DIY Backyard Wedding in Toronto

There’s a real and conspicuous nostalgia associated to homes. We all have one, but somehow, our homes are these ever evolving places, unfamiliar over time until we find comfort in our current circumstance. Home and the various ideas of its definition have always fascinated me and been a driving core concept in my work as an artist beyond weddings. My background in photojournalism and social documentary photography were birthed through that interest of “home”, so to have had numerous opportunities in the past several years to incorporate that into the wedding photography I was asked to document and create, it was something my artistic mind eye gravitated to naturally. Brady & Sarah, Anne & Colin and Katie & Chris  and recently Sarah & Chris all had such memorable backyard weddings with special and unique DYI details that made the wedding day exclusively their own.

When I met Sandy & Kevin it was clear to me that having their wedding held in their own backyard, surrounded by nature, friends and family was going to make the wedding day that much more special and memorable to them, and of course, they were absolutely right in thinking so. For me, as the wedding photographer, I was excited to get to experience first hand  the minutiae of their every day life, getting a deep and intimate insight into who they really are in order to further elevate their wedding photos from merely beautiful to something with actual meaning ringing with timelessness. 

The getting ready included sincere and candid moments that most families of 5 children would experience, including drilling a couple of extra belt holes for the youngest one, but otherwise there were few mishaps and mostly laughs throughout the morning. I knew how important it was for both the bride and groom to have their children be integral for this momentous occasion, making them their bridal party. A modern family bridal party isn’t something I get to experience very often as a wedding photographer, but seeing their kids enjoying the moment and experience as much as their parents really manifested a jovial and memorable atmosphere.

The second I arrived at their beautiful home surrounded by forest and greenery, I instantly knew why Sandy was so excited to have her end of summer wedding at this location. The handcrafted wooden arch they had made was minimal decorated with striking florals that helped bring out this unexplored element of the forest that was in the background and went as far as the eye could see. A four-piece jazz band performed perfect atmospheric tunes for the intimate event. It was a phenomenal scene for their guests to be part of as they witness the bride and groom exchange vows and say their I dos. 

As the golden sunset light hit the bride and groom during the first kiss, I took advantage of that energy and cinematic imagery to take them through a walk in the woods to check out their personal pond in hopes of giving them a moment to soak in the moment for themselves. I remember how at ease they both were, despite traversing treacherous terrains and elements to get there, they embraced the moment for all it had to offer. It was as if they were floating on clouds, not water.  Another perk of being outside Toronto, is that you get a bit more space to play with, and the bride and groom took advantage of their neighbouring field to watch the sun make its way behind the tree line.

The reception was held in a beautiful tent in their backyard adjacent to their stunning home, and it’s there that the night began with a playful first dance, an emotional father-daughter dance, and an emotional acapella  performance by one of their guests. With the wedding being small and intimate, everyone was familiar and acquainted, giving the bride and groom candid moments with everyone in attendance. Usually close-knit groups don’t shy away from the dance floor and this particular group did not disappoint, busting moves under the full moon and star-riddled night’s sky.  Standing at a distance looking at the events unfold, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic for all those incredible moments and memories made thanks to the concept of home and its importance to the bride and groom. 

Sandy and Kevin are deeply sensitive individuals, and I don’t mean that they cry at the end of My Girl ( I surely do), but they are very in-tune with their own emotions which is likely why they are both so artistically inclined and uninhibited by their love for one another.  I always hold dear moments I get in my career to photograph people in their own homes. There’s truly no better way to discover and learn about someone, and for me, its the pinnacle of opportunities because it’s so important to me to understand the people I work with, it’s part of an integral process to create sincere and poignant photographs. If I know them deeply, they no longer become characters in my movie, but they become the writers and directors.

Song of the Day

Pain- The War On Drugs

- 3B

VENDORS
Venue: Bride & Groom’s Backyard - Ontario
Flowers / Coordinator - By Francesca, xo
Stylists: Ashleigh - Wild Vine Hair
Wedding Dress: One Love, One Dream Bridal
Bridesmaid Dresses: JJ's House
Tuxes / Suits:Tip Top Tailors
Jewelry Bride: Marjorie Tunney Designs
Jewelry Groom: Graziella
Catering: Stuttering John's
Cake: Sweet Couture Cakes by Adele
Invites: Minted.com
Lodging: Woodland Gardens B&B
Second Shooter: Ryanne Hollies

Garden Wedding at the Doctor's House

Lisa & Alan decided to host their intimate wedding at the Doctor’s House in Kleinburg on one of the most beautiful Friday afternoon’s of the entire summer. Although they couldn’t control the actual weather, I don’t think it would’ve really mattered to them, these two would’ve lived every moment of the wedding day rain or shine. Both the bride and groom had an essence of calm, cool and collectiveness from the get go and that energy was echoed by all their closest friends and family in attendance.

