VENDOR SPOTLIGHT: LEONARD NOLASCO
Unique in design and theme, each Pop-Up Chapel works with some of the best-in-class vendors in the city to bring our vision to life and create a one-of-a-kind experience for our couples! Based in Toronto, Officiant Leonard Nolasco has married many of our beautiful couples while working on over 4 Chapels where he demonstrates his passion for delivering ceremonies that reflect who the couples are and what they believe in. Check out our q&a series with Leonard to learn more!
Tell us a little about yourself, how long you have been in the industry and your business.
My name is Leonard and I’m a wedding officiant. This started a couple of years ago when my friends asked me to “officiate” their wedding. (Think Joey officiating Monica and Chandler’s wedding on Friends). I wasn’t licenced at the time and they ended up hiring a registered officiant do the legal declaration and paper signing. I had a great experience doing it. Fast forward several months later when another friend said that she was eloping and wanted me to officiate her wedding. I got my licence and a year and a half later, I’ve officiated 99 weddings!
Which chapel has been your favourite?
I really loved the three-day chapel at the Evergreen Brickworks this fall. It had an awesome autumn vibe. I loved the altar backdrop and the faint smell of firewood burning outside. Like many others in the industry, the Pop-Up Chapel Co. had to pivot and ensure their setup adhered to Public Health standards. Not only did I feel safe officiating these ceremonies, but I also appreciated the level of detail and thought the team had put into setting up this chapel.
What do you love about working in the wedding industry?
One of the best parts of my job is getting to know people who I otherwise would not have been able to meet. So many couples are genuinely happy after the ceremony. It’s always an honour to be a part of that. I’m also getting married next summer so working in the industry has given me great insights. Just last month, my partner and I hired our officiant. Imagine being on the other side of a consultation call with a couple. It was truly bizarre. (And no, I can’t officiate my own wedding).
How is the chapel unique to your typical work/weddings? What do you love about it?
With most weddings I officiate, I have the opportunity to meet couples beforehand to get to know them, talk about my ceremony style and help manage their expectations. If anything, the chapel is a highly-elevated, Vegas-style wedding without me having to dress up as an Elvis Presley impersonator. Where else could you go to have an intimate ceremony, a cocktail reception, a photo session all in an hour? I’ve been working with the chapel team for a little over a year now and they’re a very well-oiled machine!
If you could design a chapel what theme would you pick?!
I’m probably one of the least-creative people in the world to be asking this question. What if I said Game of Thrones meets the Lord of the Rings? (j/k, but not really)
How do you describe your unique style and what are your fav vows you have ever heard?
98% of the time, couples are extremely nervous prior to their ceremony. It’s important for me to give them a sense of calm and to assure them that they’re in good hands. I like to start my ceremonies with a couple of jokes to set the tone and they always go down well. Funny enough, some of the best vows I’ve ever heard were at the Evergreen Brickworks Chapel in October. One of the brides mentioned vowing to fight patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, systemic racism, etc. and I remember feeling chills when I heard them say this because they did it with so much compassion. I’m a huge champion of equity, diversity and inclusion and I remember these vows really resonating with me.
During the months of quarantine, have you found a new hobby or project you've grown to like?
When quarantine first started, my partner and I bought a lot of puzzles. That lost its novelty very quickly. I then started an Instagram account @quarantine.cuisineTO which contains photos of food we’ve prepared at home during lockdown. I’ve also started reading more books ranging from science fiction to combating systemic racism. I know many of us joke about wanting 2020 to be over, but this year has really inspired me to start a gratefulness journal. It’s so easy to lose sight of the little things that make us happy. Spending time at the end of each day to reflect on the little things has been a rewarding experience.