Lavish and elegant, Teresa and Anthony’s wedding was the epitome of opulence and romance. The intricacy of delicate details, trees, blooms along with the ambiance of romantic lighting and the love of family and friends all came perfectly together to celebrate these two as they celebrated their love for one another!
Tell us a bit about your event you hosted at LiUNA Station!
We hosted a traditional black-tie formal wedding. Guests arrived in tuxedos and floor-length gowns, enjoying specialty cocktails and spirits on reception while listening to our talented live string quartet. We love how much character and history LiUNA has so we leaned into that. We always wanted something timeless and classic.
What were some of the sources of inspiration behind the look and feel of your event?
Opulence and romance – But in every sense of the words. We incorporated our favourite colours; champagne, gold, ivory and white.
I wanted our wedding to feel like you were walking through a garden. We included trees, florals of varying heights on the tables as centerpieces, and florals hanging from the ceiling above the dance floor and head table. We included a gold mirrored aisle which connected to our dance floor.
We included candles everywhere which added to the romance. Their candle light picked up on and played off the lights in the room.
We had a 12 piece band set up, playing romantic jazz during cocktail hour, setting the tone for the evening. Picking up the pace with crowd favourites later on after dinner.
Before LiUNA Station became the renowned and well known banquet center it is today, it was a central train station, built between 1929 and 1931. The beautiful architecture, garden and fountain set the tone for an evening of elegance.
Share with us your number one couldn’t live without décor piece or tastiest food option from our catered menu!
Flowers and Food! From the photos you can see we had them everywhere. I really wanted to transform the hall to feel like you were walking through a garden, and with the amazing team at Rachel Clingen (https://rachelaclingen.com/), we did.
The centerpieces included a lush mix of white and cream roses, hydrangea, stock, lisianthus and peonies, and were staggered throughout the room on varying height low crystal bowls, as well as a mix of tall crystal and cut glass vases. In addition, every table was further adorned with a mix of glass and cut crystal candlesticks with floating candles throughout, for a truly ambient and elegant display.
Tastiest food option: We simply couldn’t pick one dish.
A huge part of why we selected LiUNA Station is because as Italians, above all else is the quality of food. Selecting LiUNA Station meant not having to stress or worry about the quality of food. We’ve attended many events, weddings and gatherings at LiUNA station and have never once been disappointed in the quality of food, professionalism or attention to detail.
Lodovico (Vico) Rosatone the General Manager of LiUNA Station, sat with us and helped us select our menu, moved what seems like mountains to bring in our selected wines and finishing touches our big night.
Claudio Pingue, the Executive Chef of LiUNA Station, has a passion for people, food and entertainment and has made a career of ensuring the culinary satisfaction of his guests. He executed a perfect meal, which was not only delicious, but served on time, which can be difficult with such a large guest list (460 people!).
Our menu included the following:
Guests arrived to LiUNA Station’s famous Supreme Antipasto Bar including King Crabs, Lobster, Bresaola, Sushi and Oysters. The pasta dish included an artisanal eggplant filled agnolotti served in a Genovese sauce. For the main course, guests were served a certified Angus 10 ounce bone in Filet Mignon along with a Cuban Rock lobster tail. These were both served on a bed of California red mashed potatoes which were infused with garlic and herbs, along with a side of seasonal grilled vegetables. The salad portion included a Frisee Salad with candied walnuts, cranberries and raisins drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette.
For dessert guests were treated with LiUNA’s signature Tiramisu which included layers of Mascarpone Crema.
Guests were also treated to a late night buffet that included wedding cake, pastries, fresh fruit, a Crêpe station, gelato cart, Pasta Aglio e Olio, Porchetta and a gourmet grilled cheese and poutine station!
We included a supreme and luxury open bar ensuring every cocktail could be made. As Italians, we ensure there was finest Grappa and Cognac for the men to drink with their Cigars.
Our wine served throughout the meal was the Ripassa Valpolicella Ripasso Zenato (red) and San Benedetto Lugana Zenato (white).
What is the one piece of advice you would give someone planning their big day!
Growing up, I always had a vision of what my wedding would look like and to see that come to fruition was truly magical. Leading up to the wedding, planning, creating and designing alongside my mom was a very special time for me. I would say to anyone reading this, that the time between your engagement and your wedding day flies fast. The day is here before you know it, and over faster than it started. Be present in the moments and enjoy all that you have planned.
What moment during your event will forever be etched into your memory?
Again, so hard to choose just one – you spend so much time as a bride-to-be planning every single detail of the day, hoping that when it finally arrives, it’s seamless. You pick the flowers, the décor, and the details without any idea how it will look once it all comes together. The moment my husband and I stepped into that hall for the first time for the grand reveal is one I will never forget. It was more than I could have even imagined and I was blown away by our vendors and what they accomplished and created. To see your vision come to life is pretty incredible. The day was as perfect as one could hope for, and I am forever grateful.
Tell us all your secrets! Your event was so beautiful and we must know your vendor list!
Venue and Catering | LiUNA Station
Photographer | Purple Tree Wedding Photography
Videographer | Big Ticket Productions
Florist | Rachel A. Clingen
Chandelier Florals | Fuscia Designs
Tabletop Rentals | Splendid Settings
Chiavari Chairs, Linens and Draping | Lat Kat
Mirrored Tables, Chairs and Cake Table | Detailz Furniture Rentals
Band and DJ | Saturday Night Jive
Cake | Fine Cakes by Zehra
Bride’s Gown | Custom made Valencienne by Kim Ironmonger
Bride’s Hair | Mane Stop
Bride’s Makeup | Diana Peressini
Bridal Party Makeup | Fancy Face
Transportation | Allure Limo
Vinyl, Seating Chart and Table Numbers | Designer Dance Floors
Day of Stationery | All That’s Lovely
Wedding Invitation | Stephita
Photo Booth | Photobooth TO
Audio Visual | Soundbox
Ballroom Dancers | Bride’s Family from Italy
Bride’s House Flowers | Rosa’s Crafts
MVP – What vendor couldn’t you live without?!
So hard to choose just one, but I would have to say my custom bridal gown was made – Valencienne by Kim Ironmonger. Kim, my mother and I worked together for almost a year to design and create something unique and magical and I truly believe we did just that. It was an experience I will never forget.
