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.
Ximena says
Gracias por compartir! Mi sobrina se casará en marzo de 2022 y aquí encontrará buenas ideas: ella es vegana pero su prometido no lo es. Muchas felicidades para Adam & Sam
Sam Turnbull says
¡Gracias!
Patricia Haddad says
Congratulations Sam and Adam!
What a lovely surprise! Loved your video storybook wedding!
Sending many best wishes and blessings,
Patricia Haddad
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, thank you Patricia!
Sharon Birchall says
Huge Congratulations to you both: Sam you are a stunning bride, thank you for sharing your beautiful joyous wedding with us. Your happiness shines out of your amazing photos, wishing you many many years of wedded bliss together xx
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Sharon!
Atlanta says
Congratulations to you both! I’ve been following your blog for a while and I’m so happy for you both
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you Atlanta!
Jean says
Congratulations!
Thank you for sharing your special day with us!
You were just beautiful!
Everything was!!
Much love and happiness in the many many years to come!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Jean!
Earlene Saulnier says
Wow, Sam, Just amazing! Congratulations to you and Adam. Any chance of the caterer sharing recipes of some of your delicious appetizers, entrees, desserts, etc. I have both your cookbooks and love, love, love everything you offer. bonne chance dans ta nouvelle vie. <3
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Earlene! As far as the recipe go, you will have to ask Ivan (the caterer). They aren't my recipes 🙂
Karen Brown says
Sam and Adam, “Congratulations” on your Marriage!
Sam you look so beautiful! Such a magical day.
Thank you for sharing your special day, your happiness is palatable.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Karen!
Lesley Isaac says
Congratulations to you both - what a wonderful celebration! You absolutely made my day sharing it. Loved all the beautiful photos and the amazing menu yum!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Lesley, happy you enjoyed 🙂
Julie Mcauley says
Congratulations Sam & Adam. I wish you both a lifetime of health and happiness. I have followed your site for many years now and I thank you for sharing your wedding with us. Your cookbooks are in my kitchen and I've introduced my granddaughter (a devout vegan) to them. She chooses one of your recipes everyday. May God bless you both now and forever.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww that's lovely, thank you Julie!
barbara siergiewicz says
You are such a beautiful bride! So happy for you both. I loved all of the pictures. Thank you for sharing your perfect day.
Abundant blessings and many happy years together!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much!
M says
Congratulations! Thanks for sharing these beautiful pictures with us. You and Adam are glowing with happiness. Wishing you all the best!
Sam Turnbull says
We sure are!
Sharon says
Sincere congratulations! God bless your life together.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Sharon!
Marie Jordan says
Congratulations Sam an Adam!
Everything looks beautiful.
Wishing many happy years to both of you!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Marie!!
Rhea says
Mazel Tov Sam and Adam! You are so sweet to share your special day with your online family. Everything and everyone looked perfect! May this be the start of many happy and healthy years together of making wonderful memories. Wishing you the best!
Sam Turnbull says
THank you so much Rhea!
AccidentallyVeganDee says
Congratulations, Sam!!! Sounds like the perfect swoon-worthy wedding weekend. Love and light to you both. <3
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much!
Lynne says
Congratulations! It was fun to see the photos and story of your special day.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Lynne!
Rosemary Sandiford says
Oh Sam, I’m a mess of happy tears. This gives me so much joy and hope for the future of the planet. You look so so stunning, and what a handsome young man you married. It sounds like an amazing day (or 3!).
Sam Turnbull says
Awww so touching, thank you Rosemary!
Tamara says
I'm so so happy for you two! I've been following you for years (we're actually besties.. You just don't know it.. Ha!)
I think you're a lovely person and incredibly talented. Good luck in this new exciting chapter! Also, every. single. thing. about your wedding was just magical. Congrats!
Sam Turnbull says
Hahaha! Thank you so much bestie!!
Lori Blevins says
Congratulations! Best wishes for the most beautiful life together Sam and Adam! ❤️❤️❤️
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Lori!
Mary Greenwood says
Congratulations Sam and Adam and thank you for sharing your story, beautiful pictures and menu!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Mary!