The mid-afternoon sun shines softly through the windows of the South Sitting Room at Hart House. The flowers sit patiently in their vases, peach roses lying along the base of the bouquet, a coral ranunculus sitting in the middle, and a bright orange poppy standing tall above the rest. Water condenses along the outside of cool metal water pitchers, the glasses standing beside ready for use. The room is so quiet I can hear the ticking of a clock. Suddenly the wedding party arrives and there's a flurry of activity. In one corner the mothers of the brides do one last steam of the dresses while Anissa helps Shay into her dress. In the hallway the wedding party affixes boutonnieres to dapper suits and waiting wrists. Suddenly, everything and everyone is ready.
Anissa and Shay met while studying linguistics at the graduate level, so it's only fitting that they were married at the historic University of Toronto. Their guests are dear family members and friends they met throughout their studies. As Anissa and Shay read their vows aloud in front of their community, a hawk soars above the columns of the Hart House Quad, a powerful symbol of strength and clarity of vision.
The most unique element of the wedding is that Anissa designed and sewed their wedding dresses. Anissa started sewing in the 6th grade, and she always knew that she wanted to sew her own wedding dress. In the months leading up to the wedding, this became a project that Anissa and Shay worked on together. Shay's dress was inspired by Princess Grace's wedding dress, using the Vogue V2979 pattern as a base. Together they found a lace, one that was both delicate and geometrical with a little bit of alien inspiration, and the skirts were made of duchess satin.
Anissa's dress inspiration came from a combination of historical and modern fashion, combining a Tudor bust with the influence of Sophia Bush’s bespoke Monique Lhuillier dress. In the final design Anissa's dress featured a ditzy floral pattern and poofy sleeves, with the rest of the dress being made of an underlining satin and sheer organza. Although making their own dresses in time for the wedding became a point of stress, the final result was two stunning and uniquely beautiful dresses for the brides.
After the ceremony we take the time to walk through the University of Toronto campus along Tower Road, lush vines, historic stonework, and cherry blossoms decorating the background of the photos. Later, Shay and Anissa's reception in the Great Hall balances tradition and grandeur with spontaneity and joyfulness.
Vendor List
Flowers : Hunt and Gather
Rings : Family heirloom rings
Dresses : Handmade by Anissa
Wedding Officiant : Carolyn Smith at St. Paul's United Church Oakville
Wedding Cake : Fruitilicious Cake
Venue : University of Toronto's Hart House, wedding preparation in the South Sitting Room, ceremony in the Quad, reception in the Great Hall
Catering : Hart House
DJ : Maximum Music
This Life by Selena Photography blog post was written by Montreal wedding photographer Selena Phillips-Boyle. Working with second photographer Lisa Milosavljevic allowed for a rich diversity of documentary style photos behind the peak wedding action. Selena specializes in wedding and portrait photography, and as a queer photographer, Selena photographs all celebrations of love. Here's a link to Cece and Florence's same sex wedding in the Laurentians. Here's a link to Aurélie and Mia's Montréal courthouse wedding. Here you can see Benjamin and Marc's wedding in La Toundra at Montréal's Parc Jean Drapeau.
Selena often travels to Toronto and other cities for weddings. If you're looking for a wedding photographer for your LGBTQIA2+ wedding, please contact Selena.