Tess + Antoine
#&FLREALBRIDE FEATURE
THE ODETTE in ROSE OMBRÉ
Presenting- our first At Home Covid Lockdown wedding! Tess and Antoine were not going to let a little thing like a global pandemic stop them from having the best day of their lives. Together with their 10 nearest and dearest ( as per Ontario restrictions at the time), Tess and Antoine said I do at home, in the most relaxed, intimate and special way possible.
Be inspired and remember, small doesn’t mean any less special. Do it your way, and you’ll always be happy you did.
The Deets:
Bride:
Tess
@tessquecest
Groom:
Antoine
@antoineklmasse
Photographer:
Daniella Gagliardi (Dani)
https://danimariephotos.com/
@daniimariephotos
Location + venue:
Photos are at the Anndore House Hotel, the actual venue was Antoine’s parents’ home in Riverdale, Toronto
Bridal Boutique:
& FOR LOVE Toronto Pop Up
Accessories:
Magnolia Strands - A.B Ellie
Hair/makeup:
Herself
Shoes:
Noa in white - Cartel Footwear
Cake:
Strawberry Sparkling Wine Cake
Megan Taylor from Hello Sweetie Treats
@ hellosweetietreats_bymeg
Flowers:
May Flowers
@mayflowerstoronto
https://mayflowers.ca/
Describe you and your guy? How did you meet?
Antoine and I met in High School, our mutual friends dared him to ask me out, but he was too afraid. They DM’d me through his account and asked me out for him. That’s how we started, and 8 years and three months later, we got married!
How did you know he was The One?
I love our story because we got to grow up together! But I hate it when people “oh and ah” over us being high school sweethearts and finding true love. Love takes work, and meeting someone special always take time and amazing foresight to see what could be!
I started telling people I was going to marry Antoine when I was 18! I was working as an event planner on an internship from college and knew I could see myself going through the steps of planning a wedding with him.
I’ve always loved him dearly and deeply, I think I always knew he was the one. But when I could envision planning and corralling him through planning a wedding, I knew that was it!
Describe yourself. What do you do? What is your regular street style?
I’m a Sommelier, event planner and entrepreneur in Toronto. My style has evolved to be classic and elegant; I wear a lot of formalwear at work, blazers, blouses and heels. This transfers a bit into my streetstyle. I wear a lot of collared shirts and silk camisoles, sweaters, Levis and highwaisted wide-leg trousers. I never leave the house without my Boss boot, my Acne Studios toque and my camel overcoat!
What is your bridal style?
I started looking for a dress the second we got engaged. I’d seen some Angel and Lisa’s & FOR LOVE gowns before, and knew I loved the simple, elegant and minimalist styles they created. It wasn’t until I saw the 2020 Summer collection that I knew I needed to try them on!
What made you fall in love with your &FL dress and where did you find it?
It wasn’t until I saw the pink of the Odette Ombre Rose I knew it was for me. I didn’t love the idea of an all-white dress or veil, I don’t love the historical connotations of those traditions, so I knew this dress was for me. Elegant, but also alternative and a bit rock and roll!
In January 2020 & FOR LOVE was doing a pop-up in downtown Toronto for three days, and it was a rush to book an appointment. It turns out the first dress can be the one! I tried on the Odette Rosé ombre and couldn’t stop smiling and petting the silk.
Describe your wedding- any inspiration or themes were your drawn to when planning? What was the vibe?
When we started planning I called it “Fever Dream” themed. Antoine kept laughing every time I said that and all our vendors had no idea what that meant. I wanted flowers everywhere, very ethereal and light. Our original venue was a farm in Prince Edward County during July. We had picked a meadow site for the ceremony and I couldn’t wait to see the flowers that grew then!
But then the Covid Pandemic hit in March and everything shut. It wasn’t until October that we decided to reschedule. Personally, I needed something to bring me joy and focus during this difficult time. We were lucky to have Antoine still working, but I had lost my job and was restless.
Our Wedding turned out to be exactly what we needed. It was paired down to what was legally allowed and what we wanted. I know Antoine wanted a big party and we both wanted to see our friends and family. But with only 10 people allowed, we got what we needed.
Fave thing about your day? Any surprises?!
I got to marry my person! Someone I had picked when I was 15!
It was so lovely that we could be in the same room as our families who we hadn’t seen in months due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
What does marriage mean to you?
Forever with my person! All the joys and sorrows that may come! I can’t wait.
What's the one piece of advice you could give to brides?
Be flexible. Times change, Sh*t happens, like a pandemic. What matters most is that you end up with your person.
Life post-wedding means ....
Back to lockdown! Even though we aren’t able to have a traditional wedding or honeymoon, we’re really enjoying the time we have at home together. It’s become a staycation and it’s showed us what is most important and what we want for the future.
Plus, we kept our venue and hope to have a large party post pandemic!
Words written by Tess