Royal Canadian Yacht Club Wedding

Rocio + Geoff

It’s not every day I get to photograph a Monday wedding…. and one on an island too!

Rocio and Geoff had one of the loveliest, intimate weddings I’ve been a part of in a long long time. This was a wedding where they were surrounded by family. As Rocio is from Mexico, they’ll also be having what sounds like an amazing reception down there later this spring!

The day began at the Four Seasons Hotel in Toronto’s Yorkville district as Rocio and Geoff got ready for their wedding in separate suites. I love when couples get ready in the same location (or at least really close) as it lets me be in both places to document the wedding preparations.

From there it was a quick Uber and then a quicker ferry ride (I love being on the water!) out to the Royal Canadian Yacht Club where they had an emotional outdoor wedding ceremony under a big tree overlooking the Toronto skyline.

We made use of the beautiful grounds of the Royal Canadian Yacht Club along with the stunning view of the Toronto skyline for some wedding portraits and family pictures.

The wedding reception was held indoors in what the RCYC calls a ‘covered verandah’ but in reality is one of the most light filled wedding venues (and still with that killer view!).

Rocio and Geoff’s siblings did an amazing job MC’ing the evening, even providing translation between English to Spanish and vice versa. The speeches themselves were very heartfelt with many, many, many funny moments!

The rest of the night was spent dancing away outdoors on the patio and then everyone headed out on the pier to board the ferry back to the mainland.

If I could photograph a wedding like this every week, I’d be a very happy photographer.

You can see some of my favourite wedding pictures above as well as their full wedding slideshow below.

Graydon Hall Spring Wedding in Toronto

Jennifer + Jarvis

Jennifer and Jarvis had a really great springtime wedding at Graydon Hall in Toronto.

Not going to lie, we were all al little worried at the forecast but me being the lucky rabbits foot I am the rain held off and we were able to really enjoy the day and the beautiful grounds at Graydon Hall.

I started the day with Jennifer and her bridesmaids at their new place (they moved the week before the wedding!). Fun fact, Jennifer was referred to me by one of my previous brides who was one of her bridesmaids. Check out Najwa + Trevin’s beautiful wedding at the Art Gallery Of Ontario!

From there we headed off to Graydon Hall so everyone could get dressed and we could have a first look. I’m always such a huge fan of the first look as it gives the wedding day such a nice flow as you can go straight from the ceremony to the cocktail hour without having to to break for pictures!

The ceremony was held at the lovely Lawrence Park Community Church and included an absolutely adorable ring bearer and flower girl duo who almost stole the show from Jennifer… almost. :)

Jennifer and Jarvis also had a lovely tea ceremony at Graydon Hall following the wedding service and then it was time for cocktail hour, speeches and some dancing!

Fun fact, Graydon Hall was the expensive wedding venue from Shitts Creek!

Please enjoy some of my favourite wedding photographs from the Graydon Hall wedding of Jennifer + Jarvis above as well as their full wedding slideshow below!

If you have the password, you can check out the full wedding gallery here!

You can also check out the University of Toronto engagement session I did with Jennifer + Jarvis last summer!

Toronto Backyard Wedding

Geraldine + Raphael

Well, it’s been a while but I’m happy to say I’ve got some weddings to blog again!

First up is Geraldine & Raphael’s lovely, intimate backyard wedding in Toronto.

I started the day with Geraldine and the girls at an AirBnb in midtown with the girls getting hair and make up as well as some bridal portraits.

Then it was off to a lovely Catholic wedding ceremony at St. Basils Catholic Parish in downtown Toronto. After the ceremony we managed to just dodge the rain to get some family pictures done and then we headed off to the University of Toronto for wedding portraits with just Geraldine & Raphael… where we did NOT manage to dodge the rain but still made the best of it!

So originally Geraldine & Raphael had a big wedding planned with a reception at Fantasy Farm in Toronto’s east end but of course COVID 19 had other plans so instead they had a very intimate, and very nice, backyard wedding reception under a tent catered by some of their favourite local Toronto restaurants.

The highlight of the night was a surprise piñata in the shape of giraffe (GERaldine + RAFael… get it? Get it?) and the flower girls VERY enthusiastic destruction of said piñata :)

Check out some of my favourite wedding pictures above as well as the full wedding slideshow below!

If you have the password to view their full gallery of wedding pictures, you can access them here.

Argonaut Rowing Club Wedding

Huong + Aaron

People always ask me what my best wedding story is. Usually it’s the time the reception venue had a fire and we had to relocate the reception to the church basement.

Going along with a theme, this is the wedding where my car caught on fire. On the Gardiner Expressway. In the middle of the wedding. On the plus side, I’ve got a really nice new car!

But the day started really great. Honestly.

Huong + Aaron began their day getting ready at Aaron’s fathers beautiful home. I love when couples throw out traditions out the window. Once everyone was ready, they had a really lovely first look in the backyard by the pool. First looks can be a great idea to help smooth out a wedding day timeline and the nerves of the couple. :)

From there we headed off to their church ceremony at the stunning St Gabriel’s Parish in North York. I absolutely love this church, it’s so different than 99% of the churches out there. Clean, modern lines and tons of natural light… A photographers dream. The wedding ceremony featured some beautiful readings, a great singer and some great moments as Huong + Aaron exchanged their vows, rings and a kiss.

We hung out the church for a while, getting some family portraits done and then it was off to the Argonout Rowing Club for the reception… and that’s when my day went HORRIBLY WRONG. :)

Luckily Huong + Aaron’s wedding had a nice break built into the afternoon, plenty of time to wait for the firetruck, get my SUV towed to a dealership and then Uber it over to the reception. Technically, I was only 2 minutes late.

