Best of 2017 Wedding Photography

Before we do anything else I want to give a huge thank you to all my couples in 2017... It's really an honour that you place your trust in me to capture one of the most important days in your life.  You welcome me into your homes (and hotel suites) with open arms and truly make me feel like one of the family.  I hope you love the moments I've captured for generations to come!

It was so tough going through all these wedding photographs and trying to chose my favourites.  One thing I really noticed is how different the weddings all were... everything from intimate gatherings at the amazing Langdon Hall, backyard weddings in Barrie and some amazing weddings at venues around downtown Toronto.  I also got to shoot at a bunch of different wedding venues I've never worked at before which is always great!

I'm already looking forward to a great 2018!
 

Milton Ontario Engagement

Here's a recent pre-wedding engagement session I did with Sarah + Rob at the Kelso Conservation Area in Milton, Ontario!

We were hoping for a shoot up at their cottage but just couldn't get the dates to work so Sarah thought the conservation area would be great instead... and she was right!

These two are getting married next spring at Whistlebear Golf Course in Cambridge, Ontario!

One from the Portfolio...

This is the second part in a continuing series called 'One from the Portfolio' where I explain a little of the background of some of my favourite wedding photographs.  

You can see the first image in the series here.

I love this image is from Lisa + Greg's wedding at Whistle Bear Golf Club.  

I was photographing the wedding party and looking for something a little different and decided to put them all up on a nearby ridge (I think the chip & putt was on the other side).  

I had taken a few frames and was just about to wrap things up when their flower girl (and their daughter!) decided she had had enough and walked down the hill towards me.  Never one to give up on a shot, I kept shooting and wound up with this image that was way better than the ones with everyone up on the ridge.  

I love the flower girls expression and the fact that the picture is about her now and the wedding party is out of focus and is just a supporting element in the picture.

A year in review....

As we begin 2016 I thought it might be nice to take a look back at how great 2015 was!

I had a bunch of amazing couples and weddings at some of the best wedding venues in Toronto and Ontario including Fermenting Cellar, Hessenland Country Inn, Bruce Hotel, One King West, Liberty Grand, Waterloo Region Museum, One King West (again!) The Tannery, Copper Creek Golf Course, The Stirling Room, 99 Sudbury, Ancaster Mill, Federation Hall and WhistleBear Golf Course as well as weddings across ontario including Tobermory and Windsor.

Now, usually I do a slideshow for these year end posts but this year I thought I'd try something different and post 10 of my favourite images.  Wow... it was way tougher to pick 10 than I thought.   So many great moments from the year but I finally managed to whittle it down to my favourite 10 (in no particular order!)

I love this portrait from Josh + Paul's wedding at the Bruce Hotel in Stratford, Ontario.

The best light is always around sunset (or sunrise... but that's not happening!) so I always try to sneak my couples out for a quick portrait session to take advantage.  

To me this image feels really natural, not forced at all... which is exactly how I like to work.  I put the people in the nice light and then let things happen!

I really like this photograph from Spencer + Jonas' wedding at the Stirling Room in Toronto's Distillery District.

During the wedding ceremony, they had something called a 'ring warming' where the two wedding rings were passed around to all the guests before they said their vows.

Having shot over 300 weddings, it was nice to see something new and unique!

For me, a great moment will always trump a great portrait but there is something about this photograph of the wedding party from Emilie + John's wedding at 99 Sudbury in Toronto that I really like.

I think it has that timelessness and elegance to it, something I'm always striving to achieve!

Plus, I photographed it vertically so that makes it pretty rare for me.  :)

I'm always looking for a different angle when I photograph a wedding.  It's a hazard of the job that you're essentially photographing the same events week after week so you have to keep looking for new ways to see things!

This picture is from Rebecca + John's wedding up at the Hessenland County Inn in Ontario on the shores of Lake Huron.

Here's another one from Rebecca + Jeff's wedding at the Hessenland Country Inn (what can I say, it was  great wedding!)

I like everything about this picture... the look on Rebecca's father's face as he dances with his daughter... the guests looking on in the background... the contrast  of tones between the subjects in the foreground and the warmth in the background.

This wedding photograph is from Jennifer and Alex's wedding in Toronto.

The speeches during the reception were really great, and really emotional.  

Somewhat surprisingly, this image was captured as the best man was giving his speech and talking about how Alex and him had a bond closer than brothers.   This really touched Jennifer and I managed to capture this just as she wiped away the tears.

 

This image is from Andrea + Chris' wedding at One King West.

I love the connection they have as Chris listens to Andrea's speech.

This is a portrait from Joohee + Joel's wedding up in Tobermory. 

We had just finished the civil wedding ceremony, right on the water at Joel's mothers property, and paused for a few pictures. 

I love the colours in this picture, from the traditional Korean hanbok to the brilliant blue of the sky.

I love it when people are smiling in wedding photographs (I'll take happy crying as well) so obviously I love this picture from Kaylen and Roberts wedding this spring at Federation Hall in Waterloo.

You can see the joy on Kaylen's face as she enjoys their first dance during the wedding reception.

Photographers love the soft light of overcast days and golden hour sunsets.  Unfortunately, wedding portraits sometimes need to be made during the middle of the afternoon under harsh sunlight.

This was the case during Maria + Theo's wedding this fall in Toronto as we met for portraits near the Art Gallery of Ontario.

WhistleBear wedding Featured on The WeddingRing!

Just got word that Michelle + Mark's amazing wedding at the beautiful new WhistleBear Golf Course in Cambridge is up over on The Wedding Ring!

Follow the link to see my blog post of their WhistleBear wedding!

WhistleBear Wedding

Michelle + Mark's Wedding

Michelle and Mark had a beautiful wedding at the brand new (and I do mean new!) WhistleBear Golf course in Cambridge, Ontario.  The new clubhouse and facilities at Whistle Bear are simply stunning!

We started off the day with Michelle and the girls getting their hair and makeup done at Voila Salon in Waterloo and then headed to the hotel to finish things up.  From there it was on the Whistle Bear for a first look (such a great idea, check it out and more in my top 10 wedding tips!)and some portraits on the grounds and then a beautiful outdoor ceremony officiated by Trish from Kettle Creek Weddings who did an amazing job as always!

A few more quick portraits in the nice golden hour light and then it was off to a great reception in on of their brand new event spaces!

Check out some of my favourite wedding images in the gallery above and the full slideshow below!  You can also follow the link to see some of Michelle and Mark's Cambridge engagement pictures

---

• Wedding Dress  |  Sophie's Gown Shop
• Wedding Venue  |  WhistleBear Golf Course
• Wedding Officiant  |  Kettle Creek Weddings
• Bridesmaids Dress |  Valentina
• Wedding Flowers  |  Hearts and Flowers
• Menswear  |  Collins Formal Wear
• Hair & Makeup  |  Voila Salon & Spa

A Single Frame

Michelle + Mark's WhistleBear Wedding