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Category: Weddings

Wedding Venue Hunting ft. Tralee Wedding Facility

I am currently wedding venue hunting for my own wedding (we’re engaged, in case you missed the announcement!) and I would book the venue in this blog post, Tralee Wedding Facility, in a heartbeat if it weren’t currently for sale. It’s my most favourite venue and it has everything we are looking for in a wedding venue! Lots of outdoor space, beautiful trees and laneways, and great food.

Of course, when Sarah and Dan inquired with me in 2017 for their fall 2018 wedding here, I was over the moon to be spending another day at this beautiful spot in the country. I have loved every wedding so much that I have photographed here, and I’m so excited to have at least one more here this coming September! Without knowing it’s fate past 2019, Nick and I are hesitant to book this property for our own date, knowing it could sell and weddings may not continue to be held here. I hear most of the updates through the grapevine, so if anyone out there has first hand info about the state of this venue, please let me know!

Now onto the good stuff: Sarah and Dan had a beautiful day at Tralee, and I am still so obsessed with the green and gold theme that they pulled off! It was a pretty toasty day but these two and their wedding party were such troopers. Sarah’s beauty team A Glow by Joan stepped in and saved the day after Sarah’s original plan fell through last minute, and they really knocked it out of the park! I love the glam look that they gave Sarah. And Dan rocked his fitted tux like a pro! The boxwood backdrop from Make Your Memories was accented by a gold Straight Laser crest designed by Plume Calligraphy. As always, Crumb & Berry served up the best sweet treats in Caledon. Cedar & Stone pulled together a stunning collection of greenery and dainty white blooms for the florals. See the bottom of the post for the rest of the team that helped Sarah & Dan pull this off!

I hope you enjoy this one!
xo Jenn

Venue: Tralee Wedding Facility, by Rural Roots Catering | Beauty: A Glow by Joan | Florals: Cedar & Stone | Cake: Crumb & Berry | Gown: Rebecca Ingram via Sophie’s Gown Shoppe Tuxedo: Tolo Clothier | Bridesmaids Gowns: Sorella Vita via Elizabeth’s Fashions |DJ: Johnny DJ Service | Boxwood Greenery Backdrop: Make Your Memories | Gold Crest: Designed by Plume Calligraphy, crafted by Straight Laser

March 1, 2019
Lakefront Wedding in Oakville, Ontario

Christine and Joe’s lakefront wedding in Oakville is such a sight for sore eyes in the middle of this long winter. Bright, sunny and full of joy- it truly was a highlight of my 2018 wedding season! They made sure to surround themselves with the best wedding party possible- full of friends, siblings and cousins who were so excited to be celebrating alongside them. There were some very important loved ones who were not physically present, but Christine and Joe found several touching and thoughtful ways to make sure that they were honoured and included.

Harbour Banquet Centre is a beautiful venue on the shores of Lake Ontario in Oakville, but it is currently under construction, and I’m actually not sure what the plan for it is! The harbour was the perfect backdrop for the day, especially since Christine and Joe got engaged while on a sailing trip in the BVI! Another fun part of the day included Joe secretly setting up a large scale ‘icing’ a huge group of guests. Their friend group has kept this tradition going strong, and it made for some hilarious reaction photos!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Vendor Team:
Planning + Coordination: Courtney at The Little Things Wedding & Events
Makeup: Peachy Keen Beauty Studio
Hair: Hair by Pea
Florals: The Potting Shed
Decor: All That Jaz
Cake + Favours: Whisked Gluten-Free Bakery
Invite Suite Design: A State of Reverie, printed by St Jacobs Printery
DJ: 586 Event Group
Officiant: The Rev. Canon Dr. Darcey Lazerte of St. Simon’s Anglican Church
Wedding Gown: Made With Love Bridal via Pearl Bridal House
Bridesmaids Gowns: Park & Fifth Co
Suits: RW&CO
Videography: Maple Tree Films
Thank you to Robyn for being a superhero and working with me all day!

February 20, 2019
Holland Marsh Wineries Wedding in Newmarket, Ontario
Ally + Brent

I’m so pumped to finally share Ally and Brent’s Holland Marsh Wineries wedding from this past summer! I’m slowly working on catching up on posting work from the second half of 2018, please excuse my tardiness and the lack of new posts around here!

Shooting at Holland Marsh Wineries is such a treat- it’s such a beautiful spot with lots of variety for wedding photos! I love the little grove of birch trees, I love the low hanging willow trees, and their vines are quite picturesque (a lot of wineries have to have their lower branches wrapped in black fabric- but not there!) and it makes for the perfect spot for some sunset photos. I also love their indoor space, where there are lots of hanging twinkly lights and big, beautiful windows overlooking the vineyard.

Scrolling through below, you’ll comes across one of my favourite first looks, a very special bond between mother and bride, and the cutest dang set of flower girls ever to grace these pages. I love Ally’s huge smile in these moments- her whole face lights up. Brent’s smooth dance skills are highlighted, as well as the bridesmaids demonstrating how not to lift a groom.

