Saying 'I do' to worldly romance

By Jennifer Cox, September 26th, 2012

For some brides, the most important detail of their big day is finding the perfect dress, and for other grooms, the emphasis is on the menu or open bar. But for Toronto couple Haneen Khalil and Galen Davies, who held their Montreal wedding at Entrepôt Dominion, the decor was the significant feature.
"The initial idea was to have regal decor that would be inspired by the bride's Middle Eastern roots, but still feel un-themed for the international guest list," said wedding planner Elyna Kudish of Unity Weddings. "We wanted it to feel very royal and lush, without necessarily evoking something as cliché as, say, the One Thousand and One Nights."
A very specific plan was created in order to achieve this. Colours and particular details were the primary ways in which this couple, along with Kudish's guidance, created a one-of-a-kind day that evoked romance and glam.
"Wedding decor can sometimes take on a life of its own... Haneen had showed me some beautiful inspirational images, which often centred around full centrepieces and accents of royal purple and mint," Kudish explained. "Once we stepped foot into the rental showroom, all these images came flowing back into my mind, and that's how the velour damask linen and purple accents came to life."
From the chairs to the tablecloths right down to the various lighting effects, every square inch of the space was drenched in elegance and opulence.
Because the wedding was held in a lofty space, Kudish wanted to add chic touches that would make the room feel more intimate. She suggested sophisticated crystal chandeliers to infuse the room with majestic beauty. "I'm also a big fan of eclectic mismatching, so I took the couple's preference for gold-rimmed plates and mismatched them at each seat to add some visual interest," she said.
The result was a well-dressed table that oozed fashion-forward good looks. “Decor-wise, a lot of elements were either custom-made for the couple, or custom-assembled in ways they're not meant to be paired.”
This, in the end, is what made the wedding’s decor a rare gem.
Once these bigger items were in place, other particulars naturally fell into position, such as the hand-picked and spray-painted candle chandeliers that were suspended over the dance floor, the custom mini-cakes for the guests, and the small handmade cake stands.
The wedding, which took place last May, had just enough of these unique, individual aspects to make the entire space come together flawlessly and left guests talking about its individuality for weeks afterward.
However, the main thing that really made this a one-of-a-kind wedding was the ambiance created by the attendees themselves.
“Ultimately, it was the fierce joie de vivre of every single guest at the wedding that made the party so unforgettable,” Kudish admitted. “The crowd literally ripped it up on the dance floor.”