Last month, following a three-year hiatus, we hosted our seventh annual Wedding Open House - and was it ever worth the wait! From the designs, to the vendors, to the menu, to our team, to our panel of real brides, to the guests - everything fit together so perfectly, and it’s hard to express in words just how grateful we feel to everyone who was involved in the show’s success. But since we know you’re curious about the details, here’s our best attempt at breaking it all down for you!

When we started the planning process in March, the first order of business was aligning our key vendors - Above & Beyond Event Design (our preferred decorator, who will operate exclusively as a division of SMGCC starting in November!), Lyric Flowers (our preferred Florist), and Nina Polidoro (one of our preferred Photographers). These three are the cream of the crop, are always a complete dream to work with, and are unmatched when it comes to their creative abilities. Not to mention, we’ve been collaborating with all three of them since our first Bridal Open House in 2014, and couldn’t imagine pulling off our shows without them by our side!

When putting the Open House plan together, we always think about the 360º experience of our attendees - keeping the design and feeling complementary throughout all spaces. This year, candles were very present in our room designs, so immediately upon entering into the front lobby (and after being greeted with a glass of sparkling secco from our champagne tower!), event goers walked through a gleaming passageway of candles, which we created using white metal étagère shelving units. The floral story started here as well, with an impressive floral garland that spread the length of the entire entryway, and which guests walked beneath to enter into the room.

Once inside the Ballroom, the eye was instantly drawn to a Sweetheart Table that was styled in front of our limestone fireplace. Within the firebox and along the mantle, multiple levels of pillar candles were arranged in gold-rimmed glass lanterns, with taper candles layered in. On the white-washed sweetheart harvest table, flowing grey chiffon was loosely draped over one corner, which perfectly complemented the statement grey-upholstered love seat for the couple. To finish off the look, two large airy floral arrangements were placed asymmetrically - one at the base of the sweetheart table, and one on the fireplace mantle to appear as though it was climbing up the side of the milled-in antique mirror.

Our goal was to keep the room bright and airy, with an emphasis on luxurious finishes to add dimension to the space. We relied heavily on glass elements, such as clear beaded glass charger plates, glass taper holders, glass floral vessels, and glass candelabras for family table centrepieces. To balance the cool tones of the grey weave table linens and puddled runners, we used warm shades of toffee, dusty rose, muted peach, ivory, and champagne throughout the design - from the floral, to the multi-toned candles, to the rose velvet linen on accent tables. We opted for complementing rose napkins, which we showcased in our two favourite fold variations - the ever-popular knotted style for an organic feel, and the polished pocket fold for the bride who prefers a clean-lined envelop for her personalized stationery. Place settings were finished with stiletto brushed gold flatware, round edge menu cards from Minted, and all guest seating was upgraded to wood vineyard chairs with ivory cushions.

If the Ballroom design was all about the fireplace and tablescaping, the Hideaway design was all about the ceiling! Ever since we unveiled the Hideaway space back in 2017, we’ve been dreaming about adding draping enhancement to the gorgeous wood beams - and what a transformation it made! With sheer ivory panels swooping from the centre beams, the draping softened the natural wood ceiling and drew the eye to the middle of the room, where the head table was positioned. Being huge fans of floral installations (and knowing that these types of arrangements are majorly on trend), Lyric Flowers added drama right above the king’s table by suspending large hand-crafted dried floral clouds, and Above & Beyond accented with hanging woven pendants.

Typically, we veer towards an exposed harvest table as the base for every beautiful head table design. In this case, we wanted the head table to be super romantic like the draping, so we chose harvest tables for the family tables (which ran parallel to the head table), and styled the king’s head table in layers upon layers of flowing ivory sheer. For an ethereal feel, we rented in white-washed, round-back sandglass chairs that married perfectly with the table. We then punctured all the softness with high contrast black candle holders, which drew in other modern black accents throughout the room.

Continuing the theme of combining modern minimalism with natural textures, we focused on dressing the rest of the space in a soft palette of ivory and champagne, with hints of toffee, blush, sedona, and black. To keep floral arrangements feeling fluffy and fresh, we opted for less greenery accents and more feathers and grasses. Raised floral centerpieces on glass casbah stands were intermixed with low arrangements in glass vessels, which added interest through the varying sight lines. Woven seagrass charger plates covered each place setting, and were topped with a loosely-knotted champagne satin napkin, plus an arched menu card from Minted that featured modern black font. These tables called for a cool-toned mixed metal, so we added in our silver flatware to balance all the warmth.

