Wedding Stories - Toronto Documentary Wedding Photographer

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

September 16, 2015April 20, 2016

Guernsey Wedding Photographer // Helen & Tom

As featured on U.K. wedding blog Whimsical Wonderland Weddings!

I’ve wanted to photograph a wedding in Guernsey ever since I read The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society and this article. So when I received an email from Helen last year with the subject “Wedding in Guernsey!” I was pretty stoked. After a few email exchanges, my visit to Guernsey was booked.

You might wonder just where is Guernsey? It’s one of the British Channel Islands, although they are closer to France geographically.

Now about Helen and Tom. Their first date involved a late night chat, an impromptu late night stroll on the beach and then watching the sunrise together. Couldn’t have been more perfect. They love to travel and spent a year travelling the world together.

The wedding day started with the boys having a (very cold) swim at the beach. So fun! Because you can only legally get married in a church in Guernsey, they found Ste Apolline Chapel that dates back to the 14th century, and got married with 15 of their nearest & dearest in attendance. Then a reception followed at Fairfield with a big marquee, lawn games, yummy food, music & dancing. We took their wedding portraits along the stunning southeastern coast, where the landscape inspired Renoir to create a series of paintings, and was also Victor Hugo’s favourite picnic spot.

It was truly a beautiful day with many memorable moments. But I think Tom’s speech will forever go down in history as one of the funniest Groom speeches (at least in my opinion). I was laughing so hard at some points that it was hard to take photos.

Thank you Helen & Tom, for inviting me to share in your beautiful day, for welcoming me so warmly, and for trusting me to tell your story!

June 29, 2015

Toronto Wedding Photography // Tiara & Roy

At last I get to share the story of Tiara & Roy’s wedding day! What can I say about them? I’ll start from the beginning, when Tiara contacted me back in May of 2013 about photographing her and Roy’s wedding. In her second email to me, she described my work as “clean, soft, and genuine”. I don’t think I ever told her how much that meant to me. It made my day, week, and month. In fact, to this day I still think about that and smile. So thank you, Tiara. For seeing and connecting with those qualities in my work.

Then the day of our meeting came. Over tea, coffee and macarons, we talked about how she met Roy, their travels and Iceland. I was going to be visiting Iceland for the first time and we instantly bonded over that. And I could already feel the special bond she and Roy shared.

Their wedding came around soon enough and it was a beautiful day of happy tears, joy and love; love for each other and love for their friends and families.

I think if it weren’t for the fact that I’m a wedding photographer, there are a lot of people whom I simply would probably never meet; like Tiara and Roy. Thank you for sharing so much of your story with me, and for inviting me to be a part of your wedding day! It was a pleasure to be a part of it. You are two of the kindest, sweetest souls I’ve met and I wish you a lifetime of treasured memories and love. xoxo

June 10, 2015

Canoe Restaurant Wedding // Eileen & Justin

Canoe Restaurant Wedding Toronto Wedding Photographer

When I met Eileen and Justin, Eileen told me that when she looks at my photos, she can really feel the emotions come through in each photo, just as if she was a part of that moment. I knew then that they would be the right couple for me.

September came and it was a beautiful day for Eileen and Justin’s wedding. We took their wedding portraits at the beautifully historic Spadina House, and the ceremony and reception was at the well-known Canoe restaurant on the 54th floor of the TD tower, with panoramic views of the city and the lake to boot. Canoe was also the place where Eileen and Justin had their first date – so it had come full circle for them.

To me, meaning and feeling is everything, and one of the things I love most about weddings is all those moments that touch my heart. They usually happen sometime during the ceremony or during the speeches at dinner. For this one, it was during the traditional tea ceremony, when Justin said to Eileen’s parents: “I will take care of Eileen from now on”. No ornate promises, no “til death do us part”, just a simple, and sincere sentence.

Here’s the story of Eileen & Justin’s wedding day.

Thank you Jessie of Flair Weddings for putting together such a stylish event!

Legend has it that each of us has an invisible “red string” attached to us, and that at the other end of the string is the person you are destined to marry.

Door games – aka. torment the boys :P

May 11, 2015May 28, 2015

Bellamere Winery Wedding // Jess & Kyle

Jessica & Kyle had a beautiful Bellamere Winery wedding on a crisp fall day. Surrounded by their closest friends and family, it was a day full of tears, laughter, joy and a lot of love.

As a photographer, I’m a huge fan of First Looks. Sometimes couples worry about how they would feel at the ceremony if they saw each other before hand. But I feel that no matter what, nothing can take away from the significance of walking down the aisle/seeing your bride walk down the aisle. In this case, Kyle’s reaction seeing Jess come down the aisle is testament to that feeling. As I look back at the photos I took, I can feel their love and their connection come through the images. As well as their love and connection for their friends and family. Life is a journey, and that journey is so much better when you can share it with someone.

Here’s the story of Jess & Kyle’s wedding day.

Big thanks to Darren of Hatt Photography for helping me set up this last shot and for second shooting!