Category: Document Love

An engagement Session, or Document Love session as I refer to it is simply a portrait session for couples. You don’t have to be engaged to have a photo session where your story is told through images. You just need to be in love. It could also happen after you’ve already been married: it could be your honeymoon, and it could be an anniversary session. Life is precious, don’t wait for the “perfect” moment to have your story recorded.

I approach Document Love sessions the same way I do weddings:  with a mostly “documentary” approach coupled with relaxed & natural portraits. The goal is to document you, your love for each other and your life together.

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Knox College Pre-Wedding Photos // Karen & Walker

Hidden Gem Photo Location in Downtown Toronto

As a Toronto wedding photographer, I always get asked what my favourite venues to shoot at are in the city. And I always have to really think about it because there are just so many different venues for different styles and tastes. And one of the places I always liked but didn’t have the chance to shoot at was Knox College on the University of Toronto campus. 

So when Karen and Walker mentioned they wanted to do their pre-wedding photos at Knox College, I was truly looking forward to it. A pre-wedding photo session is similar to an engagement session, but you come in wedding outfits instead (it doesn’t have to be your actual wedding dress, and you can rent beautiful gowns from various places). You can mix it up with an outfit change with a more casual outfit as well, like a traditional engagement session. 

Tucked quietly within the University of Toronto campus, Knox College feels like a secret you stumble upon rather than a landmark you plan for – and that’s part of the magic. The stone façade, arched doorways, and intimate courtyard delivers old-world charm that is timeless. 

As a photographer, light is everything – and Knox College delivers. The way the light comes through the windows on the grand staircase and through the stained glass windows on the second floor hallway makes everything feel cinematic and romantic. 

The only downside about taking photos here? You need a paid permit. However, I truly think it is worth it especially as an option for portraits for your wedding photos since it provides both outdoor and indoor options (where indoor options can be quite rare in Toronto as a back up plan in case of rain). 

 

 

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CNE Engagement Session // Stefanie & Jordan

Fun CNE Engagement Photos

I have wanted to photograph a CNE engagement session pretty much since I first started photographing weddings. I think partly because I love going to the CNE so I always thought photographing an engagement session at the Ex would be so fun.

Stefanie and Jordan live downtown and they love their city! So they had a hard time narrowing down locations for their engagement/Document Love session. In the end we landed a few spots close to the waterfront plus the CNE. We went to CNE on a weeknight and thankfully it was fairly quiet. We went on a couple of rides, played some games and definitely enjoyed some treats too. My favourite was the Midway chairlift, though I was a little terrified of dropping something from up there haha. I really had fun and I think they did too!

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Toronto Christmas Market Engagement Session // Claire & Sang Document Love

Evergreen Brickworks & Toronto Christmas Market Engagement Session

{Playful Winter Wonderland Engagement Photos}

I will be honest, I’m not a big fan of shooting in the winter. I get cold easily and I just don’t like the dryness and brittleness of winter. But once in a while, I make an exception to that! Claire and Sang wanted something a little different for their document love session, and they also wanted to be outdoors so they can bring their beloved dog Shiloh. Evergreen Brickworks and the Toronto Christmas Market seemed like the perfect backdrops!

We lucked out for the day of the session with snow on the ground and temperatures just around the freezing point.

We started the session at Evergreen Brickworks, where snow transformed the trails into a winter wonderland. We walked around played in the snow. Well, Shiloh did most of the playing. ;) Then we headed over to the Toronto Christmas Market at the Distillery District and played a bit more. Who said adults can’t go on carousels?? We finished the session at my favourite spot for Toronto skyline, completely iced over and all. The mood of the entire session was very playful and lighthearted, where Claire and Sang’s natural and easygoing connection really shone through.

This is how winter photo sessions should be right? Looking forward to capturing Claire and Sang’s special day next month!

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Toronto Waterfront Engagement Session // Rosanna & Alex Document Love

Toronto Waterfront Engagement Session

{Playful Engagement Photos Downtown & by the Lake}

When it comes to engagement/document love sessions, I’m a huge proponent for couples to plan the session around who they are and what they love. That way years later when they look back at these mementoes, the photos can remind them of their life together at that point in time. For Rosanna and Alex’s Toronto waterfront engagement session, they wanted it to feel like they are just on a date or exploring like when they are travelling. The vibe is playful and modern.

We met up in Yorkville and got gelato – perfect for the warm summer day! Then we just ambled around the area before making our way to Cherry Beach. We ended the session with the Toronto skyline in our background as the evening sets in.

Rosanna & Alex are getting married next week, and I can’t wait to be a part of their special day to capture more precious memories!

Rosanna’s gorgeous tulle skirt is from Bluish (local Canadian talent!)

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Koh Lanta Engagement // Thailand Wedding Photographer

In early November when I was travelling in Thailand, I had the opportunity to photograph an engagement session in Koh Lanta.

Heather & Kevin are one of my couples who are getting married at the end of the month and they currently work and live in Bangkok. After I booked my trip to China & Thailand, I remembered that Heather & Kevin are there too so I emailed them about doing their engagement session in Thailand and they were totally up for it! After a few emails, we decided on Koh Lanta, one of the southern islands. It is a less well known island which was perfect as we really got to appreciate the beauty of the island without crowds.

The day of our session arrived, and the forecast was calling for rain. Luckily it held off until we were done. As we walked back to the car the rain started to fall. The sun was playing hide and seek for most of our session but right at the end, it came out and the light was perfect.

Thank you so much for having me photograph you in Koh Lanta Heather & Kevin! I hope these photos will remind you of the wonderful time you spent in Thailand when you look back at them years later. xo

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Adventurous Engagement Session Toronto Islands // Katie & Gordon

I photographed an adventurous engagement session on the Toronto Islands earlier in the summer with Katie and Gordon. They are both Stand-up Paddleboard lovers so they wanted to incorporate that into their Document Love/engagement session. I’m always a proponent of documenting my couple’s life and their love together, so that later on they can look back and remember fondly what life was like back then.

Katie is a makeup artist and Gordon is a graphic designer. They met while working on the set of the same show together. Gordon made a funny comment about how these tiny plants in the field on the set looked like weed leaves and they had a laugh together and immediately hit it off. And the rest was history!

Here are my favourites from their session! Can’t wait for your wedding next summer! <3

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