Meeting someone's entire extended family on a first date could be construed by some as moving a little quickly. It can also be a bit nerve-wracking. But after an intimate three-hour dinner with Jamie Koffler at Toronto's Guu restaurant, Meryl Acker was game. After all, she was smitten.
Last summer, the couple were hiking at Georgian Peaks, an alpine ski resort with the highest vertical drop of any resort in Ontario. Though it was Meryl's idea to go there for a weekend, what she didn't realize was that Jamie had already planned a proposal. On the morning of June 30th, they went for a hike, and as they neared the top, she saw a beautiful wooden deck with the words “will you marry me?” written with small stones.
Jamie had planned everything, including chilled bottles of rosé, a picnic and photos of them together to celebrate after she said yes.
Just three months later, on November 3, 2018, they were married at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, with the help of wedding planner extraordinaire Ashley Lindzon .
“Our inspiration was an elegant garden with rustic accents,” says Meryl.
That involved creating a romantic and textured look with Jackie O Florals ' white lisianthus, white roses, ranunculus and tulips set against dark leafy greens. They incorporated blue and grey accents onto their wedding cakes, chargers and seating chart wall, and touches of gold on the tables with Cutipol’s white and gold Goa cutlery and bronze lanterns for a moody ambiance.
“Our inspiration was an elegant garden with rustic accents,” says Meryl. That involved creating a romantic and textured look with Jackie O Florals ' white lisianthus, white roses, ranunculus and tulips set against dark leafy greens. They incorporated blue and grey accents onto their wedding cakes, chargers and seating chart wall, and touches of gold on the tables with Cutipol’s white and gold Goa cutlery and bronze lanterns for a moody ambiance.
Not one but three wedding cakes were made by E & R Sweetery — two, 2-tiered blue and grey funfetti cakes and one 4-tier chocolate and banana cake. At the end of the evening, Maker Pizza was on hand for a late-night snack. Many guests ended up on the dance floor with pizza slices in hand.
A couple of days after the wedding, Meryl and Jamie took off on a minimoon to Tulum, Mexico, where they stayed at the Nomade Hotel. They are planning a longer honeymoon to Indonesia and Thailand this summer.
No Jewish wedding is complete without the Hora, where (strong) guests hoist the bride and groom high above the crowd on chairs to the music of Hava Nagila.
The newlyweds, who love to hike in the summertime and downhill ski in the winter, are settling into their life as a married couple. When not outdoors, they love the simplicity of everyday life, like making dinner together, and getting cozy on the sofa watching documentaries and Jeopardy. When they do entertain, it's at home with close friends. Along with cocktails and great bottles of wine, they enjoy cooking fish with lots of salad, served on English country-style table settings.
