Europe Archives - Toronto Wedding Photographer

April 26, 2016April 27, 2016

Godwick Great Barn Wedding // Grace & Danny

Boho & Rustic Wedding | Norfolk, England

Last summer I had the opportunity to second shoot with the awesome Rik Pennington while I was in the United Kingdom for a couple of weeks. Rik is an incredibly talented photographer who has an amazing grasp for light and composition. I had a great time second shooting with him for Grace & Danny’s heartwarming and beautiful Godwick Great Barn wedding.

As an introvert, I can be a bit slow to warm up to people. But when I met Grace & Danny for the first time the day before their wedding, they welcomed me so warmly with open arms, literally. As a photographer, I always try to find the aspects of my subjects that make them shine – qualities that make them who they are. That can be hard when you meet someone for the first time, but Grace & Danny’s warm welcome instantly made that easy. And on the day of the wedding, you could easily feel the sense of community and of family. A wedding isn’t just a celebration of romantic love, it’s a celebration of togetherness in all its forms.

Grace & Danny’s wedding had a lot of lovely details, a lot of which were handmade. It was a true labour of love. But what I’ll carry with me from that day aren’t those details, but the love they showed each other, and to their friends and family and vice versa. Grace, Danny, and of course, Rik – thank you so much for having me! Here’s the story from that wonderful day.

February 1, 2016April 19, 2016

Iceland Family Photographer // Sigga + Bergur + Elisa

I first met Sigga when I was in Iceland in March, 2014. We’ve kept in touch since then, and when I was back in the country at the beginning of the month, I had the opportunity to do a family photography session for Sigga and her two adorable little ones, Bergur and Elisa. The morning was cold as we played on top of frozen seaweed by the ocean, but my heart was warm. This time of the year, the sun rises around 11:30am and sets again around 3:30pm. It feels strange how short the day is but when the sun is out, the light is amazing and it’s like it’s golden hour all the time. The light never gets too harsh.

Thank you Sigga for having me photograph you and your sweet little ones! I had a blast! Here are some favourites from our time together.

By the end of the session, little Elisa was quite fascinated with my camera, she snapped a few shots, including the below photo of her mom :) Not too bad I have to say!

January 23, 2016April 19, 2016

Iceland Engagement Photography // Kayla & Nate

When Kayla contacted me at the end of September about her and Nate’s engagement photography session in Iceland, I was incredibly excited despite the fact that this would be my fourth time in the country. I always feel like a kid in a candy store coming here. When my flight landed, and I went through the familiar Keflavik airport, hopped on the flybus and got into the city, everything felt so familiar & warm to me in a way that even coming “home” to Canada does not make me feel. I joked to Mike that maybe I was Icelandic in my past life.

The way Kayla & Nate met is stuff for the movies – they are six years apart and Kayla was in a relationship when they first met, and Nate had just gone through a breakup. A few years later, a chance encounter and a facebook message led to their first date and the rest was history. The day of our session came, we met up before the sun came up as this time of the year, daylight hours are short and drove out into the countryside. We explored a few places along the south coast, including the famous Black Sand beach Reynisfjara, Dyrholaey peninsula and a couple of waterfalls. They were troopers and braved the strong wind and the chilly temperatures (they are from southern California so the weather was definitely a bit of a shock) and were up for anything – even going behind Seljalandsfoss with a super icy path and going up to the top of Skogafoss.

Thanks Kayla & Nate, for inviting me to Iceland to document your love! It was a pleasure and I’m so grateful for the opportunity. Here are some of my favourites from our little adventure.

November 26, 2015November 24, 2016

Skopelos Wedding Photographer // Greek Islands // Jo & Dan

Featured on La Bride | A Romantic Greek Island Elopement | Skopelos, Greece

If you’ve watched Mamma Mia, the movie, then you might have wondered (or already know) where they filmed the gorgeous Greek islands scenes (let’s not discuss Pierce Brosnan’s singing…although personally I thought he was ok!).