Enjoy!
xo Jenn
- Beauty: Julia Dantas
- Decor: Vintage Bash
- Florist: Country Lane Floral Design
- Officiant: Laura Higgins, Portrait Ceremonies
- Wedding Gown: Sash and Bustle Bridal Boutique, by Theia Couture
- Bridesmaid Dresses: The Dessy Collection
- Rings: Engage Diamond Studio
- Videographer: Dave Tebbutt
- Venue: Holland Marsh Wineries
- Thank you to Hilary for working by my side all day!
February 4, 2019
Gracewood Estates Wedding at Kurtz Orchards, Niagara-on-the-Lake

A wedding day so near and dear to my heart. My fellow photographer and dear friend Deanne married her sweetheart Rob at Gracewood Estates and I’m just SO honoured to have captured it all. It’s a whole other world of pressure, when it comes to documenting another wedding photographer’s wedding day, plus when it’s your friend, the stakes are even higher! This whole day was a dream though, because Deanne and Rob really made sure to enjoy the process leading up to it, and chose not to stress too much about it. They picked their favourite vendors, all of whom brought together Deanne and Rob’s vision beautifully. This talented bride also taught herself how to do calligraphy, so she hand lettered every single envelope, designed and printed the invitations, and then proceeded to make all of the mirrored signs with more calligraphy! She also hand made vow books for her and Rob, as well as the sweet ring dish you see in the first photo. There is nothing this girl can’t do, seriously! So crafty.

Gracewood Estates at Kurtz Orchards has been high on my list of places I wanted to photograph, and it was certainly worth the wait. I think it’s such a treat for guests to dine outdoors under twinkle lights in the orchard! We snuck away for a few sunset portraits and played in the vines for a few minutes, which I always highly recommend to my couples to incorporate into their timeline. A breath of fresh air and a few moments of quiet between newlyweds is always a good idea.

Deanne and Rob, I have so much love for you guys (and Bernie Boy who was definitely missed!) and wish you so much happiness and love in the years to come!
xo Jenn

These bouts by Erin from Mum’s Garden Floral Studio are so sweet and simple- plus she gets these little tags made for every bouquet and boutonniere. Aren’t they gorgeous!

And cue the tears! Seeing Rob tear up watching Deanne come down the aisle, and then seeing Deanne’s face just melted me.

Had to sneak one of us in there!

Our girl Danielle from Shaw Events doing her thing. Having an event pro on board to handle all the nitty gritty details so you don’t have to is the best decision you will make!

Venue: Gracewood Estates, Kurtz Orchards in Niagara-on-the-Lake
Wedding Coordinator: Shaw Events
Makeup Artist: Love Me Makeup
Hair Stylist: Ania Wazny
Bride’s Hair Vine: Blair Nadeau Bridal Adornments
Decor: Simply Beautiful Decor
Florist: Mums Garden Floral Studio
Invitations + Signage + Lettering: Deanne did them herself!
DJ: Rhythm Force
Officiant: License Signing by Lori from Cathy Davis & Co, Ceremony by Allison Leigh Photography!
Wedding Gown: The Modern Bride, by Anais Anette
Bridesmaid Dresses: Park & Fifth
Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Indochino
Rings: Anouk Jewelry from Make You Look
Huge thank-you to my girl Jacqueline from Jacqueline James Photo for being such an awesome wedding day sidekick and second shooter!

September 11, 2018
Earth to Table: The Farm Wedding in Flamborough, Ontario

I’ve been patiently waiting for this Earth to Table: The Farm wedding since Anna and Mike booked with me in January of 2017! Before now, I’d only been to Earth to Table Farm in the winter for a styled wedding shoot, so I was SO excited to get back here for a real wedding in the summertime. And it did not disappoint! This place is so, so beautiful. It’s owned and run by Pearle Wedding & Events, who also have 5 other venues around the GTA.

Anna + Mike had every detail planned to a tee, and it was all executed perfectly. Some of my favourite moments were shared between Anna, Mike and their families, who they have such a special bond with. As you scroll through, you’ll come across emotional images with Anna’s parents as they see their only daughter as a bride for the first time, you’ll spot Mike and his Mom having an absolute ball on the dance floor together, and Anna’s brother delivering the most heart-felt words to his sister during the reception (cue all the tears).

Special days like this are such a pleasure to witness! Check out the talented team below the post who brought Anna and Mike’s vision together seamlessly!
Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Vendors:
Venue: Earth to Table: The Farm
Church: St Matthew Parish
Hair & Makeup: Jen Evoy Makeup Studio
Decorator: Siren Designs
Cake Artist: Molly Cake
Florist: Designs by Law
DJ: AMV Productions
Wedding Gown: The Modern Bride, by Allison Webb
Bridesmaid Dresses: Park & Fifth Co
Groom & Groomsmen Suits: Empire Customs
Videographer: Cinema Works
Photo Booth: One Tree Studio Inc.

