Toronto bride Lindsey Omelon & husband James share their unique boho dream like Airship37 wedding infused with personalized poetic touches

Toronto bride Lindsey Omelon & husband James share their unique boho dream like airship37 wedding infused with personalized poetic touches captured by Maison Blanche Weddings.

Did  your wedding express your love story in an authentic way that you can look back on and feel like it in some ways acted as a time capsule for who you are?

Our wedding day pulled together so many pieces of ‘us’. I’ve always said that a wedding is so important to me because for one day, I get to showcase nonstop my love for James. It started with writing our own vows and taking that moment to speak our hearts, in front of all the most important people we know. Then, the relaxed and intimate atmosphere was true in every moment from the unconventional reading by our  friend Viktoria at the ceremony, our outdoor cocktail hour with a playlist created by James, the incredible and personal speeches delivered by our parents, maid of honour, and best man, and the general vibe of the venue. And the journey that led to big day was neverending magic, where our relationships with friends and family evolved in beautiful ways. We would, hands down, not change a single thing.

Ceremony Reading: Prince Charming really is a toad. And the Beautiful Princess has halitosis. The bottom line is that (a) people are never perfect, but love can be, (b) that is the one and only way that the mediocre and the vile can be transformed, and (c) doing that makes it that. Loving makes love. Loving makes itself. We waste time looking for the perfect lover instead of creating the perfect love. Wouldn`t that be the way to make love stay.

You had a beautiful story in the Lightbox outside the venue. Where did you source this passage and how did  it set the tone for your wedding day?

This passage comes from the book Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins. James and I first met at 305 Roncesvalles and we quickly became best friends. We shared so many of the same interests and of that is our passion for reading. James recommended the book to me. It’s a quirky love story that surrounds a failed Princess and a romantic outlaw. Throughout the book, Robbins explore the question on how to make love stay. This passage is something I whole-heartedly believe in and something that exists between me and James. You have to put in all the magic you can and then some more right from the beginning.

What informed your decision to to have your ceremony in the Gooderham Lounge space of Airship37?

The Lounge is absolutely gorgeous and has a totally different vibe than the Hangar. Though it’s a tinier space for a 170 person wedding, we really liked the idea of having a more intimate wedding. At any point, I could look out and see all our guests at once with everyone standing so close. It really worked with our personalities – it was like we were all just hanging out having a conversation, together. The most important thing to us is that we always hold our people close.

The getting ready pictures of you and your bridal party are  beautifully expressive and show your surroundings and personal style very intimately. How are these pictures meaningful to you?

After much back-and-forth, we decided that the ladies would get ready at mine and James’ apartment. Not only for the space (since there were quite a few of us!) but also to have these memories documented for life. This is the first apartment in which we’ve lived together in. We spent the first 2.5 years of our relationship long distance – he was in Windsor and I was in Toronto. We travelled to Indonesia together and upon return moved into this place on Danforth. Our photographers did such a wonderful job capturing aspects of our home that we’ve built together. The hat that hangs on the wall if from James’ grandfather, the shelves are built out of old wood from my first playhouse. This apartment is completely and fully us. That said, having my wedding party here, in a comfortable space, allowed us all to really feel ourselves on the morning of such a huge moment. There was music and food in almost every room, lots and lots of jokes and laughter. I really believe it’s important to savour in each moment of a wedding day, no matter how big or small that may seem. I tried to be present at every millisecond that passed.

What were some of the priorities you had for your wedding day and how do you feel they were implemented effectively?

I am known to be a bit of a hybrid of type A and type B. For the months leading up to the event, I had a full-blow project plan with all wedding details and coordination across vendors.The most important thing to me on the day of was that me and James could really just focus on the day as it went by, without needing to think “what’s going to happen next” And we were 100% able to do so. We had such an amazing support system in our wedding party – who, and I’m a tad embarrassed to admit this, reviewed a thorough day-of coordination schedule that I’d created and made sure everything was on track – and our photographers and videographer were so easy to work with and caught the in-betweens and candids. Most importantly, was that James and I had a wedding that represented us, and I definitely believe we achieved this. People expect an event with us is going to end up a party, and so we definitely had to ensure that was the case for our wedding. We had great music all night, that was playing in both The Hangar and Lounge, the food was seriously top notch, and the cocktail hour was such a highlight with the outside bar.

How would you describe the design of your wedding and what contributed to the success of it?

The overall aesthetic and vision for the wedding played true to how we wished to express their day, and I really owe this to our incredible floral/designer Alexa Mensen of Moswen Floral. A key focus for our vision was minimalist-boho with a modern twist. To bring this atmosphere to life, we wanted to draw attention to the physical attributes and characteristics of the venue space, while explore florals, colour palettes, lighting and decor. The colour palette itself is a unique selection, using a complimentary combination of ivory,  muted pinks and browns, and navy blue pops, Each colour from the palette really played a role throughout the overall vision.

Beyond the florals and decor, I designed all of our stationary for the wedding and everything had the same look and feel all the way from our save the dates, to the guests’ menus.  

Some of our key words that we kept in mind while exploring design options were: boho, industrialized, minimal, clean, modern, romantic, unconventional, relaxed, muted, elegant, light, airy, wispy, fresh, unique, summer.

The cocktail reception of your wedding was very stylish and casual with the indoor/outdoor space being utilized effectively. What was your initial inspiration for this part of your wedding celebration?

