{ Reality Wedding Story } All You Need Is Love | Whitney & Jeff

From the Fall/Winter 2012 issue of The Wedding Ring ONTARIO Magazine

August 27th, 2011:: Enoch Turner Schoolhouse (www.heritagetrust.on.ca) (review on Enoch Turner Schoolhouse) in Toronto | Photography by barebonephoto (www.barebonephoto.com) (review on barebonephoto) | Story by TheWeddingRing.ca

After just a month of dating, Whitney Bolton and Jeffrey Pearce were so smitten with each other, they decided not to waste any time. Whitney quit her job in Toronto, gave up her apartment and moved to Ottawa to live with Jeff. Jeff and Whitney's courtship then stretched the span of seven years. Whitney says, "I love that we can laugh with and at one another... We keep each other grounded."

Jeff proposed to Whitney on June 19th, 2010 at Strawberry Fields - two and a half acres dedicated to John Lennon in Central Park, New York City. Jeff knew that because Whitney is a huge Beatles fan, it was the perfect proposal location. 

They began planning their wedding around two things they shared; a love for the Beatles, and a love for all things British. Tying into both, their theme became 'All you need is love.' When Jeff and Whitney found Enoch Turner Schoolhouse (♥) (www.heritagetrust.on.ca) (review on Enoch Turner Schoolhouse), they knew it would be the ideal place to throw a big party. "We loved the old Victorian charm, the history of the building and how quaint it is."

They added British touches to as many aspects of their wedding day as they could. On Etsy, Whitney found an invitation designer from England. Whitney added fun little Brit phrases to the items, such as 'Blimey, we are getting married!' - a theme that ran throughout their save the dates and invitations.

Jeff and Whitney were married on August 27th, 2011 at 4:30pm in front of 127 of their "favourite people." They knew they wanted to keep their ceremony very personal and so each chose one long time friend to stand on either side. They also decided to write their own ceremony and choose each reading and piece of music. "It was time consuming, but I honestly wouldn't change anything," remembers Whitney.

In keeping with their British theme, Jeff and his best man each wore a three piece light grey suit from his favourite suit maker in England. For some added fun, Jeff chose a black and white polka dot tie. His best man wore a pink polka dot tie. Whitney found her pretty, strapless gown at a boutique in Toronto and then added a black sash for her own modern twist. She finished her look with a Jennifer Behr vintage style veil, a black vintage purse, and an art deco hairclip. Whitney's elegant, flawless hair and make-up was done by Larissa McCourt (www.larissamccourt.com). To complement Whitney, her Maid of Honour wore a black satin dress. Both wore matching black Christian Louboutin pumps and vintage jewellery.

Jeff and Whitney created a signature cocktail to serve following the ceremony alongside champagne. Their 'Yellow Submarine' was a mixture of Pimm's, ginger ale and pink lemonade. "It was refreshing and everyone loved it!"

For a modern, romantic feel, the couple chose a grey, blush pink and white palette. Considering the schoolhouse's charming décor to be a big perk, Jeff and Whitney decorated with tulle, candles and silk bows and kept everything simple. "We didn't go overboard on decorating as it was charming on its own with the old school desks and old chalkboard and unique windows."

To honour Whitney's "obsession with art and design," they used a mix of rectangular and round tables. They rented white Philipp Starck ghost chairs for the reception. The tables and chairs added a modern twist to the older venue.

To tie in with their colour palette, they chose pewter table linens, with blush pink runners and white serving dishes. Many of the details were DIY, with one of Whitney's close friends playing an  instrumental part in decorating, "It looked amazing, and I fully trusted that my wonderful friends would do a great job, and I was able to relax the morning before the wedding."

Photography for the day was done by Emma Smallbone of barebonephoto (♥) (www.barebonephoto.com) (read review on barebone). Jeff and Whitney found and loved barebonephoto's non-traditional image style and, after meeting Emma in person, knew she would capture their day perfectly. "Emma was really easy going and has a great eye for light and unique shots. Having my picture taken is one of my least favourite things in the world, but Emma made us feel comfortable and the whole process was very easy. On the day of the wedding we didn't even notice she was taking pictures!"

Although Whitney has always loved white flowers, she didn't have any specific flowers in mind for her wedding. She trusted a local florist to come up with her bouquet as well as the flowers for the tables. "I didn't want large arrangements or centrepeices, I preferred the look of clear glass vases of various shapes scattered all over the tables, and wanted a few flowers in each." And so Whitney's florist used beautiful large white dinner dahlia's, soft roses and stock in a mixture of white, cream and light pink, with candles scattered throughout the tables. The bouquets featured the same white flowers with tiny pink snowberries and the guys wore white cala lily boutonnieres wrapped in ribbon.

Jeff and Whitney hired one of  the venue's preferred caterers and together, they created a menu that would complement their British theme and appease their mates. The meal started with spinach salad that was topped with fresh strawberries, pecans, goat cheese and a champagne vinaigrette. The main course included beef tenderloin, rosemary chicken, roasted vegetables, fingerling potatoes and, of course, Yorkshire pudding! They also offered a vegetarian option of stuffed mushroom with herb chevron and a balsamic reduction. For dessert, guests were treated to an English Trifle. In fact, their late night snack was the only time they strayed away from their British theme: "We had happy meals delivered... It was a big hit!"

Jeff and Whitney's cake was simple, with three layers of chocolate and vanilla cake with a white fondant. Their cake topper was a replica of the 'LOVE' sculpture by American artist, Robert Indiana. Although the cake was beautiful, Jeff and Whitney admit they actually forgot to cut the cake... "We were having so much fun, it completely slipped everyone's minds!" Needless to say, the couple has a lot of leftover wedding cake in their freezer!

As a thank-you to their guests, Jeff and Whitney ordered white tea tins and had a friend design custom labels that read 'Have a cuppa on us!' The tea blend they chose was their favourite: Earl Grey... "It doesn't get much more British!"

In the end, Jeff and Whitney say, "We had a lot of fun, and spent a lot of time with a lot of great friends who we are forever indebted to for all of their help. Something will always go wrong, but don't sweat it, and enjoy the day because it flies by!"

Classic British Details

Yorkshire pudding Also known as 'batter pudding', Yorkshire pudding is a dish that originated in Yorkshire, England. It is made by pouring a batter made from milk or water, flour and eggs into oil then preheated in baking pans and usually served with roast meat and gravy.

English Trifle Trifle is a dessert dish made from thick (or often solidified) custard, fruit, sponge cake, fruit juice or gelatin, and whipped cream. These ingredients are usually arranged in alternating layers.

Pimm's Pimm's was originally a brand of fruit cups, but in modern times, is mostly considered a liqueur. Its most popular product is Pimm's No.1, a gin-based beverage that can be served both on ice or in cocktails. The recipe of Pimm's No.1 is secret; it has a dark tea colour with a reddish tint, and tastes subtly of spice and citrus fruit.