Cocktails and the wedding reception at the Argonaut Rowing Club was great. It’s a beautiful venue right on the waterfront in Toronto, a real rarity. The night featured TWO live bands, some great speeches and a beautiful sunset.

You can see some of my favourite wedding pictures up top and their full wedding slideshow below.

Before you leave make sure to check out some pictures from Huong + Aaron’s amazing Ottawa engagement session.

Glenerin Inn Wedding in Toronto

Cheri + Chris

Cheri and Chris had a beautiful friday summer wedding at the Glenerin Inn in Mississauga surrounded by their closest friends and family!

The is a beautiful historic building located near the University of Toronto Mississauga Campus (which is also beautiful and we visited for some wedding party portraits).

Cheri started the day in a stunning suite at the Glenerin having her hair and makeup done by the girls from the onsite spa. She was joined by her sister, mom and soon to be mother in law. Chris and his family were getting ready in the suite literally next door so it took a little juggling to make sure no one accidentally ran into each other.

Once we had some family pictures done we awaited the beginning of the ceremony. The smiles on Cheri + Chris’ face as they said their vows were contagious. Once the ceremony was over we packed up for the quick drive over to the U of T Mississauga campus for some portraits of the wedding party and the bride and groom.

Cheri + Chris decided to cut their cake at the beginning of the cocktail hour, something I’ve never seen but was a brilliant idea (mmmmm…. cake). The dinner was filled with some touching speeches and real moments of laughter.

Cheri and Chris decided to do an amazing waltz for their first dance… all the practicing really paid off!

The DJ was awesome and travelled all the way in from Sudbury after meeting Cheri and Chris at a resort in the Caribbean the year before!

Thanks again to Cheri + Chris for allowing me to be a part of their wedding day

You can see some of my favourite wedding photographs from their wedding above and the full wedding slideshow below.

If you have the super secret password, you can view their entire gallery over on my wedding proofing website.

Sassafraz Yorkville Toronto Wedding

Heather + Shay

It's not often that someone can steal the show from the bride at a wedding (and get away with it!) but when you're the couples adorable son... it's allowed.  Check out this great Toronto portrait family session we did this spring!

I love a restaurant wedding... there's something really nice about the the casual, laid back vibe it seems to automatically impart to a wedding.   Add into that a Jewish wedding ceremony (fast becoming my favourite kind of weddings!) and you have a recipe for an amazing day!

Heather and Shay spent the morning hanging out in their amazing suite at the Four Seasons in Toronto's Yorkville neighbourhood.   I love shooting in those suites as they provide a great backdrop for the getting ready pictures.  Plus I'm a sucker for luxury. :)   Shay and Heather were a little unconventional and spent the morning hanging out together which I have to say was a great idea...  I think it helps manage the nerves and excitement in the morning.

We snuck down to the a beautiful staircase in the lobby of the Four Seasons hotel for their first look and then toured around Yorkville grabbing some great wedding portraits.  We met up with all the family a little early at Sassafraz Restaurant before the wedding ceremony for some family pictures.

The Jewish wedding ceremony was great, officiated by one of my favourite Rabbi's with a great cocktail hour following. 

Dinner was a relaxed, low key affair with only a few speeches and lots of time for mingling and conversations.   Shay and Heather opened up the dance floor with their first dance and from there the dance floor was packed for the rest of the night thanks to Tiffany from Bounce Entertainment!

A big thanks to the team from Heidi Gruenspan for doing an amazing job planning this wedding!

 

Toronto Fermenting Cellar Wedding

Meghan + Jeff

Meghan and Jeff had an amazing spring wedding at the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto's Distillery District.

Meghan, her sister and her mother spent the morning getting ready at One King West.  One King West has stunning suites that are the perfect place to spend the day.   I met up with Jeff and his best man at the Fermenting Cellar to photograph the finishing touches as they got ready.

Meghan and Jeff decided to have a first look which I always think is a great idea as it allows the bride and groom to spend time with their friends and family after the ceremony instead of running off to do pictures for an hour.   

While we were doing some family pictures Meghan was dive-bombed by a bird.  Meghan HATES HATES HATES birds.   :)

Meghan + Jeff had a really beautiful candlelit ceremony in the Fermenting Cellar that was full of laughter and emotions followed by a cocktail hour with some amazing appetizers. 

The Fermenting Cellar is one of my favourite wedding venues in all of Toronto... I love the dramatic uplighting, the industrial feel and the great layout.  I can't recomend it enough if you're looking for something a little different from your traditional wedding venue in Toronto. 

Dinner was intermixed with some amazing speeches and toasts by Meghan + Jeff's family and friends.   They had a great kissing game where guests had to answer (impossibly hard) trivia questions about Meghan + Jeff's favourite TV couple.... seriously hard questions.  

Once the cake was cut and the desert was served, it was time to hit the dance floor and Meghan + Jeff's wedding was an amazing fun party.

You can check out some of my favourite wedding pictures from Meghan + Jeff's wedding at the Fermenting Cellar above and their full wedding slideshow below.

You can also check out some other weddings I've photographed at the Fermenting Cellar:

Danni + Felipe
Renee + Ian

Some Personal Work

Toronto Architecture Photography

Don't get me wrong, I love photographing weddings.   But sometimes it's nice to shoot something... different.

And I can't get much different than shooting architecture in Toronto's downtown.  I've always been drawn to this style of photography and really enjoy when I can get away for a couple hours and just roam the streets and alleys looking for a unique angle.   One day, maybe I'll make it to Hong Kong to shoot which would be my idea of heaven.  :)