Hart House Wedding

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Linda + Andrew



Linda + Andrew didn't choose Hart House on the University of Toronto campus because it looks cool (it does).  Or because of the how good the food and service are (they're great!).

They actually met on the campus as teenagers attending a summer camp and Andrew later attending for engineering so the entire campus holds a special place in their hearts.

And as luck would have it, I chose the exact spot where Andrew proposed for their first look... I swear I didn't know!

We made great use of the campus for portraits, since they're was no wedding party we were able to move quickly getting lots of great pictures!

Linda and Andrew then held a traditional Chinese tea ceremony for their relatives quickly followed by a western wedding ceremony held outdoors in the Quad at Hart House.

The wedding ceremony was held outdoors in the courtyard of Hart House.

I had a great time during cocktail hour as the DJ played movie themes trying to guess which one it was... it's not as easy as you think without the visuals in front of you!

We got lots of great family pictures and everyone had a chance to sample the amazing appetizers and enjoy a cocktail as the sun began to set.

Linda and Andrew entered their wedding reception and performed a beautifully choreographed first dance for all their guests!

The dinner itself was really relaxed with only a few speeches which gave Linda and Andrew plenty of time mingle and socialize with all their guests.  Too often at a modern, hectic wedding this can get overlooked.

One of the best moments during the reception was when Andrew flexed his singing muscles and serenaded Linda with a song.

Once the dance floor was open the DJ did a great job of getting everyone up and moving and keeping them on the dance floor... which of course makes my job easier.  :)

You can check out some of my favourite wedding images above and their full wedding slideshow below!

Ontario Backyard Wedding

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Kristin & Adam

As a wedding photographer every year there is one date that you get inquiry after inquiry for once you're already booked.  And this year it was for Kristin and Adam's wedding day.   Thank god their wedding was truly amazing, one of my favourite weddings in years.

Planning a wedding is never easy.  Planning a wedding in your own backyard for 150 people while you have careers and a young family is one hell of a challenge... but I have to say that Kristin & Adam pulled it of amazingly well. 

It was a really relaxed morning hanging out with the girls and then the guys as they all got ready for pictures and the ceremony.   

The first look took place on Adam's stepfathers's dock overlooking Lake Simcoe.  Such a beautiful spot for this!   Afterwords we headed over to a nearby abandoned building and forest for some pictures with the family and bridal party.

The wedding ceremony took place in their backyard under one of the most beautiful old trees I've ever seen.  I seriously would have bought that house just for the tree.

Their little boy and girl did an amazing job and ring bearer and flower girl before Kristin walked down the aisle on the arm of her father for their wedding ceremony that was standing room only.

The ceremony featured lot's of smiles, laughter and great moments but one of the most touching moments during the ceremony was when Adam's grandfather gave a traditional blessing.

One of the great benefits of having a backyard wedding is you get to do whatever you want... including heading straight to the bar after the ceremony for a first drink as a married couple.  The other thing you get to do is have taco's for dinner.  That's right, I said taco's for dinner.   Take that prime rib.  :)

The cocktail hour and the rest of the night was really relaxed with speeches and dancing throughout the night.  I loved how Kristin and Adam just gathered everyone around them at the bar and gave their speech outside under the stars.

And of course, they had a Smoke's Poutinerie truck pull up in their driveway for some late night munchies. 

You can check out some of my favourite photographs above and their full wedding slideshow below.

 

Markham Museum Wedding

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Jennifer + Andrew


Jennifer + Andrew threw one hell of a party for their wedding at the Markham Museum a couple weeks ago and I was thrilled to be there to photograph it all.

And hats off to these two, planning an entire wedding from 3000 miles away in Alberta and pulling it off perfectly!

After everyone spent the morning getting ready, we all met up at the Markham Museum.  I had never been to the Markham Museum but I was really impressed with the historic buildings and beautiful setting was great for portraits of the family and wedding party.

Dodging the sudden downbursts we get their first look out of the way amongst the historical buildings of the museum and then gathered the family and wedding party for some portraits.  

The outdoor ceremony was touch and go for a while there with threatening rain clouds but they held off and we had a beautiful outdoor wedding ceremony!

Jennifer + Andrew were lucky enough to have some friends sing and perform during the ceremony, they did an amazing job!

The dinner was in intimate family style affair under canvas that featured some really amazing and heartfelt speeches and a tennis ball autographed Genie Bouchard....still not sure I 100% believe that one.  :)  

After their first dance everyone, and i mean EVERYONE, hit the dance floor for a great party.

I've posted some of my favourite wedding images above and you can check out the full slideshow below!

You can also check out their engagement pictures that we did at the Markham Museum here.

Intimate Langdon Hall Wedding

Teresa + Robert

Teresa and Robert were joined by about 30 of their closest family and friends for an intimate wedding at Langdon Hall just outside of Cambridge, Ontario.

Robert spent a relaxed morning with a swim and a round of tennis,  taking full advantage of all the amenities Langdon Hall has to offer!

