I’m so excited to share this Kortright Centre wedding with you! This was my first time photographing a wedding at the Kortright Centre for Conservation, and boy was it a good time to photograph there. I did not expect the trees to be in such beautiful colours but when I arrived at the visitor centre and saw the ceremony site (they call it The Cathedral of Trees), I was actually in awe. Trees with different shades of yellow and orange surrounded you, and when the wind blew, a few fell. On top of that, it was a sunny day! It felt quite magical.
The wedding itself was a true labour of love: Caroline made all the table decor items including the jars with gold glitter, and she hand-dyed the dinner menu cards. She also hand-knotted the beautiful macrame that adorned the birch branches as the ceremony backdrop. Her brother, bridesmaids and friends helped set up the reception tables, and the ceremony decor, while Henry and the groomsmen brought Caroline’s vision of an outdoor entrance to life.
I also love the way Caroline and Henry did their First Look – they didn’t see each other at first while Henry passed a card to Caroline for her to read before they both turned around. As someone who is better at written communication (it gives me time to think about what I want to say, instead of blurting out whatever is on my mind), I definitely resonated with this twist on the First Look.
Thank you Caroline and Henry, for having me join in this intimate celebration of your love and marriage. It was a pleasure to document the story of this special day for you!
As a Toronto wedding photographer who’s been shooting for over 6 years now, I often get asked for recommendations for some truly iconic Toronto photo locations. I personally have many favourite spots (some of which are included in the list below!) but what I love most about our city is simply wandering, and stumbling across somewhere new or unexpected that I’ve never been before. (Maybe I’ll do a post on those spots in the future!).
For now though, after combing through thousands of photos, I’ve selected 8 of my favourites, that I think represent our iconic city. Who knows, the next time you’re near one of these spots, you may catch me behind my lens!
The TTC
Nothing says Toronto and is as instantly recognizable as a red and white Toronto streetcar. The shot below was taken outside of historic Osgoode Hall, just as the 501 Queen car made an appearance.
And speaking of the iconic red & white streetcars, I love taking some photos on the streetcars themselves when possible! With the new vehicles coming in slowly, who knows, these older ones may soon be a thing of the past.
While not quite the streetcar photo, but I stumbled across this with my couple outside Bay station in Yorkville and we thought it was fun.
Evergreen Brickworks
The Brickworks was a former quarry and industrial site and it was in operation for nearly 100 years before its decline. Before its restoration, it was even used as a dumping ground. But now the abandoned buildings have been transformed into a cultural centre with the outdoor area featuring gardens, ponds and trails. There’s always lots going on here with a thriving farmer’s market on summer weekends and a skating rink during the winter. For obvious reasons it’s a popular spot for weddings, but even if you are not holding your wedding here, you can still take photos here (with a paid permit of course). One of my favourite spots at the Brickworks is this wall with the spray painted words “tout est possible” – everything is possible. :)
Queen West Graffiti Alley
I’m not really sure how the alleys of Queen street west got so much attention in the first place, but it’s become even a bit of a tourist attraction. If this is your hood, or you like street art, this is a great place to come wander and take some photos. The colourful and many variety of graffiti art make for great backdrops!
The Toronto Islands
A simple way to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city, just a stones throw away. The Toronto Islands make for a great day trip for locals and tourists alike, but they also make for some great adventures for outdoor enthusiasts! Grab a kayak, stand up paddleboard, bicycle, or simply get your feet moving – only a 15 minute ferry ride from the mainland. I love the islands because they are so accessible, and so relaxing.
And even if you are not the adventurous or sporty type, the islands are a great place to relax and get some time in with nature. Plus, it’s one of my favourite spots to watch the sunset from.
The Distillery District
The Distillery District has long been a favourite with many of the clients I work with due to its history and architecture. There’s something a little bit edgy about it that gives it a unique vibe, but at the same time it is so distinctly Toronto. Sample a craft brew, sip a delicous coffee or just stroll throught the lanes and alleys exploring. A great way to spend an afternoon in an iconic Toronto district. During the holidays, the Christmas market here has become a hit in recent years as well.
Even though the Distillery can be very busy on the weekends, if you wander a bit, you can still find a few quieter spots. The LOVE locks not being one of them, but if you are patient, it’s still possible to get a photo with no one else in it ;)
Union Station
So maybe I’m a bit of a sucker for train stations because of my love for train travel, but Toronto’s Union Station is still an impressive sight. Once the current renovations are complete, I’m sure this will be even more spectacular than before. Located just across the street from the historic Fairmont Royal York on Front Street, Union Station serves up its fair share of great spots for portraits.
I love the location for the classic and grand architecture, and it doesn’t even feel like you are in a modern city like Toronto anymore.
University of Toronto Campus
The University of Toronto (which I’m a proud alumni of!) was founded as King’s College in 1827, as Upper Canada’s first insitution of higher learning. The architecture around the campus is amazing due to the history and is definitely one of my favourite spots to photograph in the city. A permit is required to shoot here although if you are an alumni, you do receive a discount.
The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)
As the biggest museum in Canada, the ROM is definitely a popular destination. While it’s not typically thought of for wedding photos or portrait photos, I think the angular lines of the Michael Lee-Chin “Crystal” provides an interesting backdrop. As a prominent landmark, it’s just a very Torontonian location.
Have an iconic spot that’s not listed here? Let me know in the comments below!
Beautiful & Touching Playa del Carmen Wedding | Sandos Playacar Beach Resort
I can’t believe that Michelle and Eshan’s beautiful Mayan Riviera wedding was 6 months ago now! I joined them in sunny Mexico for 2 days to document their celebration and although it was short (and hot), it was also very sweet.
