LOVE IS LOVE // CHANTEL + KRYSTINA
We are so happy to be sharing Chantel + Krystina’s story with you this week as we continue our Pride Month features! Chantel was hosting job interviews at work, H&M Canada, and Krystina came in for an interview. She got the job, and a friendship started. After working together for a few years, their relationship started and the rest, as they say, is history!
Tell us about your engagement story. Krystina was due to be apart of her childhood best friend's wedding. This was the first time that we had time to get away from our little one. Her best friend gave me a small ring that she had from her mother who passed away years prior to give to Krys when I proposed. On the night of her best friend's wedding, during a break in the service, her best friend asked her photographers to hide on a bridge away from the main venue, where I planned to propose. I walked her out of the venue and proposed on the bridge while the photographers snapped secret shots of her reaction. When she said yes, I heard her best friend scream in the dark woods, "What she say?" and Krys said, "I said yes!" From the darkness emerged her best friend and her sister sprinting in their dresses to congratulate us. Chantel proposed again a year later on Christmas Eve on a winter walk.
Tell us about your wedding day plans. We did everything mostly ourselves! We wished we had more support from our friends and family though we decided to focus on making our day special for us. We took out many books on wedding planning and started to Pinterest like crazy! We saved many images of the type of decor we wanted and put it all together in what became our "wedding planning notebook" that we still have. We decided to get married in Niagara Falls as that was where Chantel's gay uncles had also been married. The Floral Showhouse is an indoor green space that had the two aisles that we wanted. It was a small venue and it overlooked the falls. We had around 20 people in attendance. After the short ceremony, (when we actually tied the knot) we took pictures in the beautiful fall weather. Our photographer, Stephanie was incredible and took us to take more pictures near the falls and in the casino (shhhh) before we joined our guests at a local Italian restaurant for the reception dinner.
Did you experience any discrimination while you were wedding planning? Of course! Everyone assumed we were cousins or friends, not realizing that we were two brides. We also had a lot of inquiry as to who was wearing the "pants" to the ceremony. We made light of that by having a photo shoot prior to our big day, where we each took turns wearing the "pants". On the big day, we both wore white long dresses. It was tough to really feel comfortable with any vendor without having known that they were okay working with a black and queer couple.
Is there anything else you wish to share? Always have open conversations about the unknown to gain clarity before making assumptions. Those who have faced discrimination have built up the ability to be able to tell if someone is being genuine. Always be, genuine.
Vendor Credits:
Photography: Stephanie Iannacchino | Venue: Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse | Florist: Shy’s Secret Garden | Makeup: Beautified by Renee | Dessert: Lindsay Berna Co | Gown: Lulu’s Bridal | Accessories: Le Chateau | Officiant: Karen Orlandi of Cathy Davis and Company