before the wedding?
Not what, but whom. My mom, Georgia Haldenby, our wedding planner, and my personal trainer who doubled as my therapist during many sessions, Jessica Wilcox-Chandley.
What advice would you give to couples who are currently planning their wedding?
Get yourself a Georgia Haldenby. An amazing wedding planner you can wholeheartedly trust is a gamechanger. They will alleviate a lot of the stress and handle all the details so you can enjoy the planning process and your wedding day. Remember to take pauses on your wedding day to capture what will become some of your favourite memories.
Planning and Design: @georgia_matthewoliver
Venue: @oakleycourt
Photography: @katiejulia_
Videography: @hdmoments
Floral Design: @paularooneyfloraldesigner
Production: @luminaire_events
Entertainment: @sensationband
Stationery: @emilyandjo
Tableware: @duchessbutler
Linen: @just_4_linen
Makeup: @aaliyadiaz
Hair: @lukepluckrose
Bridal: @tonywardbrides
