By Michelle Higgins, Bronwen Jervis, Sharon Monuk and Amanda Panacci | Photography by Nikki Leigh McKean
Date: September 10, 2011 | Location: Berkeley Church | Guests: 118 | Budget: $45,000
Matt Abrams, a 33-year-old telecom executive, first met Petra Cryne, a 32-year-old consultant, at the Foundation Room cocktail lounge during a mutual friend’s birthday party. They lost touch, but a LavaLife match reunited them six months later—though it took some coaxing to get Petra to agree to meet up. “I didn’t want anyone to know that I was online dating,” she says. The pair dated for five years, during which time they moved twice for Matt’s job—first to Peru, then to Washington, D.C. In March 2010, Matt decided to propose, and was determined to make it a surprise—a difficult feat, considering Petra was eagerly waiting for him to pop the question. He managed to catch her off guard by proposing on a trip to Toronto outside the Foundation Room, where they first met. “I was totally surprised,” says Petra. Even though they were still living in Washington, they decided to get married in Toronto, where they fell in love, and found the ideal contemporary-vintage venue in the Berkeley Church. The ceremony included a Skype broadcast for Petra’s grandmother in the Netherlands and a song by the Swedish DJ Avicii for the bride’s entrance. According to Matt, the music played to the beat of his racing heart.
192401 “Our guests decided to do the hora for us, even though we’re not Jewish. A bunch of sweaty guys were trying to lift us over their heads—Matt and I were terrified” –<em>Petra</em> (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-intro/ real-weddings-berkely-church-intro 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192412 Petra knew immediately that this Vera Wang ball gown—the first dress she tried on at the store—was the one for her (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-01/ real-weddings-berkely-church-01 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192413 Petra splurged on a pair of Manolo Blahnik shoes; she didn’t take them off the whole night, even while dancing (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-02.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-02/ real-weddings-berkely-church-02 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192414 Matt and Petra fell in love in Toronto and wanted to showcase the city as much as possible in the wedding album, so they staged photo ops on the TTC (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-03/ real-weddings-berkely-church-03 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192415 The couple wanted to get married in a church, but they didn’t want a religious ceremony. The Berkeley—a converted church—provided a happy solution (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-04.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-04/ real-weddings-berkely-church-04 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192416 (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-05.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-05/ real-weddings-berkely-church-05 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192417 The pair brought gags and props for the bridal party so everyone would relax and have fun during the photo session (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-06/ real-weddings-berkely-church-06 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192418 Instead of wedding cake, the couple opted for vanilla cupcakes from Madeleine’s (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-07.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-07/ real-weddings-berkely-church-07 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192419 (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-08.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-08/ real-weddings-berkely-church-08 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
192420 <strong>PHOTOGRAPHER </strong><br /><br />
Nikki Leigh McKean<br /><br /><br />
<strong>BRIDE’S DRESS</strong><br /> Vera Wang<br /><br /><br />
<strong>GROOM’S ATTIRE</strong><br /> Hugo Boss<br /><br /><br />
<strong>VENUE AND CATERER</strong><br /> Berkeley Church<br /><br /><br />
<strong>CUPCAKES</strong><br /> Madeleine’s Cherry Pie and Ice Cream<br /><br /><br />
<strong>FLOWERS</strong><br /> Pusateri’s<br /><br /><br />
<strong>MUSIC</strong><br /> Ian Liwanag<br /><br /><br />
<strong>INVITATIONS</strong><br /> Vera Wang<br /><br /> (Image: Nikki Leigh McKean) The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra The Wedding Album | Matt & Petra https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/real-weddings-berkely-church-09.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-berkeley-church/slide/real-weddings-berkely-church-09/ real-weddings-berkely-church-09 0 0
(Image: Nikki Leigh McKean)
You mean “real weddings” of real rich people! Also, a “contemporary” style wedding cannot also be “vintage”. The pictures are lovely and I wish them the best, but I don’t think this represents most people’s “real wedding”… more like a fantasy to me with my tiny budget