Tag: janice yi photography

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Tanya & Peter // A Quatrefoil Restaurant Wedding // Hamilton Wedding Photography

Tanya & Peter had an intimate and relaxed Quatrefoil restaurant wedding at the beginning of June, with their closest friends and family in attendance. All the elements of the day were personalized and meaningful to them, from the garden ceremony that reflects their love of nature, to the choice of Quatrefoil restaurant as the dinner reception venue that reflects their value of eating sustainably and locally, to their choice of attire which perfectly reflects their sense of style and personality. Most importantly, it was a celebration of their love and their dearest relationships.

After 15 years of being together, you can tell that in addition to loving each other, they have a really strong and deep friendship. You can also tell that they are incredible parents to their adorable son, Harley.

Tanya, Peter & Harley, thank you so much for having me join you on your wedding day. It was truly a pleasure, and thank you for putting your trust in me to document your day.

P.S. I have to give a huge thank-you to my friend, Alex of Young Hearts, for helping me with this wedding. I was set to photograph Tanya & Peter’s wedding on my own, but the day before their wedding, I had just came back from Mexico (having shot my first destination wedding assisting another pal, Sara!) and spent 7 hours in the hospital after my early morning flight back. Though I felt much better with the help of antibiotics the doctor prescribed on the day of their wedding, Alex came along to help me. And the day could not have happened if it weren’t for my sweet husband who drove us around. He’s my rock.

Enjoy the photos!

Vendors:

Venue: Quatrefoil Restaurant

Humanist Officiant: Gail McCabe

Bride’s dress: Laundry by Shelli Segal, Holt Renfrew | Bride’s shoes: Stuart Weitzman

Groom’s attire: Zara

 

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Argonaut Rowing Club Wedding: Karen & Marcus // Toronto Wedding Photography

Karen & Marcus had a beautiful Argonaut Rowing Club wedding on a warm, sunny day last month. Karen was radiant in a sequin ball gown and sparkly shoes, and Marcus couldn’t stop beaming for the whole day. They had an intimate and lovely ceremony with personalized elements. One of which was a passage from Sonnet XVII by Pablo Neruda (one of my favourite).

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.

I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;

so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,

so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,

so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Also I love it when couples do things their own way, instead of having a full reception at the ARC, they had cocktail and hors d’oeuvre and then a sit-down dinner at Pearl Harbourfront.

Thank you Karen & Marcus, for inviting me to share your wedding day with you and to document it all.

Venues: The Argonaut Rowing Club & Pearl Harbourfront

Catering: Jewell Catering

Hair & makeup: MELIS makeup + hair

Flowers: Fran Sackler

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Jeannie & Beukes {Married} // Knollwood Country Club Wedding

Jeannie & Beukes. The first time I met them, I thought Beukes seemed very serious. That is, until he smiled at something Jeannie said. And from the first time I met them, I knew they had something special. You can’t see it, but you can feel it. I feel this about all my couples but with them, it was a little more palpable.

True love is a big deal, and it’s a big deal to get to witness it. It’s the way you feel around each other, how much you make each other smile, and the connection you have on a very emotional, spiritual, and authentic level. But marriage isn’t an ending, it’s a beginning to a new chapter. That’s what I love about weddings, the celebration of love, family, and friends; of what was and what will be. And acknowledging that it’s not going to be easy, but only that it’s going to be worth it.

Here’s how I saw the story of their wedding day.

P.S. I never appreciated how beautiful the Braveheart theme song is until that day; it was played on piano before the ceremony.

The weather was phenomenal that day for March, and then we had this incredible sunset. 

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Denis & Kim // Mildreds Temple Kitchen Wedding

Denis & Kim had a wonderful Mildreds Temple Kitchen wedding last month, where they had a heartfelt celebration with terrific food (best bread pudding I’ve ever had!), amazing company and lots of love.

I’ve been thinking about this blog post for a long time, ever since Denis and Kim first got in touch. Words fail me sometimes, especially when it comes to some of the people I get to meet and the weddings I photograph. Naturally, that is why I’m not a writer. But I will try a little here, and then let the photos tell the story.

I’ve gotten into the habit of sending a Q&A to my couples in an effort to get to know them better. They usually come back to me in the form of snapshots of the couple’s lives, but I was not prepared for the 4.5 pages that Denis & Kim sent back to me (you see, they are both writers). They shared so much of themselves and their story with me, I was deeply moved. As much as what I do on a wedding day is about being an unobtrusive observer and documenting the story as it unfolds, the true magic happens when the people I photograph trust me enough to let me into those stories and moments. Their personalities and sense of humour and love for each other just seeped through the pages, and made a great impression on me. I suspect that’s how everyone they know feel about them (and I think I’m correct in that regard based on what I saw and experienced on their wedding day).

When I met with them in person, they expressed to me how much they loved my work and the photos I took at Greg & Thea’s wedding. They had complete trust in me as a photographer. Whenever something like this happens, I feel two things: 1) absolutely floored; and 2) a bit unnerved. Because I felt that they had more trust in my ability and vision than I did myself. An individual’s personality and their connection with others are so complex, multi-faceted and intangible, that sometimes I think something like a two dimensional photograph will never be able to capture. But I try anyway. And I truly hope I was able to so, even if just a little bit, with the photos I took.

Finally, here’s a snippet from Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, which Kim’s brother, Cade, read at their ceremony:

Often a man wishes to be alone and a girl wishes to be alone too and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that. We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others. But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together.

Thank you Denis & Kim, for entrusting me to tell the story of your wedding day, for being so genuine and kind, and for sharing your story with me.

Greg & Thea, whose wedding I photographed last fall. 

Venue: Mildred’s Temple Kitchen

Flowers: Kay & Young Florist

DJ: Floh Back Productions

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Document Love: Helen & Adam // Liberty Village engagement photos

This is Helen & Adam’s Document Love session. I met them in Liberty Village last weekend to chat about their wedding and walked around the neighbourhood afterwards, which is soon to be their new neighbourhood! They are moving into their first place together in just a few months.

When I got the first email from Helen, I knew that it was going to be great working with them. And after our initial meeting, I felt like I met a long lost friend, when I read their Q&A, I understood why. Helen is sweet, compassionate, and so full of spirit and her and Adam complement each other so well.

The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds – Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook

They are getting married this Saturday, and I’m thrilled to be going along for the ride.

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Rona & Timothy | Eloped

“Timothy and I eloped on April 19th, 2013. We wanted to have a very private/romantic day, just the two of us, our witnesses and a photographer. The last thing that I wanted was those posed cliche wedding photos that everyone seems to get. I started searching for a photographer online and I found Janice’s blog. I instantly felt connected to her artistic vision as well as her personality. I’m so thankful that we did find her. Our photos turned out beautifully, and the experience itself made the day so much more special and memorable. We would highly recommend Janice Yi Photography to anyone looking for a photographer. Hopefully we’ll get to use her for some baby photos one day soon :D”

Here is the story of Rona & Timothy’s elopement!

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