A few of the great things about planning a winter elopement here in Toronto is that we have mild winters and great indoor locations for weddings. Kristy & Jamie decided to elope here in Toronto before officially moving over to London England, they wanted to host an intimate celebration with their immediate families, keep things cool and casual but still have a wedding. Their low-key and easy-going attitudes made the entire wedding day experience an absolute pleasure for me and it really proved to me that winter elopements are not only possible, but absolutely beautiful too, taking full advantage of that orange sunset glow and festivities that are unique to the winter season.

Toronto City Hall was hosting it’s annual Winter Fair & Carnival on the day the bride and groom chose to elope, instead of seeing that as an annoyance, they actually loved the energy and livelihood it brought to the atmosphere, even taking full-advantage of the colourful Christmas lights and exploring the market on their way to their ceremony. The ceremony was short but extremely intimate, with both Kristy & Jamie saying their own personally written vows to one another. The emotional impact of reading / hearing your partner speak from the heart is always powerful and never fails to shed a few tears (and laughs) throughout the process, making for amazing candid photos for them to have to look back on.

Following the ceremony and a few family photos, the couple and their families made their way to the Four Seasons Hotel in Yorkville where they had a private area of the restaurant sectioned off for them to enjoy some cocktails and meals. The atmosphere was dark and moody, making it extremely romantic. The small size of the wedding made for the type of conversation you can only have when surrounded by your closest relatives and friends, another reason why micro weddings and elopements should be something you consider. Toronto has so many great restaurants and lounges that can be fantastic for an elopement or intimate wedding.

Although they might’ve been unintentionally ahead of the micro wedding and elopement trend, this bride and groom actually loved the idea of the intimacy and easy-going vibe and elopement creates for your wedding day. This was their plan A, not plan B (as some people like to label elopements). Weddings and elopements can truly be whatever you want them to be, as long as you’re with the right people and plan for a day that focuses on you and your love, you’re bound to have an unforgettable experience for your elopement and wedding day. Kristy & Jamie wanted something untraditional and they catered the wedding day to their own taste and the Bride even wore an amazing modern alternative dress that isn’t your typical wedding dress to prove it.

I’ll always have a special connection to the intimate weddings and elopements I photograph and they highlight the importance of having a great relationship with the people I work with, I truly felt like a member of the family during the day which allowed me to create photojournalistic and documentary style wedding photos, otherwise it would be impossible to capture what I did. It’s something I sincerely treasure as a wedding photographer and I’m lucky Toronto has so many like-minded people getting married that I can comfortably collaborate with to create timeless memories for everyone involved.

- 3B