Like people, weddings come in all shapes and sizes. The most important thing is to have a day which reflects your own style and individuality and my oh my did Chantal and Elliot’s special day do that! Their small and very intimate wedding was set in the most charming B&B called ‘Star of the Sea‘ on the Nova Scotia coast and was attended only by their closest family. I loved the venue so much that I literally want to hop on a plane this summer and go there! Chantal knew exactly what she wanted from her wedding look and it was just so incredibly awesome and unique! Her ‘something blue’ was her hair and she paired her gorgeous 1950’s vintage dress with a pair of House of Elliot ‘Evangeline Elliot‘ knee high lace boots. The result was a killer cross between Wonderwoman and eclectic vintage chic. Their amazing photographers Fox & Fellow captured all the joy, love and fun of their day and really shows that like the Beatles said, ‘All you need is love’!
I hope you love reading their wedding story as much as I did and take inspiration from their amazing day! A huge thank you to Chantal & Elliot for sharing their wedding with us!
Wedding Wishes & Love As Always,
Nicole xxx
So how did you meet your husband and how did he propose?
The short answer is that I met Elliot through family. The long answer is that my brother dated then married one of his sisters which resulted in him and I getting to know one another and then eventually dating and marrying each other as well. As unusual as our circumstances are, we get a lot of amusement knowing that our siblings are our siblings and siblings-in-law, all at the same time.
About the proposal…we kind of had two actually. The first one happened while I was exhibiting my thesis for my Art Therapy diploma. During one of my exhibit days I was having a rough time and was in a pretty sour mood so Elliot decided to ‘cheer me up’ by getting down on one knee and proposing with a beautifully handcrafted wood and resin ring. My mood immediately improved (no surprise there)…and I said yes, of course. He explained afterwards however that he had actually wanted to propose in Niagara Falls along the Niagara river (where there is a trail that we frequent often) but he was too anxious/excited to wait until then. So, to compensate for that, we travelled down to the area where the initial proposal was supposed to take place and he got down on one knee and did it all over again. Suffice it to say, words could not express how incredibly lucky I felt to be proposed to by this man not once, but twice.
Where did you get married and who did you invite?
We got married in Halifax, Nova Scotia. No, neither of us are from there nor had we been there before. We decided on that location because we had been planning an East coast road trip for that summer and, as a lark, we thought, why not get married while we’re there?
Because of that thought process, we weren’t planning on inviting anyone to the wedding but after we started to tell family members our plan they refused to be ‘not invited’ and came along anyway. As a result, we had a very small and intimate wedding which Elliot and I were very thankful for in the end because we realized the day truly wouldn’t have been the same without our family members present.
What was the main inspiration for your wedding?
The main inspiration for our wedding was actually the wedding venue itself. Elliot had managed to find a beautiful bed and breakfast (that was, appropriately enough, a converted church) called the Star of the Sea, nestled on a cliffside overlooking the water in Halifax. That was just about all I needed in terms of decorations: nature at it’s finest. Honestly, we didn’t need to add anything to the Star of the Sea, it came fully adorned with a stunning view, an intimate gazebo and patio, hummingbirds, chipmunks, flowers and fresh ocean air…what more could I ask for?
Tell us about your wedding look
My wedding look was meant to be a modern vintage look. I knew that, no matter what, I would end up with a vintage dress- and that’s exactly what happened. After I purchased my 1952 Saskatchewan-birthed gem of a dress, I styled everything else around it. My pieces were very eclectic in nature but they still managed to fit together, miraculously. I suppose the one deviant accessory to my look was my hair but what can I say? I wanted my hair to be my ‘something blue’.
What made you choose a pair of House of Elliot boots for your wedding day?
Let me begin this response by saying that I only wear boots. My everyday footwear is predominantly made up of boots. I can’t get enough of boots. In saying that, there was no question that I’d be wearing boots on my wedding day. The only problem was I couldn’t find any lace boots that met my standard…until I came upon the House of Elliot website, that is. The Evangeline Elliot boot epitomized everything I was looking for, and then some; it was a done deal the moment I laid eyes on those boots. I was so grateful and appreciative to find a company that fulfilled my boot needs in every possible way. I couldn’t have been more honoured to wear the wonderfully handcrafted footwear that the House of Elliot provided for me. It was a choice well-made, to say the least.
What did you love the most about your wedding day?
This answer may sound weird but I loved how happy I was on my wedding day. There were ‘set backs’ that could have altered my mood like the fact that it was drizzling the whole day and the change to our set-up because of that or a slight mix-up that took place with the food but I really was on cloud nine that day, unabashedly. I should note that I had lost my mother to cancer less than two years prior to my wedding day so everything leading up to the actual wedding was tinged with that feeling that something was missing. So when the actual day came, that was actually the first real moment I had of feeling pure joy about what was happening, about getting married. I’d like to think part of that happiness was due to my mother as well and her ‘showering’ us with her support and love.
What pearls of wisdom would you share with future brides who are planning their wedding?
Well, being respectful of the fact that every bride is different, all I can say is do what makes you happy. Elliot and I truly planned our day for us and it was a privilege knowing that others shared in this celebration that was uniquely ours. You’ll never please everyone in the end so as long as you know that your needs were met in some capacity, then I think you’ve got a winning recipe for a fantastic wedding day.
Anything else you would like to share?
I would like to express my thanks again to House of Elliot for my lovely wedding boots (thank you Chantal!! :)). People still talk about them and I know I inspired others to consider boots for their own special day so they definitely had a wonderful ripple effect. I would just like to leave off by saying that I wish everyone reading this blog much joy, happiness and love on their wedding day, in their marriage and everything else to come.
Chantal and Elliot would like to thank all the amazing vendors which made their dream day come true!
Photographers: Fox & Fellow Photography
Wedding dress: https://www.vintagebride.ca/
Cake & food: https://www.kitchendoor.ca/
Hair: Hollywood Hair and Beauty Spa. Stylist named Lois
Makeup: Chantal did her own but bought her makeup at Sephora
Florist: Chantal actually got all of our flowers from the wedding venue itself. Eva was kind enough to decorate the gazebo with her own homegrown orchids and Chantal’s sister made her bouquet and Elliot’s boutonniere from the welcome flowers that were left in their suite
Wedding Venue: https://staroftheseabandb.ca/
