The story of how Chelsea and Adrian’s beautiful Royal Conservatory of Music wedding came to be is one for the ages…
Let me paint a picture for you. You are hiking through Indonesia with the man of your dreams. It’s hot and amazing, and the colorful birds are chirping in the distance. You come across a very tall, ancient staircase and are told that you need to climb it. As you near the top, you begin to notice flower petals strewn up and down the staircase. You finally reach the top! You are on top of a literal mountain, where a gorgeous, ancient temple is waiting for you; you catch your breath, look around and there he is, on bended knee, and he asks you to marry him. Seriously, it sounds like something out of the greatest romance movie of all time, doesn’t it?! But for Chelsea and Adrian, it’s their real-life engagement story. My heart literally fluttered when they told about it.
I could already tell from day one that I was going to love shooting these two and their Royal Conservatory of Music wedding. Chelsea and Adrian are easily two of the most chilled and stylish people I’ve met. Plus we have a lot in common, from loving to travel to a deep love for brunch, it made bonding with them so easy! Adrian rocked a killer three-piece suit, complete with a pocket watch (how cool!) and vintage Dior cufflinks that belonged to his grandfather on the Big Day. Chelsea looked stunning and ethereal in a very bohemian, off the shoulder lace gown, with her hair cascading down her shoulder with a golden headpiece that encircled her head like a halo.
They picked the University of Toronto’s Trinity College as their wedding photo location for its gorgeous gothic architecture. Having an artistic eye, they also wanted to incorporate a lot of leading lines and interesting angles into their pictures. That is why I chose Trinity College’s archways and staircases to bring those geometric elements into their photos. My favorite part? The dark and moody photos we took under one of the arches. The directional light was softly illuminating their faces, while the velvet shadows embraced them from the back. It made for some of the most romantic photos of the day.
When it comes to a wedding reception venue, I really think that the Royal Conservatory of Music is one of the best spots in the city. Not only is it an iconic Toronto building, but it’s extremely unique. Founded in 1886, it blends the old world with the new in a very effortless and elegant way. Although it has changed a great deal over the years, I love how the original building has been preserved inside the newer development. As you walk inside along the exposed walkways, with the modern steel beams and cool, smooth walls, you look across and there it is; the decorative red brick, Medina sandstone and polished granite that is part of Toronto’s history. It really fit Chelsea and Adrian’s wedding aesthetic.
The wedding was planned and designed by the talented team at Blush + Bowties. We chatted with Alexandra McNamara, who is the lead planner at Blush + Bowties, about what it was like working on this amazing wedding and this is what she had to say:
“Chelsea and Adrian gravitated towards a sophisticated, romantic, and warm aesthetic. We wanted to pair clean and modern with a chic and lush vibe. Chelsea longed for a lush forest feel while still maintaining a classy ambiance. Utilizing an ample amount of greenery along with trees was an important part of the design. I was excited that they wanted to bring in some darker elements in charcoal and rich burgundy tones, which I feel amped up the elegance factor. One of my favorite touches was the black and gold cutlery; it was a little unexpected and worked beautifully with all the other elements. Chelsea handmade all the signage for the day which totally blew me away, and it was a lovely personal touch. This was a very special celebration, and I was thrilled to be part of it.”
My jaw literally dropped when I entered their wedding reception hall. Long tables with lots and lots of green foliage sticking right up in the middle beautiful deconstructed floral arrangements and plenty of twinkling candlelight, the RCM has never looked this pretty!
The reception set up was perfect for an intimate-feeling celebration, and the rest of this Royal Conservatory of Music wedding was filled with laughter, speeches, and dancing. It was so easy to capture the bride and groom in amazing candid moments with each other and their family because they just radiated love all over the place!
Chelsea and Adrian, thank you for letting us be a part of your epic love story! We can’t wait to see you again back in our studio.
Planning and design: Blush + Bowties
Floral: Roadside Florist
Tabletop rentals: Plate Occasions
Hair and Makeup: Victoria Radford
Stationary: MDRNHAND
Wedding venue: The Royal Conservatory of Music
