Erin and Mark's Toronto Island Wedding

Once in awhile, I, the Professional Bridesmaid, have the chance to be a guest at a wedding as opposed to being in the wedding. (The BF always marvels when I'm not in a wedding....he playfully feigns shock). For me, being a guest at a wedding is like being an audience member at a play. You get to enjoy the final production without knowing about the craziness behind the scenes or the emotions that ran high just mere minutes before the curtain lifted. My favourite part about being guest is that you can take in everything all at once - the flowers, the decor, the music, the dresses, the guests' smiles, the bride's and groom's reactions.

One wedding that I was a guest at which stands out in my mind as one of the most fun wedding that I attended is that of Mark and Erin's . Erin and Mark were married on a hot summer's day at St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church on one of the Toronto Islands. Guests were ferried from downtown Toronto to Centre Island.

Built in 1884, St. Andrew-by-the-Lake Church, resembles more of a cottage than a church. How cute is it?

Erin wore a beautiful silk sheath by Selia Yang, which she scored at a sample sale while travelling in NYC.

After the ceremony, guests could either walk or take the electric cart to the reception venue, Algonquin Island Association.

Erin splurged on a lovely pair of gold Christian Louboutin's for the big day.


The bridesmaids donned royal blue dresses from J.Crew. I love the yellow & blue combo.


This is one of my favorite shots that photographer Darren Goldstein took. Erin and Mark have a lot of friends who are photography enthuasists so they hired Darren to shoot only the ceremony and do some formal portrait shots. After that, the couple handed over the reins to their friends.

The Toronto skyline made for an amazing backdrop for pictures.

By S.Magno

By S. Macnamara

By S. Macnamara

Erin and Mark sat at an 'sweetheart' table during the reception.

Catering was provided by Paul Iskander who is also the Catering & Events Co-ordinator at Humber College. Culinary departments at local colleges are a great source for catering recommendations.

One of Erin and Mark's must-haves was the rockin' band, Shugga. Very few people were sitting down at this wedding. Everyone was dancing up a storm!

By S. Magno

This picture sums up the night for me! Shoes off and ladies getting down on the dance floor!

All photos by Darren Goldstein unless stated otherwise.
Dress: Selia Yang
Bridesmaids Dresses: J.Crew
Ceremony: St. Andrew-By-The-Lake Church
Reception: Algonquin Island Association
Catering: Paul Iskander
Band: Shugga
Photographer: Darren Goldstein Photography