And you guessed right, many of the scenes were filmed in Skopelos! When Jo contacted me about photographing her and Dan’s wedding in Skopelos, I was ecstatic! Skopelos is in the Sporades group of islands, about 3 hours away from the nearest mainland port of Volos by fast ferry. After the movie was released, mass tourism really hit the island. Luckily from what I’ve seen, that has died down a little. Of the four Greek islands I’ve visited this summer (Crete, Rhodes, Samothraki, and Skopelos), this was my favourite. For me, it has just the right balance between scenery, beaches, architecture and local culture.

Jo and Dan are from Australia, they were planning a big European adventure when the idea came to get married while overseas as well. They chose Greece because it’s somewhere new for them, exciting and full of romance (I couldn’t agree more). Jo and I had already emailed each other quite extensively and talked on the phone before, so when we finally met, I felt like I had known her for a long time. I met them the night before for dinner, and it was quite apparent how genuine they are and the special connection they share. On the wedding day, I joined them on the surreal, dreamlike Amarantos Rocks with their officiant, in addition to their lovely planner Daphne and myself as witnesses. Afterwards I was lucky to join them for dinner at Korali taverna as we watched the sun dip below the horizon.

It was truly one of the most intimate weddings I’ve experienced as a photographer and I couldn’t have asked for a more lovely couple to spend that day with. Thank you Jo & Dan, for having me capture your special day in stunning Skopelos and welcoming me so warmly.

A severe storm battered Skopelos a few weeks after we were there, many areas of the island were severely damaged, including the taverna where we had dinner. These photos will always remind me that there are very few things in life we can have forever, but your memory will always be yours.

November 18, 2015May 16, 2016

Samothraki Wedding Photographer // Greek Islands // Alex & Tino

Rustic & Laid-back Beach Wedding | Samothraki, Greece

As featured on destination wedding blog Fly Away Bride

It was Alex’s mom who had originally gotten in touch with me about photographing Alex & Tino’s Samothraki wedding in September. Samothraki, or as it is in Greek, Samothrace, is an island in the northeastern Aegean group of Greek islands. If you’ve been to the Louvre in Paris, you might remember the statue of the Winged Victory of Samothrace. Legend has it that the statue is from a temple on this island. As far as Greek islands go, Samothraki is not your typical island. It doesn’t have the houses with white-washed walls and blue domes of the Cyclades like Santorini, but it doesn’t have the crowds either. :) There is tourism there, but not mass tourism, so the island still retains its authentic charm. It definitely takes a bit of effort to get to, but it’s worth it.

Anyway, back to the wedding! Alex & Tino live in the United States, but Tino is half Greek and spent time in Samothraki growing up. It is one of his favourite places in the world. They decided to have their wedding at the lovely Archondissa Hotel, right by the sea just outside the village of Therma. The ceremony was right on the beach, at sunset with their friends & family from all around the world witnessing as they said their own vows. Then everyone had dinner & danced under the stars. It was just as they had imagined it – everyone enjoyed it.

Alex & Tino, thanks for letting me document your wedding day on the beautiful island of Samothraki! Here are some of my favourites from that day.

November 10, 2015April 14, 2018

Tuscany Wedding Photographer // Sovana, Italy // Laura & Johannes

Elegant Wedding in the Olive Groves | Sovana, Tuscany

I had been to Tuscany twice before, but both times it was around central Tuscany, near Siena and Florence. When Laura emailed me about their wedding at Hotel Sovana, I had to Google it to find out where exactly in Tuscany it was. Turns out Sovana is a charming little village in the southern part of the region and is only about a 2.5 hour drive from Rome. Since I wanted to photograph a wedding in Tuscany for a long time, it was an easy decision on my end. Luckily, Laura & Johannes felt the same way about having me document their special day!

Laura is British while Johannes is German but grew up in Tuscany, near Sovana. Since they met, they have visited the area many times and Laura has fallen in love with Sovana as well. They both love the area so much, that when Johannes proposed, one of the first things Laura said besides “Yes!” was “let’s get married in Tuscany!” And so on a sunny August day, they brought together their closest friends & family under the Tuscan sun and tied the knot in the garden of Hotel Sovana lined with hundred-year old olive trees.

I had an amazing time documenting Laura & Johannes’ wedding, as well as exploring Sovana and the surrounding southern Tuscany countryside. I can never get enough of the rolling hills, the olive groves, the smell of vines, the tiny hilltop villages and the friendly locals. I already can’t wait to return again. xo