I always knew I’d want an outdoor cocktail hour, although I always have a hard time trusting mother nature when it comes to major events. Luckily, we had a perfectly sunny day that really added to the exciting vibes immediately after the ceremony. We worked with two of our dear friends Nolan and Haley to design our signature cocktails. They have extensive experience conjuring up new, innovative cocktails, so we totally knew we could rely on them. Haley and I met up for several tastings throughout the year – which were also really an excuse to get the our wedding party together for drinks! She made a drink that combined my favourites tastes with a beautiful pink colour. Again, we wanted to lean more on the cool atmosphere of Airship37 than to pile in a whole bunch of other decor. The space really speaks for itself. So we had a few clear risers available to not distract from anything, and minimal centrepieces. A key decor element for the outdoor space was this 6 foot Peruvian cactus we’d ordered, but the company forgot to deliver it the day of!

How did you customize your menu with Berkeley Catering to fit your vision?

Pulling together the menu was pretty easy. We wanted to offer our guests an upscale restaurant menu experience. I am vegetarian, and we had many guests who are vegan as well. Typically this menu option may not be as good as the beef or chicken. However, it was so filling and plated beautifully! As for our cocktail hour apps, James and I each got to choose two meat and two vegetarian options. We wanted to make sure that whatever we chose were a suitable summer food. Since the wedding, we’ve had constant feedback on how great the food was.

What is the story of your stunning wedding dress?

For the past few years, I’ve been researching dress and dress designers. As I started to discover my style, I looked to the local boutiques that held specific designers. I selected LoversLand as my first dress shop, since I sort of knew I’d end up going with a gown from them. I was looking more towards a minimal, silk gown with a plunging back. My stylist, Celeste, threw in the Marrakesh Melody gown by Rue de Seine as a wild card and, although I said “No, I don’t want long sleeves” she urged me to give it a try. It was clear that that’d be the one. Rue de Seine is known for their timeless yet modern designs. This one featured laser cut velvet, long fitted sleeves, and an open back. But the big sell? I was able to wear the silk slip as my reception dress.

Its really fun that your photographer captured the moment when you first arrived at Airship37. How did it feel seeing the venue all set up?

It just felt so us. We rode in the backseat together with our photographers in the front. We were holding hand and all four of us talking about normal things like Toronto traffic and how hot of it day it was. We got out in the Parking Lot next to the venue. I loved that we did it this way – us in our wedding outfits just walking up casually to our big day. And being able to do that together, rather than arriving separately, meant so much to me. It was like we finally got to let out a breath we’d been holding for a year. And got to say “Wow, it’s here”. There is nothing like looking forward to something for your whole life, and having it finally happen.
It really looks like you both are so at home the vintage vintage camper bus, with such a natural style in the pictures and this extends to all of your day of portraits. What do you attribute to this ability to appear so at hime and natural in the frame?

There are a few reasons for this – First, our wedding party were totally pumping us up all morning before the wedding. So we felt great. Second, any time we’re together, we are at home, no matter where we are. And third, our photographers felt like our friends. We got to know them a bit throughout the year leading up, and share quite a few same friends, so we have similar personality types. They work incredible as a team, typically with Sean on lead and his partner Vanessa capturing the candids. The moment just before the pose. All those components come together are definitely what made for how natural the photos came out.

The wedding flowers including your bouquet and the flowers in your hair were so precious and had an ethereal quality to them. How did you arrive at these selections?

The florals will played a huge role in facilitating the execution of the vision for the day. We wanted to pull together light, and airy florals and foliage from the palette, and while we may have ended up with some unconventional concepts they completely embraced our romantic, boho aesthetic.

Some of the main florals used were the silver dollar (which I also had a hair piece made of), bunny tail, peonies, and wheat grasses.

How did you and your husband select the location for your first look ?

James and I decided very early on that we wanted to do a First Look. We really wanted that moment to ourselves and our photographers were incredible at orchestrating this. We had actually looked into a few venues, but my type A side took over and I mapped out the routes to a spot which would have the least amount of friction getting to the venue. Sean and James got to the First Look location first and found the spot. Its vastness worked so well in this moment. It felt like it was just myself and James, and it truly looks this way too.

Up until I arrived at our First Look location, I was really relaxed, barely even realizing what was coming next. Then when I arrived and I saw James waiting for me under the gazebo, I felt so many things at once. I was so excited to hug him – spending the night and morning apart felt like forever to us! – and so nervous, but most of all, I just felt so in love.

Earlier in the year my Grammie passed away at 96 years old. And although she lived in PEI her and I have always shared a special bond. I loved spending time with her flipping through her recipes or photo albums, or, when I was super young, going to get our hair done together. James proposed to me in PEI on Cavendish beach – a place I’d visited tons when i was young. My 96 year old grandmother was the first to toast us with a glass of champagne. That was the last time I’d seen her outside of the hospital. I wanted to make sure a piece of her was with us on our big day so I had a piece of her jewelry sewn into my bouquet.

Another very special thing was the sixpence I wore in my shoe that day. Our entire wedding party flew down to New Orleans end of May to celebrate me and James. At the end of the trip, we had met this woman named Barry who had with her a super cute bichon frise. She told us she’d been waiting to meet a bride to pass on a lucky sixpence. We were in a rush to get to the airport so unfortunately did not get it then, but my bridesmaid Caitlyn provided her with my address. About a month later I received a letter in the mail addressed to “The Bride” and in it was a note from Barry and the sixpence! Now I can’t wait to pass it on to a bride and hold up the tradition.

Our first dance was a moment I will never forgot. The song we chose “All I Want” by Dawn Golden is a song we’d stumbled upon driving to my cottage and listening to the only radio station available. I would daydream time and time again about dancing with James to that – and this was early in our relationship. It was that sort of thing that let me know so early on he’d be my forever. You’ll notice in the photos and video that at the end of our dance everyone crowding around us – that was so cool! The song starts to pick up and at the moment our loved ones all at once jumped in hugging us and just completely rallying around us.

What was also so incredible about our wedding were the speeches. They were all so wonderful and personal and held such lasting words. I don’t think there was a single dry eye throughout our dinner.