Rebecca in Sassi Holford for an elegant wedding in Canada

Our featured wedding today saw one of our Sassi Holford gowns flying across the globe for a beautiful, elegant wedding in Canada. Rebecca and Clyde were married at a stunning local church, followed by an elegant reception at the Royal Canadian Air Force Officers’ Mess in Ottawa, Ontario. Rebecca’s dress choice was Sienna by Sassi Holford, a minimalist, chic gown with simple spaghetti straps and a flattering v-neck – the simplicity of this gown worked beautifully with Rebecca’s relaxed and natural bridal look, along with the elegant surroundings of the Officer’s Mess.

We hand over to Rebecca to tell us all about it…

SIENNA BY SASSI HOLFORD

I loved the elegant simplicity of the dress – it feels so classic and timeless. The dress was impeccably tailored and I felt fabulous wearing it. I got so many compliments, and guests particularly seemed to love the V-shaped back. I was living in the UK when I purchased the dress, but got married back in my hometown in Canada, so I felt very cool rolling into town with this beautiful gown by an exquisite British designer!

DRESS SHOPPING

My parents had planned a trip to visit me shortly after I got engaged. I really wanted the experience of shopping for my wedding dress with my parents, but we had a limited time to shop! The team at Miss Bush were really understanding, and since it was the first (and only) bridal salon I went to, they took the time to explain all the different cuts, fabrics, and designers. I was able to try on a variety of dresses, and quickly found I was drawn to a clean and simple silhouette. My parents and I all loved this dress – my mom definitely cried!

My favourite part of the dress shopping experience really is a treasured memory. Before I went out dress shopping, I was worried that I wouldn’t find “the one” while my parents were in town, and I would have to continue dress shopping on my own. Instead, we got to spend the afternoon in a beautiful little shop, surrounded by gorgeous dresses! I am so thankful I got to have that experience with my parents.

STYLING

I didn’t want to detract from the beautiful cut and clean lines of the dress itself, but its simplicity allowed for some fun statement pieces without going over-the-top! My wonderful husband surprised me with a pair of green velvet and gold sparkly shoes from Rachel Simpson that I had been lusting over online, and I loved the unexpected pop when they peeked out from under the dress.

When my sister got married a few years ago, she had my grandmother’s bridal veil refurbished. I knew I wanted to wear the same veil, but unfortunately it was in Canada and wasn’t able to try it with the dress until the wedding itself. I wasn’t really worried though, because I knew the Sienna dress was so adaptable. The veil is trimmed with floral lace appliqués that were a stunning combination against backdrop of the dress.

Otherwise, I kept my jewellery fairly simple. I wore a pair of pearl stud earrings that are my everyday go-to and a dainty gold necklace. The necklace was part of a matching set I got for my bridesmaids – each has a slim curved bar that go together to form a complete circle (like a grown-up friendship necklace!).

AN ELEGANT WEDDING IN CANADA

Planning my wedding from afar did make things a bit tricky at times, but thankfully we had a fantastic family willing to pitch in. We sent our parents to tour venues and my sister coordinated lots of the details, like the floral order and the hotel block. Since we live so far away from our family, we really wanted our wedding to be an opportunity to celebrate with everyone we love. We had so many of our loved ones come together to help out and make our day so special – my uncle played the piano and sang the music at the ceremony, my cousin made our wedding cake, we had aunts hand-make lots of our decorations, and over a dozen people show up the day before to decorate the space. This made the day feel so intimate and full of love!

The reception space was the RCAF Officers’ Mess, which has a lot of classic and traditional elements like heavy dark wood and chandeliers, so we tried to work with what was already in the venue to set the tone. We bought a roll of dark blue velvet and cut it to down to use as table runners and used the venue’s silver candleholders on the tables. I bulk ordered white flowers and greenery from Costco to make the centrepieces and bouquets to save on costs.

One of the first things I picked out were the flowergirl dresses, which were blue with a celestial print. I didn’t set out to have a celestial theme, but after buying the flowergirl dresses it trickled into other areas, like the silver star garlands that decorated the dance area.

THE BEST BITS

Two of our flowergirls were on the brink of walking, and went down the aisle using little walkers. It was hilarious and adorable! Our other, slightly older, flowergirl was so cute trying to help them along!

ADVICE FROM THE BRIDE

Wedding planning can seem a bit overwhelming, but just take one thing at a time. It can feel like you are expected to do a million picture-perfect things, but it’s okay if you pick and choose what works best for your wedding (I couldn’t do many of the wedding DIYs I saw online because I could only bring what fit into a suitcase, and we decided not to do a garter or bouquet toss and no one even noticed.) If you find vendors and other people you trust to help you, the day will be absolutely wonderful!