Angela & Roman's Romantic Vintage Wedding at the Heintzman House :)

Angela & Roman have known each other for many years, and have been sweethearts living in separate countries for most of those years. After rising to the challenge of a long-term long-distance relationship, they spent the past year with an additional challenge: planning their wedding together across many miles and a few time zones. Every time we saw them, they seemed full of joy just to be in the same place at the same time together, yet they are also one of the most relaxed and thoughtful couples I've ever met :) The most important thing to them about their big day? The family and friends who would be there to celebrate with them. They put so much thought and time into designing and making many of the details, which resulted in a day that was beautiful, personal, and full of love! Here are some of my favourite images from Angela & Roman's romantic vintage wedding at The Heintzman House..

We started the day with the guys getting ready.. Roman had two camera looks that I loved: his "philosophical contemplative" look (which he would later demonstrate for Angela),
and his boxing stance ;)

Then down the hall to the bride's room, where Angela's bridesmaids were over the moon excited for her big day :)

Absolutely stunning! Angela glowed :)

The suspense before their "First Look" - I love how you can see Angela take a deep breath as a single tear slides down her cheek while waiting for Roman..

(Roman shows Angela how philosophical he can look below.. she was obviously very impressed!)

The aisle was a runway of heart-shaped flower petals :)

After a lovely ceremony and brief reception at the church, we went back to the Heintzman House for photos and cocktails.. Roman's Auntie and Angela's Uncle both traveled quite far to be there for the day, which the couple was very grateful for :)

Great couple, beautiful venue, and a gorgeous classic car! The family friend who did all the floral decor around the tulip bed has known Angela since she was about 8 years old :)

I loved this bridal party - everyone was up for a laugh and we had a great time together!

A quick change of gowns for the bride, and then all the guests joined us out on the patio for a huge group shot before the bouquet toss..

I loved all the pretty vintage details Angela & Roman had - the twinkle light backdrop
was especially magical!

Roman's parents presented the newlyweds with a traditional Russian bread, which they tasted before Roman literally swept Angela off her feet and swooped her around the room before arriving at the head table!

During dinner there was never a dull moment - we were all highly entertained by all the challenges and games organized for the couple, including a singing showdown where Angela's "O Canada" was met by Roman's freestyle rapping..

Roman was put to the test: having to identify his bride's hand from a lineup while blindfolded, and having to pick her lips from a series of lipsticked napkins! (Luckily for him, he won both challenges!)

After dinner, all the guests headed outside for some great fun with sparklers :)

 .. and then back inside to get the party started!

Before the night was over, we snuck Angela & Roman out for a couple of last shots - some fun with photo booth props, and a lovely glowing end to a radiant day :)

Angela & Roman: you two have been an absolute pleasure to know from the first time we met you! We had so much fun photographing your wedding, and loved getting to know your families and friends. After all you've been through together, this is the beginning of your next exciting chapter - we wish you loads of laughter, kisses and happiness in the adventures to come :)

xo

Jessica + Norman

Venue: The Heintzman House

Hair & Makeup: Jessika D.

Photography: Jessica + Norman, Jessica Lin Photography

Meg & Frank - Awesome Steampunk Wedding at La Maquette :)

You know when you meet a couple, and you very quickly realize they are absolutely perfect together? That's how it was when we first met Meg & Frank :) They both have amazingly warm and generous personalities, and they share a very goofy sense of humour. One of my first questions for couples is: "do you have a theme for your wedding day?", and when Meg's answer was "Steampunk!" I knew this was going to be fantastic. I went to The Beguiling on Markham St. and found myself a copy of The Steampunk Bible (yes, it exists, and yes, it is awesome). I loved getting updates from Meg about what she'd found on etsy, or what she'd thought of to make next, or which friend had volunteered their talents for what. The end result was a day that was full of laughter, close family and friends, and very personal details :)

Here are some of my favourite images from the day..

Meg's friend Carrie designed and made her gown - including a stunning corset - it was gorgeously Victorian and modern all at once!

Frank's brother and sister-in-law Aaron & Jenny read a passage from The Velveteen Rabbit during the ceremony (the part about becoming REAL - a total tear-jerker..), and Meg's friend Janet had hand-embroidered their hand-fasting ribbon :) My favourite part of the ceremony was when Meg & Frank read the vows they'd written for each other - they literally had all their guests laughing out loud! 

Not only was La Maquette a visually amazing venue, but it made it possible for Meg & Frank to have an outdoor wedding in the middle of pouring rain..

 Among the long list of personal details, Meg's sister-in-law Andrea not only made the cake - including making gears out of icing - but also did a fantastic job on Meg's make-up, Laura arrived early to make sure everything was set up, and Meg actually made the stamps they used to tag the favours (tiny bottles full of gears, with skeleton keys attached). I also loved the vintage apothecary bottles used for centerpieces!

 

One of my favourite parts was how amazing everyone looked dressed up - even Meg's grandmother had a tiny top hat :) Meg's brother and sister-in-law Nate & Andrea and their son Logan looked like they just stepped off a movie set! (I love this shot of Meg's dad giving Logan "high-fives" for being so good during photos..)

 more yummy details... :)

 

 

As much as I loved all the fanciful and imaginative details of Meg & Frank's wedding, what really struck me was how personal their day was. I noticed just before everyone sat down to lunch that all the place cards were first names only. And in a way that I can't fully explain, that really captures the essence of what it was like to be at Meg & Frank's wedding - there was a strong sense that this wasn't just about two people dedicating their lives to each other, but also about the amazing community of family and friends that will be there with them along the way :)

Meg & Frank: you two were so much fun and such a delight to photograph! Your creativity in planning this wedding was only surpassed by your joy in marrying each other - thank you so much for allowing us to capture it all for you :)

xo

Jessica + Norman

{We love photographing fun and alternative weddings, especially with awesome themes :) If you've got one in your future, please get in touch!}

special thanks to Ange at La Maquette for general awesomeness!