There are so many beautiful places to take photographs at the Hidden Meadows (A.k.a. Bee Spot) that it’s almost difficult, because you have to choose…

Luckily owner Nadine pointed us to a place in the fields that was easy to access and I loved it because it had a generous smattering of pink echinacea! It was so beautiful to use that as the backdrop (and foreground) to the wedding party photos.

We didn’t take too long here, because it was bright and sunny and we didn’t want people to have to squint too long in the sun. We took a few photos and went back to enjoy cocktail hour.

Denise and Kevin are awesome, and I’ve already gushed about them and how cute they are together over here on their engagement blog.

But today’s all about their wedding.

Their gorgeous, GLORIOUS, backyard wedding, right in the back of their lush property, very near to where I live.

(So close, in fact, that at the end of the wedding, when I headed home and parked my car in my driveway, I could still hear the distant pumping of the music from the tail-end of their wedding… and swallowed through a major case of FOMO haha.)

To be fair, they met about 30 years ago, but didn’t really connect until much later. They were married once before, and have older children (who were an amazing and important part of the wedding day!)…

So for this wedding, they just wanted to make it really their own.

Nothing fussy or stuffy.

That’s why they chose Spearhead Brewery for the venue.

Since it’s nearly Halloween, how about a Halloween Wedding blog?

Now, just because you decide to have your wedding on Halloween doesn’t mean you need to dress up like a ghoul, or involve any aspects of horror.

In fact, it could mean that you’re just into all things goth and vintage, and you want to wear a black dress and a red cape and—

Oops, I’m giving it all away before I’ve properly introduced the story!

Let’s start from the beginning.

Amber and Pete are two cool kids in love. They are young, but their love is mature, like the kind you cultivate after years being together and weathering all sorts of shite.

Bailey really wanted a queer-positive team to make her guests feel safe and seen and heard. Some of Bailey’s most important people - her most loved ones - are queer. So, it was super important for her to have a photographer who not only knows their way around a camera on a wedding day… but also (and perhaps even more importantly!) makes everyone who Bailey and her partner Chris invited to their wedding feel welcome and loved.

And this is my jam.

Libby and Bernie’s children had put together a gorgeous slideshow of photographs from Libby and Bernie’s 65 years of life.

This is when I got all choked up.

There were imaged of them as a newlywed couple…

Images of them as parents to very young kids… the same kids that were gathered here today to celebrate their parents… and had brought their OWN children…

Wow, do I have a good story for you today! (it’s a bit different from usual, because the images you’ll be seeing are actually the full spreads of the couple’s wedding album)

FINALLY I’m able to blog about this wedding, because Val & Thomas have revealed their surprise elopement to their family and friends. All in all, the news was received really well!

Some family might have been completely thrown off, and maybe even unhappy. When I had a spur of the moment elopement, my aunt wasn’t thrilled about missing it. But it was nothing personal - we didn’t omit her because she’s not special to us - she definitely is! We didn’t invite anyone because we literally had two days to plan, and it required an overseas trip…

I was completely excited for this day, even though I didn’t know many of the details. All I really needed to know was that the colours would be gorgeous, all the important folks were attending, and that everything else would be just right.

The forest was adjacent to Lu’s parents’ place, in Landsdowne. It was a beautiful drive there, the trees were just starting to turn colour. I drove onto a forest county road lined with yellow and orange trees.

Sarah and Mike are a bit of an exception. Theirs was one of the earlier weddings I photographed this year, though I also had one in March, and previous years, I’ve photographed a fair share of winter weddings.

April can be a beautiful month to get married, especially if you have a great indoor venue, like the Frontenac Club Inn, with access to the outside in case of great weather.

There’s nothing to fear in having an early spring wedding. Sure, trees aren’t blossoming quite yet in Ontario (I always get a bit envious when I see my European friends and family posting all sorts of beautiful blossoms and flowers in March and April, while we’re still covered in ice here in the Kingston-Toronto area…)

Not sure how to best celebrate your love? Quirky Love is here to offer up some unusual options, because who doesn’t want a memorable celebration. Pairing a celebration that suits your personalities are our favourite events to photograph.

