Baby on the Way: Andrea & Dave's Beautiful Fall Maternity Session at the Brick Works :)

We've known Andrea & Dave since they asked us to photograph their wedding a few years back - we loved doing their engagement photos at the Lakeview Restaurant, and their wedding day itself was both very personal and really beautiful (that's what happens when two designers get married, and their designer friends help out with the details!). So when they told us they were expecting a new addition to their family, we were so excited! And as luck would have it, the weekend we photographed their maternity photos at the Brick Works was also stunningly beautiful :) Here are some of my favourite images from their session..

My two favourite parts of this day: the way Andrea & Dave pop out of the orange backgrounds with their blue tops, and the amount of giggling that was done by all of us while Dave tried to teach Andrea how to do a "stoic" look ;)

 I love the reflection in the image on the left (below) :)

Andrea & Dave: we are over the moon happy for the two of you, and can't wait to meet your new little guy in just a couple of months! Then we can teach him how to be stoic too ;)

xo
Jessica + Norman

Martine & Terence's Bubble Tea & Arcade Games Engagement Session :)

Martine & Terence are such a sweet couple :) Slightly shy, but with smiles that come easily - especially when they're together. When we were discussing ideas for their engagement session, Martine mentioned that they both liked bubble tea and video games. Even better, she knew of a place in the west end that has the old style arcade games. So we decided to start with bubble tea, see some fall colour at the park, and finish off at the arcade - not bad for a lovely autumn afternoon! Terence went for honeydew bubble tea, and Martine chose her favourite - taro :)

By the time we got to the park, it was lovely and warm. The sun was low enough to give an awesome glow to the pretty fall colours :)

I was glad to see that their competitive spirits weren't too serious ;) 

Next we went to Get Well Bar, which is one of the coolest bars I've ever seen - the decor and ambiance are fantastic, there's a pizzeria at the back, and the arcade games are free!

 Aww :)

Martine & Terence: we had such a fun afternoon with you two! Thank you for suggesting such a fun date, and for letting us come along :) And thank you for a great introduction to bubble tea, which I look forward to having again soon!

xo

Jessica + Norman

Katherine & Mike's Brick Works Family Photos :)

Katherine & Mike have two busy, active boys, so we thought it would be fun to do their family portrait session somewhere that they like to spend time playing together as a family. Luckily, the Evergreen Brick Works is not only fun, but one of the most beautiful spots in the city this time of year! Here are some of my favourite images from their session..

If this family decides to start a rock band, I'm pretty sure this (below) will be the album cover ;)

Julian is an engineer in the making - you can see the wheels turning as he builds rows of bricks or figures out how something works. Little Kiran takes the rows of bricks apart as quickly as Julian can build them, and has one of the most enthusiastic "chasing" smiles ever :)

 Everyone enjoyed the pond, where we saw a turtle and some ducks :)

Katherine & Mike: you and your boys were an absolute pleasure to spend the morning with! We had so much fun, and can't wait to make an album out of your great images :)

xo

Jessica + Norman

Louisa & Ellie's Wedding Brunch Celebration at The Fifth :)

In case you missed it, Louisa & Ellie had a spectacular wedding last month in a 14th century Priory in England (click here to see those photos). Now that we're all back in Toronto, it was time for their celebration on this side of the pond - at The Fifth Grill and Terrace in downtown Toronto. Not only a great venue, but - as we knew it would be - a great group of guests to help the ladies finish off their wedding celebrations :) Awesome wedding and event planner Kris Chau from Not Your Average Party organized a fun and casual brunch, made all the more fun with a fantastic live celtic fiddle/guitar duo! Here are some of my favourite images capturing the atmosphere of the day..

 I love this: Louisa & Ellie's wedding bands (made by Andrea Apa) feature each others finger prints from their ring fingers!

These tiny knit dolls of Louisa, Ellie, and their little puppy Dewi were made for them by a friend :)

Guests were greeted with champagne to sip while they waited for Louisa & Ellie to
make their entrance..

If this freight elevator isn't one of the coolest ways to arrive at your wedding, I don't know what is!

 Ellie's wee niece got to be a señorita for the day, with a great Spanish party dress and castanetas!

Answering the quiz questions about the brides proved a great challenge - hearing the correct answers was highly entertaining for everyone :)

 I love this "sit proper" series ;)

Louisa & Ellie: it's been such an adventure over the past few months! Thank you so much for having us with you in England, and again back home in Toronto - we've enjoyed every minute of it!! While your lives might calm down a bit now, I feel certain things will never be dull :) Wishing you many years of love, kisses, and inappropriate jokes!

xo
Jessica + Norman

Venue: The Fifth
Event Planner: Kristina Chau, Not Your Average Party
Cake: Le Dolci
Musicians: Aaron Solomon
DJ: James Drummond
Wedding Bands: Andrea Apa, Apa Design
Photography: Jessica + Norman, Jessica Lin Photography