Dinner in the Park

September 20 2008 :: The Zilke Family Farm, Stratford

Photography by Blue Iris Photography

Story by TheWeddingRing.ca

The wedding story of journalist and reporter, Laura Zilke, to CTV’s Anwar Knight, is one that began in an ancient Tuscan city and finished in a rustic barn on the family farm, surrounded by family, friends and memories.

Laura Zilke and Anwar Knight have been in the public eye throughout most of their careers. Anwar is a prominent Canadian broadcaster, producer and actor, who also runs an award winning production company and can be seen regularly on CTV News. Laura is an award winning journalist and reporter for Global News. So when they met—somewhere amidst busy schedules, segment takes and upward career climbing— something between them just clicked. "Working in the same unpredictable industry works well for us... We both understand that news is not a nine to five world. And we like it that way." It was the beginning of a love story that would involve family, friends and the community around them.

Anwar proposed to Laura in the summer of 2007, in a small, ancient town—Lucca, Italy—that’s known as ‘the jewel of Tuscany’. Lucca is surrounded by a stone wall and is accessible only by foot or bike, which made it both romantic and unique. "Inside the walled town, was a beautiful park with a grove of very old Chestnut trees... That’s where I got down on one knee and proposed," explained Anwar, who said Laura was so caught up in the moment, she didn’t just say yes. "She said, Of course!" The fantasy-style proposal location became the inspiration for the rest of the wedding plans, naming their reception ‘Dinner in the Park’.

The original idea was to rent a tent for the reception, but when Anwar saw the inside of the barn on the Zilke family farm in Stratford, Ontario, plans changed. Anwar’s creative side took over and they knew they had to use that incredible space. "We wanted a day that was truly unique, that everyone would enjoy and remember... With a lot of hard work, some very helpful family and friends—the whole thing came together," the couple

explained, admitting that the community support and help from loved ones made their wedding even more special.

Anwar designed and crafted a floor plan and the work began. It took several months of work and the bride and groom found themselves travelling back and forth between Toronto and Stratford in their time off in preparation for the wedding. "The entire barn was gutted and cleaned out. I built a pergola and rustic authentic bar, installed special lights and hanging lanterns... Laura’s Uncle Glen and I constructed the stage, and dance floor, and re-graded the entire ground floor of the structure..." In the week before the wedding Laura crafted several indoor gardens and a rainbow of fall flowers were planted along with live cedar trees. A water feature was then added plus outdoor post lamps and carpet runners. Finally, the rentals and décor were added—and voila!... ‘Dinner in the Park’ for 115 guests!

Everything was arranged on site and "nothing was left to chance," which meant spray painting parking lines on the lawn, erecting a special tented kitchen area for the caterer, and installing propane patio heaters—just in case. "Between us, our family and friends—we did almost everything ourselves," said Anwar. They made their wedding invitations by hand and Laura’s mom and aunts made their thank you cards.

Their wedding day involved much of the community where Laura grew up. "We supported our local farms, by decorating with and serving only locally grown food and produce, flowers—everything came from within a 100 km radius of the farm." Every detail of the big day incorporated and celebrated their ‘Dinner in the Park’ theme because "... we wanted our day to

have a very strong connection with nature." It was a romantic blend of city life and country charm.

The ceremony took place under a gazebo that was built and designed by Laura’s father several years ago. Laura had always told her dad that she’d get married under it someday. Sadly, Laura’s dad was diagnosed with cancer, and passed away a year and a half before the wedding. So the couple held the ceremony under the gazebo, and the entire reception at the farm, to honour his memory.

For walking down the aisle, Laura wanted a gown that would match the elegance and simplicity of the farm she grew up on. The focus became more on a connection with nature, and having a gown with a raw appeal. That led Laura to the Angelina Faccenda, Silk Shantung gown she chose, "The fabric had a very raw, unstructured look, but there was just enough beading to add a little sparkle."

Adding yet another personal touch on the day, Laura made their three-tier wedding cake with the same type of chocolates that were actually the first gift she ever gave Anwar. The sweets came from a famous chocolatier and candy shop in Stratford.

Throughout the reception, the couple had several entertaining surprises for their guests. Under Anwar’s direction, his production company (KPI Media Group) produced a couple of fun, sentimental and entertaining videos for guests at the wedding reception to view. One video featured interviews of family members telling the story of how the couple got to this day, while another video showcased the transformation of the barn—it was titled, How to transform a barn in 30 Days. It was an eye-opening and comedic look at the evolution of the wedding day, especially for their city slicker guests (from out of town) who had a hard time imagining a wedding reception in a barn! They also hired a talented cello and harpist duo to perform outside for guests and capped the evening off with a spectacular fireworks show. And furthering their nature connection, all guests were given a blue spruce sapling to take home and plant. "Overall, it was a truly special, wonderful, and unforgettable day." ■