We are starting the week in the sweetest possible way, with a fabulous DIY wedding in a whimsical ‘Alice in Wonderland’ theme. An intimate celebration packed with DIY details (including a paper bouquet, flower crown & boutonniere created by the bride) and an afternoon tea in place of a traditional reception, this wedding is budget-friendly perfection and my idea of absolute heaven…..

Yes, an afternoon tea: no wedding breakfast, no centerpieces, no DJ or party; just tea, cake and some verrines! I don’t know about you, but it sounds pretty blissful to me!

After 15 years and a child together, stylish bride and groom Stéphanie & Francis decided it was time they tied the knot when Stéphanie caught the bouquet at a friend’s wedding. With a Alice in Wonderland theme, that was perfect for the children books editor and actor, they set about creating a celebration that was true to them – and within their budget. To help with this Stéphanie made almost everything, including her bouquet and ring pillow (all from an old Alice in Wonderland book), paper doily bunting, paper heart chains,a flower crown and boutonniere, as well as all of the programmes and bookmark favours; such a mammoth DIY feat, she needed every second of their 17 month engagement to create this magical day…..and when you see it, you simply won’t believe that it was all done on less than $6000 – venues, rings, suit, dress, decor, everything!

“My wedding dress was from BHLDN. It was designed by Tadashi Shoji and as soon as I saw it I could picture myself  in it. It was so me! I was nervous about buying such an important dress online though, not being able to try it on first, so looked everywhere for something similar nearby – but with no luck. By the time I decided to order my dress, it was sold out!! I was devastated, crying all evening – that was when I realised it really was MY dress. As luck should have it, the week after, someone returned my size to BHLDN. My mother spotted it and told me, and I wasted no time placing my order!”

“I made my bouquet with papers flowers and I carried an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ book in which I created a hole for our rings.”

“Our son was our White rabbit, dressed in a top hat with rabbit ears, and when we were ready to begin the ceremony he stood up and said “Oh, dear! Oh dear! We shall be too late. Let’s sit down! The wedding will begin!”” Oh my gosh, have you ever heard anything so adorable??

“We had no groomsmen, but the groom wore a vibrant blue suit that highlighted his fun personality. The boutonniere I created myself with the same style branch I used for my flower crown and a pocket watch on which I put a mad hatter illustration. His Alice in Wonderland bowtie we found on Etsy, it was the perfect finishing touch!”

“We are in love with our city and we wanted to stay there for our wedding, but we also wanted a venue with a vintage feel and somewhere intimate for us to celebrate with our 45 guests. Because we were getting married in Spring, we also wanted an indoor venue, so that we didn’t have to worry about the weather. The “Dulong” room, all in wood and stones and with a lot of natural light, at the l’Auberge Saint-Gabriel (which is the oldest inn in Montreal, built in 1688!) was perfect! It’s in the heart of the beautiful Old Montreal, near the St-Lawrence River and near to our home.”

“Our vows and our entrance were so moving! Waiting outside and hearing the music for the entrance of my future husband (Downton Abbey, played by a friend who is pianist) made me cry. I cried all the way to the front while my friend was playing the music of the television series Anne of green gables. Even my husband wiped away a tear!”

“We wrote our own vows and did not share them with each other until the ceremony. They really worked well together and were moving, personal, and a little funny. In fact they are my favourite memory from the whole day!”

“The reception was in the same room as the ceremony, the seats were simply rearranged to create a kind of lounge. We wanted it very cosy and we wanted to allow movement to encourage everyone to speak to each other. There was no meal, but the verrines (appetisers) were so delicious the guests were delighted. We had foie gras, lamb confit, spicy tuna… and of course tea, coffee and cake.”

“Our wedding cake was made by Sophie Sucrée. It was 3 tiers of almond cake with caramel frosting and some delicious fondant to cover it. For our topper we found a wonderful bunnies couple from MelaboWed on Etsy and asked for a baby bunny too, to represent our son. When he saw it, he said : “Oh! It’s me there!! ☺” A restaurant near my work’s office had a cake stand I dreamed of having, so I went to meet the very nice owner and she kindly lent it to me for the day. To match our theme I also made a table runner from old Alice in Wonderland book pages for the cake table.”

Pearls of Wedding Wisdom from the Bride…..

“Be yourself and have fun no matter what happens! Oh and have a long engagement! It allows you time to look and compare, to choose what you really want and to DIY a lot of things. Anne Shirley, of Green Gables, said: “Looking forward  to things is half the pleasure of them” and it is so true!”

Tell us a little about your photographer….

“I found Marie-Michèle on the internet, searching for professional photographers  in Montreal. I liked the light in her pictures, it’s all soft and bright. That was the kind of vibe I was searching for and I couldn’t be happier with them!”

Wishing Stéphanie & Francis a lifetime of wedded bliss! A huge thankyou to them and the lovely Marie-Michèle Hayeur, for allowing me to share their wonderful Alice in Wonderland themed wedding with you. To see more of Marie-Michèle‘s beautiful work, do take a peek at her website www.mmhayeur.com and you can also follow along on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter – she does lots of incredible vogue-esque style shoots!

Amy

x

Photography ~ Marie-Michèle Hayeur photography

Venue ~ Salle Dulong of l’Auberge Saint-Gabriel

Wedding Cake ~  Sophie Sucrée

Wedding Cake topper ~ MelaboWed on Etsy

Wedding Dress ~ Tadashi Shoji at BHLDN

Bridal Shoes ~ B.A.I.T. (1861)

Groom’s Bow Tie ~ GentlemansDignity on Etsy

Groom’s Shoes ~ Little Burgundy

Décor ~ DIY by the Bride