Celebrating Every Father of the Bride

This post is for every father of the bride who walks down the aisle with his daughter. Over the years, our Toronto wedding photographers have witnessed many tender moments between Brides and their Dads. Those few minutes before the ceremony are often the sweetest. Both Bride and Dad are nervous. Each offers up encouraging words to the other. Sometimes they’ll tease each other and laugh with nervous anticipation. When the walk starts down the aisle, some Dads fight back tears, others straighten up and honour their daughters by walking tall.

The other day we photographed a lovely winter wedding at the beautiful and historic St. Paul’s Anglican Church on Bloor Street just east of Yonge Street. A light dusting of snow started to fall just as the limo carrying Melinda and her attendants arrived at the church. Melinda had arranged to dress in her gown at the church. She stepped out of the limo wearing her regular clothes including a lovely white coat and a pair of saucy red leather gloves.

A half hour later she and the girls were ready for the ceremony. As you can see from the photos below, Melinda was beaming with excitement.

One of our photographers photographed Melinda as she made her way along the corridor and up the stairs to the church. Our other photographer was ready to photograph her Dad when he saw his daughter for the first time in her gown. Look at the love and pride in his expression in the moment we captured. Can you feel the joy? Only a few minutes passed before the large wooden doors opened. In that time we photographed several other touching moments – a private joke, a sweet kiss and holding hands. This father of the bride couldn’t stop smiling. We felt honoured to be included in these moments.

After the ceremony, everyone headed off to the Canadian Forces College. The reception was held in the Officers Mess, a stately mansion built in 1918 and designed by the architect who designed Casa Loma.

Toronto Wedding Photographers at Graydon Hall Manor

Graydon Hall Manor is a stunning Toronto wedding venue at any time of the year. Toronto wedding photographers love shooting there. The historic house is gorgeous, with great inside and outside areas, lovely details and beautiful gardens. But last Saturday, the day after the blockbuster Toronto snow storm, Graydon Hall Manor was even more amazing and romantic.

The grounds were blanketed with lovely deep snow. The light being reflected off the snow and coming through the tall windows had crystal like qualities. A real treat for our Toronto wedding photographers who are known for working beautifully with light. Inside, light danced around, leaving reflections and burst of light in the photographs.What fun to photograph Diana’s personal items like her gorgeous beaded and ribboned belt and to see magical spheres of light in the background

Diana and Michael, the bride and groom, created a loving and welcoming environment for their guests. Diana chose a sky blue colour theme that matched perfectly the outdoor winter blue palette. Yet, the warm light pouring in through the windows cast a soft yellow glow throughout the interior. Sweet details, like a seat left empty in a the chapel for grandparents no longer living, and soft blue shawls for guests to use to ward off the cold, imprinted Diana’s style and sensitivity on the wedding.

Their wedding cake was charming and told the story of how they got engaged! The cake topper was in two parts: a man fishing and a woman reaching for the ring at the end of the fishing line. Guess what they were doing when the proposal happened. If you guessed fishing, you are right! Details like the lace on the wedding cake, and the bride and groom’s initials on the take away smarties helped to further personalize the wedding. Well done Diana and Michael!

Toronto Wedding Photographers at Casa Loma

Our Toronto wedding photographers had a wonderful time photographing at Casa Loma, one of the open houses hosted by the Pegasus Hospitality Group of Toronto during January. The Pegasus Hospitality Group also manages Toronto’s Palais Royale Ballroom and The Grande Luxe Event Boutique. We were the only Toronto wedding photography company invited to showcase our work.

We have photographed many weddings at Casa Loma and love the “Downton Abbey” backdrop. Brides always look gorgeous against the rich decor of the castle. Outside, beautiful gardens and fountains are a great backdrop for family photos. Toronto wedding photographers love shooting at Casa Loma since there are so many interesting architectural elements.

Casa Loma is Toronto’s most unusual building. It was built by industrialist Sir Henry Pellatt as a private home (imagine being that rich). Work started in 1911, but WWI halted construction, and then the depression that followed bankrupted Sir Henry Pellatt. He only lived in the castle for a decade. He sold the castle in 1923 and auctioned off its contents. Today, Casa Loma is run by the City of Toronto.

The Pegasus Hospitality Group manages events at Casa Loma. The company gives clients excellent service and employs some of the finest chefs in the city (if you were at the open house you would know what I mean). If the theme of your wedding is elegance and luxury, you might want to take a look at Casa Loma and speak with the Pegasus Hospitality Group. I hope you enjoy looking at the photographs below.

Girlfriends Jumping for JOY for Toronto wedding photographers!

