There’s something noticeably special about the fall weather in Toronto and it’s my absolutely favourite time of year to photograph weddings. When I hung out with Nicole and Darryl earlier in the summer in their West-End loft, they both told me how excited they were to host their wedding at The Gladstone Hotel because of the hotel’s appreciation for the art culture in the city of Toronto. Being an avid musician and music lover myself, I looked forward to spending the wedding day with both of them because I knew without a doubt that both their low-key and understated personalities would set the tone for the entire wedding day vibe.
Both the bride and groom got ready in the beautiful and eclectic rooms at the Gladstone Hotel. Darryl got to take advantage of having the rooftop suite at the Gladstone and cranked some Madvillain / MF Doom as he got ready alongside one of his best pals and got a bit of help from his daughter to put the final touches on his wedding day look. There wasn’t any sort of nervous energy, just laid-back vibes with excited undertones as the groom headed to the rooftop to take in the Toronto skyline and vibe to some background music.
Nicole got ready in the bridal suite with the help of her mother and Darryl’s daughter who did her hair to complete her stunning modern-vintage bridal look. Ryanne and I actually first met Nicole at the Wedding Co. Market at Wychood barns earlier in the year and I distinctly remember how genuinely down to earth and nice she was. That same calmness was present on the wedding day as she made her way to the Gladstone’s rooftop suit to surprise Darryl for their first look.
Bobbing and weaving to catchy bass lines the groom unexpectedly got surprised by the soon to be bride resulting in one of the sweetest and most amazing reaction I’ve ever seen photographing a first look. Completely taken aback by Nicole’s final look Darryl couldn’t contain the words and put it simply and accurately spitting out the phrase “You look SO fucking good” before just taking a serious moment to take it all in.
The first look gave us plenty of time to explore the various cool and alternative rooms the Gladstone has to offer. I’m glad the bride and groom appreciate the same type of music that I do so I could confidently approach their portraits with a totally editorial style that I bring when working with musicians and bands for album covers and promos. Just like I do in those situations, I set the scene and capture the authentic and natural. Undoubtedly and total badasses, Nicole and Darryl embraced the alternative vibes the Gladstone had to offer and rolled with it all the while enjoying the intimacy of each other’s presence before heading over to Liberty Village to take advantage of the vintage Toronto vibes some of the area has to offer.
The wedding ceremony was held in the Gladstone Hotel’s ballroom and had emotional moments of all kinds as laughter echoed across the room and tears were shed throughout. A special and personal touch was the bride’s father playing acoustic guitar during the ceremony adding a completely new and deep layer that tethers the couple to the world of music.
The cocktail hour ended with an impromptu beatbox by the groom previewing his talents for their entire group of friends and families in attendance. That energy flowed into the wedding reception that was highlighted by a beautiful first dance shared by the bride and groom as Darryl sang softly to Nicole. They were in their own world for 3 and a half minutes and that sort of presence of mind is the sort of authentic and candid moment that I appreciate as a documentary wedding photographer. The first dance set the stage for what was to come as the party kicked off with an endless playlist of hot tracks that kept the masses on the dance floor until the wee hours of the night.
Sticking to themselves and utilizing an amazing space like the one the Gladstone Hotel has to offer, Darryl & Nicole made the most of their entire wedding day, living in the moment and appreciating the fleeting details and moments as they were happening. As a wedding photographer those are really the things I remember and notice the most.
The bond music inherently creates between people is something I always believed in and this was no different. After getting to know the bride and groom’s record collection, I had nothing but the utmost confidence that this would be one of the most memorable weddings I got to photograph in 2019.
