Ellen and Armand met in the tenth grade at Archbishop Macdonald High School, in Edmonton Alberta, Canada. They shared some classes together and eventually started talking and flirting, sitting closer to one another in class. One day, they swapped wallet sized photos and a message was written on the back of his that said he had something to ask her. They met during one of their breaks and he officially asked her out.
She thought he was funny, smart and outgoing. His athletic side appealed to her; Armand was on the basketball team. She liked how he was driven and already knew he would be studying engineering once he attended college. Armand was immediately attracted to Ellen and wanted to get to know this beautiful, intelligent young lady.
“AT THE RECEPTION, BEING INTRODUCED AS HUSBAND AND WIFE FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS SUCH A RUSH” ELLEN DULAY
After college, Armand started looking for the perfect ring from Tiffany because he was ready to propose to Ellen. Once he purchased the ring, he planned a relaxing trip to Los Cabos Mexico. Unfortunately, he ruptured his Achilles tendon so ten months later, they took their Los Cabos trip. After a few days, he planned to propose on an excursion to Lover’s Beach. So, he found a nice quiet spot by the water and told her he wanted to try a time lapse video. He set up his iPhone on a rock and set it to record in video mode. As he pretended to take a time lapse, he dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him. She was taken by surprise, but said, “Yes!”
The couple hired a wedding planner and selected the Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, as their venue. They decided on a small wedding with only close family and friends. So, the Wedgewood room was the perfect location. Ellen chose the wedding vendors and set July 26, 2014 as the wedding date.
The day of the wedding, Ellen said, “I was excited and nervous at the same time.” Their traditional Catholic wedding ceremony was held at St. Joseph’s Basilica, the same church where Armand’s parents got married. Walking down the aisle, with her parents, toward Armand and seeing all of her friends and family was truly special. Armand held back his tears when he saw Ellen for the first time in her wedding gown.
“At the reception, being introduced as husband and wife for the first time was such a rush,” Ellen said. With the lighting and décor, it made everything feel so intimate. The reception was a joint décor effort between Awespiring Weddings and Fabloomosity. The couple’s first glimpse of the room, before their guests walked in, was magical. They displayed pictures of their grandparents’ wedding day combined with their engagement photo. Gloria Bednarz and Guenter Hess created an elegant four tiered cake topped with white and blush cascading, edible flowers.
One of the most important memories they will take with them is that all the people they love and care for were in the same room together. Armand and Ellen pre-honeymooned in Southeast Asia for six weeks, in November. They will officially honeymoon in Europe, on their first anniversary.
WEDDING TALENT
Location and Caterer: The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Cake: The Art Of Cake, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Event Design and Planner: Awespiring Weddings and Design, Edmonton, AB, Canada
Floral Design: Fabloomosity, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Linen: Dress My Day, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Rentals: Special Event Rentals, Edmonton, AB, Canada and Elegant Touches Edmonton, AB, Canada; Lighting: Production Lighting, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Entertainment: Premiere DJs, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Stationery: Lovella Invitations, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Wedding Dress: Vera Wang; Bride’s Shoes: Valentino; Bride’s Jewelry: Elsa Corsi; Groom’s Tuxedo: Ralph Lauren; Groom’s Shoes: Hugo Boss
Photography: Sharon Litchfield Photography, Edmonton, AB, Canada
