He wasn’t sure if he should do it.  Something inside of him knew that this new girl he had just met on his volleyball team would be perfect for his best friend Daniel, but should he try and introduce them to each other?  After all, him and Daniel had a good thing going on, and the additional of a new girlfriend could mean less ‘guy time’ and a whole lot of other changes.  Corey decided he would show Daniel her picture first and see how it goes from there, and that’s when the Facebook stalking began

She wasn’t sure if she should do it.  A guy she barely knew from her volleyball team approaches her and says there’s a guy he wants her to meet, essentially a stranger wanting to introduce her to another stranger.  Astra blindly trusted Corey and decided to meet Daniel, and that must’ve been the best decision she ever made.  Although Corey would like to take full credit for this perfect match, Astra likes to think a little luck and good humour helped along the way

I’d like to coin Astra as our multi-tasking bride.  Upon arriving to her bridal suite at the Holiday Inn Yorkdale, I saw her busily writing Thank-You cards for all the vendors, so sweet!  Then as she was getting dressed, maid of honour Deb was working on the criss-cross back detail while Astra was helping the groomsmen tie their full windsor knot ties.  I find the groom’s room is always a lot calmer, they were even able to sneak in a drink to calm the nerves before the ‘reveal’.

The ceremony and reception was held at the Columbus Center, I love how unique this venue is!  It has a manicured courtyard which allowed us to do some quick bridal party shots outdoors despite the chilly winds, and the inside is adorned with lots of art and windows letting in natural light.  Astra and Daniel also spent a lot of effort hand crafting beautiful little details such as the paper flowers around each napkin.  The theme for the table settings was “bargain hunting” which is one of Astra’s favourite things to do in her spare time away from being a doctor.  Congratulations Astra & Daniel, and Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms, Grandma’s and Great-Grandma’s out there tomorrow

Details:
Hotel: Holiday Inn Yorkdale
Hair and Make-Up: Melissa Burman from MELIS
Flowers: Fran Sackler Floral Designs
DJ: Brad from Skip a Beat Entertainment
Officiant: Jeremy Citron
Wedding Cake: I Do! Wedding Cakes
Macaron Favours: The Sweet Escape Patisserie
Ceremony and Reception: The Columbus Center

This is one of the quickest turnaround on a blog post ever! Partly because we’ve been itching to get some new content up due to the slower winter season, and also because I sorta slid down a hill and fell on my bum in front of these two so posting photos asap is my way of redemption from that embarrassing stunt!

To say that we were excited for this shoot after 2 months of downtime is an understatement, but we were even more stoked when Candy and Fraser stepped out in their amazing attire. Hair and makeup was done by the highly sought after Satine Yang (I can’t wait to work with you again this season!)

Candy and Fraser knew of each other since highschool but it wasn’t until 3 years ago that their love story began. When I asked Candy “how did Fraser ask you out in the beginning?” she laughed and said “through an e-mail, can you believe it?”. Well I guess that first date on the beach must’ve went well because these two will be tying the knot at Liberty Grand this June . Special thanks to my friend Teresa in Hong Kong (who will be part of Candy’s bridal party) for sending this lovely couple our way. Without further ado, here are Candy and Fraser’s pre-wedding photos…

There are two themes we often see in romantic movies that is true for Janice and Terry’s relationship.  First, it was love at first sight.  Second, they are a couple that was brought together by “pure fate” as described by Terry.  We hear of love stories that begin through meeting at the workplace, or being introduced to one another through mutual friends, but Janice and Terry are two complete strangers who fell in love.  Terry was doing some shopping downtown and entered into the store that Janice was managing, he knew there was something special about her right away and shortly after they started dating he was already asking himself if this is the girl he will marry someday   Their friends describe them as two people who make each other better and happier individuals, who never seeks to change the other person and has a heart of gold.

We really lucked out with a gorgeous warm day with bright blue skies in Winter. The day started at Janice and Terry’s home, which I was told had been completely remodeled on the inside.  A little nice perk of being wedding photographers is that we often get invited inside people’s homes, and we’ve seen some novel decor ideas and really unique living spaces.  In this case, I loved their kitchen so much that it left me asking Janice for her contractors’ contacts!  The talented Maggie Ng was hard at work on Janice’s hair and make-up, and she really did look so stunning that a child we passed by on the street shouted “Daddy, look at the princess!”