Teresa and their daughters spent the morning in the beautiful bridal suite having their hair and make up done.

Teresa and Robert opted to have a first look and used the beautiful new Summer House attached to the Firshade Room.  I really loved Robert's reaction to seeing Teresa in her dress for the first time!   

We took some time for some portraits of the happy couple and then it was off to the outdoor ceremony which took place in the old orchard and featured a string quartet, a very talented soloist and several really touching readings.   As soon as the ceremony was over and Robert + Teresa danced their way down the aisle everyone headed to the Orchard Room terrace for cocktails and canapés while we took a few family photos.

Dinner at Langdon Hall is always amazing and of course this meal was no exception.  Teresa and Roberts daughters both gave really moving toasts followed by the couple themselves.   The beauty of a smaller intimate wedding like this one is you have so much more time to interact and spend time with your guests. 

After dinner Teresa and Robert kicked off the dancing with their first dance and then everyone joined in for some fun!

You can check out some of my favourite photographs from their wedding above as well as the full wedding slideshow below!

Toronto Beaches Engagement Pictures

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Cindy + Enrico

Had a great evening hanging out with Cindy + Enrico for their engagement pictures in Toronto.

They turned me on to what might be new favourite location in Toronto for pictures, the R.C. Harris Water Treatment plant in the Beaches neighbourhood in Toronto's east end.  It has waterfront, beaches, classic architecture, open spaces...  It's really great!

Cindy and Enrico (both former actors) were absolute naturals in front of the camera to the point that sometimes they seemed to forget I was even there and were having fun in their own little world.  

I'm super excited to be photographing their wedding in a couple weeks at Archeo in the Distillery District in Toronto. 

Markham Engagement Photography

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Jennifer + Andrew

Had a great evening with Jennifer and Andrew (except for the drive in... 3 hours on what should ave been 90 minutes... thanks Toronto!) just before Canada day for their engagement pictures!  

They are getting married at the Markham Museum and since Jennifer is from Markham originally they thought it would be nice to do their engagement pictures there as well!  These two actually live out in Edmonton where Andrew is finishing his surgical residency so we had never actually met before this shoot.  

It's really stressful trying to plan a wedding long distance so I think it was great that we all got to meet before their wedding!

You can check out a few of my favourite images from their engagement session above and if you have the password, you can view the entire engagement gallery at this link.

 

Heirloom Wedding Photograph

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Danielle + Felipe   |   Fermenting Cellar 

Here is another wedding photograph from my ongoing series called Heirloom Photographs where I ask couples to choose their favourite wedding photograph and let us know why it's so important to them.  

This wedding photograph is from Dannielle + Felipe's amazing Toronto wedding at the Fermenting Cellar in the Distillery District.

Here it is in Danni's own words....

"Everyone tells you, leading up to your wedding day, to savour every moment because the day goes by so fast. I believed them, but couldn't believe how true that was until the day. This moment was captured by Scott as we were leaving the hotel and heading to the reveal location, probably the haziest moment of the day for me. There was so much adrenaline running through my body at this point - anticipating seeing the man I was going to be calling my husband later that day for the first time. As much as I was trying to savour this moment, the final minutes with my most loving and supportive girl gang before being in the arms of my best friend, I can honestly say I don't remember a lot of it. I was so awestruck when I saw this image of my Mom and I, truly happy, just staring into each other's eyes. This picture completely encapsulates our relationship. Besides my husband, my Mom is my best friend, and in this photograph you can really see the love and bond we share. I will cherish this image for the rest of my life and I thank Scott for capturing so many moments like these that say so much in one single frame." 

Guild Inn Estate Wedding

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Helen + Nelson

Helen & Nelson had an amazing wedding at the Guild Inn Estate... even with pouring rain and  another wedding party crashing our picture location!  The Guild Inn Estate is a fantastic new wedding venue opening up in Toronto (The official grand opening isn't even for a couple weeks!)

We started the day at the Delta Hotel in Scarborough with some hair and make up and then the guys came over for some door games followed by a traditional Chinese tea ceremony.  We finished up at the Delta Hotel with a first look with Helen in her wedding dress and then we headed off to the Guild Inn Estate for some pictures and the ceremony.

Even though the Guild Inn Estate was still putting the finishing touches on their construction, Helen + Nelson wedding looked (and ran) amazing in good part thanks to their amazing wedding planner Rainbow Chan.   I can't say enough good things about the job she did with this wedding.

Along with speeches and fantastic food, the guests were also treated to a fantastic performance by some traditional Chinese dragon dancers!  Once all the formal stuff was taken care of it was time for some dancing, photoboothing (that's a word now) and amazing late night station.... the fastest way to my heart is with poutine and sliders. :)

A huge thanks to my good friend Sam Wong of Artanis Collective for doing an amazing job second shooting this wedding. It's always great working with talented second photographers!

You can see some of my favourite images above and their full wedding slideshow below!

If you have the password, you can also check out their full wedding gallery here. 

You can also see Helen + Nelson's engagement pictures we did at the Evergreen Brickworks.