Ten years ago, when ad exec Mike Coulson swivelled his chair around to meet the new intern on his team, little did he know he was looking at his future wife. "She was out of my league,"says Coulson, describing a woman who was unlike any he had ever dated. Sarah McCain remembers that first meeting too, vividly recalling Mike's lively and affable disposition: "this cat is super friendly!"
It took Mike five years to ask Sarah out, but he claims it was well worth it: "It was the best first date I'd ever been on," he explains, crediting its success to the fact that the two had been friends for some time. After dinner and many laughs at Second City, Sarah was equally thrilled, drawn in by the endless laughter. As she describes it:
"Mike has the best laugh in the world, and hearing it over and over just made me so happy."
Mike knew Sarah was 'the one' when, after over three years of dating, he surpassed the expiration date of his past relationships. "I was still falling more in love with her....I knew we had something special," he explains. Sarah recalls a general feeling of utter comfort and happiness, and knew Mike was for her because things were "always better when he was around."
On a Saturday morning in the Fall of 2016, Sarah woke to a trail of twelve roses leading from the bedroom to the kitchen, each accompanied by a note citing why Mike loved Sarah. At the end of the trail, Mike was on one knee, ring in hand.
The two decided on a Fall wedding, and last November invited over 200 guests to celebrate with them at the Toronto venue 99 Sudbury.
Sarah and Mike worked with wedding planner Lynzie Kent of Love by Lynzie along with Muskoka florist Tanya List, to create an event that reflected their modern, eclectic style. The duo brought the outside in, with a palette of rust, amber and orange, and the space came to life with a focus on contrast, such as mixing traditional and tropical flowers with branches and pampas grass, and layering calligraphy onto masculine pieces of leather.
Post-ceremony, guests dined on a menu created by the Food Dudes, and instead of a wedding cake, opted for a brownie bar, inspired by Sarah's grandmother's baking, and made (partially) by her. Sarah claims that "it was an awesome way to have her involved in our day."
The couple brought in two bands to ensure their guests would want to dance the night away. They claim that the best part of the day was being surrounded by their favourite people in the world. As Sarah explains, the magic is in having "everyone you are totally and utterly obsessed with together in one room for a massive dance party."
After the wedding, Mike and Sarah went on a romantic mini-moon to Quebec City, with plans for a longer honeymoon in Morocco in the coming months.
