Small Elopement Wedding in June 2020
With under 20 guests, Ashleigh and Ryan’s small reception highlighted their fun-loving and easy going style
Photo: @juan.and.angie | Venue: The Hemingway Room
Ashleigh and Ryan were engaged long before masks and social distancing became the norm. They started planning in early 2019, and were beyond excited to tie the knot.At the start of 2020, the world shifted, and so too did their wedding plans. As government regulations and safety measures began to evolve, uncertainties around their dream wedding started to loom.
Ashleigh and Ryan approached their big day with flexibility, pragmatism, and humour. They were determined to celebrate their love surrounded by their most important people, so they whittled their original guest list down to fit COVID capacity requirements at the Ramsay Design Centre. Their intimate 19-person ceremony was held in the Hemingway Room, followed by a lounge-style reception in the Parlour Room
Photo: @juan.and.angie | Venue: The Commons
“I remember my first conversation with Ashleigh and Ryan quite soon after restrictions were announced,” Erynn, owner of The Commons recalls. “I’d been having many difficult conversations with couples facing similar obstacles and what struck me most about Ashleigh and Ryan was their positive attitude, sense of humour and willingness to adapt. They knew they wanted to be married in June of 2020, no matter what. Beyond that, Ryan’s one absolute must was that the day include a photograph of he and Ashleigh drinking Corona, as a nod to the Coronavirus. ”
An officiant, a photographer, and a Commons staff member were added to the original list of participants, which meant 22 people were on site for the celebrations – a number well below the provincial government restrictions. No one was excluded, as
friends and family members near and far enthusiastically joined in via Zoom.
The royal blue and blush of the wedding party attire was stunning and the historic architecture provided the perfect backdrop. The space was further elevated with strategic placement of a series of handmade floral arrangements – a surprise gift to the couple from Ashleigh's mother and aunt that with the team at The Commons as co-conspirators. The result was balanced and beautiful – and brought smiles to everyone’s faces, visible even beneath the masks. Ashleigh and Ryan’s menu was simple and reflective of the couple’s lack of pretense: pizza and beer! They felt it was important to ‘support local’ during this time of uncertainty, so called on a neighbourhood favourite, Inglewood Pizza, to feed their hungry guests, much to the delight of the crowd.
The result was balanced and beautiful – and brought smiles to everyone’s faces,
visible even beneath the masks.
Photo: @juan.and.Angie | Venue: The Commons
“Planning a wedding can be so stressful and having to amend carefully laid-out plans while navigating a pandemic –well, I feel for all couples faced with that,” Erynn says. “But what I noticed with couples like Ashleigh and Ryan who chose to go forward, was that once the decision was made they truly started having a lot of fun. Stress was lifted and their day seemed to become even more special by virtue of the smaller scale and the removal of many preconceived notions and expectations. The pandemic weddings I was part of were truly focused on what was important.”
This fun-loving couple didn’t let anything get in the way of their perfect day. Though the day wasn’t what they had originally imagined, their wedding was definitely one to remember.