Claudia & Frederick



YOUNG LOVE
Claudia and Fred met in grade nine science class. “For Fred, it was love at first sight! However, it never developed into anything more than a very good friendship,” recalls Claudia. “We graduated from high school, worked together part-time at the same company, and even went to the same university. It wasn't until freshman year that we both realized we had something more than just friendship. We travelled to New York City together during the summer after freshman year and knew we would be together forever.”

Sixteen years after initially meeting and after nine and a half years of dating (two being long distance), they finally tied the knot on June 18, 2011 at the GARDINER MUSEUM.

“I would describe our wedding theme as modern romantic,” Claudia says. “Chic ivories, blacks, greys and touches of peach and blush pink were colours that we incorporated in a way that wasn’t overly coordinated. It was the perfect blend of feminine and masculine, modern and romantic.”


CUSTOM COUTURE
Claudia wore multiple wedding day gowns. To begin the day, she wore a custom-made “cheong sam” that her Mom had tailored in Shanghai, China.

“In regards to my wedding gown, one night, I was on the web searching for gowns, and stumbled across a picture of a model in a Kenneth Pool creation called ‘Embrace’. I quickly called up local salons in Toronto, only to find out that it was not carried anywhere. With more research, I found out that the gown was never produced. However, Kenneth Pool had one sample—the only one that was ever created for the runway show that bridal buyers attend. The gown was at the Amsale flagship salon in New York City and since Fred was still living there at the time, I flew down to see the dress (and him of course)! As soon as I put the gown on, I knew it was the one. I originally planned to spend 1/2 the amount I ended up spending on the gown, but no other dress even came close to the way I felt in this one! Fred loved the gown as much as I did and more importantly, I felt the most beautiful I have ever felt in my life. I am so happy that I splurged on the dress and I feel so lucky to be the only bride in the world to wear this one-of-a kind creation, as if it were made for me. Although I wanted to wear the Kenneth Pool gown all night, I also changed into another dress at the end of reception, which is a common Chinese tradition. The dress I choose was a fun and flirty Romona Keveza dress in a nude colour, and featured a feathered bottom with a sweetheart, ruched top. It was the perfect dress to dance the night away.”

The invitations were designed by Claudia and her brother, and featured a romantic script font. They were letterpressed at EAGLE PRINT.


CHOICE VENUE
Since Claudia and Fred both love minimalist decor and architecture, the Gardiner Museum was an easy choice for them when it came to choosing their wedding day venue. “The floor to ceiling windows let in natural light (and allowed for a spectacular view of Toronto). The sleek hardwood floors, concrete walls and streamlined bar provided a clean look for the wedding. STEMZ filled the tables with all sorts of beautiful arrangements.”

Claudia also coordinated and provided the entire decor for the venue. The vases for the reception/ceremony were collected by the bride for months leading up to the wedding. These were delivered to Stemz to transform, days before the wedding.



A TWIST ON TRADITION

A frosted-mirror seating chart took the couple over twelve hours to complete. “Working on this seating chart took incredible patience and trust in one another (one slip of the hand meant that we would have to redo the entire project),” recalls Claudia.

A sweets table showcased desserts in apothecary jars and transparent plexiglass trays, which were purchased by the bride at various stores. BOBBETTE AND BELLE provided monogram sugar cookies, vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream and macarons. CAKE OPERA CO. created the “Coco Cake,” which was also displayed on the table.

Three different flavours of tea–Oolong, Jasmine and Pu-Erh–were assembled in decorative tins by family and friends and were given to guests as favors.

“Our wedding day was what we had envisioned all along and a day that both of us will cherish forever. The reception was spectacular—the food catered by Jamie Kennedy was divine and the look of the room took our breath away. To top it off, we had the most beautiful June weather—sunny skies with a light breeze. Ultimately, Fred and I wanted a simple ceremony and a cozy reception dinner that felt like we were in an intimate restaurant. We nixed the garter toss and bouquet toss because we simply did not want it at our wedding. Fred and I did what felt comfortable to us and made the wedding our own.”

Claudia and Fred spent a romantic, yet adventure-filled honeymoon in Hawaii.

The couple now reside in Toronto, Ontario.


 

Re:SOURCE IT


Location:
Toronto, Ontario

Venue:
Gardiner Museum

Photographer:
Young Hearts Photography

Gown Boutique:
Amsale Flagship Store in New York City

Gown Designer:

Kenneth Pool

Shoes:
Christian Louboutin

Groom Formal Wear:
Theory (NYC)


Decor Rentals:
Exclusive Affairs, Chair-Man Mills

Floral:
Stemz

Catering:
Jamie Kennedy Kitchen

Cake:
Cake Opera Co. (cake), Bobbette and Belle (sugar cookies, vanilla cupcakes and macarons)

Hair Stylist:
Emily Pike, Lift Beauty Boutique

Make-up Artist:
Christine Cho, Cho Beauty