Real Weddings: Scott and Shannon

Scott Thompson, a 37-year-old freelance graphic designer and office services worker, and Shannon Wrighte, an elementary school teacher, matched on Tinder in the summer of 2019 and quickly bonded over their love of campy horror movies and artsy films. When the pandemic hit, they were in the early stages of coupledom, and lockdowns accelerated the intensity of their relationship—they moved in together in 2021 and got engaged last summer. On August 2, 2025, the couple’s six-year dating anniversary, the avid cinephiles invited 95 guests to celebrate with them in a movie-themed ceremony at the Revue Cinema in Roncesvalles.

Scott: In August 2019, I was thinking about abandoning dating apps because I wasn’t finding any good connections. Then I matched with Shannon on Tinder.

Shannon: When Scott and I met, there was an immediate sense of ease. He was always genuine and forthcoming with me.

Scott: I had the best vibe from Shan in our early chats. Shannon is a warm, friendly and inviting person; any anxiety or nervousness I had prior to meeting her washed away immediately after I saw her in person. We both love horror movies, going to concerts and being outdoors. We went on a second date a couple of weeks later, and after that, we started seeing each other on a weekly basis, sometimes more.

Shannon: We clicked over our love of campy movies and discovered we have the same sense of humour—a little bit dark and off-kilter. We laugh at the absurd and find joy in the mundane. We also love a lot of films that represent different voices, cultures, perspectives and backgrounds. Movies can be such a good window into the worlds of other people. The first time Scott met any of my friends was going to see Parasite.

Scott: On our fourth date, I invited Shannon to go see a low-budget ’80s horror movie, The Stuff, at the Royal Theatre. By then, I knew I’d found my soul mate.

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Shannon: We had been dating for seven months when the pandemic happened, and we moved in together during the second round of lockdowns, in January of 2021. The whole world was weird and unknown, and looking back, I cherish that time when it felt like just the two of us.

Scott: We started talking about getting married not long after moving in. We were always on the same page about our relationship.

Shannon: We often talked about how our wedding would look and decided we wanted to incorporate some things we regularly like to do for fun, like going to screenings at the Revue.

Scott: We had our first Valentine’s Day date at the Revue, watching an early 2000s slasher flick called Valentine starring David Boreanaz. I had a master plan to propose to Shannon during a trip to Montreal we took in the summer of 2024. We hiked up Mount Royal, and once we reached the overlook area, I popped the question. It took Shannon completely by surprise. I don’t think she fully registered what I had just asked her.

Shannon: Before Scott proposed, we had brunch at Beauty’s Restaurant, and I ordered more than I should have while Scott just had a tiny breakfast. That should have been my first clue something was up. It was quite hot out, so I was a bit out of it after we finished our hike. We sat down in the shade to cool off, and Scott started talking about how grateful he was for me and our relationship. I thought we were just having a casual conversation and started to respond—until I saw what was happening. Afterward, we went out for a lovely dinner, walked along the canal and enjoyed the Montreal International Jazz Festival as a newly engaged couple.

Scott: As for the ring, one day I asked Shannon in the most inconspicuous way if she could email me pictures of what she wanted her ring to look like. Okay, maybe it wasn’t inconspicuous.

Shannon: Scott chose an engagement ring from Laurie Fleming Jewellery, a shop I had shared with him. It’s a dainty, unique hand-carved rose-gold diadem ring with rose-cut diamonds. We didn’t start planning the wedding immediately, because six days before our engagement, the Revue announced that it was at risk of closing forever because of a lease dispute. We looked at other venues, but none of them felt right, so we decided to wait it out. After three months, the lease was renewed and we booked the Revue.

Scott: Our outfits had a floral garden theme. I went with a classic olive-green three-piece suit from Indochino. I felt pretty great—I’d never had a tailor-made suit before. To finish it off, I threw on some yellow socks and Dr. Martens loafers.

Shannon: I knew I wanted a colourful and textured dress, and being a plus-size gal, I knew that would be tough to find at most bridal stores. I ended up at Original on Queen Street West, where they pulled six dresses for me; I decided on the first one, a dress with pink flowers. I wore hot-pink platform shoes that I called my dream Barbie shoes.

Scott: The morning of the wedding, I got ready at home with two close friends and my little brother while Shannon and her crew got ready at the Kimpton Saint George. We drank champagne and had burgers from Aloette Go. Our photographer Jess came over to grab some shots. I had a great time joking around and having a laugh with those guys—they put me at ease.

Shannon: Getting ready with my mom and the girls in the hotel felt like a big slumber party. Scott and I didn’t see each other until we met to take our first-look photos in the schoolyard on the street behind the Revue.

Scott: Shannon looked stunning and literally took my breath away. We were able to book Vinegar Syndrome, a film and record store across from the Revue where we often come to browse before seeing a movie. They graciously let us take photos for about 30 minutes before the ceremony.

Shannon: We wanted our day to be a true celebration—the vibe was no dry chicken and lots of fun. We embraced what the cinema had decor wise: we set up movie posters out front presenting our wedding, projected a giant movie ticket on the screen as guests arrived and served popcorn in custom bags. We also set up some candles and dried bouquets of pink flowers on the stage.

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Scott: Before the ceremony, we played a compilation of wedding scenes from Shrek, The Princess Bride, Gremlins 2, Scarface, Goodfellas and Succession that Shannon had edited together.

Shannon: The pre-show was a labour of love, inspired by the Revue’s interactive Drunken Cinema screenings. Folks will cheer and wave a glowstick for specific moments, like when Ghostface from Scream gets his next victim.

Shannon: Our ceremony started at 5 p.m., and our wedding officiant, Ryookyung, knocked it out of the park. Scott’s vows were so heartfelt, and watching his reactions made me more emotional. There was an audience of all our loved ones there, but at that moment I couldn’t see anyone else—both figuratively and literally—because of the stage lights.

Scott: Shannon also edited a credit roll that included all the names of the attendees and our vendors set to “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop that played at the end of our ceremony. Then we moved to Hail Mary, a disco-style bar, for the reception and dinner.

Shannon: We chose Roy Orbison’s “Two of a Kind” for our first dance, which led into Basement Jaxx to get the dance floor going. After midnight we shifted things into a late-night playlist that had a bit more rock, punk and emo tunes. We wrapped things up at 1 a.m.

Scott: Our wedding felt very Toronto, complete with guests taking the streetcar from the Revue Cinema to Hail Mary. All the food was from local fave spots like Maha’s Egyptian Brunch, Cici’s Pizza and Wings, and Machino Donuts.

Shannon: Afterward, we went on a mini honeymoon to Meanwhile Farm in Sharon, Ontario, to spend a few days relaxing. We just booked a proper honeymoon to Japan in the summer of 2026, which is something we’ve dreamed about forever. I feel so lucky to have a supportive, creative partner.

Scott: I’m incredibly stoked that I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend.

Cheat Sheet

Date: August 2, 2025 Photographers: Kaylee Perkins and Jess Taylor Photography Ceremony: Revue Cinema Reception Venue: Hail Mary Florals: Euclid Farms Officiant: Ryookyung Kim at Party Noodles Shannon’s Hair: Cat Morales Shannon’s Makeup: Jen Cronin Shannon’s Dress: Jadore bought at Original Toronto Shannon’s Rings: Laurie Fleming Jewellery Scott’s Ring: Michael Hill Scott’s Suit: Indochino DJ: DJ ​​Hùng Đoàn Wedding Planner: Misha Lobo Decor: Events By Kel Custom Party Favours: For Your Party Food: Maha’s Egyptian Brunch, Cici’s Pizza and Wings, Machino Donuts