Orla and Ian’s story is an international affair! Orla, an Irish expat, met Ian while working in Toronto – the two fell in love almost instantly and have been inseparable ever since, so much so that Orla now calls Canada her home. Although Toronto is the city where they met, they decided to be married in Wicklow, Ireland this coming spring – how romantic is that? In order to stay true to their whimsical wedding plans (they will be married in an Abbey in the Irish country-side – swoom!) we wanted to re-create that same kind of magic right here in the middle of the city. What better place to do that than in High Park. Nestled in the midst of the busy West end of Toronto, we took Orla and Ian through the quiet and peaceful park and snapped as the two cuddled, kissed, and laughed. Orla, a lover of wild flowers, brought with her a hand-made bouquet that matched the mid-autumn colours of the surroundings and we couldn’t help but be reminded of the Irish country-side. We are also super excited to mention that Orla and Ian’s whimsical engagement session was also featured on JoyWed, see their story here!
Mike & Kerri Post-Wedding Portrait
Mike and Kerri are good friends of ours and we were honoured when they asked us to join them in Jamaica to capture their special day (week) in May. Unfortunately because of previous wedding engagements we were unable to attend but offered the lovebirds a post-wedding session in their hometown of Cambridge. We absolutely loved spending time with the two newlyweds walking around their hometown, snapping some photos, and stopping in to one of their favourite juice bars! Mike and Kerry’s energy was absolutely infectious and even despite the heat of the day, these two just loved laughing, kissing, and posing for the cameras!
Niki & Kyle Post-Wedding Portrait
Niki and Kyle are not only adorable and crazy in-love they also happen to be two of our closest friends, so you can imagine our delight when they asked us to photograph their wedding (featured on the Desire Hartsock Blog here) in Mexico this past winter. As it sometimes goes, scheduling wasn’t exactly in our favour and we only had a small amount of time between the reception and ceremony to take photos, so to make up for the short amount of time on the day of, we convinced the duo to let us take some post-wedding photographs. We scheduled the session for the late afternoon, so not to disrupt their first day of newlywed bliss and we were lucky to have one of the loveliest dusks of the whole trip. The sky was beautifully lit and the beach virtually deserted – the perfect backdrop for an intimate early evening portrait session.
Engaged ~ Jeff & Michelle
If we had to use one word to describe Jeff and Michelle it would be “adorable”! Their fun-loving energy and obvious adoration for each other is absolutely infectious, not to mention that they are hilarious and have us in stitches almost every time we meet. Although there is some confusion as to how these two met (Jeff claims Michelle picked him up at a club, to which Michelle retorts, “In your dreams!”) we sure are glad that they did!
Because Michelle and Jeff are city folk through and through, we decided to take them for a walk through Fort York and City Place for their engagement. So on a chilly and snowy early December afternoon, we strolled through the beautiful urban Toronto landscape and snapped the happy couple as they chatted, kissed, snuggled, and drank tea to keep warm.
Engaged ~ Cayley & Sean
It was love at first sight…and we mean between us and Cayley and Sean! When we first met this adorable couple we instantly wanted to be their friends. Their energy is contagious and their humour infectious. For their engagement session we decided to keep it simple and bring them for a walk along Lake Ontario. Also, because Cayley and Sean met at a pub close to the university they both attended, it only made sense to incorporate a few pints of Guinness into the mix. And what a mix it was, these two had us giggling the entire time! Their love for one another is so evident (and swoon-worthy) that we truly felt like the paparazzi snapping away as they cuddled, kissed, laughed, and chatted through our walk together. Here are some snaps from their chilly but amazing engagement session!
Engaged ~ Joanna & Andy
Just in time for the fall season, we thought that we would share this lovely rustic engagement session. As soon as we met Andy and Joanna we knew wanted to photograph their wedding. The chemistry between them is so evident and so sweet we can’t help but sigh as soon as we see them together. In addition to their affection and love for each other, Andy and Joanna both have an adventurous streak, which we are always attracted to. This became especially clear when the couple suggested scaling high rock walls and stone ridges in order to get just the right shot! We also love the location they chose for their engagement session, a marina that once belonged to Joanna’s grandmother. It’s nestled in Ontario’s beautiful Georgian Bay and offers some spectacular views of rivers, lakes, and of course, the province’s beautiful cottage country…
Wedding Photographers Society
We are thrilled to announce that we’ve just been inaugurated into The Wedding Photographers Society! Check out our profile here!
Engaged ~ Deanna & Robb
We are so happy to share Deanna and Robb’s engagement session which has also been featured on The Wedding Opera!
Deanna and Robb’s story is truly one for the books! Not only are these two head-over-heels in love with each other but also their romance has been long-distance right from the start. Robb lives in Dallas, Texas and Deanna in Oakville, Ontario, but when these two get together…well one word: FIREWORKS! We were lucky to capture some of that last fall when we did their engagement session in Oakville (same place that they will get married on Thanksgiving – Canadian Thanksgiving, that is!)
It was a lovely sunny and warm day when we met up at the Oakville Marina. Deanna came with a whole picnic in tow (butter tarts included) and while the two lovebirds laughed, chatted, kissed, and snuggled they barely noticed us snapping away. Spending a few moments with Deanna and Robb you really get the sense of how comfortable and in love these two are and we feel so lucky to be able to capture all of that!
Engaged! Niki & Kyle
It took a stroke of fate, some exact change, and a very loud concert for Kyle and Niki to meet, even though they were living next door to each other for years!
After hearing a friend’s mutual friend grumble about not having exact change for a drink at a concert venue, Niki dashed to the rescue and offered Kyle a fist full of her change. Laughing and charmed, Kyle accepted, bought both of them a pop and the two of them have been inseparable ever since! Niki was 17 and Kyle was 18 years old, but after only a short time together they knew they had each found their perfect match.
We’ve known Kyle and Niki for years now, so you can imagine our delight when they asked us to be their wedding photographers. Because of our close friendship and the fact that we know how much they both love the outdoors, we knew that for their engagement session we would have to do something really special. So we did something we’ve never really done before and took them to our family cottage, which also happens to be the namesake of our photography business, Boakview. Boakview cottage is nestled deep in Northern Ontario lake country. Once a railroad station, it is now a rustic (we’re talking no electricity or plumbing) get-away for family and friends. We took Niki and Kyle on a weekend trip to capture their love of nature, the outdoors, and most importantly, each other. Albeit rainy, we managed to have a great time – sharing stories, exploring the fall nature, hiking, and drinking some traditional lemon-honey tea.
We are beyond excited to be part of Niki and Kyle’s special day, which will happen on March 2nd in Mexico!!! (We’re talking: dancing on the beach, fun in the sun, and margaritas galore!) Until then, check out some of the photos from their rustic engagement session. Enjoy!
Featured on The Co.
We are so excited to be featured on The Wedding Co. again – this is our favourite Toronto-based Wedding website so it’s always a delight to be part of it! The featured engagement session was so fun to do – Virginia and Scott both wanted an outdoor vibe but in the city, so High Park and Sunnyside Beach were the perfect backdrops to capture their love for each other. Check out some of the photos here: http://www.theweddingco.com/urban-lakeside-engagement-shoot and stay tuned for more photos on our own blog, coming next week!