Pickering Farm Wedding

Ailish + Evan

This wedding had it all: a beautiful farm, a bagpiper, gigantic bonfire, a food truck and an amazing group of family and friends.

Ailish and Even actually live up in Ottawa but chose to have their wedding in the small little village of CherryWood where Evan grew up. If I’m being honest, I’m a little jealous that Evan got to grow up in Cherrywood, it seems like an extremely close knit and fun place to live! How many places can you think of where your neighbour opens up their home to 150 people so you can have your wedding?

Hair and makeup happened at yet another generous neighbours house and was done by Glam Galz while Evan and his side got ready at his parents house just down the road. After a great first look and some family portraits we all headed over to the farm for the ceremony which was officiated by Lainie Madgison who did a great job keeping the ceremony light hearted and meaningful to Ailish + Evan.

Dinner was a really nice, casual affair with everyone ordering from We the Fork… I highly recommend the jerk chicken tacos. :)

Everyone had dinner and drinks while speeches from the parents, family and friends carried on. From there it was time to the light the bonfire (by flaming arrow!) and and get the dancing started on the barn stage with a little Whitney Houston’s ‘Dance with Somebody. From the first dance on, I don’t think the dance floor slowed down for the rest of the night!

Helping to put this entire amazing day together was Liz from Alfresco Wedding and Events.

The stunning florals and bouquets were by Euclid Farms.

You can see some of my favourite wedding images above and the full wedding slideshow below.

If you have the password to the full wedding gallery, you can view it here.

Toronto Restaurant Elopment

Kristina + Amin

Another first for me after hundreds of weddings… I got to be a witness at a wedding ceremony!

I joined Kristina + Amin for their intimate elopement at the restaurant Oretta King West in Toronto’s entertainment district for a lovely ceremony and some portraits around the neighbourhood after.

I make it all seem pretty simple and straightforward but there was a huge wrinkle… this was the day of the big Rogers blackout.

With no internet or the ability to call anyone I arrived in the area with no actual address and only a vague notion of where the restaurant was. I asked anyone and everyone I could find if they knew where Oretta King West was but struck out with even the taxi drivers! I finally got a traffic cop to Google it for me and arrived with 10 minutes to spare before the ceremony started!

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.

Happy Anniversary!

Danni + Felipe 

Can’t believe this wedding was 4 years ago, feels like yesterday!

Still one of my all time favourite weddings, it’s actually my current sample album.

Happy anniversary to these two (and their adorable daughter!).

This wedding was amazing.

Danni + Felipe met on the beaches of Australia and have been globetrotting ever since.   They currently live in British Columbia so it's always a bit of a worry when I haven't met a client before their wedding... needless to say this this wasn't problem.  Danni + Felipe, their family and their friends welcomed me with open arms and I felt like one of the gang!

The wedding started out at the fabulous Shangri-La Hotel in downtown Toronto with the guys and girls getting ready. Wendy Rorong did an amazing job with the makeup; giving all the girls a clean, natural look! We then headed over to Osgood Hall for an amazing first look and a few formal portraits of Danni + Felipe and their wedding party!

Over at the Fermenting Cellar the amazing wedding planner Alusha from A Lush Affair had put together a beautiful candle lit space for their wedding ceremony, which was partly in Spanish by Paula Da Nova in honour of Felipe's friends and family from Ecuador.  The flowers from the Coriander Girl looked great, especially the bouquet. 

Some good speeches, some good food and some great dancing (Helped out by DJ Lexx) rounded out the rest of the night!

I'd like to give a huge thanks to wedding photographer Nick Driver from Artanis Collective who did an amazing job second shooting!

You can check out my favourite wedding pictures above and the full wedding slideshow below.

If you have the password, you can see their full wedding gallery here.

• Wedding Venue | Fermenting Cellar

• Wedding Planner | A Lush Affair

• Second Shooter | Artanis Collective

• Hotel | Shangri-La Hotel

• Wedding Officiant | Paula Da Nova

• Disc Jockey | Lexx Decibel

• Wedding Dress | Romona Keveza

• Wedding Make Up | Wendy Rorong

• Wedding Flowers | Coriander Girl

• Wedding Cake | Dufflet Pastries

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.

Enoch Turner Schoolhouse Winter Wedding

Joelle + Mike

What a fantastic winter wedding Joelle and Mike had at the historic Enoch Turner Schoolhouse in downtown Toronto!