What can we say? The first kiss as newlyweds is an important part of the wedding ceremony. And as with dancing, there are many different kinds of kisses. We love to capture this important ritual, its another favourite part of any wedding.

Kissing helps couples bond, improves compatibility, and boosts happiness. It also improves your immune system, reduces stress, and lowers blood pressure; what could be better?

Flowers have been a key visual aspect of weddings since Roman times, where garlands represented fertility, fidelity, and new beginnings. Although during the Middle Ages, herbs & spices were added to banish evil spirits. Modern bouquets can be personalised based on the colour, shape, scent or symbolism, while providing a lush visual effect. And what could be more perfect for a photographer than that?

Oh and we almost forgot to mention the ever-popular bouquet toss, this activity always produces fun shots!

Ellen and Tim are both incredibly sweet people, and they are loved and adored by SO many, reflected in the large wedding party they had.

With big wedding parties, it’s important to arrive with enough time during the getting ready portion of the wedding, so that you can capture not just the folks getting married but everyone else in their midst.

What can we say? We love it. It's our absolute favourite part of any wedding. Weddings are a celebration and we don't think there's any better way to celebrate than by having a dance party. We love the faces, the movements, the wild abandon, the romance, the groping - ALL OF IT! Bring it…

It's our bread and butter. Whether DJ, live band, or iPod on shuffle, we're IN!

Alison and Mitchell's wedding is an awesome reminder that you can get married just about anywhere that is special and meaningful to you, and have the most memorable wedding day, even if the pandemic or other unforeseen events mess up your original wedding plans.

Today I want to tell you about one of my favourite days in 2021.

It was the day of Bronwyn and add Andrews wedding add furnace Post Farms in Lyndhurst.

This blog is going to be swarmed with filled with photographs of Furnace Falls Farm: their barn, the property and small details around both indoors and outdoors.

Wolfe island is a pretty magical place, and as I've learned, there is a long and rich history to it.

Another thing I've learned about Wolfe Island, is that there are the “Islanders”, and then there’s everybody else.

You might have lived on the island for 10, 20 or even to years, but unless you, your parents, and your grandparents was all born on the island, you're probably not really considered an “Islander.” (Right? Islanders, help me out here!)

That doesn't mean you can't have an absolutely amazing experience living there, mind you. Even if you move there later on in life, like Sally and Arnie - the matriarch and patriarch of this family.

I'm excited to bring you the story Leah and Kwesi, an adorable and kind-hearted couple, and their afternoon summer elopement.

(Kwesi is such an awesome name. When she first said his name, I jotted it down phonetically, as Quacey, before I asked for a correction :P Leah told me that he once had someone at Starbucks write "Weston"... haha.)

You might have first read about this wedding in our Highlights 2021 blog here.

But now I’m going to go into all the delicious details, so read on!

It’s super easy when couples choose to get ready in the same venue, either together or in different suites.

It’s easy for me, I guess, because I can run between the two places and take photographs without hiring a second shooter. Though having a second shooter is super fun, because we have so much fun on the wedding day. So… I guess what I’m saying is - don’t worry about what the photographer needs, and just schedule your wedding day the way it makes sense for you.

Anyway, Maire and Wendi were in different suites at Pangea house, but because this is an old converted and renovated Inn, there are charming passages you need to traverse to get from one suite to another.

And then the question is: which suite to go to first?

Danielle and Zach’s was a beautiful elopement right in the heart of downtown Kingston.

It was during the last post-winter restrictions in 2021, so we moved the date a couple of times. Luckily, the venue (the beautiful Rosemount Inn in Kingston) were super accommodating.

And Danielle and Zach themselves were the most wonderful, friendly, and easy-going couple. They had to deal with a lot, because of the shifting rules… but they didn’t bat an eyelid, and ended up having a simply fantastic sunny day in June for their wedding, instead of the originally scheduled date in mid-May.

The bonus was that there was so much colour & greenery.

Now let’s get to the photos!