2020 hasn’t shaped out the way any of us have imagined, especially effected by COVID-19 are all the couples who had wedding plans for this year. Evan & Alex are originally from Toronto but currently live in NYC, with their original wedding plans getting derailed due to the pandemic. Although they didn’t get to celebrate their union in North-Carolina as they had originally hoped, they did the next best thing and made the most of a bad situation and utilized the bride’s grandmother’s beautiful backyard in Forest Hill Toronto to host their intimate micro wedding.
A few of the couples I was slated to work with this year have shifted their wedding plans, originally most were going to host an intimate wedding with anywhere between 50-120 guests but shifting government regulations and safety precautions has forced many to postpone, or like in Evan & Alex’s case, shift their entire wedding plans to an adventurous elopement or micro wedding. As a photographer who’s background is photojournalism and documentary photography, I’ve always appreciated the more intimate weddings as they create an opportunity for me to be completely immersed in the event and my surroundings. This micro wedding in Toronto was no different as Ryanne and I got to quickly know every member of the Evan and Alex’s family and truly felt like we were part of the experience on top of our role of documenting it with beautiful artisanship.
This micro wedding was indeed planned last minute and the bride and groom’s families did their absolute best to adhere to all social distancing measures and practices to ensure everyone’s safety. Both Evan and Alex (and their families) are genuinely kind and sincere people, the enthusiasm and love shared on this wedding day was infectious and palpable, it was no surprise to see such a joint effort in making this wedding day happen and without a doubt they pulled off an extremely beautiful micro wedding despite being in limiting circumstances. Everyone had an extremely positive attitude and indeed they all looked on the brighter side of life and were sincerely overwhelmed with the joy of celebrating Alex & Evan’s love for one another.
The micro wedding ceremony in the backyard garden was beautiful, a full spectrum of emotions were felt as the bright sunshine of midsummer in Toronto was in full swing. The bride and groom had set up a sophisticated video set up so their distant friends and relatives could tune in live and experience the micro wedding to its fullest. Naturally, the circumstances prevented a few key individuals from being in attendance, including one of the Evan’s close friends and would-be groomsmen, but the groom managed to include him any way possible and his friend made a few cameo appearances via FaceTime for the group photos (and he was fully suited up, not missing a beat!) This level of comradely and love was special and to have the opportunity to document the wedding and all its quirks was something I won’t ever forget.
Once the ceremony was complete, the group photos were taken and the cake was cut, the bride and groom ventured off to a private park in the North of Toronto to enjoy the summer heat and a bit of quiet time together. Watching Evan and Alex walk in the distance as the golden light of the setting sun illuminated them made me a bit emotional, it was a beautiful sight to see not only because of the breathtaking setting we were in, but mostly because of how happy they both were to be there together in that moment, with no regrets or second thoughts about their elopement. They lived that day and they didn’t hold back their love and affection for one another, not for a second, which created a fine art documentary feeling to all the images that was authentic and natural because that’s exactly who they are as individuals and as a couple.
Watching the free-spirited bride soaking in every moment in the empty field as her groom caught up to her with a child-like wonder was one of my favourite moments of the day. It was those moments that revealed a level of humanity that is often uniquely present during wedding days, moments that truly blend fine art wedding photography and documentary wedding photography, something so natural and authentic that it couldn’t be recreated on demand, but merely something to be experienced and for me to bare witness. Those small quiet moments are what I cherish most as a wedding photographer and it’s couples like Alex & Evan that remind me what weddings and elopements are truly about, liberating expression of emotions and authentic moments where two people can truly live in the moment with each other’s company, and that this shared experience is more than enough.
There are few moments as a wedding photographer that I would consider “historic” in the truest sense of the word, but Evan and Alex’s micro wedding will be one of those moments in my career that I’ll look back on forever, tales and stories that will live on as I inevitably tell future generations about the experience of photographing a wedding during the pandemic of 2020. I genuinely couldn’t of asked for a better group of people and for a better couple to experience this historic moment with. It goes to show, that love conquers all and living through moments and life experiences with a positive attitude will always foster a memorable and joyous memory to look back on. This micro wedding is proof that an elopement isn’t a Plan B, in fact, it proves the complete opposite, that with enough enthusiasm and love you can create a wedding day that will be beyond memorable and live in a special nostalgic place inside your heart and soul for the rest of your life.
If you’re looking for more micro wedding inspiration, check out this backyard elopement in Guelph.
- 3B
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