When Jacqueline and Michael met in their first year of medical school, they couldn’t have predicted how quickly their friendship would evolve. “We went from friends to more than friends pretty quickly,” Jacqueline shares. After weathering the pandemic together as each other’s primary contact, they discovered just how compatible they truly were, bonding over shared passions for “family, friends, food, travel and our careers.”

From the beginning of their wedding planning journey, the couple had a clear vision. “Our top priority above all was to have fun and for our loved ones to do the same,” Jacqueline explains. “We wanted our guests to feel both at ease and part of something truly special from the moment they arrived.” This guiding principle shaped every decision they made, from venue selection to menu planning.

“Anything to ensure that feeling was a priority of ours in the budget,” she continues. “For us this meant that outstanding food, wine, flowers and other decor were essential.” The result was an October 2024 wedding at the Winnipeg Art Gallery that felt like the ultimate dinner party—intimate, sophisticated, and deeply personal.

“We love hosting our friends and family at our home. If we could have fit 150 people in our dining room we would have! There is no better feeling to us than sitting down for a beautiful cozy meal and sharing laughs and memories with the people we love.” With the help of their planners, they created exactly that feeling, just on a larger scale.

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Michael & Melanie Photography

On the morning of the wedding, the couple opted for a first look at 529, an iconic Winnipeg steakhouse where they’ve shared many special meals. The restaurant’s classic interior provided a sophisticated backdrop for photos of the couple and their wedding party.

Both Jacqueline and Michael kept their fashion choices deliberately simple. Jacqueline wore a sleek off-the-shoulder gown with a statement train and fingertip-length veil, while the wedding party dressed in black to emphasize the rich floral arrangements by Stone House Creative.

The first look transitioned into one of the day’s most significant moments: the Ketubah signing. “Our Ketubah is our most cherished physical memory from that day,” Jacqueline notes. The document blended her Jewish heritage with Michael’s Irish Catholic roots, incorporating Celtic knots and a Claddagh alongside traditional Hebrew text.

“Neither of us are particularly religious, but we both feel a strong connection to our cultures,” explains Jacqueline. “We wanted the more formal parts of our wedding day to bring these elements together to make it uniquely ours.”

For the ceremony, guests gathered in the intimate Skylight Gallery of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. The couple chose their medical school classmate, Juan, to officiate. “Juan has been a champion of our relationship from day one,” Jacqueline says. “We knew he would be able to create a beautiful and meaningful ceremony that represented us well.”

Walking down the aisle to “Dreams” by The Cranberries played by a string quartet, the couple exchanged handwritten vows under their beautiful chuppah. The intimate gallery setting allowed Jacqueline and Michael to feel fully surrounded by loved ones.

Though Jacqueline’s mother passed away in 2017, her presence was felt throughout the day. “She was honored in every vow and speech,” Jacqueline remembers.

Following the ceremony, guests moved downstairs of the Winnipeg Art Gallery to a cocktail hour that reflected the couple’s idea of a perfect gathering. That meant an oyster bar and dirty martinis for everyone.

The reception space revealed the full expression of their vision: a sophisticated dinner party with rich, deep colors. “Early on in the planning process, we told our planners we wanted the room to feel like a juicy glass of red wine, and they nailed it,” says Jacqueline. The deep purples and reds not only created a dramatic contrast against the Tyndall stone walls of the gallery but also added a romantic, moody feeling that the couple envisioned.

Dinner, catered by Wow! Catering, earned high praise. “We had multiple guests report to us that it was by far the best wedding food they had ever had,” Jacqueline notes proudly. Another essential personal touch was the Guinness on tap, as a nod to Michael’s Irish roots. 

Throughout dinner, speeches alternated with live acoustic music. One particularly moving moment came when Jacqueline’s aunt Rachel and family friend Sari spoke on behalf of the mother of the bride. “They perfectly captured my mom’s essence, and there was not a dry eye in the room,” says Jacqueline.

After dinner, DJ Karli Colpitts started the dancing with the Horah, the traditional Jewish celebratory dance, before transitioning to contemporary music that kept everyone on the dance floor.

For this portion of the evening, Jacqueline changed into what she describes as “one of my favorite outfits I have ever worn”—a white blazer with subtle sparkle. “I gravitate to more straight lines and masculine cuts, so it was perfect for me yet still bridal,” she shares.

One unexpected highlight came when Jacqueline’s maid of honor and best friend, Morgan, took over as guest DJ. “It was a running joke that she would learn to DJ in time for our wedding so she could have a set, and she did it—black gown and all!” Jacqueline recalls. “Her set truly got the party going.”

Looking back, Jacqueline offers three pieces of practical advice for couples planning their weddings: “Plan the wedding you’d want to attend—it keeps you focused on what truly matters.”

She also suggests focusing on how you want to feel: “Consider how you want to feel that day, and make choices that support that vision. We, personally, wanted to feel surrounded by love and laughter and for our guests to feel the same.”

Finally, she acknowledges the value of professional help: “We had no idea how to plan a wedding going into this, so for us our wedding planners were essential,” though she recognizes this isn’t possible for everyone. Her advice? “If you’re unsure where to start, professional planners can be invaluable.”

What’s perhaps most surprising about their planning journey was how stress-free it felt. “We were often asked if we were stressed leading up to the wedding and we surprisingly never were,” Jacqueline reveals. “This is a huge testament to our planners.” Working with Soiree Planning, the couple created a celebration that was both meticulously organized and genuinely personal—a true reflection of their shared values and vision for the future.