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.
gwen goode says
Huge congratulations to you both, you both look so happy, thank you for sharing your special day, wishing you a lifetime of love, happiness and health..with love and best wishes from West Sussex, United Kingdom
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, gwen!
Carolyn Malone says
Congratulations! What a beautiful wedding, not to mention the food. Thanks for the menu, very carefully thought out. God bless you two
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much, Carolyn!
Maria says
Congratulations and thank you very much for sharing your beautiful wedding with us. Many Blessings. The wedding picture are beautiful. And the menu recipes as described delicious. You look outstandingly beautiful and the groom handsome. A big hug from the distance. ❤️
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Maria!
Judi says
Congratulations from NZ. Gorgeous photos. You both look amazing. May you have a long and happy life together.
Janice Fearon says
Sam, a big CONGRATULATIONS on your recent wedding!!! Wow, so much detail went into the: planning, venue, guest list, outfits and menu while maintaining the vegan theme. It sounds like there was a tremendous amount of work involved but you did it. Thank goodness your guest list was whittled down to just 13! Your outfit looked beautiful and although you state that you have a small waist, I definitely cannot believe that you also have big hips????
Adam looked equally dashing in his carefully chosen outfit, Because all the details were so personal to both of you, your wedding will leave you with beautiful, permanent memories.
Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic news with all of your followers.
Sam and Adam, continued blessings to both of you.
~Janice Fearon
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much Janice!! Haha, my hips are large when comparing them to my waist, so most off-the-rack pieces do not fit me. I like my shape tho 🙂
Janice Fearon says
Sam, a big CONGRATULATIONS on your recent wedding!!! Wow, so much detail went into the: planning, venue, guest list, outfits and menu while maintaining the vegan theme. It sounds like there was a tremendous amount of work involved but you did it. Thank goodness your guest list was whittled down to just 13! Your outfit looked beautiful and although you state that you have a small waist, I definitely cannot believe that you also have big hips????
Adam looked equally dashing in his carefully chosen outfit, Because all the details were so personal to both of you, your wedding will leave you with beautiful, permanent memories.
Thank you so much for sharing your fantastic news with all of your followers.
Sam and Adam, continued blessings to both of you.
P.S. I love the idea of the seat swap so that different people had an opportunity to engage in conversation.
~Janice Fearon
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Judi!
Stephanie says
Such beautiful photos!
Am amazing vegan menu!
Congratulations to you both!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Stephanie!
Becky M. says
Congratulations and best wishes to the happy couple! Thank you for sharing so much of your life with us, Sam.
I was blown away by the menu for your wedding reception! It's so interesting to see what creative chefs can do. Cooking vegan means NOTHING is left out--amazing taste, texture and presentation are all there.
I look forward to more delicious recipes!
Sam Turnbull says
That's true! Vegan food is the best foods. Thank you Becky!
Donna Seidman says
Wishing you and Adam a “happily ever after”! May your lives be filled with joy, laughter, love and good health! Cheers!
Donna ❤️
Donna Seidman says
Congratulations! Wishing you and Adam a “happily ever after”! May your lives be filled with joy, laughter, love and good health! Cheers!
Donna ❤️
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Donna!
Karen Pearson says
I can't say anything better than what everyone else already said, and I echo all of the sentiments. I just want to say a big congratulations and thank you so much for sharing. Best wishes for a long and happy and healthy life together.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Karen!
Diana Sallee says
Congratulations! Your wedding looked amazing! Thanks so much for sharing.
Wishing you many blessing!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Diana!
Gina Caracci says
Congratulations!!!
I am so happy for you both!!
Thank you for sharing your special day with us. Everything looked perfect and delicious and you deserved it! You spend your days creating wonderful recipes to help us, the environment and of course the animals so it was quite fitting to get married in such a beautiful place with a complete vegan menu!
I thought your 'dress' was beautiful! (2 pieces or not, its gorgeous, as you are!!)
May you both have a lifetime of happiness and joy!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much Gina!
Lee says
Congratulations Sam and Adam. Wishing you a lifetime of love and happiness.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Lee!
Patricia says
A gorgeous couple, a beautiful day, enchanting surroundings, appetizing food!
Congratulations on your exquisite taste, Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Patricia!
cindy shworob says
Dear Sam and Adam,
It was absolutely pleasurable viewing your pictures to get a glimpse of your beautiful wedding celebration. It honestly looked like a little piece of heaven.
You looked absolutely stunning in your wedding dress Sam and Adam looked adorable.
Everything looked just perfect and to have a field of flowers as your backdrop, what could be better. A lot of inspiration and love went into the planning. The vegan feast was epic!
Congratulations to you both! Long may you live in happiness, health and love!
Cindy
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you so much Cindy!
joe says
May God send you all His blessings and tranquility.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you
Grant Affleck says
Congratulations Sam and Adam. Thank you for sharing your beautiful day with us. May you both be blessed this day, and always.
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Grant!
Marie says
Sam and Adam! What a beautiful wedding! Now you will both be on a new path with new adventures every day. Life will never be the same. Marriage is a work and you two are joined to be the best you can be to each other and for others. I have something I share with people as I took this to heart when me and my husband were married 14 years ago. Live to make each other happy and if you two do have any arguments, may they be over who is making who happier. :-)) Two are now one. May the Lord be with you two and bless you forever.
Sam Turnbull says
Great advice, thank you Marie!
Amanda says
Congratulations Sam & Adam!
Thank you for sharing your day with us. Beautiful!
I loved the tennis shoes - a girl after my own heart! I also identify with the problems of dress shopping - the only dress that would fit would be a moo-moo (not flattering) I go for separates too! (that solves a lot of problems)
I hope you have room for a few besties, as I feel we would be besties if we could spend time together!
All the best to you and Adam in your life together. May God Bless you!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww you're so sweet, thank you so much Amanda 🙂
Ali says
I can’t read through this without choking up, even the menu gave me happy tears. I’m just sooo happy for both of you, can’t say it enough. Big congrats and love from Ali, Shawn & Charlie.
Sam Turnbull says
Awww, so sweet. Thank you Ali!!!
Lucia Friedman says
Congratulations Sam. It all looked so beautiful and as a couple you are gorgeous. You are extremely lucky to have found a vegan partner.
Wishing you both only the best.
Lucia
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you Lucia, he wasn't vegan when I met him, but it was only a matter of days before he made the switch 😉