The vibe of Shelby and Sam’s wedding was Art Deco meets a great dinner party. It featured their four dogs, signature coffees named after their cats, and a cut out of their dog, Ruby, telling fortunes from a DIY booth. “I really just wanted it to feel like ‘us’ as an event,” Shelby said. “Like those nights where you have such a great time you close the restaurant down.” They left out anything that didn’t feel necessary such as a bridal party, bouquet toss, and a dress code.

Shelby, who wears black almost daily, wore a black dress and her ceremony entrance was backed by Diana Ross’s What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life, while her three grandmothers walked ahead of her. “They’re each so special to me and all of my grandfather’s have passed so it was nice to get to honour my grandparents in that way,” she said. The vows were modified from a Celtic tradition and closed with the line: Our love is never ending, and we will remain forever creators of this marriage.”

One thing didn’t go to plan – they forgot the rings! “My stomach dropped when we pulled up to the ceremony… someone let me know that the rings were not in the stuff I had sent with someone earlier.” Her mother offered a spontaneous solution: her own wedding rings, which she and Shelby’s dad had worn for over 30 years. “In the end it was perfect, and it actually turned out to be such a sweet and symbolic story.”

The reception leaned into slight absurdity in the best way. Tables were named after pop culture icons and family pets. The signature cocktail (white cran, triple sec, tequila) was named after the family dog, Brule. There was also no meat on the menu. “We are both vegetarians and wanted to serve food we love so we went with a buffet of Italian dishes that did not include any animals!” Shelby, a pastry chef, also made the three the cakes herself.

On navigating the wedding industry, Shelby, who has been in it as a cake maker since she was 16, didn’t hold back. “I wish that it was less comparative and more opaque about the true expense of the weddings we see online”, she said. “There is no reason to go into debt for one day. You are MUCH better off doing what you can with what you have. We chose décor that reflected us and now we get to use a lot of it in our home.”

Her advice? “Try not to compare and really focus on making the day reflect you as a couple. I also highly recommend looking outside the wedding industry for inspiration… Art, photography, magazines, and movies are also great sources of inspo once you know the mood you’re going for.”