Some of the moments from their day still stay with me. For example, the way Eshan grinned from ear to ear upon seeing Michelle that just lit up the whole, well, ceremony space on the beach (not that it wasn’t already bright with the hot Mexican sun). And then there was Eshan’s mother and son dance with his mom, where not only Eshan teared up but it also made everyone else emotional. Not to mention their first dance, and the great speeches throughout dinner.
Thank you Michelle and Eshan for inviting me to share in the wonderful celebration of your wedding day and trusting me to document this day so that you can look back at all these moments and remember what it felt like.
Here’s the story of Michelle & Eshan’s sunny and beautiful wedding day.
2017 has the same 365 days as any other year, and yet it seems to have gone by even faster than before.
The biggest change for me this year is that Mike and I decided to sell our house and almost half of our stuff, put the rest in storage and became “free range humans” or modern day nomads. How did we come to such a seemingly crazy decision? Well, it was a long time in the making really.
When I was young, like most kids, I couldn’t wait to grow up. Becoming an “adult” was the only way I knew I could have the freedom to control my own life.
But somewhere along the way of growing up, I more or less fell into this template that society has laid out for most of us. Like a good kid, I graduated from university, found a steady job and joined the thousands of people who commute to work everyday. But I was living life as if on autopilot, and I asked myself “is there nothing else to life?” If you’ve read my “about page”, then you know the story of how I quit my day job and became a full-time photographer.
It was a life-changing decision. Within a short amount of time, I realized how much happier I felt – being able to decide what to do with my time. By no means is being self-employed easy, but doing something meaningful, something you love makes it worthwhile. The same year that I became a full-time photographer, we went to Iceland for the first time. And it was after this trip that I found myself wondering about being a “travelling photographer”.
Two years after that we spent 3 months away (2 months for Mike) travelling through Australia, New Zealand, Bali and China. I found that I didn’t miss “home” at all. The definition of home for me wasn’t just limited to a square box with a roof over my head anymore. Nor did I miss the convenience of home. The world was just too fascinating, I just wasn’t too concerned about where I showered, where I ate or slept – as long as it was clean and sufficiently comfortable. I liked being on the road and on the move. After this, Mike and I separately arrived at the conclusion that we wanted to do this more. We wanted to see more of the world while we are still healthy and physically able to, while we don’t have the responsibility of raising kids. We didn’t want to just vacation once or twice a year; we wanted to travel long term, for as long as possible.
That was the dream. But was it possible? Maybe the Universe heard us, or maybe we were just looking for it, but we read articles and blog posts like this one, this one, and this one. And we realized that it IS possible. Other people have already done it, and some even do it with kids!
At the time Mike had a full time job where he only had 4 weeks of vacation a year (I know, I know, 4 weeks is a lot but not quite enough for what we wanted to do). We also had this 3-bedroom townhouse in the suburbs, a car, and a townhouse in the city that we were waiting to move into. We owned all this stuff, but often times we felt like they owned us instead. You might not agree with me, and that’s ok because not everyone feels this way. But we definitely did. We had this huge place (huge by our standards) with 3-bedrooms and barely used two of the rooms. The guest bedroom was more like a laundry room and the “office” was never used because I preferred to work downstairs anyway. When it came down to it, there was just a lot of extra space that we didn’t need (not to mention the basement). But then when you have a lot of space, you feel the need to fill it with stuff. And then not only do you have to clean and maintain the house, you also have to maintain all your stuff.
The more you own, the more you are owned. We reached a point where we just didn’t want all this stuff to clutter our life anymore (I also have the Marie Konmari book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up to thank as well). We realized we value experiences and memories more than material possessions. Selling them, at least some of them, was not only the right thing to do financially but also the right thing to do for the lifestyle that we realized we wanted. You can always make more money and buy more things, but you might not get more time.
I don’t have a lot of ambition, and the only one I have is to be able to live freely.
So what does this mean for 2018? Especially if you are one of my 2018 couples reading this – my commitment to my work is still the same. Of course I will be back in Toronto for the weddings I have already booked! But the rest of the times, I may or may not be in town.
All in all, 2017 was a very busy year, but also a very meaningful year. I can’t wait for what 2018 will bring! Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season, and a great year ahead filled with only the things that you love, of all the people that you love, and most of all, purpose and meaning.
It’s never too late to be whatever you want to be. And, “everything is possible, the impossible just takes longer”. (Never thought I would quote Dan Brown, but he knows what he’s talking about).
Here are some of my favourite moments from this past year.
I was intrigued when Shalini and Giancarlo contacted me about photographing their intimate Spencer’s at the Waterfront wedding. I was familiar with the Burlington waterfront and had often seen this modern glass building at Spencer’s park but didn’t realize that they held weddings there.
The day of their wedding came and I was pleasantly surprised by the space! It’s actually perfect for more intimate weddings for anyone looking for smaller venues outside of Toronto. It’s also a great indoor option as the space is surrounded by glass and you have a great view of the lake. Because the space is simple and modern, there’s not much you need to do to decorate it. At the same time, it’s also a little like a blank canvas, so you can also do a lot if you wanted to.
Shalini, or as her friends & family call her, Shasha and Giancarlo are the babies of the family. They are also the first to have a formal wedding ceremony and reception so it was a big event for the families. Shasha had the biggest smile throughout their big day and her and Giancarlo both radiated happiness, something that was definitely infectious. They also had the funniest MC (who was a friend), who played the most unique version of the Shoelywed game, which I’m promptly going to suggest to all my couples now. :)
Thank you Shasha and Giancarlo for inviting me to document your special day! Here are my favourites from that day.
