Toronto Life’s most popular Real Weddings of 2024

The brides and grooms of 2024 recognized that glamour goes beyond price point. Any size of wedding, from micro ceremonies to days-long, country-hopping marathon parties, can ooze luxury if it’s done right. This year’s most-read Real Weddings are the pinnacle of style, regardless of the size of the guest list, with top picks including a raucous party at a 1920’s-style speakeasy, a vintage-heavy backyard affair and a celebration that travelled from Nigeria to Mexico to Brampton.

Here are our top 10 Real Weddings of the year.

No. 10: Inside a waterfront ceremony that cost $6,045

Ashley Enman, a 29-year-old events and marketing coordinator, met Ilya Marvin Ilyashyk, a 30-year-old front-end developer, in 2017, when they both worked at Canoe. After nine months, they started dating, eventually moving abroad to Australia. In 2020, they returned to Toronto, where they got engaged two years later. Then, they were wed at the lakeside in front of nine family members.

No. 9: Inside a barn house bash in Prince Edward County

Julia Sullivan Faith, a 32-year-old florist, first met Evan Kosiner, a 36-year-old owner of a broadcast and AV consulting company, in 2011, during an English lecture at Toronto Metropolitan University. They reconnected a decade later, when Evan shared an Instagram story about looking for a girlfriend, and were engaged in November of 2022. In June of 2024, they celebrated their wedding in Prince Edward County with fireworks and live performances.

No. 8: Inside an intimate backyard wedding that cost $4,530

Vlad Dumitrescu, a 32-year-old data scientist, met Kate Lee, a 32-year-old marketing manager, in 2016. They matched on Tinder while both living in South Korea. By 2019, they had relocated to Toronto, where Vlad grew up. He proposed during a summer staycation at Hotel X, and they rented a house in Little Portugal for a 10-person backyard wedding in May of 2024 followed by brunch at Good Fork.

No. 7: Inside an upbeat celebration at the Gladstone House

Amanda Morrison, an executive producer at a film-production company, met Izzy Ehrlich, a partner and editor at a post-production house, on Tinder in 2017. A few months later, Amanda moved into Izzy’s apartment. Eventually, Izzy proposed to Amanda at their cottage in Tiny, Ontario, and they were wed in October 2023 in an elegant ceremony at the Gladstone House hotel.

No. 6: Inside a city hall ceremony and a reception on an estate in Quebec

Laurence Fortin-Côté, a 29-year-old content creator and designer, first met Dylan Wu, a 34-year-old freelance hospitality and retail consultant, in 2017, when she visited the Yorkville café where Dylan was working. But the two didn’t begin dating until Laurence tracked Dylan down on Instagram. In 2022, Dylan proposed to Laurence on a trip to Paris. The couple were wed in a civil ceremony at Toronto’s city hall in August 2023, with a bigger reception in Quebec City in September.

No. 5: Inside a moody celebration with an all-black dress code

Brianne Bokla, a 26-year-old senior recruiter, met Cody Cuisia, a 35-year-old senior consultant and musician, on a rowdy summer night in 2018. Within a month, they exchanged “I love yous,” and they’ve been together ever since. The couple tied the knot in July of 2023 and celebrated their love with a ’90s-inspired black-and-white wedding.

No. 4: Inside a raucous celebration at a 1920s-style speakeasy

Kami Spasova, a 31-year-old furniture-company owner, first met Pawel Obyrtacz, a 32-year-old transportation-company owner, when they were in high school in Mississauga. A few years later, Kami moved back home to North Macedonia and the couple split. However, they reignited their relationship when Pawel went on a European vacation in 2017. After a proposal in Santorini, the couple were wed in June 2023. The day included an intimate daytime ceremony and a 1920s-speakeasy-themed reception.

No. 3: Inside a three-part celebration that took place in Nigeria, Brampton and Mexico

Henry Beedie, a 29-year-old business system analyst, and Dorcas Etim, a 27-year-old business operations manager, met after both moving from Nigeria to Mississauga for boarding school. The couple started dating a year later, and after nine years, Henry proposed at a cottage in the Kawartha Highlands. Between 2022 and 2023, they had a three-part wedding consisting of a traditional Nigerian ceremony, a civil ceremony at Brampton City Hall and a destination wedding in Mexico.

No. 2: Inside a glamorous Oscars-themed celebration

Kimberly Bruce, a 26-year-old account manager, first met Jacob Kadar Penner, the owner of a construction management company, in 2017, when he was shopping for a winter jacket at Holt Renfrew. The two began dating a few months later, and in February 2020, Penner proposed while the pair was on vacation in Mexico. Their Oscars-after-party-themed wedding took place in November 2023 in Yorkville’s Sofia restaurant, with 125 guests.

No. 1: Inside the two-ceremony celebration of a powerhockey power couple

Meghan Hines, a 33-year-old HR professional at a financial institution, and Ramin Raunak, a 30-year-old government administrator, are both powerhockey players who represent Team Canada at the national and international level. They met when they joined the same league in 2016. On their first date, the couple bonded over their love of sports and quickly became inseparable. After getting engaged at Etobicoke’s James Gardens in 2021, Meghan and Ramin were married in August 2023, in two celebrations that paid homage to each of their backgrounds.