MARRIED AUGUST 21, 2021
THE BEGINNING
How did you two meet?
Dom: During my time as a former professional hockey player, I had introduced my teammate, Kevin, to his now wife. Roles reversed when I became single, and Kevin then recommended that I talk to this girl Jenna, who he had gone to high school with. The cool thing to do at the time was to slide into her DM’s, with a slick line of “Hey”.
Jenna: I was thinking, “Who is this random guy from Toronto, sending me a DM!”. When he asked to take me out, I was originally going to say no, but figured why not. And the rest is history!
THE BEGINNING
How did Dom pop the question?
Jenna: Our favourite thing to do is to go hiking with our dogs. There’s a local forest that we call the magic forest, and we headed out there on a wintery Saturday morning. Dom mentioned that he was going to go for a run while I hiked with the dogs, so he brought a backpack with him for a change of shoes.
Dom: I ran ahead and tried to quickly set up a scene for the proposal. Turns out Jenna is a VERY fast walker, and caught up to me right away. I hurried the set up as quickly as I could, and got down on one knee to ask her to marry me!
THE PLANNING
What made you choose St. Marys Weddings as your wedding venue?
Dom: Jenna is the BEST researcher for everything in our life. It was the middle of COVID when we got engaged, so we really didn’t know where to start. Our biggest hurdle was a neutral location that would work for both our families – mine being from Oakville and Jenna’s from Port Elgin.
Jenna: A girl that I went to high school with had gotten married at SMGCC in 2019, in The Hideaway. I remembered seeing her photos and thought that St. Marys Weddings was stunning. When I started googling St. Marys and looking through their Instagram page, I realized quickly that this venue was everything we were looking for. We reached out to see what dates were available for the upcoming season, and there was ONE date left in The Hideaway - which was only 8 months away. At that point we hadn’t even seen the venue in person, but we committed over the phone! And the second we actually got to the venue, we were BLOWN away.
Dom: My family wanted the indoor reception, premium bar, middle course pasta dish, and Jenna’s family wanted the party, the DJ, the outside elements – so The Hideaway was the perfect blend for us. The open concept with the garage doors and modern feel was the best of both worlds, for our vision and for our families.
Who did you work with for your decor and floral?
Jenna: Our wedding planning process started off virtual, because when we secured our August date, we were still in lockdown. Kim from Above & Beyond Event Design & Decor was SO accommodating in making sure we could plan out every decor detail, even though it was through FaceTime. One of our must haves was floor to ceiling drapery, and originally we thought we only wanted whites and greens. Kim balanced our soft look with wood harvest tables and added pops of colour (like pale peach and blush tones), which complimented the warmth of The Hideaway.
For our floral design, we worked with Lyric Flowers. We had one meeting, which focused on our colour palette and the ideas we had for guest tables. From there, Lanny and Jay ran with our minimal requests, and gave us florals that were just stunning,
When I walked into The Hideaway on the day of our wedding, my draw DROPPED. We put all of our trust in SMGCC, Above & Beyond, and Lyric Flowers and it truly couldn’t have turned out more beautiful. We were so well taken care of by our three main vendors. Clearly they all work with each other so seamlessly behind the scenes, to ensure your day is perfect and that no detail is overlooked.
What other vendors did you work with?
Dom: Hailey (our Planner at St. Marys Weddings) was so helpful during the planning process, and she recommended a stacked list of preferred vendors, who all brought our day together so perfectly. AK productions and The Boho Photo Bus kept our guests entertained and the party going all night long. Blair from Enduring Promises was our officiant, and he was great to work with. We found Maigan Cowan Photography and Dream Chest Creative on our own, and their teams did an unbelievable job on our wedding photos and video.
THE ATTIRE
Who designed your wedding dress?
