Areti Tanya & George A blast from the past.

Written by TRB Contributors

Decor Designer/Florist: Rachel Clingen Event and Wedding Design
Wedding Date: September 4, 2021
Ceremony/Reception: Palais Royale, Toronto, ON
Photography: Azure Blue Photography

The Proposal
The anticipation was killing George while the couple was sitting on the sofa at Areti’s condo. It was already late in the evening and nothing was going according to plan.

The original plan was to propose the morning of Areti’s birthday. George ordered some beautiful flowers to be delivered however, the florist was late and Areti was on her way to her cousin’s bridal shower. After the shower and family birthday dinner, George finally had his moment. With the biggest smile on his face he pulled out a beautiful ring and said, “Will you?” and then got down on one knee and asked again, “Will you marry me?”

Areti obviously said, “Yes!”

Decor
Areti and George loved their venue. The 1920s architecture of the Palais Royale influenced their wedding theme. “I wanted our ceremony to be modern and fresh but our reception to incorporate darker colours with a lot of candlelight to make it romantic,” says Areti.

The room the couple envisioned came to life with candelabras, tea lights and bursts of purple fusion lights. Bouquets of aubergine and blush pink flowers placed in bedazzled vases popped against the dark, silky drapery of the tables. The backdrop consisted of elegantly draped fabrics and large floral arrangements, which created a beautiful focal point for the couple. Even the entertainment accentuated the 1920s theme with Charleston Dancers and Cigarette Girls.

“The surrounding ambience of the venue was a perfect compliment to my vision and Rachel’s work,” says Areti.

Wedding Attire
Just a couple of weeks after choosing her dream dress¬¬—the Austin gown by Watters—she found out her cousin is wearing the exact same dress to her own wedding¬. Areti decided she loved the dress too much to give it up, so she purchased it from her cousin afterwards. To make it a little different, she added a beaded belt around her waist and wore black lace pumps to go with her romantic, 1920s theme.

The maid of honour wore a soft, beautiful, purple dress that matched the theme of the wedding. “I chose the dress because I loved the colour, material and style,” says Areti.

As for George, he wore a gray Ermenegildo Zegna suit from Holt Renfrew with a white collared shirt, a purple tie and brown leather Salvatore Ferragamo shoes. He also wore a pair of gold cuff links that his father (who has recently passed) gave to him.

Most Memorable Moment
Areti loves the song ‘Your Song’ by Elton John, so George hired an Elton John impersonator to perform at the night of their wedding. “It was very romantic and a surprise that he had kept from me, which was so special for the evening of,” says Areti.

Spending some time alone with George as well as sitting back and seeing their guests have a great time was another memorable moment. This was probably going to be the biggest party of their lives.

“To be honest, every moment ‘had its moment’. It was special from start to end,” says Areti.

Wedding Advice
Areti and George have three pieces of advice of future brides and grooms:
1)    If the bride loves to dance, get another dress that doesn’t swing on the floor;
2)    If you only have a maid of honour, get a wedding planner for the day of your wedding to help coordinate any final details that may have been overlooked;
3)    Invite guests who you truly have a relationship with. Don’t get caught up in politics.

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