Before heading to the ceremony, we stopped by at a unique spot for some quick park photos, and continued the bridal party shots afterwards at the Mel Lastman Square skating rink and Toronto Center of the Arts.  The reception at Mezza Notte was intimate and filled with entertainment from some very enthusiastic performers, one of which I noticed will be on Canada’s Got Talent because I spotted her on the show’s preview on TV   We will definitely be routing for her because she has an amazing voice!

Congratulations Janice and Terry on your special day, and Thank-You Lauren and Diego for your referral!

Venue: Mezza Notte
Makeup & Hair: Maggie Ng
Ceremony: North York Civic Center

Riding motorcycles and attending track meets is one of Diego’s favourite hobbies, and Lauren has always been supportive of his sport.  However, when a girl volunteers to go with her man to a track meet which required camping out in a tent under the pouring rain, on one of those days that even his buddies would bail, you know it’s True Love.  Lauren earned a special spot on Diego’s ride after that outing  It’s funny how us girls like to leave little mementos on our other half’s vehicles.  For me, it was a fluffy yellow plush bunny dangling near the dashboard of Derrick’s Honda Civic.  For Lauren, it was a heart shaped sticker on Diego’s motorcycle.  I guess it’s just our way of telling the world “he’s mine”.

Lauren and the ladies got ready at the Homewood Suites by Hilton (Hwy 7 and 400), located fairly close by to Hazleton Manor.  When we first arrived I knew we must do some photos in the hotel lobby because it was gorgeous and I loved its dramatic plum tones and large drum shade chandeliers.  I wonder if Lauren took into consideration the hotel’s decor when choosing where to stay because she is an interior designer  You’d be surprised what little things I get excited over as a wedding photographer, in this case I was stoked because Lauren is officially our first bride with a Birdcage Veil, and I couldn’t have imagined a more fitting look for her!  The custom made white cape was also a unique addition that kept her nice and warm outdoors.  Speaking of exciting, did I mention that Lauren’s dad looks like Harrison Ford?

The weather was pretty cold that day, but we managed to spend a few minutes at a neighbourhood park for some quick bridal party photos before heading to Hazelton Manor.  The hall was beautifully decorated and I would’ve expected no less because a lot of the details were meticulously designed by the couple themselves.  Shortly after the entrance and first dance, everyone joined in on the dance floor and lifted Lauren and Diego up on chairs, spinning round and round dancing in circles.  We literally got right into the heart of all the dancing to get some shots of them up in the air, it was actually quite fun trying to catch that!

Congratulations Lauren and Diego on your special day, and Thank-You Anitha and Joe for referring your best friend to us, it was great seeing all the familiar faces again

Genevieve and Phil’s special day started at Marriott Hotel in Yorkville, where the ladies got ready in the biggest bridal suite I’ve seen yet!  It was two floors and offered a perfect spot for hosting the traditional tea ceremony later on in the day.  Genevieve’s stunning wedding gown and chapel length veil was displayed  in the center of the room when we arrived, and she had been anxiously waiting for us before opening her wedding gift from Phil.  He knew she always wanted the Gucci watch, and there couldn’t be a better time to give it to her

Genevieve wasn’t kidding when she told me she planned on dressing Ernie up on their wedding day, he was oh so adorable in his tuxedo!  Having a wonderful little Pekingese myself for the past 18 years, I know exactly how special a pet can be to our lives, and in many ways we don’t even regard them as “pets” but more like “a member of the family”.  I can only imagine how much it meant for Gen to have Ernie as her ring bearer, and he did such an amazing job coming down the aisle.

This was the first time we photographed in Yorkville during Winter, and I loved it!  All the window displays at Holt Renfew, festive decorations and Christmas trees along Bloor Street was so colourful and fun, I’m also glad it was warm enough for us to do this session outdoors as planned.

The reception started with a big surprise, the Groom went missing!  Where was he you ask?  Well, it was all part of their “Hangover themed entrance”, and Phil eventually came running in after the dude in dreadlocks   The fun continued into the night with ballroom dancing, a husband performing rap on stage while his wife boogied to the beat, and “Party Phil” (inside joke? )  Congratulations to you both, and Thank-You Camilla and Wesley for your referral, it was great seeing familiar faces from your wedding again!

Please note that we will be on vacation from December 26 and won’t be back in the office until January 12. We will try to reply all your inquiries as soon as we possibly can as we will have limited access to the Internet during this time.  The 2012 Wedding Season is booking up fast and there are only a few spots remaining until we’ve reached our desired limit for the year. We are currently accepting client bookings for 2012/2013 on a first-come first-serve basis

Hope everyone will have a wonderful Christmas Holidays and Happy 2012!!

