Arsheya + Dan's Perfect Casa Loma Wedding Day :)

After an amazing evening at their Mehndi party on Thursday, Arsheya & Dan were nothing but thrilled for their wedding day - and it showed :) The day was perfect from start to finish, and I think my favourite part was how much they both seemed to feel almost overwhelmed by how blessed and fortunate they are to have each other, as well as such a supportive group of friends and family around them. If I had to describe the vibe of the day in one word, it would be "Victorious". Both bride and groom glowed all day, and their excitement was contagious :)
Here are some of my favourite images from this gorgeous and happiest of happy days..

So many stunning details throughout the day, starting with Arsheya's outfit and jewellery, not to mention the beautiful bride herself :)

  

Unbelievably, there was absolutely no stress or tension in the air as the ladies were getting ready - just a lot of laughs - what a great start to the day :)

While I photographed the girls getting ready, Norman went to capture Dan and his groomsmen as they prepared for the big day.. As both Norman and Dan are British (and Dan's father's family was literally from down the road from Norman's family in Belfast), this quote in the
cuff links box - "Everyone loves a man with an accent" - was very apt ;)

A champagne toast in the bridal suite at Casa Loma, before Arsheya headed
downstairs for the First Look :)

This is just a taste of the stunning bouquets and floral arrangements that gave so much
colour to the day - more to come!

The anticipation of the moments before the bride and groom see each other for the "first" time is one of my favourite parts of the wedding day, but these reactions were absolutely priceless! 

 

Between the stunned look on Dan's face, to how quickly Arsheya went from teary and emotional to jumping up and down and giving high-fives, it was pretty great :)

This bridal party was SO fun! And they looked amazing!!

 

Family photos on the terrace before heading in for the ceremony in the lovely Conservatory

Even the ceremony was full of laughter and smiles :)

And then.. the reception in the Library - so much WOW.. 

 

As I was photographing the details, I felt almost guilty that I was the only one enjoying this fairy tale decor, so I went and brought Arsheya and Dan to see everything before all their guests were invited in. They were both so overwhelmed with how beautifully everything had come together :)

With "Rocky"-themed entries, the bridal party got the reception started off on the right foot!

The speeches were great, with many references to the super-romantic origin story of this lucky couple, who met in St. Lucia while each vacationing with their families, and got to know each other when a hurricane prevented any of them from leaving the island :)

Couldn't resist a few dramatic "castle" images to end the day ;)

Arsheya & Dan: the two of you have a radiant glow that is felt by everyone around you - you are two of the kindest and most generous people I've ever met, and I'm sure I'm not alone in being grateful that you've found each other to share your lives with :) It was a pleasure capturing your wedding weekend, and we wish you all the best in all the days to come!

xo

Jessica + Norman

Event Planning: Kristina Chau, Not Your Average Party

Venue: Casa Loma

Design, Decor and Florals: Sara Baig Designs

Arsheya & Dan's Vibrant and Joyful Mehndi Party :)

Arsheya & Dan are two of the happiest, most joyful people I've ever met. Although both slightly anxious for everything to go smoothly on their wedding weekend, they both absolutely oozed with excitement to be marrying each other :) But before the wedding last weekend was the Mehndi party on Thursday evening at the Boulevard Club - it was action-packed, vibrant, and so full of life and the celebration of love and family.. capturing it has to be one of my all-time favourite experiences! Here are some of the highlights of the evening..

First of all - check out this decor! For anyone who loves rich colours and textures (me!) this
was a dream come true :)

 The happy couple, before they make their official entrance..

 And what an entrance it is! The groom got carried in by his groomsmen, and the bride had a
whole candlelit procession..

And then the dancing began :D

 Dan and his crew did an amazing dance for Arsheya and their guests..

 And then it was Arsheya's turn to entertain with her ladies :)

We snuck the bridal party out onto the patio of the Boulevard Club for some dusk photos :)

 Throughout the evening, there were a couple of Mehndi artists available to create beautiful henna designs for the guests - the bride had hers done earlier and it was spectacular :)

 Two families, and the happy couple that has brought them together.. two days later they would meet again at Casa Loma for Arsheya & Dan's wedding!
Stay tuned - those stunning images to follow shortly..!

Arsheya & Dan: this evening was so much fun! We felt lucky and honoured to be a part of it and to capture it for you :)

 

xo

Jessica + Norman

Event Planner: Kristina Chau, Not Your Average Party

Kym & Adam's Fall Leaves Family Session in the Park :)

Whoever thinks that little girls are less rambunctious than little boys, should spend a morning with Miss K! From the minute she saw us and came bounding down the path in the park, to the (approximately) one million times she ran in a circle around this big tree trunk to jump out and yell "SURPRISE!!!", she was a non-stop whirlwind of excitement :) We had so much fun chasing her around! Here are some of my favourite moments from our recent session..

The only thing that slowed her down all morning was when she discovered the fairy houses at the bottom of the tree :) She immediately went to work piling little handfuls of leaves up around them for protection.. this is maybe one of the cutest things I've ever seen!

 And then there was throwing leaves everywhere!

Miss K helped me take this photo of her Mommy & Daddy, which is one of my favourites of them together :) When we tried to add her into the picture though, there was more squirming and wriggling and tickling and giggling than you've maybe ever seen!

Totally worth it in the end though :)

Kym & Adam: We always have such a blast with the three of you, and this time we got to add "magical" to the long list of happy words associated with spending time with your family :)

xo

Jessica + Norman

Super-Smiley Baby Lachlan at 4 months :)

I can't believe how time flies! It seems like just a few weeks before, we were photographing Baby Lachlan as a sweet little newborn, and now he's 4 months already! He's grown up a lot, and can now give his dad a run for his money with his "stoic" look - especially because it seems that as soon as Dave became a father, he starting grinning ear-to-ear non-stop :) (Andrea has always been full of smiles!) Here are some of my favourite images from our recent session..

What a lovely day - we had blossoms, ducks, turtles, and loads of general natural beauty :)

And of course - this guy! He's always been adorable, but I love how Lachlan is starting to become a wee character :) He was full of smiles, and lots of hilarious expressions too!

I never really get over baby's feet - they have to be the sweetest things in the world :) Oh ya - and those big eyes..!

I love the expression in this first shot, and the drool-wiping is priceless ;)

Andrea & Dave - as always, we had so much fun photographing the three of you! Thanks for bringing us along on this adventure that is the first year of Lachlan's wee life!!

  

xo

Jessica + Norman

Gorgeous Ward's Island Engagement Session :)

When your wedding invitation features the Toronto skyline, there's no better place to go for engagement photos than Ward's Island, where you get a beautiful view of the city :) We had the fortune of having a gorgeous crisp Spring day, with an unbelievably blue sky.. These are some of my favourite images from our session with K&A :)

Blue. Suede. Shoes.

Awesome :)

 I love how playful these two are together..

K&A - we had such a great time hanging out with the two of you on the Island! Looking forward to your wedding day in downtown Toronto :)

xo

Jessica + Norman