Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/223347
Ruth Kale Ari Burstein August 17, 2013 Secret Location, Vancouver • A fter a chance meeting in a bar in Brampton, Ontario, Ari Burstein and Ruth Kale both knew they had found "the one." Two years and a cross-country move later, that initial spark was still going strong when Ari put together the surprise of a lifetime for Ruth. One spring night, they were heading to meet friends for dinner at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia in downtown Vancouver, when their friends called to say they were running late. With time to kill, Ari asked the hotel manager if they could see the exclusive Rosewood Suite. But when the doors to the suite opened, the couple was immediately greeted with champagne. Stunned, Ruth turned around to find Ari on bended knee with a custom-made yellow-diamond ring in hand. After an excited "yes!" from Ruth, the newly engaged couple headed back downstairs, where the elevator doors opened to reveal yet another surprise — their friends and family had gathered to celebrate their engagement with an all-white themed party. Ari admits that the secret to the surprise engagement party's success was the event-planning expertise of Simon Cooksley Event Design, so naturally the couple turned to Simon again to plan their big day. Simon, Ruth and Ari decided that getting married in a bar seemed fitting for the fun yet luxurious ambience they wanted, and they opted for the unique design of Gastown's Secret Location boutique and restaurant. "We both felt really relaxed on the wedding day," Ari recalls. To set this comfortable tone, the couple's wedding planner, Sandy Pandher from DreamGroup Productions, scheduled a day of pampering for the bride and her four bridesmaids, with brunch at Hawksworth at the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, followed by hair and makeup, before the limo (white, of course) carried them to the ceremony. In order to hold the ceremony, dinner and reception all in one place, Simon created three unique spaces within one venue. For the initial part of the wedding, he says, "My goal was to create an exquisite wedding ceremony, which took place under the Baccarat chandelier." In keeping with the all-white theme of their engagement party, the ceremony featured white roses and white linens highlighted by glittering chandeliers. "It took my breath away," Ruth says. "I was nervous, but I just felt so much love when I entered the Aside from vivid pink for her bridesmaids' gowns, Ruth and Ari went with a wedding theme of glitzy white, which included the bride's Maggie Sottero gown and eye-catching Jimmy Choo sandals, and the choice of classic transportation. realweddings.ca p40-43_Ruth+Ari wedding.indd 41 41 13-11-26 12:00 PM