2019 has been a whirlwind so far, but when I step back and take in all the weddings I’ve been privileged to photograph, I realize how amazing it’s been to be part of some exclusive and ultimately, intimate moments between two people and their closest friends and family.

Maria and Scott crossed paths with me thanks to a humbling referral from Mary & Pascal, an incredible couple I photographed last year on Toronto Island. I love working with friends of former brides and grooms because it creates an initial trust and familiarity that isn’t easily achieved in normal circumstances. I was able to walk into the wedding day as if I was photographing old friends which helped us achieve natural and candid moments to manifest before my eyes without hesitation or discomfort. I never take for granted how important that sort of connection is to the brides and grooms I work with, it’s a key element in my photography and process, so to be able to create this sort of parallel with Maria and Scott was truly special as it allowed me the confidence to capture them with the editorial and photojournalistic eye that I naturally bring to the table as a photographer.

I was excited to be included in their private and intimate wedding at One King West Hotel in downtown Toronto. It’s one of the few authentic / best wedding venues and locations in Toronto (especially downtown). With their classic and old architecture intact, including an underground bank vault that we used for family photos and portraits, it gave us an incredible atmosphere to capture Maria & Scott’s life milestone. The large windows and old wooden details created a beautiful and natural mood that we took complete advantage of, and their wedding ceremony was done in a private room on the rooftop of One King West Hotel, providing a breathtaking view of the Toronto skyline as the bride and groom exchange their vows in front of their immediate families. This sort of intimate and private setting really allowed everyone to be 100% present in the moment, often being overcome with emotions, there was really no fear in anyone expressing themselves because they were surrounded by trusted loved ones and everyone shared in on the experience of the wedding day.

Although it was a windy Spring day, the bride and groom took the time to embrace and appreciate the views from the One King West rooftop after they officially became husband and wife. There was both a sense of relief and excitement in their eyes as they stared off into the distant Toronto skyline, holding one another close to stay warm in each other’s embrace. Those little fleeting in-between moments, the quiet moments between the two of them that really stuck with me.

It was a beautiful experience and reminder to me as a wedding photographer that all weddings and elopements, big or small, have natural and striking human connections and emotions that are the real things worth capturing and those to me, are the essential components of a wedding day worth capturing and it’s no surprise that those are the moments that engrain into my mind’s eye.

- 3B