Real Weddings
TorontoCourtney Petrachek Wore Pnina Tornai to Marry Toronto Maple Leafs Defenceman Victor Mete
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Courtney Petrachek first met Victor Mete in the sixth grade. The young pair became good friends over their middle school years, and in the ninth grade, Victor asked Courtney to be his girlfriend. The following year, Victor left to pursue a career in hockey, and went on to play for the London Knights in the Ontario Hockey League. Still, the couple continued dating long- distance, with Victor’s mom driving Courtney to London each weekend to visit him. After Courtney finished high school, she enrolled at Fanshawe College, and they have been inseparable ever since.
Eventually, Victor began playing for the NHL (initially drafted by the Montreal Canadians in 2016, he now plays defenceman for the Toronto Maple Leafs.) For many years, the couple could not significantly celebrate their dating anniversary due to the hockey league’s training camp schedule; until 2020, as a result of Covid, the NHL set a later start date. The change enabled Victor to organize a getaway to Courtney’s family cottage in Muskoka to celebrate their eighth anniversary, inviting both sets of parents and siblings (and their significant others).
While their families were enjoying dinner one evening, Victor led Courtney to the dock, where he had created a romantic dining setup. They reminisced over a meal (cooked by Victor!) and, at sunset, walked together to the edge of the dock, where Courtney turned around to find Victor on one knee. He proposed to her with a radiant-cut diamond engagement ring engraved with the words “I Love You 4 Ever.” The ring was designed by a family friend, the owner of MARCELLO JEWELLERS.
The couple was married on July 16, 2022, at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica in Toronto, ON, followed by a spectacular indoor garden-themed reception at THE VENETIAN BANQUET AND HOSPITALITY CENTRE in Vaughn, Ontario, a venue owned by Victor’s parents. Inspired by Courtney’s love of all things floral, a “flower-lovers dream” describes the overall wedding celebrations that kicked off with a Tuscan-themed outside engagement party held at the family’s Muskoka cottage. Full-service event planning, decor, and design for the wedding celebrations were provided by Rose Tenuta of BRIDAL SOLUTIONS INC with floral design by ROYAL ORCHID FLORIST.
Courtney commissioned world-renowned designer PNINA TORNAI to create her dream wedding dress. The gown included a removable crystal mesh bodysuit designed to be worn underneath during the church ceremony for modesty. The veil featured a crystal-embellished “Mrs. Mete” detailing.
The garter was also custom-made by gown designer PNINA TORNAI by combining a piece of Courtney’s mother’s wedding dress with Victor’s hockey equipment that was embroidered with his last name, Mete.
Tornai also provided Courtney’s custom engagement and rehearsal dresses, the mother of the bride’s, and the bridal party dresses.
Victor wore custom formalwear by KING & BAY for the ceremony and reception, including a bespoke navy suit and blue dinner jacket, each with a different pair of Christian Louboutin shoes.
Once the couple and their guests arrived at the grounds of THE VENETIAN BANQUET AND HOSPITALITY CENTRE, the cocktail hour took place in a tent provided by
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. Garden-inspired decor included a foliage-covered signature drink wall, grass-like turf flooring and free-standing, decorative trees. Guests were served a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres (over sixteen options) and could indulge in food sampling from two interactive food bars where live chefs prepared fresh sushi and shucked oysters.
Courtney’s dream to have a garden-inspired wedding that highlighted the beauty of flowers indeed came true! Over 100,000 white roses and 10,000 fresh Phalaenopsis orchids were used by ROYAL ORCHID FLORIST, who created breathtaking floral installations for the wedding. Between an 80-foot-wide wisteria ceiling installation, a 60-foot-long head table floral design, an oversized orchid wall backdrop, and countless all-white floral tablescapes, the overall design required a week-long installation process.
Special attention was given to the seating plan and table rentals for the reception. Courtney knew she didn’t want to have tablecloths. So instead, she chose to highlight three different styles of guest tables, several other family tables, and a double-elevated platform for the head table seating the bride and groom and their wedding party, with serpentine tables on single-elevated platforms flanking either side for their parents.
“Because our wedding was 480 people, I wanted to make sure everyone in the room could see the head table, so we had a stage built for the family tables and a higher-level stage for the head table. I also didn’t want a sweetheart head table; I wanted the traditional long head table,” notes Courtney. “Having our bridal party beside us all night was special.”
FINE CAKES BY ZEHRA created the 8-tier wedding cake that sat in front of the head table. “It was such a beautiful piece of art!” says Courtney.
Coconuts imported from COCO RESERVE were engraved with “The Mete’s Est July 16, 2022,” as a nod to Victor’s love of all things coconut!
As fine dining enthusiasts, Courtney and Victor wanted their guests to enjoy a similar experience at the reception. Since Victor’s parents own the VENETIAN BANQUET HALL, the couple knew firsthand that the catering team was up to the challenge! A formal dinner was serviced by white-gloved waitstaff, who named each guest as they were served. The menu included a first course of plated fettuccine ai nidi (the couple’s favorite and a house specialty). After a dancing break, guests were served the rest of the meal, which included veal and lobster.
Dessert was served in the cocktail tent, transformed into a late-night carnival-themed space dubbed the “Mete Market.” The market offered a milkshake station stocked with custom cups, a wood-burning pizza station with custom pizza boxes, a sweet cart offering CRAIG’S COOKIES, a HUSKI CHOCOLATE hot chocolate station, the signature drink wall became a donut wall of KRISPY KREME DONUTS, and a food truck served SMOKE’S POUTINE among other specialty foods.
The party went late into the night with white flip-flops and “Mete” labeled shoe bags to tote home heels (for tired dancing feet)! Finally, to say thank you, the couple gifted their guests custom “Mete” boxes that held a thank you note, a candle, and a box of nine white Eternity roses. The thoughtful touch was one of the many reasons guests left the event feeling like they had experienced a high-style gala, precisely what the couple had wished for.
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CREDITS
Photography @purpletreephotography, Bride @courtney.mete, Groom @vmete98, Event Planning, Decor and Design, Draping Behind Head Table and Band, Tabletop Rentals @bridalsolutions, Floral and Event Design @royalorchidflorist, Engagement Ring @marcellojewellers, Engagement Dress, Rehearsal Dress, Wedding Dress, Mother of The Bride’s Outfits, Bridal Party Dresses @pninatornai, Hair and Makeup @jenevoymakeupstudio, Bridesmaids’ Hair by Julia Carvalhais, Groom’s Formalwear @mykingandbay, Stationery @palettera_official, Custom Fans and Menu Printing @pearlinvitations, Groomsmen’s Formalwear @formenclothiers, Ceremony at St. Michael’s Cathedral Basilica, Officiated by Fr. Adam Pantaleo, Cocktail Hour and Reception Location @thevenetianbanquethall, Cocktail Tent Structure @premiertents, Specialty Foods @craigscookies, @krispykreme, @eatzza_mypizza, @minimilkshakesandfloats, @lattebooth, @smokes_poutinerie, @funnelcakedream, @dolcetoronto, Flair Bartenders, Mixologist and Entertainer @brvndtender, Wedding Cake @finecakesbyzehraofficial, Coconut Cups @coco_reserve, Ballroom and Cocktail Hour Bars @superioreventsgroup, Furniture Rentals @detailzfurniturerentals, Cocktail Tent Beer Cart and Selfie Booth @snaptique, Vinyl, Name on Tent, Dance Floor @dance_floor_graphics, Lighting and Ballroom Screens @spindjent, MC provided by @samanthathemc, Timed Lighting and AV, Band Sound and Cocktail Trio, Main Band and DJ (Cocktail Hour, Reception and After-Party) @solepower, Rigging @firedogcreative, Sparklers @digitalxent, Carpeting @reznikeventcarpets, Tent Flooring @vincenteventrental, Rentals @filmgreens, Cinematography @sdeweddings, Limo @torontolimorentals, Valet @adagio.valet
