A lot of my business is referral based which is a total thrill for me to read “you shot my friend’s wedding and we loved the photos.” in the inquiry when it arrives. So when a bridesmaid from a previous wedding contacts me she not only already knows my work but my personality also so it’s usually a great fit for both of us. Clare and Justin were no exception to this rule of thumb. We’d worked together at Kait and Randy’s wedding at the Tir Nan Og the year previous and we’d spent a lot of time that day chatting over beers in between raucous laughter
When we met last fall for their engagement session on the Queen’s Campus where they met we wandered around discussing their desire for a wedding that was simple, intimate and had a family feel to it. The Drake One-Fifty was their choice for that reason and with its unique decor and awesome vibe it was the perfect choice.
We started the day at the Hilton where Clare and her ladies had a mimosa fueled dance party and knitted (OK only Kait knitted but there was knitting which has to be mentioned). The group shared in the excitement knowing that Justin was Clare lobster …the perfect person for her and vice versa. During their engagement session the way he held her close and the way she melted into him everytime I said “ok let’s stop here and you guys go and snuggle up close over there” was amazing. They just fit together like puzzle pieces… it made my day and it made it again on their wedding day when, after their first look and a brief dance, they retreated to the tree covered park at Osgoode Hall and continued to giggle and snuggle much to my delight. There’s no need to pose these two …they just danced, mingled and snuggled all day. A wedding photographer’s dream.
With more than an hour to kill and a limo-bus at the ready we drove around Toronto’s downtown and jammed to some hip-hop (how any of the bridal party can rap that fast and not have a record deal is beyond me) and drank champagne (popping bottles in the limo is a very hip-hop thing to do I’m told) and drank some tasty beers while everyone laughed and danced (after stopping at best buy to get an aux cable to plug into the stereo bypassing the 80’s music videos being played by the driver heheh)
Their ceremony was a tear-fest of joy with nearly everyone in the room unable to maintain a dry eye. Friends, family and both Clare and Justin had a weepy moment here and there in between smiles and the occasional mis-spoken vow :)
When a couple decides to do a first look it allows them to have more time during the cocktail hour to enjoy their wedding day and spend time with family and friends and be PART of the wedding, not away from it feeling like they’re missing out… with boardgames and oversized connect four everyone was able to compete for glory (ok, there was no glory but it was fun)
Canapes and Cocktails were plentiful and the seemingly endless trays of seafood continued to pour out of the kitchen as fast as they could be gobbled up while friends and family spoke about the relationship and childhoods of both Clare and Justin. Justin’s brothers roasted pretty good and Clare’s maid of honor (Kait “ummm… that’s matron of honor now”) went fully clinical in her casenotes version of a wedding speech (as a nurse she claims it’s all she knows how to write anymore)
The day went by in a whirlwind and I’m glad to have been part of it. Clare’s emoji laden text when she received her images was followed up with “I can only speak in emoji’s right now – thank you thank you thank you”
Here’s a bunch of of favorite photos from their awesome Toronto Wedding:
