36 avenueJANUARY.18“THAT WE TOOK
COMMUNION
FROM THIS CUP
THAT HAD THOSE
SYMBOLIC AND
SPIRITUAL
CONNECTIONS
FOR US, IT WAS
SPECIAL.”
—SANCIA TOTHSANCIA AND
MITCHELL TOTH
MARRIED AUGUST 2, 2014F
riends first, business partners second and
husband-and-wife third, is how Sancia
Toth summarizes her relationship with
her husband, Mitchell Toth. Together,
the couple runs The Toths Photo & Film,
a wedding photography and videography com-
pany. After shooting so many weddings, they had
a particular vision of what they wanted their own
special day to exude: intimacy and significance.
Almost three years after they were married,
the Toths consider their exchange of vows and
the time they took to go off with their own wed-
ding photographers to take photos, to be among
the most significant parts of the wedding. “[That
break] really gave us time to be like, ‘Hi, we’re
married, this is amazing! This is the day that
we’ve been waiting for — and for more than just
a p a r t y.”
To keep the ceremony uninterrupted by
flashes and arms reaching for photos the Toths
had an “unplugged ceremony” where the intent
is to keep the experience free of distractions by
turning cellphones off. “The ceremony itself
was, I think, the most intimate part of what we
did,” says Sancia. They said their vows in front of
Mitchell’s dad, who was officiating. Then Sancia’s
sister sang for the crowd of 150 guests while the
couple was led in a Scottish quaich ceremony
by Sancia’s dad. Photography by Sarah Whitlow, Two Cents PhotographyA quaich is a double-handled cup that, when
a couple drinks from it, symbolizes trust, love
and a commitment to sharing all that the future
may bring. As Sancia’s family grew up partly
in Scotland, it was important to her to include
a piece of that part of her life in the wedding.
Just as the blending of families and traditions
come together, they combined the quaich cer-
emony with a traditional communion ceremony.
“That we took communion from this cup that
had those symbolic and spiritual connections
for us, it was special,” says Sancia.The Best Thing
We Did
Wedding days come in all venues and guest-list sizes.
Here’s what five couples said was the most significant
thing they did on their special day.
BY Jennifer Dorozio