Melissa Martino returned residence from her first 12 months at Queen’s College and defined to her sister that she wished to “benefit from the summer season, single, and never fear about males or courting.” Mockingly, that very same afternoon, her sister invited her to St. Phillips bakery in Woodbridge, Ontario, the place they’d each labored throughout highschool, to introduce Melissa to 2 new pals—one in every of which was Gianfranco Fuoco.
“After we first met, I used to be drawn to his infectious smile and persona and knew we might get alongside nicely as pals,” shares Melissa. She and Gianfranco shortly grew shut, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than they made their relationship official.
Gianfranco took the chance to plan a particular celebration for the couple’s fifth anniversary when restrictions on outside actions had been lifted in June 2020. The morning of, he picked Melissa up (along with her favourite Starbucks iced espresso in hand!) and drove them to the McMichael Canadian Artwork Assortment in Kleinburg, Ontario. The couple had walked the paths of the land many instances throughout their first weeks of courting and had returned to the museum all through their relationship, making it a sentimental place excellent for the proposal!
Gianfranco carried a picnic basket with him, main Melissa to a ravishing location within the grass amongst the timber. Pondering they might be having fun with a breakfast picnic collectively, she was stunned when he laid out a blanket and unpacked the one remaining content material of the basket – a hoop field! A “socially-distanced” photographer was employed by Gianfranco to secretly seize the second. He had additionally invited their dad and mom and siblings to attend close by to have fun afterward.
Gianfranco collaborated with GENTE JEWELLERY LTD. to create the engagement ring, primarily based on images Melissa had proven him of what can be her “dream ring.”
The marriage invites had been enclosed in shimmering champagne-colored hardcover folios, blind debossed with the couple’s monogram, and accented with gold-foiled lettering. All stationery, together with the marriage invites, menus, desk numbers, seating chart, and signage design, was supplied by SO PRETTY IN PRINT.
Melissa wore a robe by LEE PETRA GREBENAU, with customizations by retailer POWDER BRIDE and a headpiece and earrings from TARA FAVA JEWELLERY. Melissa’s AMINA MUADDI heels resembled Cinderella’s glass slippers.
On the morning of the marriage, Melissa’s dad stunned her with a {custom} monogrammed bottle of Louis XIII Cognac by Remy Martin, which he used for a particular toast with the entire friends who had been invited to the household residence for pre-ceremony celebrations.
Gianfranco wore CANALI formalwear from HARRY ROSEN to the ceremony earlier than becoming one other swimsuit for the reception. His nonna Virginia had handed away three months previous to the marriage, so he stored a bit of her jewellery tucked into the interior pocket of every jacket, shut by his coronary heart.
Melissa Martino and Gianfranco Fuoco had been married on June 4, 2022, in Vaughan, Ontario. The ceremony was held at St. Peter’s Catholic Church, the identical church the place Gianfranco’s dad and mom had been married years earlier. A fairytale garden-themed marriage ceremony reception adopted at CHATEAU LE PARC. Occasion planning and design had been supplied by
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, with floral and occasion design by RACHEL A. CLINGEN WEDDING & EVENT DESIGN. The general design was a artistic collaboration between the 2 firms.
Following the bride’s household custom, the day began with a pre-ceremony celebration, full with stay leisure, to welcome friends at Melissa’s dad and mom’ home. This was a chance for all to mingle, get pleasure from refreshments and get a primary take a look at the bride in her marriage ceremony gown!
Melissa’s little nieces, the flower women, had been pulled down the aisle in a {custom} wagon (lined in flowers) constructed particularly for the ceremony. “They had been the cutest addition!” she remembers.
The courtyard of CHATEAU LE PARC was remodeled for the cocktail hour, with friends having fun with signature cocktails. The pre-dinner menu included an an oyster bar, a sushi station (with a stay Chef!) and a burrata bar with cheese and charcuterie. The cocktail area featured {custom} graphics by EVENT GRAFFITI and signage from SO PRETTY IN PRINT. When the cocktail hour ended, friends had been invited into the reception area by way of a “reveal wall” created by EVENTURE DESIGN, who supplied all draping for the occasion.
RACHEL A. CLINGEN WEDDING & EVENT DESIGN collaborated with BB BLANC to create the constructions that will develop into six breathtaking {custom} floral arches for the reception, every measuring a staggering fourteen- by-twenty-two ft, embellished with hundreds of hand-placed blooms! This set up was the primary of its form for each firms. As well as, a sequence of custom-made outsized urns had been additionally positioned between the eating tables for a novel design.
“Strolling into the reception area for our room reveal is a second and feeling I’ll always remember,” says Melissa. “I felt I had been transported to a magical secret backyard.”
“Melissa and Gianfranco’s marriage ceremony was one-of-a form in design. It’s not like something we’ve ever put into movement,” says occasion planner Michelle Cundari of
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. “We wished folks to enter the reception and really feel as if they had been in an area not like any that they had dined in earlier than that night. Therefore, why the seating chart stated ‘your finest seat but’!”
SO PRETTY IN PRINT supplied all stationery for the marriage and designed the couple’s monogram that was used as a graphic design factor all through.
For the reception, Gianfranco become a second {custom} swimsuit from KING & BAY. The metallic Jacquard smoking jacket and white gown shirt with black Swarovski crystal closures allowed Gianfranco to make a daring trend assertion for the celebration, and matched his shiny persona. The bride and groom every sparkled all night time lengthy!
In lieu of a conventional marriage ceremony cake, a croquembouche produced from 250 vanilla cream puffs sat atop a hand-painted cake tier, embellished with recent flowers and a pink ribbon.
CHATEAU LE PARC supplied an elevated reception eating expertise, serving bone-in filet mignon and family-favourite wines.
The couple labored intently with MIXOLOGY MATT who crafted a menu of 4 specialty cocktails. A Tequila bitter with elderflower (“The Bride’s Blooming Tequila”), a smoky quaint (“The Groom’s Steamy Staple”), a raspberry mojito (the “Mint to Be”), and a chocolate espresso martini (the “I Do Brew”), had been served all night time lengthy.
Cognac, Scotch, Tequila, and cigars had been additionally obtainable, with the Cognac bar as a tribute to Gianfranco’s late Nonna Virginia. “She liked an excellent glass of Cognac and any excuse to snigger, have fun and be amongst household and pals,” shares Melissa. “We really felt that Nonna Virginia was there celebrating with us on our special occasion.”
After indulging in late night time treats that included burgers and fries, (served in {custom} monogrammed packaging!), friends had been invited to take residence the reception desk floral preparations. “We liked our floral backyard a lot that we wished every visitor to have the ability to take a bit of it residence to get pleasure from!” shares Melissa.
The couple traveled to numerous places in Hawaii and California for his or her practically three week-long honeymoon.
