Emma & Colin's Out of This Universe Wedding :)

Emma & Colin (whom you may know from their awesome Star Wars themed engagement session) are one of the cutest and funnest couples I've ever met :) We hit it off within about two minutes of meeting, and I've been eagerly anticipating their wedding ever since! When the big day finally came, it was absolutely perfect - here are some of my favourite images from their wedding at The Heintzman House...

I really love Emma's taste in shoes! A bit of a vintage feel, and such a pretty colour :) 

the stunning bride, all ready to get married.. 

 There was lots of fun being had in the groom's "getting ready" room as well - Colin has a gift for fantastically goofy behaviour in front of the camera, but we also managed to get some images of him that were a bit more relaxed. What stands out in my memory of the day is how both Emma & Colin were bubbling over with excitement and happiness :)

 the "First Look" - always one of my favourite parts of the day, and I really loved this beautiful little solarium alcove :)

 it's always important to test the twirliness of your dress ;)

 I love the groomsmen in their pre-ceremony huddle!

 If you can picture the Imperial March playing as everyone walked down the aisle, you'll get a better idea of the fun feeling that set the tone for the day :)

Unfortunately, Colin's mother was unable to travel to the wedding due to her health, but Emma & Colin arranged for the ceremony to be live streamed, and made sure she had a front row view :)

One of my favourite parts of the ceremony was when the officiant asked all the family and friends to raise their right hands and swear to support Emma & Colin in their futures together :) 

 Now - it was definitely an accident - but I found it hilarious (and thankfully so did Colin!) that one of the first things Emma did after becoming Colin's wife was to head-butt him ;)

Colin, whispering something hilarious in Emma's ear :)

 Not only was there an awesome live band for the reception, but Emma & Colin had awesome dance moves to go with it!

Emma & Colin: You two were so adorably enthusiastic to marry each other that it touched the hearts of everyone there that day! We wish you a million more happy days together, and many fantastic adventures - whether at home or in a galaxy far far away ;)

xo 

Jessica + Norman

Venue: The Heintzman House

Angela & Roman's Cozy Autumn Engagement Session :)

Angela & Roman were high school sweethearts, but haven't actually lived in the same city since they were in high school. After years of long-distance romance, these two will be living together in California after their wedding in May.. after spending a couple of hours with them for their engagement session, I'd say they can't wait to finally settle down and start their lives together :)

Roman was visiting last week, and we headed to High Park to catch some of the beautiful fall colours.. 

 As beautiful as the colours were, I also love the drama of black & white for this image 

below on the bridge :)

And THIS - believe it or not, Norman & I had scouted and picked this background before we knew what Angela & Roman were going to be wearing! In this business, we see a lot of kissing, and I can tell you that coming up is one of the best kisses I've ever seen...

(right?!) 

I loved Angela's poncho not only for the fantastic pop of red, but also because it was a gift from her father to her mother many years ago :)

Angela & Roman: you two were such fun to photograph! I love how cozy and snuggley your engagement session was, and we can't wait for your wedding in the Spring :) 

xo Jessica + Norman

Baby Duncan and his Big Brother Sam :)

Kim is one of the very first clients I ever had, way back when I started my business at the dawn of the new millennium. This of course seems like ages ago now, and we've known each other through over a decade of "growing up" - both in our businesses and in our lives. I've had the pleasure of photographing Kim's gorgeous jewellery, as well as the beautiful fall day when she and Paul got married. More recently, we were there to photograph their first baby, Sam, when he was 6 weeks old. And now, the latest adventure in their lives - Baby Duncan :) Duncan is a very sweet and smiley baby, and Sam has taken very naturally to being a big brother.. it was so cute to see them together!

We started off with little Duncan on his own, showing everyone he's just as strong as his brother was...

Every now and then, Sam would jump in - he's a very busy almost-2-year-old and rarely stays still for long, but he's also very adorably fascinated by his tiny brother :) 

Sam & Baby Duncan also gets to spend lots of quality time with their Grandmother, who lives just around the corner..

Amongst all the chaos, there are also these lovely moments that define being a family - tickle fights, giggles, kisses, and reminising :)How sweet is that little face?!

Kim & Paul: It was such a pleasure to spend time with your family, and to get to know Duncan and Sam even better :) Through all the busy running around, I hope these images will remind you that there are also some moments that are still(ish!), and that even the busy chaos is beautiful and perfect :)

xo

Jessica + Norman

Donna & Gary's Beautifully Intimate Family Wedding :)

When we first met with Donna & Gary, a couple of things were immediately obvious: that they are both very warm and genuine people, and that they are both very proud parents. Each of them has 3 sons (all in their 20's), and the only people maybe more excited than Donna & Gary for them to be joining their lives together are their boys :)
It was a perfect day, and made even more so by the closeness of everyone there. Small weddings are a personal favourite of mine (we had one ourselves!), and I think these images will show many of the reasons why..

Donna was radiant :)

 Donna's close friends Manon and Denise were there to help her get ready, as well as her entourage of lovely ladies: Allison, Charlotte, Vanessa, and Jenn :)

Gary had a play list for the morning.. most brides would have been worried that one of the first songs was "Born to Run", but this is a couple that has travelled the world to see Bruce Springsteen ;)

Once they were dressed, the guys headed over to the Irish Embassy for a drink and some laughs 

 One of my favourite parts of the day - the "first look".. I love the anticipation of this moment! (I also loved this beautiful vintage Bentley!)

 Donna's sons Matthew, Michael, and Jonathan helped lead her down the path to where Gary was waiting..

Since music is such a big part of their lives, The Toronto Music Garden was the perfect place for Donna & Gary's intimate ceremony :) The bridal party consisted entirely of the couple's sons, with Donna's sons preceding her up the aisle, and Gary's sons Cameron, Craig, and Ian standing next to him

This was beautiful - immediately following the ceremony, everyone released a Monarch butterfly :) Donna's decided to stick around, and was perched happily on her bouquet..

We had lots of fun with this group! 

(I have to say - a bridal party of just young men in black suits is pretty striking..)

The guys, showing off their fancy socks, and aerial skills :)

 I love love LOVE these images of the newlyweds with the late summer garden and glowy sun :)

 The dinner reception was held not far away at Canoe, which has stunning views and amazing food

 The guys were surprised by Gary's classy dance moves, but that was nothing compared to the surprise he had planned for Donna..

Just before sitting down to dinner, Gary stood up and started to sing "I Love You Baby" to Donna :) The look on her face was fantastic, especially when all the guys got up and joined in! 

I don't know if you remember the crazy lighting storm we had a couple of weeks ago..? This was that night - and the feeling of being in a cosy candlelit room while watching lighting strike the CN Tower about a dozen times was absolutely awesome! 

I've heard a lot of wedding speeches, but what was different about these was that instead of the bride & groom's parents talking about how proud they were, it was the bride & grooms sons saying how grateful they are for everything their parents have done, and how much it means to them to see 

Donna & Gary so happy together.. I'm sure most parents never get to hear that from their kids, and it was really touching :)

If I had to pick two words to describe this day overall, they would be "elegant" and "joyful" :)

Donna & Gary - we loved your wedding so much, and were so honoured that you had us there as part of your "family" for the day! Even nicer than knowing that you had such a perfect day though, is knowing that the two of you will be bringing each other so much happiness for all your future days together.. May there always be music in your love and in your lives :)

xo

Jessica + Norman