Lauren Collins and Jonathan Malen say 'I do' in dreamy and intimate Toronto wedding

By Bianca Teixeira

November 27, 2018Nov 27, 2018, 8:23 AM GMT

A man and a woman, possibly Lauren Collins, laughing at a dinner table with candles and greenery.

From the black-and-white colour scheme to vows that brought a tear to the bride's eye, it was a wedding so classic, it may as well have been a movie set!

Actors Lauren Collins, 32, and Jonathan Male, 31, celebrated their nuptials at Toronto's Gardiner Museum in front of an intimate group of 120 guests. "It really does go by so quickly," says Jonathan. "But it was a lot of fun."

Scroll through all the photos from the Degrassi alum and her actor beau's wedding day...

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

A woman in a white off-shoulder gown and a man in a black tuxedo stand together, smiling.

Having grown up on film and television sets, both Lauren, a fan favourite from Degrassi: The Next Generation, and Jonathan, a familiar face form shows like Republic of Doyle and The Handmaid's Tale, crossed paths multiple times over the years, but it wasn't until 2016 that they fell in love. The relationship blossomed almost immediately. "It was pretty quick," says Lauren. "I think because there's so much history between us, and we already knew each other's family a bit, everything took off rather quickly."

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Man and woman in formal attire embrace, standing close, facing each other.

Fresh from their tropical honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, Lauren and Jonathan are still aglow from their wedding day ... and it has nothing to do with their new tans! "The wedding was such a great night," says Lauren. "We basically relive it everyday, talking about how we want to do it all over again!"

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Six women, including Lauren Collins, toasting with champagne glasses in a cozy living room.

At the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto, surrounded by her nearest and dearest friends since high school, Lauren raises a glass of champagne ahead of the wedding festivities.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

White wedding gown on a hanger in a hotel room with a couch and curtains.

While it was the first dress she saw, Lauren knew the simple and classic gown from Lela Rose was for her. "I found this dress and was like, 'That's it!' It felt very me."

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Wedding invitation for Lauren Collins and Jonathan Malen, surrounded by flowers.

Lauren and Jonathan's wedding invites were simple, classic and positively elegant.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

A woman in a white gown has her dress adjusted by two people.

The actress's stunning wedding gown featured off-the-shoulder sleeves and a beautiful low-cut back.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Lauren Collins stands in a white off-shoulder gown, holding a bouquet of pink and white flowers.

Lauren made the most beautiful bride, holding her bouquet created by Crown Flora and keeping her blond locks curled naturally by her shoulders, as styled by Toronto's Tony Pham.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

"I was looking up labels online and found a designer named Lela Rose, saw this dress and immediately was like, 'That's it.' No store in the city had it though! So I actually ended up trying on a few other dresses before finally getting a call that the bridal store White was bringing it in for me," the newlywed shared. "Not only did it feel very me, it felt really appropriate for the kind of wedding that we were having. It was just very simple and clean and modern."

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Lauren Collins in a white gown stands between a man in a black suit and a woman in a black dress.

The blushing bride posed with her mom, Sari, and her brother, Anthony.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

A woman in a white off-shoulder gown sits with a young girl in a white dress, both laughing.

Jonathan's niece, Summer, may have been a little sleepy that day – but Lauren was likely quick to cheer her up.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Newlyweds share a kiss, he in a black tuxedo, she in a white gown holding a bouquet.

Smooch! The couple shared a kiss as they posed for photos.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Five people in formal attire stand together, smiling. Two women in black dresses, three men in suits.

Jonathan took a snap with his sister, Rebecca, brother, Daniel, and parents, Cara and Robert Malen.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Bride in white gown and veil walks down aisle with bouquet, flanked by two attendants in black attire.

Lauren's mom and brother watched as she walked down the aisle towards Jonathan, a magical moment as a small group of loved ones looked on. "At the end of the day, it's about us and we wanted our wedding to be intimate and fun," Lauren said.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

A bride and groom, both smiling, stand close together at a wedding ceremony.

