Real Weddings 2013: a fanciful wedding at the Royal Conservatory of Music

By Michelle Higgins, Bronwen Jervis, Sharon Monuk and Amanda Panacci | Photography by Emma McIntyre

Date: August 25, 2012 | Location: Royal Conservatory of Music | Guests: 200

“Everything was whimsical and surreal,” says 29-year-old Muqu Ahsan, a marketing professional, of her wedding to 33-year-old Miguel Pacheco, who works in PR. The theme was “A Monochromatic Dream”: they transformed the Royal Conservatory into a David Lynchian landscape with a wooden swing, black trees and a mysterious locked box. Every guest got an antique key; one key opened the box to reveal a phone number that, when called, unleashed glittering flakes of snow drifting from the ceiling. The couple wanted to upturn expectations of what a wedding could be: that meant a black and nude Lucian Matis wedding gown for Muqu and cake before entrées (“I’ve always eaten dessert before dinner,” she says). Muqu is Bengali and Miguel is Portuguese, and they integrated elements from both of their cultures into the wedding. A midnight feast of McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish was a nod to the Portuguese tradition of late-night seafood, and the iPod playlist included Bollywood Bhangra music. “Our officiant was a gay man, and the room was full of Muslims and Catholics,” says Miguel. “Our wedding was like a microcosm of Toronto.”

See the wedding album »