The Doctor’s House has a quaint stillness to it that gives you a slice of the countryside while only being minutes from Toronto.  It’s not too difficult to get inspired by the surrounding greenery and vintage aesthetic of the venue, but what really captivated my attention was both Lisa and Alan’s demeanours throughout the wedding day. With the wedding being small and intimate, both the bride and groom got the opportunity to spend quality time with the people who mattered most to them, including their children and grandchildren. This special opportunity to share in the celebration of love with their immediate families wasn’t something that was lost on them, they absolutely took the time to cherish the small moments and take everything in at every given opportunity.

The wedding ceremony took place at the vintage Chapel at the Doctor’s House providing an intimate space for Alan & Lisa to share in an emotional vow exchange in front of their own friends and families.  The wedding ceremony touched on both sides of the emotional spectrum as there were tears during overwhelming moments balanced out by Lisa’s children’s laughter and excitement as their mom embarked on this new chapter of her life. Whether I was capturing the groom wiping his tears away or the bride’s family unconfined excitement, it was obvious that there was a lot of love in that room and that it was palpable.

After officially becoming husband and wife, Lisa and Alan took a few moments to themselves to explore the beautiful gardens and grounds of the Doctor’s House, soaking in the beautiful light on their summer skin as they embraced and enjoyed a few intimate and candid moments rooted by their undeniable love for one another. As the afternoon continued the bride and groom joined their guests on the garden patio to enjoy a few cocktails and hugs of congratulations.  They benefited from the intimate size of their wedding as they took the time to sincerely engage with everyone in attendance and share in a few laughs as they create mutual memories to reminisce over in the coming years.

I learn something new about myself and life at every wedding I photograph. I’ve always believed that my career as a social documentary photographer and photojournalist would lend itself well to this industry as weddings showcase so much about the human condition and life experience. Lisa and Alan taught me that love is meant to be shared and celebrated amongst friends and family. Love means you can laugh and cry all at the same time, but most importantly, I learned that love has no timeline and that love is indeed timeless.

I know when I look back on my career as a wedding photographer that these are the moments and lessons learned that I’ll cherish and carry with me as I evolve as an artist, and I’m incredibly humbled to be put in a position where I can create something meaningful for people like Lisa and Allan.

Song of the Day

Wild Imagination - Kurt Vile

- 3B

VENDORS
Venue: The Doctor’s House
Second Shooter: Ryanne Hollies

Simple Toronto City Hall Wedding

Photographing Jill & Jon’s rainy Toronto City Hall Elopement was an amazing experience for me as a wedding and elopement photographer .

We were treated with a beautiful sunny summer day (at first)  and a rarely (mostly) quiet atmosphere at Nathan Phillips Square.

I knew going into this city hall elopement that the photography was one of the most important things for this bride and groom. Jill, coming from a photography background, knew exactly what she wanted when searching for a Toronto based wedding photographer, so the entire process of working with them was extremely relaxing since I had complete creative freedom to capture the authentic of the candid moments throughout the day through my photojournalistic lens.

The bride’s father is also an avid photographer and I quickly discovered where Jill’s passion and enthusiasm for photography stemmed from. Her father couldn’t help himself as he captured some of his own memories throughout the wedding day and it was inspiring to see his love shine through in those moments. It was obvious this event was important to everyone involved, and that family and friends were at the core of this celebration. It wasn’t about creating anything over the top or elaborate, it was about finding the beauty in simplicity and companionship, the very core of what every wedding should really be about.

Once the bride and groom exchanged vows in the City Hall chambers, we got to explore the grounds for some intimate portraits before venturing off to Osgood Hall where both Jon and Jill really let go of any anxieties and pressures to really enjoy their first few moments as husband and wife. The vintage aesthetic of Osgood Hall mixed with the modern architecture of Toronto City Hall made for a wonderful playground for us to capture some quiet moments and couples photos with an editorial vibe and twist that really highlighted their personalities.

