Crystal & Brandon: Winter Wedding Charm

March 15 2008 :: Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Brantford
& Concorida Club, Kitchener

Photography by So Jeles Photography
Story by TheWeddingRing.ca

Brandon Dmytryshyn proposed to Crystal Kalcsa in August of 2007. Brandon and Crystal had taken a walk down the beach at sunset, only to return to a fairytale scene set up by their close friends—a blanket laid on the beach surrounded by burning candles and a bottle of wine. “We drank strawberry wine, watched shooting stars and then Brandon proposed… Of course I said yes,” explained Crystal. She says that she and Brandon share a deep love and respect for each other and for God.

The couple remembers doing a lot of planning leading up to the wedding day and feeling stressed because they just wanted everything to go smoothly. “You’re always scared that you forgot to do something.”

"We loved having everyone we care about come together and watching them enjoy themselves"

So they set the date for March 15, 2008, and invited guests to their winter wedding. Crystal and Brandon agreed that they didn’t want to go massively into debt just for one day. “We had to be realistic; this was not something we wanted to have to pay for, for ten years down the road. So we chose to have a budget of $10,000.” They said it was hard to follow but they made compromises such as renting a car, keeping centrepieces simple yet elegant, and choosing less expensive flowers. “We did end up going over budget by about $2,000 but considering we had about 200 for dinner, we think we did pretty good!”

Their ceremony was held at Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brantford. Crystal wore a gown that she admits was a splurge, “It was way over my budget but I tried it on and I had to get it.” Crystal’s Aunt Laura did all the wedding flowers, using a mix of roses, mini calla lilies and gerbera daisies in burgundy, red and champagne colours, wrapped in folded banana leaves.

After officially becoming husband and wife, Crystal and Brandon allowed their photographer, Tara Jeles from So Jeles Photography to sweep them (and their wedding party) off to photo locations that began at an old bridge beside Lorne Park in Brantford and ended at their reception location, Concordia Club in Kitchener. Brandon’s fascination with trains also led them to pause to strike a pose along railway tracks nearby.

Decorating Dreams came in to add some décor accents to the reception including a wrought iron back drop behind the head table, fabric and some accent lighting, and a ceiling canopy. “It just looked so elegant against the beautiful ceiling.”

Not everything went according to plan. The guys had tuxedo issues, “The fit was horrible.” There was a last minute scramble over a missing seating chart, leaving guests to seat themselves. They sent guests home with rose soaps they’d purchased from an online auction site. The favours fit in with the colour and décor of the day but Crystal and Brandon agree, “We wouldn’t do that again next time. We should have spent a little more on favours.” But ultimately, the couple says “those little mess-ups aren’t what we remember most.” Instead, they look back on the people and the fun.

“All we remember was just being so happy that the day was finally here. It was exciting, worth the wait, an awesome experience…” They say most of all, they remember the love and happiness their wedding day brought them, their family and their friends. “We loved having everyone we care about come together and watching them enjoy themselves.” ■