Scarborough Bluffs Engagement // Elly & Johnny

Romantic Bookstore & Scarborough Bluffs Engagement

Elly and Johnny met at a company open house event and for their first date, they went to visit an old bookstore and antique store. So for their engagement session, we picked an independent bookstore in the city that is very atmospheric: Acadia Bookstore on Queen East. They are also both lovers of food, so incorporating St Lawrence Market was also a no brainer. Then we ended their engagement/document love session at the gorgeous Scarborough bluffs.

In getting to know Elly and Johnny, it’s apparent that they are similar in many ways and share similar interests, and they know each other very well. And what is love but to be known by someone? To be truly known by someone I mean. Not just knowing your name, and all those other superficial things. But someone who knows your likes, dislikes; hopes & dreams; your deepest wishes, your worst fears; your history, what makes you you.

Here are my favourites from their session. Looking forward to their wedding in a few weeks!

George Restaurant Wedding // Dana & Jordy

Intimate Restaurant Wedding | George Restaurant, Toronto

Dana and Jordy had a very intimate and heartfelt George restaurant wedding at the end of May. It was an intimate affair of just twelve guests. George restaurant on Queen street east was the perfect space for the celebration.

As a lover of stories, I always love hearing about how my couples meet as well. And the story of how Dana and Jordy met is definitely one of my favourites. They are both Canadians, one lived in Toronto and one in B.C. They only met when they both happened to have stayed at the same hostel when they travelled to Rio in Brazil. Thus began their love story. As a hopeless romantic, I think sometimes we go to certain places because there is someone we are meant to meet.

Before I let the photos do the talking, here’s a snippet of a beautiful poem Jordy read as part of his vows:

And although I have not always understood

My blames & my breakdowns,

I know that in your arms

The world makes sense

And if I kiss the audacity & the

mystery of your lips

There will be no doubts or misunderstandings

I will still love you more.

~ Mario Benedetti

Melbourne & the Great Ocean Road Travel Photography

Of the cities that we visited in Australia, Melbourne was definitely our favourite. It was bigger than Brisbane, but smaller than Sydney. It was just the right size really. It has history and really old Victorian houses, hip neighbourhoods, and a very artsy vibe with a youthful energy that was hard not to like. A little sad that we only had two nights there before we continued on a short road trip for the Great Ocean Road.

The Great Ocean Road drive was beautiful. It reminded me a lot of California! So if you like ocean coastal drives, don’t miss this one. One of our favourite experience from this leg was going to Philip Island off the coast to see these little fairy penguins come back from the ocean to their little caves. I don’t have any photos to share because it was very dark when this took place and you are not supposed to use flash photography so as not to traumatize the little guys.

Besides stunning scenery, you’ll also find a few koala bears in the wild if you pay close attention!

Here are some of my favourite travel photography from Melbourne and the Great Ocean Road.

Uluru Travel & Landscape Photography

Last year Mike and I took an extended adventure and spent 2 months travelling through Australia, New Zealand and Bali. I’ve finally gotten around to posting some photos from my DSLR (iphone photos are on Instagram), took me long enough, but in my defence, client work always comes first! :) Starting with 3 very short, very very hot days (40 degree celsius + days) in Uluru.

When we planned our trip, we knew that in February it would still be summer in Australia, and that meant that it would be sweltering out in the Red Centre, as it is called. Mike asked if we had to go to Uluru, and my response was that I’m not going half way around the world and not see Uluru! After all, I’m not sure when we’d be back again.

Uluru (or as it used to be called, Ayer’s rock) is probably one of the most recognized location. But just like any photo, you can’t grasp the full scale of something until you see it in person. We did a walk around the base of it and it took 4 hours (granted it was crazy hot and we had to take frequent breaks).

My favourite memory from the short time we spent there was staying at one of the observation areas until after the sun had gone down and along with it, most of the visitors. Then we lied down on a bench and watched as the stars came out and the temperature dropped at least 10 degrees. It is a magical place.

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.

Exit mobile version