Even though the rain started to hit us during the portrait session, the bride and groom kept a positive attitude and made the most of the situation, getting a little wet while cuddling one another closely to protect each other from the elements.

Although the day was brief and went by in a flash, it was a special elopement to capture for me as I understood how important and meaningful the wedding photos were for both the bride and groom.

I’ve photographed over a dozen elopements at Toronto City Hall, they never cease to captive me with their genuine simplicity and focus on what really matters, the love between two people.

Song of the Day -

Better Views - Yellow House

- 3B

VENDORS
Venue: Toronto City Hall
Photo Location: Osgoode Hall
Second Shooter: Ryanne Hollies

City Hall Wedding and a Wedding at the Burroughs Pt. I

Once in a while I cross paths with people who truly understand me and the intention behind the work I create. I find it often difficult to articulate a lot of what’s going on in my mind and heart when I’m taking photographs. Wedding photography had put me in a weird place and I was at a crossroads, writing an elegy in my mind when I had initially met Karl & Emeiko at the Wedding Co. Market the year of their wedding.

We probably spoke for a solid hour at the event, going through albums, discussing various facts about ourselves which led to Emeiko explaining her father’s career as a photographer and how analog photography “just made sense” for her wedding. After seeing her father’s work, I felt the pressure, but I was so excited to be using analog film to tell their story all the while paying homage to an important element of her relationship with her father. It’s something I can deeply relate to and made me feel sentimental and nostalgic throughout their wedding day, and those are two feelings I often try to hone in my own personal work so to have it carry over to a wedding was special to me.

 I always find these little things about people that I like to dig into as a photographer to help elevate my ability to photograph someone’s true self. I can’t entirely say for certain, but there was something about these two that made me feel at ease.  Maybe it’s because Emeiko reminds me so much of my older sister, and maybe it’s because Karl has that French-Canadian charm I was became so accustomed to back in Ottawa throughout my childhood and teens  while attending French school. I can’t say for certain what it was that drew me in, but it was sincere.

Leading up to the wedding I got to hangout with them at Toronto Island, where we walked the flooded Island that we had to ourselves and took the late night ferry back to the city as we came down from a midnight wish, staring at the clouds as we felt the wind at our backs. It was one of those hyper-real experiences that you only share with people close to you and people who have no hesitation of letting go and living in a moment within your presence.

Having gone through that I had high hopes for Karl & Emeiko’s two part wedding day that they had set out, with part 1 setting the stage with their Toronto City Hall elopement in the morning. With the Broadview Hotel playing host to both their getting ready’s and their first look.

They played the first part of the day as casually as you can think, starting off bright and early with the groom making a pit stop at the flower shop to pick up his soon-to-be bride’s first bouquet of the day.

The bride and groom decided to get ready together for the first part of the day providing candid moments like Emeiko helping Karl with his tie only to have him return the favour in helping her put the final touches on her white jumpsuit. It was both beautiful and intimate to see them both nervously anticipate what was to come, yet being able to comfort each other through laughter and kind gestures along the way. I’m glad they saved their first look for the second ceremony since I got a unique experience and insight into their relationship and the transition from two people in love, to two people bonded by commitment. 

The Broadview hotel provided a great atmosphere with quirks and sophistication. A vinyl record player in the room adding to the ambiance and allowing Karl and his mom to bond over Tycho’s album “Hours” and discussing how to pronounce the band’s name - we settle of “ ’pti chaud” (small-hot translated from French to English). 

Emeiko looked stunning. A walking editorial ad. A bride that jumped right out of the pages of Aritzia’s lookbook, with utter confidence and stunning beauty making the white jumpsuit seem like the natural choice for any modern bride getting eloped in the city.

After snapping some shots on 35mm film and 120 medium format film around the hotel - we jetted off to Toronto’s City Hall for their elopement in the presence of their immediate family… and us. An intimate elopement if I’ve ever seen one.

Part 1 of the day was capped off with lunch at the Broadview Hotel’s retro bar - where the bride and groom indulged in some fantastic burgers and good conversation.

There’s a lot more I can say about this day, and these two, but maybe I’ll save that for part 2. If you think part 1 was good, part 2 is without a doubt worth waiting for.

Song/Album of the Day

Elegy - Tycho - Hours (album)

- 3B