Real Weddings 2013: a Magritte-inspired surrealist wedding at Spadina House
By Michelle Higgins, Bronwen Jervis, Sharon Monuk and Amanda Panacci | Photography by Mango Studios
Date: July 14, 2012 | Location: Spadina House | Guests: 130 | Budget: $85,000
After falling in love while working summer jobs at the CN Tower in 2005, Ashley Sembay, a 29-year-old teacher, and Jonathan Stainton, a 30-year-old filmmaker, maintained a long-distance relationship for three years while Ashley studied at McGill. Before they parted, Jonathan sent her on a daylong scavenger hunt that had her breaking into shuttered bars and scrambling under the Danforth viaduct; the prize was a plane ticket to visit him. During their separation, the couple took a cue from Ashley’s favourite movie, The Notebook, and wrote letters to each other every day, finally settling down in Toronto in 2008. For his proposal, Jonathan created another scavenger hunt. This time it took 11 days for her to solve, and involved email hacking, 3D puzzles and Da Vinci Code –style cryptexes. The final clue sent Ashley to the restaurant Union on Ossington, where Jonathan asked her to marry him in front of their friends and family. Ever the whimsical pair, they sent out a video documenting their relationship instead of invitations and threw a lavish, Magritte-inspired surrealist wedding at Spadina House. Wedding attendants wore bowler hats, and the couple served a giant cake in the form of a green apple.
194443 “Ever since I met Ashley, she has been the one person I could rely on, the one person who could make me smile even at the worst of times” –<em>Jonathan</em> (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-intro-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-intro.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-intro.jpg 656 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-intro/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-intro 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194434 Ashley and Jonathan filled the reception with paintbrushes, encouraging guests to pick them up for photo ops (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-01-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-01.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-01.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-01/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-01 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194435 In keeping with the surrealist theme, the enormous green apple cake had a lemon-blueberry-flavoured filling (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-02-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-02.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-02.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-02/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-02 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194436 (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-03-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-03.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-03.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-03/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-03 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194437 The couple relocated to the Windsor Arms Hotel in Yorkville for the reception (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-04-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-04.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-04.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-04/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-04 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194438 When the couple picked Spadina House, it was being repainted; they decided to incorporate the rollers into their wedding (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-05-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-05.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-05.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-05/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-05 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194439 (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-06-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-06.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-06.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-06/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-06 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194440 Ashley and Jonathan loved <em>Where’s Waldo?</em> as kids, so they hired a real-life Waldo to photobomb their wedding pictures (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-07-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-07.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-07.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-07/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-07 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194441 Jonathan surprised Ashley on the dance floor by surrounding her with balloon swans—a nod to <em>The Notebook,</em> her favourite movie (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-08-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-08.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-08.jpg 624 416 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-08/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-08 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
194442 <p><strong>PHOTOGRAPHER</strong><br /><br />
Mango Studios</p><br />
<p><strong>BRIDE'S DRESS</strong><br /><br />
Claire Pettibone </p><br />
<p><strong>GROOM'S ATTIRE</strong><br /><br />
Green Shag Bespoke Menswear</p><br />
<p><strong>VENUES</strong><br /><br />
Spadina House for ceremony;<br /> Windsor Arms for reception</p><br />
<p><strong>CATERER</strong><br /><br />
Windsor Arms</p><br />
<p><strong>CAKE</strong><br /><br />
Bobbette and Belle</p><br />
<p><strong>FLOWERS</strong><br /><br />
Pink Twig</p><br />
<p><strong>MUSIC</strong><br /><br />
Classic String Quartet</p> (Image: Mango Studios) The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan The Wedding Album | Ashley & Jonathan https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-09-96x96.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-09.jpg https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-09.jpg 416 624 [] https://torontolife.com/style/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan/slide/real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-09/ real-weddings-2013-ashley-and-jonathan-09 0 0
(Image: Mango Studios)
a filmmaker and a teacher spent 85k on a wedding?!?!?!?!!???
what a$$hats
What in the world did they spend all that money on, the apple cake? Had a very similar (size/style/location) wedding in Toronto last year for almost half the price.
It was a beautiful wedding with really creative ideas and concepts. I highly doubt the K.A.S.H’s wedding was anything like Jon and Ashley’s otherwise it might have been a featured wedding in Toronto Life. Not sure why everyone seems so negative? The invitations for the wedding where truly amazing, the cake was stunning and the night was perfect!
Well said Sean. I have been to a few weddings over the years, this was definately a very interesting and unique one. Trolls like booby er bobby and kash, are just that trolls.
Apologies if my comment was taken as negative. Wasn’t intended that way. I was experiencing sticker shock. Guess all those cute little paint brushes/ other details do add up.