Yalda and Geoff are adorable, they have contagious belly laughs, they love craft beer, they are kind and thoughtful, and they dance like EVERYONE is watching! Their wedding was a reflection of all of these beautiful qualities and then some. We started the day downtown, Ocho Hotel and their condo respectively. Yalda got ready with her sister and mom in the Ocho’s beautiful bridal suite, while Geoff clinked craft beer with his best buds and his dad at their condo listening to, what else – records! When we made our way for the first look in downtown Toronto in Graffiti Alley, the excitement and anticipation was evident – Geoff admitted he was a little nervous, but that all melted away once he saw his beautiful bride! As luck would have it, hanging out with this cool crew also brought on a celebrity sighting, when none other than GEORGE STROMBOULOPOULOS made an appearance and actually agree to take some photos with the bridal party (common if that’s not cool, we don’t know what is!) After our Strombo sighting (and some fan-girling from my end!) we made our way to Sonic Boom for some record shopping and photo-taking. We always tell our couples that on thier wedding they will more than likely stop traffic – and boy was this ever the case! I think almost every person at the record shop strained their neck to see this beautiful couple peruse the vinyl selection and canoodle in the aisles. (So much fun!)
The remainder of the wedding was equally as magical. Despite the fact that their wedding was a modern and non-traditional affair, Yalda incorporated some cultural elements to her Ocho Hotel Wedding. Being of Persian descent, Yalda, her mom, and sister all set up a gorgeous ceremonial table. All objects within were representative of the couples’ past, present and future and matched with the wedding’s burgundy, forest green, and gold theme. The guests dined amid candlelight, while listening to heartfelt conversations and some hysterical anecdotes! The gifts for everyone included mini succulents, a beautiful keepsake to remind everyone how Yalda and Geoff’s relationship will grow and nourish much like a plant does when sprinkled with oodles of TLC! The first dances after dinner were equally as intimate as the whole day, and when Geoff and his mom took the dance floor there was not a dry eye in the house (see the photo below – it was one of the most touching moments we have ever witnessed!) And then came the party, that just like our super cool couple, this one was OFF THE HOOK!
So we consider ourselves pretty humble people, but one thing both Hugh and I always like to brag about are the relationships we like to foster with the amazing couples and families we have the privilege to capture – I’m not going to lie, we are kinda like bad pennies, and for the most part it’s pretty hard to get rid of us! But despite the fact that we LOVE all our couples and we maintain friendships with them long after their big day is done, once in a while we meet someone that we just instantly click with, like they have us at “hello!” This was absolutely the case with Anna & Andrew! From the moment they stepped into our lives both Hugh and I just fell in love with their energy, quirkiness (keep in mind we, ourselves, are pretty darn quirky), their obvious affection for each other, and their natural ability to just relax, chill, and have a good time – we were kindred spirits right from the start! I think they kinda picked up on that, because what was meant to be an hour “business” meeting turned into a two hour gab session about everything from weddings to Star Trek, Thailand, Lululemon, and on. So when, a couple of days later, they asked us to capture their big day, we were beyond thrilled – and a beautiful friendship was born… (well either that or they just still can’t rid of us!) Just like Anna and Andrew, themselves, their wedding was equally beautiful, chill, and hilarious (Andrew is a pretty funny guy – get Hugh and him together and there is no stopping their silliness!) They got married in a beautiful old church in Oakville, the chapel was filled with laughs, and tears as they committed to a lifetime with each other, after the ceremony we whisked the couple away to an old estate where we hung out, laughed some more (probably more than is actually appropriate for a work day) and snapped the happy couple as they snuggled, danced, and laughed (a lot of laughter at this one folks!) with us. I am told that the night ended on the same high note, and the party went into the wee hours of the morning. I honestly would not expect anything less from these two – but I will let them tell you their story in their own words. Scroll down, and enjoy – oh and I dare you not to smile…
Venue: The Spoke Club, Wedding Planner: Events by Grace, Officiant: All Seasons Weddings, Invitations: Pam Sloan Designs, Flowers: Berries & Blooms, Suit: TopMan, Makeup: Jessica Lyons Makeup, Hair: Bridal Hair Collective, Doughnut Tower: Glory Hole Doughnuts, Bride’s Shoes: Poetic Licence, Rings: Made You Look Designs, Bride’s Hair Accessories: Rightful Owner 
