Lea Huruglica and Daniel Gelshteyn first met in their first year of University when they were introduced by a mutual friend. After many years of being ‘just friends’, Lea and Dan had dinner at an intimate downtown bistro, Estela – where it came out that they both had bigger feelings for one another. 6 years later, after building a relationship together rooted in love and connection, Dan took Lea back to that very same bistro and asked her to marry him.

When planning their Toronto ceremony, Lea and Dan took inspiration from events produced by creatives like Omer Gilony and Sue Chan. Lea explained, “Dan and I are fairly opinionated about most things, especially when it comes to design and aesthetics.”, so it was very important for both of them to plan every detail themselves to create something that represented them both.

When thinking about their vision for the wedding, Lea and Dan intended to “keep [the ceremony] about us and the people we most wanted to share our day with”. Both of them having small families and a tight-knit circle of friends made it possible for them to plan a celebration that was smaller in scale but still personal to both of them. Their goal was to curate an experience that was food first at its core, but still felt very relaxed and homey. 

They opted for custom wedding invitations imagined by Orfeo Tagiuri and customized everything from the wine and beer labels to the cocktail napkins, menus and matches. Some of their favourite details included Loewe taper candles in their wedding colours and the antique silverware and tablecloths that they sourced for the evening.

After planning every detail, the two had their civil ceremony in Dan’s family’s home overlooking Yorkville. The bride wore a drop-waist Khaite dress, Saint Laurent pumps, a Ferragamo cuff, and vintage Marni clutch. Dan wore a custom suit from Bode, with embroidery on the inside of his jacket that read “Dan + Lea 4 Ever”.

For the reception, Lea and Dan hosted 30 of their closest friends at 20 Victoria, where they enjoyed a raw seafood bar, curbside caviar, and cocktails – followed by a five-course tasting menu served up by Owner, Chris White. The newlyweds hired photographer Emily Battaglini to capture the evening on 120mm and 135mm film for a warm and romantic feeling. The floral arrangements were curated by Hayley O’Byrne created arrangements with a focus on greenery, wispy stems & weed-like flowers rather than full blooms.

After the speeches and wedding cake served in the dining room, the party made its way to the private rooftop at East Room for an afterparty. The fun went late into the night with drinks by Food Dudes, music by Martina Kiridzija and a whimsical dessert table filled with mini cakes, fruit, and meringues by Kees.

A couple of months after hosting their first wedding surrounded by family and friends in Canada, the newlyweds travelled to St. Petersburg, Russia (where a majority of Dan’s family lives) for a second wedding. On their way home, the newlyweds enjoyed a short and sweet mini-moon in Bodrum, Turkey, and shared a few blissful days at one of their favourite boutique hotels, Macakizi.