In an intimate black-and-white photo, the newlyweds look absolutely in love. "I think we both realized very quickly into our relationship that this was it. Jonathan even recently said that he realized early on that he didn't really see our relationship ever ending, so I guess that meant marriage," Lauren gushed.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Man in black tuxedo and woman in white gown and veil exchanging rings.

Opening up about the romantic proposal, Jonathan shared: "It was Lauren's birthday and I wanted to get her something special, but I didn't know what, so I thought a ring was probably the best thing. I was so nervous the night before that I was almost physically ill. We decided to watch Sweet Home Alabama, which was the worst idea because it has an amazing proposal in it where Patrick Dempsey rents out Tiffany's and tells Reese Witherspoon to pick any ring she wants!"

He continued: "How was I supposed to top that? The next morning I went to get coffee and bagels and just got back into bed with Lauren and just did it."

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Groom in black tuxedo bends to tie shoelace, bride in white gown watches, guests nearby.

Calling their ceremony "sort of a traditional Jewish wedding," Lauren and Jonathan worked to make sure they included custom touches such as the writing of personalized vows. "I'm so happy we did," Lauren said. "It was the most special moment."

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Bride and groom kissing at an indoor wedding ceremony with guests applauding.

The bride and groom shared their first kiss as husband and wife to the cheers of 120 guests. "Your vows are the only time of the night where you're just looking into your person's eyes," Lauren gushed.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

A woman in a white gown and a man in a black tuxedo are being lifted by a group of people at a celebration.

Now it's a party! The bride and groom were lifted up in their chairs in a Jewish wedding tradition called the hora.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Man in brown suit standing at microphone with floral arrangement in front, another man in white shirt and black tie in background.

Their close friend and Arrow actor Ben Lewis made a hilarious speech. "We had ended up asking so many people to speak, and I was so worried that the whole night was going to be talking. When that happens, everyone gets bored and people just want to dance and eat," Lauren said.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Three people stand together, smiling. The woman in a white dress is flanked by two men in suits.

They partied and celebrated their nuptials all night with friend Ryan Burella and Degrassi alum Adamo Ruggiero.

Photo: © Kristina Ruddick

Group of people dancing at an event, including Mazin Elsadig in a black suit and bow tie.

The couple and their loved ones danced the night away! "My suit was definitely a big deal, especially to Lauren because she wanted the same look as what Prince Harry wore at his wedding," Jonathan shared.

A group of people in formal attire are celebrating, with a woman in a white dress laughing and a man in a black suit clapping.

Lauren and Jonathan looked happy as ever, surrounded by their closest friends and family on the dance floor!

A woman in a black dress stands at a podium with a microphone, smiling. A man in a suit and tie stands behind her, also smiling.

"[The speeches] were so good," Lauren gushed. "My dad passed away about four-and-a-half years ago, so that was obviously a very bittersweet part of the evening, and my mom gave the most beautiful dedication to him and she really brought him to life, which was very special to me."

Group of people at a formal event, including Lauren Collins in a white dress, seated at a candlelit table.

With help from wedding planner Ashley Lindzon, Lauren and Jonathan brought their reception vision to life. Floral touches – including soft pink flowers and whimsical garlands – were the work of Toronto's Crown Flora.

Man and woman in formal attire dance together at an event.

The beautiful bride and groom enjoyed their romantic first dance to "Shallow" from the film, A Star Is Born. "It was a last-minute shift, and I think everyone was really happy about it."

Dinner table with lit candles, elegant plates, and a person in a white shirt reading a menu.

The delicious food was catered by Food Dudes, also from Toronto.

Man with curly hair and woman with blonde hair smiling for the camera.

The couple starred in the most beautiful outdoor wedding photoshoot ever. Lauren accessorized her dress with a Mackage leather jacket.

A woman and a man in formal attire holding hands, standing in front of a leafy background.

"I can't believe our luck! It was supposed to be a torrential downpour that day, and we didn't think we were going to get any shots outside, and I was so bummed because I just wanted those fall colours," Lauren shared. "And then it was a miracle! The rain sort of stopped so we headed to the Forest Hill area and just walked up a random street. It worked out great."