Even though the head table sat right in the centre of the room, with guest tables all around, we still envisioned a focal point on the normal backdrop wall. To mimic the black steel framing of the Hideaway’s four glass garage doors, and to draw in similar decor elements from the Ballroom, Above & Beyond arranged a collection of black metal étagère shelving units to showcase an illuminated wall of candles. In front, we arranged a lounge area, complete with two white faux leather chaises and a rug to define the space.

Of course, our full design plan didn’t end with the rooms themselves. We carried the vibe of each room outdoors to their corresponding ceremony spaces. On the Ballroom side, the pergola was styled with complementing drapery, a rose velvet cocktail signing table, and a massive floral garland affixed asymmetrically to the structure. For the Hideaway, we displayed large floral pieces on modern white fiberglass pedestals that matched both the bases of signage in the Hideaway and risers for the white étagères in the front hallway. This ceremony design was finished with an airy ghost signing table, and a champagne gold chandelier to match our existing lighting fixtures in the room.

On the patios, we showcased photo areas for wedding guests to use throughout cocktail period and the reception. Each space was complete with a beautiful greenery backdrop, neon signs, and living room decor like vintage peacock chairs. And when it came to signage, we did not hold back on these details! We customized an 8ft lexan sign with our new St. Marys Weddings logo, which sat outside our main entrance and welcomed attendees to the Open House. In the Hideaway, we presented the new, show-stopping modern trio, which is a 2023 decor package signage add-on. This customizable display is a unique option for a seating plan, or just a pretty place to show off a new married name - and with added floral arrangements and candlelight, it definitely wowed every guest of the show!

To provide a first-hand, candid review of how their actual wedding day unfolded, we invited back three of our past brides to chat with couples about their experience working with SMGCC and our preferred vendors. And our beautiful and bubbly brides - Jenn, Kalena and Emily - simply stole the show! These three were so popular that we continually received comments from future couples about how fun it was to meet the trio.

It goes without saying that couples attend our Open House to take in the inspiring show designs and to get a feel for the SMGCC treatment - but another major attraction is to tackle their wedding planning list. In addition to our past brides and in-house Special Events Team being available to answer questions, couples also connected with a curated selection of our trusted wedding vendors – photographers, videographers, DJ services, officiants, makeup artists, transportation, bridal registry, bridal attire, photo booth services, spa services, and our preferred baker.

Wine samples of all the varieties couples choose from for their own wedding were provided by Pelee Island Winery, and the bar selection was rounded out with beer samples provided by Cowbell Brewing Co. and Steam Whistle Brewing. When it came to the food, our culinary team prepared a sampling of our finest passed hors d’oeuvres, in addition to our new pierogi food station - which is already becoming a popular choice for 2023 packages! The Cake Box Inc. treated attendees to an array of sweets, from cake pops and cupcakes, to pre-wrapped take-home cookies. And The Boho Photo Bus sent couples and their entourages home with photo memories of their time at the show, proving why photo favours are a huge hit for wedding guests. See the full list of participating vendors at the end of this post.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU - To all of the amazing couples who joined us, our preferred vendors who are next to none, our past brides for graciously sharing their stories, makeup goddess Coulter for making our team feel extra beautiful, our photo queen Nina for always capturing the most magical shots, Lyric Flowers for absolutely killing it on the florals, our beloved Kim for bringing all of our wildest design dreams to life, and to our incredible in-house team for always working so tirelessly and passionately in all that you do! June 9th would not have been even close to as unforgettable as it was without each and every one of you.

We already can’t wait for next year’s Open House, when Above & Beyond Event Design will fully function as an in-house division of St. Marys Weddings. For now, stay tuned for all the exciting footage as we begin to unveil our new wedding headquarters, including our offices and decor warehouse!

Photography by Nina Polidoro

Decor & Styling: Above & Beyond Event Design by St. Marys Weddings

Floral Design: Lyric Flowers

Real Brides:

Ballroom | Jenn Tracy

Hideaway | Kalena Flemington and Emily Leasa

Participating Vendors: