When you plan weddings for a living, what happens when it’s finally your turn?

Some weddings speak loudly. Others speak truly. Rana and Theresa’s did both. The couple built a career designing celebrations for other people—lush, tailored, joyful events where couples step into their vision of forever. So when the pair of Toronto-based planners got engaged, they were faced with a rare, delicious challenge: what did they actually want? “We’ve planned big weddings, extravagant ones,” says Rana. “But when it came to us, it just didn’t feel like that was the story. We didn’t want grandeur, we wanted to feel close to each other. Like ourselves.” And that’s exactly what they created—a wedding that was stylish, sincere, and deeply personal, unfolding entirely inside the vibrant, art-drenched walls of The Drake Hotel on Queen Street West.

Setting the Scene: Inside the Queen West Icon

Anyone who’s been there knows that The Drake isn’t just a venue—it’s an entire personality. And for Rana and Theresa, who knew its rhythm and angles from years in the business and multiple planned weddings at both the downtown and Prince Edward County locations, it was the only choice.

They didn’t want a ballroom or banquet hall. They wanted texture, art, and a sense of story embedded into the architecture. From the layered styling of the Sky Yard rooftop patio, to the moody elegance of the Lounge, the couple used the entire hotel like a private residence where every corner had its moment.

“We knew how to make the Drake ours,” says Theresa. “And the Drake gave us the space to do that. We’d worked there before—for clients, big productions—but this time it was about simplicity. We wanted the feeling of home, but elevated. And it was.”

Guests wandered between levels: the ceremony upstairs in the rooftop space just as the sun began to cast its legendary golden glow over Queen West, cocktail hour backlit by city lights and the beautiful hum of street traffic and animated conversation, and the reception marked by music, dancing, and a slow unfurling of something truly special.

Making Space for Love

“We weren’t sure our families would even come,” Rana says. As a queer, interracial couple—Rana is Egyptian and Theresa is Filipino—their wedding was more than celebration. It was an act of courage and joy.

“We knew from the beginning we didn’t want to perform anything,” Theresa adds. “We didn’t need to prove our love. We just wanted to be in it—with each other, and the people who showed up for us.”

That spirit echoed in the details. Instead of traditional cultural rituals, they let elements of their identities ripple through gently—floral touches, music choices, the intimacy of the ceremony. “We didn’t do the things people might expect,” Rana says. “But that was the whole point.”

The Details: Aesthetic, Meaning, and Intention

This wasn’t a Pinterest board wedding. Every detail was chosen with care, nothing was superfluous.

• Attire: Rana wore a structured white suit that moved with quiet power; Theresa, a sleek, minimalist gown that glowed under the rooftop light. “We didn’t want to match,” Rana laughs. “We wanted to look like ourselves—both standing in our own light.”

• Flowers: Instead of lavish florals, they worked with subtle greenery and minimal, sculptural arrangements. “The space has so much character already,” Theresa notes. “We didn’t want to compete with it—just complement it.”

• Music & Food: The playlist was curated with surgical precision and included songs that had followed them through the years. And the Drake’s culinary team brought out dishes that felt like comfort and luxury at once. “It was fun and delicious. That’s all we wanted,” says Rana.

• Guests: Only 40 people. Closest friends. Chosen family. “We wanted to see every single person who came,” Theresa says. “That doesn’t happen at a 200-person wedding.”

Moments You Can’t Plan, But They Happened Anyway.

As night fell, the rooftop transformed. The sun dipped below the skyline, flooding the deck with a rich, golden-pink light. “Everyone just stopped,” Rana remembers. “It was like a collective pause. The kind of sunset you remember for the rest of your life.”

And then came the fire. A surprise guest, a fire dancer friend they’d invited, asked if she could do a spontaneous set on the rooftop. “She’d brought the gear just in case,” Theresa says, grinning. “And we were like…ummm, absolutely yes.”

Flames spun against the night sky as the music swelled. It wasn’t part of the plan, but it was better.

“It was wild,” Rana says. “One of those moments where you just think, ‘Yeah. This is the dream.’”

The Real Takeaway

Their wedding wasn’t a rebellion against big weddings. It was a reflection of who they were, at that exact moment in their lives—lovers, creatives, planners, seekers of an intentional experience. And that’s the power of The Drake.

For some, it’s the place for art-forward blowout bashes with maximalist flair. For others, it’s an intimate, elevated space that doesn’t need a crowd to feel truly electric. For Rana and Theresa, it was the backdrop to their own quiet thunder.

“I think it’s amazing,” says Theresa, “that we’ve helped bring these huge, extravagant dreams to life for other people and that we could come back here and do something completely different for ourselves. And it still felt like magic.”

Planning Your Own? Here’s What They’d Tell You.

Let your wedding reflect you. Not the you from your job, your Instagram, or your parents’ expectations. The real you.

Don’t over-style. Pick a space that speaks, then let it shine.

Surround yourself with people who will actually look you in the eye and say, “You’re getting married. I love you.”

And if there’s a fire dancer in your contact list? Bring them. Just in case.

Written By: Lonelle Selbo | LIFE AU LAIT