Mediterranean Fusion Wedding
From the moment this couple inquired with me, my only thought was “I HAVE to do this wedding.”
Fidel (he/they) and Jenees (he/him) described their wedding as a colourful, Mediterranean-style, Mamma-Mia inspired disco party. "Maximalism" and queer joy to the literal max. They had no less than FOUR outfits (each more unique and incredible than the last), 2 ceremonies, and 2 dance parties. The day consisted of a traditional Filipino ceremony, then a Tamil ceremony, then dinner and dancing, followed by an after party the next night at a local Queen West bar. The afterparty famously featured 3 drag queens, to represent the grooms' love of the film Mamma Mia and the main character's 3 dads. One of the grooms even chopped off their locks for a dramatic post-reception hair style change!
The grooms got ready together in one of the on-site homes at Madison Greenhouse, their first look of the day being stunning blue-centred outfits for the Tamil ceremony portion. Can you believe the complexity and beauty of their wedding accessory flat lay? Each item hand-picked with either sentimental, cultural, or aesthetic value. The first ceremony was filled with traditional Tamil touches, and after it concluded the guests could enjoy cultural eats in what would be considered the first cocktail hour of the day.
Following some more portraits in the initial look, the grooms then switched into their second, and prepared for the Filipino ceremony and the exchanging of rings. This time, they did not see each other beforehand. The moment that Jenees walked down the aisle to Fidels’ teary grin, was one of the most beautiful moments I’ve ever captured.
Cocktail hour # 2 included a few more portraits with family and wedding party, now in the soft golden hour sun. At this point, the absolute masterpiece that was their reception area, was now complete. It was no less than breathtaking. I received so many messages of awe as I shared behind-the-scenes images throughout their day, and to each person I had to explain “they did all this.” And it’s true, the Greenhouse on it’s own is beautiful, but the way that you’re seeing it in these images is a completely transformed version, probably the biggest venue transformation I’ve witnessed to date. The florals, the disco balls, the colour schemes, the imported decor, the Mediterranean table scapes….all thanks to their team.
The final reception outfit of this evening was the grooms’ disco-cowboy number (how else can I describe it?). They popped into their reception reveal with Beyonce as their soundtrack, clinked champagne glasses, and basked in the glory of what they had made come to life. The rest of the reception was filled with heartless and hilarious speeches. Delicious greek food. Multiple surprise performances (these two are nothing if not performers!!) including a surprise choreographed dance that Jenees had put together for Fidel, and additionally a sucrose “mother & son dance” preceding the actual mother & son dance, which actually featured Fidel and The Queen Star posing as their “mother.” The crowd erupted with cheers at both the hilarious ruse and and the incredible performance.
Endless thought and attention was put into every detail of this wedding, in a way that I don’t think I have ever seen before, and likely will not see to this extent again. This wedding was, objectively, one of the best parties I’ve ever seen thrown. It was like Wedding Coachella. Thanks to the incredible vision of the couple, and the talent of their incredible vendor team for bringing it to life.
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VENDORS:
Wedding Planner/Coordinator: events.by.jules
Outfits: , randolf clothing, mave_toronto, seemagurjaldesign
Florist/Decor: smellslikeflowers
Jewellery And/or Rings: Sinta_co
Caterer: Treeline Catering
Cake/Desserts: Buttery Oaf
DJ/Band/Entertainment: looplinguist
Officiant: tamil- whatthepottu, filipino-modernnunyyz
Videographer: aarondanielfilms
Other noteworthy vendors: Alamo Events