The weather gods were smiling on these two as it was a beautiful day for a winter wedding and we were only cold for about 20 minutes.

The day started at the beautiful historic King Edward Hotel in Toronto with the girls and the guys getting ready in separate suites. I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, that I love this arrangement for the morning. It simplifies and the schedule so much and lets everyone relax.

Although I will say Joelle and her girls had a WAY nicer room than the guys. :)

Joelle and Mike decided to have a first look which is always a great idea for winter weddings because we’re fighting that early sunset and if we can get pictures out of the way it makes life easier for everyone. After our first location for the first look was a bust we headed outside to do it in front of the hotel. From there we jumped in an Uber (the only way to travel downtown) and headed over to the Distillery District to my super-secret-no-permit-required-because-its-just-across-the-street shooting location. We hit a bit of a wind tunnel and this was honestly the only time we were cold all day!

From there we headed over to St Lawrence Market for some more pictures… this is actually where Mike proposed so it was great to visit somewhere that they had a connection to. Both families met up at Enoch Turner School house for some family pictures and then it was on the ceremony.

Following the ceremony (wedding flowers by Coriander Girl) Joelle and Mike went a little outside the box for dinner and had some amazing food stations for a cocktail like dinner. I usually get to eat pretty well but anytime you give me flank steak with bacon bit infused mashed potatoes I’m a very happy camper. Their caterer, En Ville, did an amazing job. The speeches followed dinner and were really great and touching.

Joelle and Mike took the dance floor for their first dance and were then followed by Mike’s grandparents doing a waltz before the dance floor opened up for the party!

Thanks again to Joelle and Mike (and their amazing friends and family!) for having me be a part of their special day.

You can see some of my favourite pictures above and the full wedding slideshow below.

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

One from the Portfolio...

I love this picture from Andrea + Chris' wedding at the Madsen's Greenhouse just outside of Toronto.

This picture comes to us from very late in the night... obviously.  :)   It definitely wouldn't be considered a traditional wedding picture but no one has ever accused me of being a traditional wedding photographer.

From the very first wedding I ever photographed I've always offered full day coverage... everything from getting ready in the morning to the party late into the night.  (You can check out my full wedding pricing here)

Why?

Because I think the entire wedding is important and deserves to be photographed.  Not just the stuff that happens for the 6 or 8 hours your wedding photographer is there.   Weddings are more than just cool pictures on a mountain top or in a farmers field (those are cool too though!)

I love the joy in this picture.  Everyone's obviously having a good time. But there's another reason I love this picture that isn't obvious... in addition to Andrea + Chris there are 3 of my past wedding clients in this picture.   I've photographed enough weddings with this group that I'm starting to feel like family.  :)

And the fact that they all loved their wedding pictures so much that they kept referring me is an honour I don't take lightly. 

If you're getting married and all this sounds good to you, head over to my contact page  or shoot me an email at scott@scottwilliamsphotographer.com and lets create some amazing photographs for you!

You can see Andrea + Chris' Madsen Greenhouse wedding here!

You can see Sherry + Johnathan's Toronto wedding here!

You can see Haidie + Martin's Estates of Sunnybrook wedding here!

You can see Alex + Dan's wedding at the Eglinton Grand here!

One from the portfolio....

Picking up with an idea I got started with last year and then got busy... you know how it is!

Anyways, I'm going to try and continue my series of 'One from the portfolio...' where I take one of my favourite images from my main wedding portfolio and talk a little about the wedding and how I captured the image.

This week, I'm going all the way back to 2014 and Renee and Ian's amazing spring wedding at the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto's Distillery District.   This wedding, like most I shoot at the Fermenting Cellar for some reason, is one of my all time favourite weddings!  The entire wedding from start to finish was near perfect... great group of people, beautiful venue and a great party late into the night!

For this wedding photograph, Renee and Ian were just finishing up their first dance when Ian went for a dramatic dip and kiss at the end of song.   Luckily, he picked the spot where I had my off camera flashes dialled in just perfectly!

The Fermenting Cellar is one of those wedding venues I hear other photographers complain about all the time... it's too dark, there's no white ceiling to bounce their flash off of etc etc... Personally, I love it.  I'm very comfortable using off camera flash so the lack of white ceilings and the low light levels don't phase me at all.

I love the moment captured in this image as well as the pop of colour from the candles and the purple uplighting.

You can see the wedding album I designed for Renee + Ian here.

You can see Renee + Ian's wedding featured on WeddingBells magazine here.