Author: I'm married! On June 19th, 2021, Adam and I tied the knot. Woo-hoo! I literally couldn't be happier or feel luckier. It was such a special day so I wanted to share a little of it with you. ❤️
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our original guest list of 120 was whittled down to just 13 of us (Adam and I included). So here is what my micro-wedding during a pandemic looked like.
And before we get started, a HUGE thank you goes to the amazing Brittany Williams @brittanymwilliams who took all of these gorgeous photos! I highly recommend checking out Brittany's website and working with her if you are looking for a photographer in the GTA.
The Venue
I grew up on a 100-acre tree and flower farm (I know, I'm lucky), so it was an easy choice to get married there.
In June, there is a several-acre field of peony flowers that come into bloom, and I've always dreamed of getting married during the bloom, so of course, that's what we did! Rows of gorgeous flowers!
Leading to the peony field is this amazing row of birch trees, so this became my aisle to walk down.
A traditional arbor didn't feel right to me, so instead, I had this humongous white picture frame made!
Not only was it a beautiful place to stand while getting married, but I just loved how it framed the beauty of the field. What a work of art! P.S. isn't Adam so cute!?
We were surrounded by natural beauty, and thankfully a clear sunny day (the weather forecast had threatened thunderstorms)!
After the ceremony, the reception and dinner were held in a building on the farm that my parents call 'The Gallery'. This wood and stone building is a mix of modern and old that I just love. With big open doors and flowing white curtains and a ton of sparkly lights, the space was so unique and gorgeous.
The walls and table were covered in peonies that were picked from the field, and we hung a ton of string lights over the dinner table for a romantic feeling.
The Food
Of course, one of the most important parts of the day for me was the food!! Only 3 out of the 13 people attending are fully vegan (Adam, my new mother-in-law Susan, and of course myself). My mom did go vegan for the month before the wedding so bonus points for that too! It was important that the food was spectacular and that everyone would enjoy it whether they were vegan or not.
During the reception, we put out these huge charcuterie boards with vegan cheese and vegan meats from Fair/Square. I highly recommend ordering from Fair/Square or visiting their new shop. They have so many amazing vegan cheeses that everyone was blown away by. I've also ordered gift baskets from them in the past and their customer service is exceptional.
One of my favorite ideas that we had during the dinner was to switch up the seating arrangement halfway through. Since we were dining for so long, this allowed everyone to change it up and chat with different people.
No, we didn't eat rocks, haha! This was the table setting before dinner began.
When it came time for dinner, since there were only 13 of us, we wanted to do something a bit special and a bit different. So we hired Chef Ivan Castro from La Bartola to create us an epic 7-course vegan meal! (Yes, 7 courses!!)
Chef Ivan Castro designed us a unique menu inspired by the farm. Each course was incredibly interesting and super tasty!
There were also a lot of fun surprises throughout the meal. The guests were wowed when each person was presented with a smoke-filled dome which, when opened, revealed a little tree with smoked berries on it that you could pick to top of your salad. How fun is that!? It's very fun. There were several little magical surprises like this throughout the night that just made it all the more special.
I included the full menu above for your viewing pleasure!
And if seven courses weren't enough for you, I had more food afterward. The party went into the wee hours of the night, so at about midnight we pulled out a huge bowl of individual-sized kettle chips, pretzels, and an assortment of vegan cookies and bars from Sweets From the Earth. I also bought a fancy popcorn machine to make movie theater-style popcorn.
The following day, the celebrations continued with an epic vegan brunch put on by Susan (my new mother-in-law!) and vegan caesar cocktails and mimosas made by my new brother-in-law, Ben! For a mid-day snack, we had Sol Cuisine crispy chick'n bites, and then for dinner: an amazing spread of vegan pizzas made by my dear friends Peter and Eleanor.
Over the whole weekend, the food was just an endless stream of vegan deliciousness- my kinda weekend!!!
The Wedding Attire
I had no idea that getting a wedding dress would be so difficult. Getting a wedding dress during the pandemic was a crazy messy process. I first tried doing curbside pickup wedding dress try on's, but I found this super not fun and not productive so I turned to online shopping.
Many of my Instagram friends recommended I try BHLDN, and so I looked there. I have pretty big hips, but a very small waist, so almost nothing fits me off the rack. I was worried about getting alterations, so I decided to order bridal separates hoping that this would fit me better.
I ended up loving the skirt from BHLDN - (special thanks to my aunt Nancy for making it fit me) but the top I ordered was terrible and not at all what I expected. There were hefty import duties ordering from BHLDN to Canada, so instead of trying something else from BHLDN, I decided to turn to Etsy to see what I could find.