Girlfriends. Always there, no matter what! Our Toronto wedding photographers had the great pleasure of working with Kathlyn and her amazing wedding party. We photographed big smiles, joyful interactions, and quiet happiness all day – at Kathlyn’s house, during the ceremony, in the Liberty Village area of downtown Toronto where the photos below were taken, and later, at the reception at the wonderful and eclectic SCHOOL Restaurant. It makes our job as Toronto wedding photographers easy when love abounds. After all, the camera only captures what’s there!

We love that painted wall. What a great backdrop. We remember when Liberty Village was a factory area that produced a variety of things. The Barrymore furniture factory was located there. Over time, the area became grungy, and, as manufacturing stopped, those empty warehouses started to fill with artists, film makers and other people working in the creative arts. Now, the area has become a vibrant community. Tens of thousands of people live in the many condos that have sprung up. They have exciting choices in restaurants, entertainment, galleries, and lifestyles.

You can explore Liberty Village during Jane’s Walk in May. The annual event is named after renowned Toronto urban planning thinker and writer Jane Jacobs. It first began in Toronto in 2007 following Jacobs’ death and has since spread to 85 cities in 19 countries. The event gives people a chance to explore and learn about neighbourhoods, and talk about what people can do to make a city more livable.  About 5,000 tour leaders and participants hit Toronto’s streets and one of those tours was in Liberty Village.

If you are looking for a great location for engagement or wedding photos, you might want to check out Liberty village. As Toronto wedding photographers we love working there. Permits are not required as the area is public, so there is no fee. Definitely worth checking out if you want a historical look to your photos.

Toronto Wedding Photographers at Kariya Park in Mississauga

The 2012 wedding season had the craziest weather. The summer was brutally hot and then autumn came quickly with a big chill. For us, as Toronto wedding photographers, the weather is an incidental factor – if it rains we bring umbrellas, if it’s cold we grab jackets. But, for the brides, grooms, attendants and groomsmen, the 2012 weather was a challenge. This year, our grooms and groomsmen in tuxedos coped with unbelievable heat during outdoor ceremonies and during photo shoots. We encouraged the guys to take off their jackets as often as possible to try and cool down. As soon as the weather turned cold, our brides and attendants had to find creative, attractive and sometimes cute solutions to staying warm.

At a recent wedding we witnessed some very tender moments between Brian and Xiu as they navigated the bitter cold temperatures during pre-ceremony wedding photography at Kariya Park in Mississauga. Kariya Park is a hidden gem, a peaceful Japanese garden with mature trees, a beautiful wooden arched bridge over a pond with ducks, and lovely architecture. Even www.tripadvisor.com, the online travel site, recommends the park. Kariya Park would be a wonderful photography location in the summer since the large trees would provide cooling shade, but on Brian and Xiu’s autumn wedding day the temperature had plunged and the garden was cold.

As you can see from the photos below, Xiu brought a lovely white leather jacket to wear over her bridal gown, that Brian helped her put on, and a bright red thick woolen blanket. The blanket made the rounds – anyone who was cold “borrowed” it for a minute or two. 

Who Needs Wedding Cake at a Toronto Wedding?

We love to eat wedding cake. Really we do. But every once in a while a bride takes a pass on a wedding cake and chooses another way to sweeten the wedding day. That happened recently at a wedding we photographed at the beautiful Celestin Restaurant on Mount Pleasant Road in Toronto. We had the pleasure of both photographing and sampling the delicious desserts. Toronto wedding photography sure is tasty!

Beautiful Bride at the McLean House, Estates of Sunnybrook

We shoot a lot the at the McLean House, which is a lovely Toronto wedding venue for intimate weddings, and a great place for Toronto wedding photography. The McLean House is an historic building and one of three venues at the gorgeous Estates of Sunnybrook.

The suite of rooms where brides and attendents get ready overlooks the lush garden at the back of the house, and the spot where the wedding service takes place.

At a recent wedding, we photographed Katherine as she looked out into the garden. The autumn light coming through the window was soft and luminous. We took advantage of the light and of the quiet moment, and the results are wonderful. Katherine looks serene, confident and radiantly beautiful. Later we moved to another room on the second floor of the McLean House and created some more lovely shots.

We pride ourselves on our ability to elevate wedding photography to this level. Since we are graduates of the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto, we see ourselves first as practicing artists. Our creative style is one of pictoral intimacy and beauty that will withstand the test of time. We combine our portraiture with our editorial style photography for a holistic record of the wedding day. Beauty and joy (playfulness) is the combination we strive for.

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