Jenna: Sleek and simple was always what I had envisioned. But with being in the middle of COVID, dress shopping was interesting, and time wasn’t something I had on my hands. I had in mind a designer named Eva Landel, and I found a boutique in Vaughan that carried her line. Mariana’s Bridal Boutique let me take eight dresses to try on at home. Since I wouldn’t have the normal wedding dress shopping experience, my entourage threw a try-on party at my Mother-in-Law’s house, with champagne and food. As soon as I put on my dress, everyone knew right away that it was THE dress. It was unique and felt very European, which I thought would suit our vibe perfectly.
Only four days before our wedding was when I got the dress in my possession! I had ordered it unlined, thinking it would work out great. Good thing I’m not superstitious, because, when it arrived, I tried it on at home with Dom right there (we were down to the wire!). Once I started walking around the house, Dom quickly realized that the dress was 100% see through. He started to help me take the dress off, and next thing you know, he RIPS it! My Mother-in-Law pulled in a huge favour with a seamstress she knows, and the dress was saved (plus a liner) within 24 hours.
What did the rest of the wedding party wear?
Dom: My dad passed away when I was younger, and since he always wore green pumas, I wanted a green tux in the same shade as his beloved shoes. I went to Surmesur, in Mississauga, to get a custom tux made. For the dance party on our wedding night, I changed into my Dad’s puma shoes, and it was so great to feel like he was there with us.
We gave our wedding party (my sister as Best Woman, and Jenna’s best friend as Maid of Honour) free rein on what they wanted to wear. Now, when we talk about our wedding attire, we can’t get over how well coordinated we all were. Pure luck, since we all picked out our outfits separately!
THE BIG DAY
How did your day unfold?
Jenna: All of our out-of-town guests, which was mostly everyone, stayed at the same hotel as us in London. So, when people were arriving on Friday night, everyone wanted to party and socialize. We had the presidential suite, which made getting ready in the morning so relaxed, especially with mimosas in hand. Lots of space for hair and makeup to spread out, and huge windows for amazing natural light. As per Hailey’s recommendation, we shuttled all of our guests from London to St. Marys via Badder Bus. Us girls drove ourselves, so that nobody would see me before the ceremony. Once we arrived at SMGCC, we headed right for the Bridal Suite, which was so amazing for touch ups and calming nerves before the big moment.
Dom: My sister, step dad, and Father-in-Law all got ready with me in London, and then we took the shuttle bus to St. Marys together. Jenna and I didn’t want to do a first look – from the beginning of planning, I really knew that I wanted to see her for the first time on our day when she was walking down the aisle. Prior to the ceremony, we each took candids with family and close friends, which broke the timeline up really nicely, especially since it was such a hot day to be doing long photo sessions.
Jenna: Following a beautiful ceremony, we went out on the ground for photos together, and then headed to cocktail hour to join our guests. We never stressed about anything all day, as the St. Marys team coordinated everything SO smoothly. The food was such a hit – our guests are still talking about it. Every course was delivered to perfection, even our middle pasta course that we added at the last minute.
What are some of the moments from your day that stand out?
Dom: Some of the best moments were watching our families blend together. Everyone was having so much fun, whether is was mingling at tables, hanging out at the bar, or lounging on the patio, everyone really enjoyed themselves.
Jenna: When I first walked into The Hideaway. I still can’t get over how beautiful everything was. It was better than I could have ever imagined. Also, walking down the aisle, seeing all of our guests with Dom at the end was something I will never forget.
How would you describe your wedding experience?
We cannot say enough great things about the team at the St. Marys Golf & Country Club. From the moment we chose this as our venue, we were completely taken care of, well beyond all of our expectations. The preferred vendors were outstanding and made it a truly seamless experience. Working with Hailey was a privilege – her responsiveness, support, patience, and kindness throughout the process of planning in the midst of a pandemic was unparalleled! Our friends and family raved about the food and how beautiful the venue was. SMGCC made such a lasting impression on us that we hope we can attend another wedding there one day!
As told by Jenna & Domenic Monardo
Photography by Maigan Cowen Photography
Videography by Dream Chest Creative