I ended up buying this lace top from the amazing Etsy shop White Studio Bridal. Jule from White Studio Bridal was incredibly helpful. I was able to send her my exact measurements and she made the custom lace piece just for me and it fit beautifully. If I could re-do the wedding dress I would work strickly with White Studio Bridal as the shopping experience was so fantastic. Thank you, Jule!
For the shoes, as I was getting married in a bumpy field, heels were a no-no. So I sported a brand new pair of all-white Converse (my fave). I later changed into a pair of vegan heels from the Etsy shop Roni Kantor Shoes for the dinner and reception.
My faux pearl earrings were also found on Etsy, and the hairpiece is from BHLDN.
For Adam's suit, it's actually pretty difficult to find a suit that isn't made of wool (especially when all you have is online shopping). But after a bunch of research, Adam ordered this stunning vegan three-piece suit from RW & Co. The shirt is from H&M, he wore shoes he already owned, and his vegan tie (not silk), tie clip, and pocket square are from Jaan J.
And for the rings, Adam worked with Midwinter Co. to design my engagement ring and wedding band. Isn't it cool how my wedding band fits around my ring like that? The rings are made with ethically sourced gold and diamonds, and I'm obsessed with the beautiful and unique celestial diamond that looks like the moon! Adam went the classic route and chose a simple gold wedding band, also from Midwinter Co.
And that's it! We're married. What a wonderful and special day! It was literally the best day of my life so far... and I feel like it's just beginning!
Back to recipe posts next week, but in the meantime...
Bon Appetegan!
From the now married Sam Turnbull.
Kathy says
Sam, CONGRATULATIONS to you and Adam! It was so fun reading about your 100% vegan wedding! Great job, my friend. I wish you many, many years of happiness. Thank you for sharing your day with us!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Kathy!
Eya says
What a beautiful day. Adam is indeed very cute, and you are such a beautiful bride. Felicitations to both of you. And a vegan mother-in-law is an excellent omen for a happy married life.
Sam Turnbull says
Right!? So nice. THank you Eya!
Sharon Z says
Congratulations to you both!! Thank you for sharing your special day (weekend) with your fans. Absolutely gorgeous venue, couple, and mighty yummy looking food too.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Sharon!
carolien says
congratulations! So fun to read and see the photos of your incredible day!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you carolien 🙂
Faye says
Congratulations Sam & Adam! And thank you for sharing your wedding with us. It was a beautiful wedding, and you were a beautiful bride. And yes, Adam is cute!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha yes he is 🙂
Kristi says
Wow this was just beautiful! Congratulations Sam and Adam. Thank you for sharing all the details and pics. It looks like an absolutely beautiful and perfect day!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Kristi!
Katherine Fierling says
What a gorgeous wedding and fabulous food. It was generous of you to share the photos and the names of the vendors. The food looks inspirational. I am delighted that you had such a beautiful wedding and experience.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Katherine!
Izzi says
In field of Peonies?! The queen of frangrant flowers, all apologies to roses, but wow...how lucky are you. As a long time fan of your wonderful vegan inspirations, may I just say ...Congratulations!!!
(p.s. loved that you wore tennis shoes -completely perfect)
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha thank you so very much, Izzi!
Darlene says
Congradulations, wishing you much happiness and blessings.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Darlene 🙂
Jeannette says
What a special day! Thank you for sharing this with us, I'm in years over how lovely everything is. Congratulations!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you Jeannette!
Chantal Laprade says
Congratulations!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Chantal!!
Donna says
Congratulations! Beautiful!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Donna!
Judith Arayaes says
Congratulations to both! What a beautiful bride and wedding! Love it all!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Judith!
KK says
I've been following for years, Sam. I loved getting a peek at your wedding this morning -- every detail was absolutely gorgeous. It is great to see you so happy!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much!!!! Never been happier 🙂
Kari says
Congratulations. Man, I would love that menu! I had a vegan menu served to me before I was vegan, and, even though I liked it, I didn't appreciate it enough. Now I would be in heaven with something like you had at your wedding!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha it was pretty special 🙂
Lindsay says
What a beautiful wedding! You look positively stunning and it looks like a perfect day. Congratulations to you and your husband!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you Lindsay!
Srivani says
So much love to you and Adam. Thanks for sharing so many fantastic details and pictures from your special day/weekend! The perfect Venue to start your next chapter on this journey. Here’s to you, Sam and Adam.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much, Srivani!!
sara says
CONGRATULATIONS SAM!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Sara!
Shelly Hawes-Smith says
OMG.. congrats. This looked amazing. You look so happy! (but you always do in your videos too!) The food sounds so interesting and different.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha thank you so much, Shelly!
Yulca says
Hi Sam & Adam,
CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU BOTH!!!!
Wishing you guys all the best, a lifetime of health, happiness, and wonderful moments together.
Sending you stranger love from Germany!
P.S. It all looks so pretty and delicious. That dinner menu is insane!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Yulca 🙂