I entered the hotel room to a flurry of chaos--makeup, pink tulle, and floral hair arrangements were scattered around the room. All the same, a short 30 minutes later, the bride’s side of the wedding emerged impeccably dressed in a rainbow of pastels and luxurious furs. The rest of Emma and Alex’s wedding, inspired by Wes Anderson, embodied this perfect combination of spontaneity and planning.
Emma and Alex held their ceremony under massive deciduous trees, the warm late-day light filtering through the branches as they said their vows and celebrated this new phase of their relationship. During the short window of daylight between ceremony and sunset I captured both highly polished Wes Anderson-style photos and spontaneous shots. On the front porch of a nearby cabin, I symmetrically arranged the entire wedding party. Down a narrow shady path covered in foliage on both sides, I placed the subjects so warm light would filter through the trees and over their shoulders. As we moved from one location to the next, I photographed Alex helping Emma walk with her dress, taking care not to let her trip. During the reception I caught Emma and Alex’s unrestrained laughter, both off-stage during speeches from the wedding party, and on-stage as they captivated their guests with a beautifully audacious speech.
Having made several guest appearances in wedding parties myself, I prioritize making ample time for photos of the couple with each member of their wedding party. After all, these are the couple’s bestests! As a photographer, I only have a short time to allow the dynamic between the two friends to emerge. The real magic happens when I push past the awkward and into the realm of genuine interactions between the bosom buddies. A brick building provided a classic backdrop for Emma and Alex’s day where I captured a series of photos as each friend entered the scene. Between the welcoming arms and inside jokes, some indubitable smiles come through in these shots.
I’ll leave you with lyrics from Charlotte and Lindsay’s wedding balad (set to the tune of Flight of the Conchord’s “The Most Beautiful Girl”).
Looking round the room // I can tell that you // Are the most beautiful bride // In the… room // (In the whole wide room)
And when you’re on the street // Depending on the street // I bet you are definitely in the top three // Between you and me
And when we saw you with Alex // We thought what...is...she...doing
With Alex // How did Alex get // A hottie like you // To marry him // Good one Alex // Ooh you’re a legend, Alex
When he said that he // Was gonna marry you // He’s so sure we said // Duh that’s what you should do
He says he’s really sure // We can tell he’s really sure //But we kind of wish we could have too
Wedding Vendors
Video: Joshua Ocampo
Officiant: Helen Sweet
Day-of Wedding Planner: Tara LM
Catering: Food Dudes
Garlands: Highland Evergreen
Music: The Peptones
Location: Toronto Island and the Ward's Island Association Clubhouse
Here you can see more photos from Emma and Alex's Toronto Island wedding. This post about wedding photography was written and photographed by Montreal photographer Selena Phillips-Boyle. Selena often travels to Toronto for photographic projects and accepts commissions worldwide. Here you can see this intimate Toronto wedding or this big Toronto Italian wedding. Video footage for this wedding was captured by Toronto videographer Josh Ocampo. The video was edited by Toronto motion graphic designer and editor Emma Corby.
Cet article de blogue sur la photographie de mariage Life by Selena était produit par Selena Phillips-Boyle, photographe montréalaise. Selena voyage souvent à Toronto pour des projets photographiques et elle accepte des contrats dans le monde entier.