It’s past midnight now so it’s officially Christmas Day, Merry Christmas everyone!!!  As part of my present this year Derrick bought me my very own Shootsac, I can’t wait to use it for the 2012 Wedding Season

Gia and Gerson had a nice and relaxing wedding morning.  There was plenty of time allocated for getting ready, which was a good thing because putting on bow ties and folding pocket squares isn’t as easy as it seems   Gia’s family also drew names for Kris Kringle that morning, and with Christmas just one day away, tomorrow they will find out who each other’s Secret Santa is!

A lot of unique elements were incorporated into their wedding day, ranging from the large bloom bouquets to the jewel toned bridal party attire.  I loved how colourful everyone looked together and Gia’s wedding gown was simply stunning.   A lot of cute little details could be found around the house as well, such as the “Love” napkins and really adorable bride & groom toilet paper in the washroom

I know Gia must’ve really missed Gerson that morning because I caught a glimpse of her heading to the laptop and taking a peek at his picture on Facebook before the ceremony.  I think Gerson too, was filled with just as much emotion, because as soon as Gia walked through the church doors with that gleaming smile, his tears of joy couldn’t be held back any longer.  After the ceremony at Blessed Trinity Church, we headed to Liberty Grand for some indoor bridal party photos and reception.  With the early sunset this time of year, we were really lucky to have the empty ballroom next door to use for portraits, and the classic bar and large staircase was a nice bonus.

Congratulations Gia & Gerson, and Happy Holidays to you and your families We’d also like to thank Joe & Barbara for introducing us to such a wonderful couple, and it was great to see you both again with little Thomas, the new addition to your family!

Church: Blessed Trinity
Hair & Makeup: Blush Pretty
Venue: Liberty Grand Wedding & Banquet

Kenneth really spoils Gretchen   First with her stunning engagement ring and wedding bands from Birks, then with that little turquoise box to start off their wedding day.  After reading the card, Gretchen unwrapped the Tiffany gift box and found a bracelet inside the sachet, she immediately replaced the one she was wearing on her wrist with Kenneth’s heart-shaped gift.  I also love how their wedding bands carry a sweet message for each other, “I Love You, I Choose You” was engraved inside the rings.

This wedding was a really exciting one for us for several reasons: an amazing couple to work with, lots of fellow frugal bride forum vendors who made this day a beauty to capture (shout out! ), and it’s also the first time we’ve worked with a bridal party totaling  18 people!  From the size of their bridal party, all the signatures/messages on their guitar, the amount of votes they got during our Free Engagement Session Contest, and the number of likes and shares every time we post their photos on our blog and Facebook, it is so obvious how much their friends and family adores them.

After getting ready at the Holiday Inn in Vaughan, we headed to Immaculate Conception Church.  The light shining through the colorful stained glass at this venue adds a heavenly touch to the atmosphere, and you can see the anticipation and joy in Kenneth’s eyes as Gretchen took each step down the long aisle.  Gretchen learned a tip or two from their priest on how to keep her husband happy, apparently Kenneth loves ‘curry-curry’ and food is one of the ways to a man’s heart

Congratulations Gretchen and Kenneth, and Thank-You everyone for staying out in the cooler weather for us to take a few shots of you all at Kleinburg!

Venue: Le Jardin Banquet Hall
Videography: Bright Sky Wedding Designs
Cake: Andy’s Cakes
Flowers: Fran Sackler Floral Design
Hair & Make-up: Peony Room
Ceremony Musicians: Vivace Strings Quartet
Day of Coordination & Decor: Betty Badunas
Church: Immaculate Conception Church

Timothy Eaton Church is a gorgeous wedding ceremony location, with its high ceilings, stained glass alter, and long aisle.  We had the pleasure of photographing Carolyn and Jay’s exchange of vows at this beautiful church in late October, and then headed to Don Valley Brickworks together for some bridal party portraits.  It’s always great going to Brickworks because of the variety this location has to offer, a little bit of grundge with the brick walls and wooden doors, followed by endless nature just steps away.  I especially love the softened tones of green, yellow and orange that only the end of fall could bring.

Carolyn and Jay came prepared with a few fun props for us to play with, the gentlemen had their Hockey sticks ready for some hall of fame poses, and the ladies were rockin’ funky sunglasses.  Thank you for choosing us to be a part of your special day and all the best to you and your families