August 15, 2018
Where to Get Ready for Your Wedding + A Crosswinds Golf & Country Club Wedding

I’ve decided that Steph and Dave’s Crosswinds Golf & Country Club wedding is the perfect time to revisit this old question- where should you get ready for your wedding? I wrote about this four years ago on my blog, but I’m going to assume that you haven’t dug quite that deep into my archives. So, where should you get ready? A hotel? Your house? Your parents house? In the venue’s bridal suite? Sometimes there are lots of options, and sometimes, there aren’t- particularly when your wedding is over an hour away from where you or any of your family live! Hotels seem like the obvious choice a lot of the time- usually you have stayed over the night before or are planning to stay there after the wedding. However, these may not always be the best choice! Hotels are often very dark, small, and decorated in, well, hotel style. Often you’ll see 10 different patterns happening at once- the curtains, carpet and bedspread all have something funky going on and it really doesn’t match the style of the rest of your day. On top of the crazy colours, patterns and generic paintings and photos that are nailed to the wall (wait, what?!) worst of all, there is often very little natural light to work with. This is key for the ‘getting ready’ photos. I try to leverage natural light as much as I can, so I can use it to photograph all of those little details you’ve spent months curating. Your dress, shoes, rings, flowers, invitation suite, veil and jewellery all need to be captured and its so much nicer when there is space to work with and light coming in the windows. On top of that, if your hair and makeup team are coming to you, they also need lots of light to make sure everything is applied evenly and beautifully. So how many people do we now have in the hotel room? Say 5 bridesmaids, a bride, bride’s Mom, me, and 2 hair and makeup artists. That’s 10 people in one tiny room! And that’s assuming your aunts and flower girls aren’t hanging out either.

On the other hand, when you get ready at a house (even if its a small one) it will likely mean a few things: there will be lots of rooms for everyone to spread out in, and plenty of places to photograph your details and candid photos of you and your wedding party. I’ll be able to pick the room that has the best light where we can get you into your dress, instead of using the foot and a half between the bed and the window like in the hotel. If you don’t have access to a house nearby and hotels are looking like your only option, consider checking out an Airbnb! I decided to rewrite this post with photos from Steph and Dave’s wedding because Steph ended up putting quite a bit of thought into it- her room had lots of light, lots of room, and very clean and neutral decor. She even went the extra mile and had some beautiful glass boxes and trays (heyo HomeSense!) and loose pieces of florals to help me style her details. You’ve spent months and months planning your wedding, and this is one last detail not to overlook, as it can really help make sure the images we take during bride and groom prep flow nicely with the rest of the day. If you have the choice, think about it!

This wedding day was one for the books- careful planning by Steph and Dave ensured that we had lots of time to take photos outside before the ceremony, and they got to spend almost their entire cocktail hour mingling with their guests. They had SO much fun with their first dance (see the photos at the bottom!) and it was truly a pleasure to document this sweet couple. Steph is lucky enough to have the wonderful Lindsay from Blooms & Flora as a sister-in-law, so her blooms were looking pretty fine all day!

Check out the bottom of the post for the awesome vendor team.
Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Vendor Team | Venue: Crosswinds Golf & Country Club | Makeup: Mobile Makeovers | Hair: Nicole Graftner | Bride’s Gown: Ballett’s Bridal by Jacquelin Bridals Canada | Florals: Lindsay + Robyn, Blooms and Flora | Wedding Rings: Charm Diamonds | Cake: Wellington Cakes | Calligraphy: Creations by Korga | Seating Chart: the bride! | DJ: DJ Charlie Clean | Invitations: Basic Invite | Videography: Life’s Reel | Officiant: Nancy Collett | Chair Rentals: Made with Love Decor | And a special thank you to Jacqueline for being amazing and working along side me and always complimenting my memory and grabbing us gingerales 🙂

June 29, 2018
Managing Your Wedding Day Timeline + A Summer Royal Ambassador Wedding

Kyla and Phil had the perfect day for their Royal Ambassador wedding this weekend, and I’m so excited to be sharing these sweet memories today! I am also going to be sharing some tips on how to manage your wedding day timeline, and what to do when things go a little sideways!

First of all- let me just say, the love these two share is the sweetest thing (sidenote: Kyla and her Dad chose to do their Father-Daughter dance together to U2’s Sweetest Thing- cue the tears!). All day long, Kyla and Phil were side by side and Phil kept sneaking in kisses on the top of Kyla’s head, a hand on the small of her back, all those perfectly romantic movie moments come to life! And the tears, oh the tears! Handkerchiefs and Kleenex were always within reach, from the moment I turned around to see her two bridesmaids clutching their hearts and holding back tears as Kyla got ready, to the sweet moment when Kyla’s parents saw her as a bride and read her heartfelt cards to them. And then, when Kyla and Phil saw each other during their first look, when Phil’s mom was looking at her son as a handsome groom during our family photos, and when the real weight of the day was felt- the aisle walk. Phil watched Kyla descend every step at the Royal Ambassador, and greeted her with a perfectly placed kiss on the temple. A few more tears during the first dance, and plenty more during their family and friend’s touching speeches. All in all- it was one of those days where you can just feel the love in every moment. It was a pleasure to be there documenting it all!

Now, onto our little chat about wedding day timelines. Kyla and Phil made a great choice and made sure to have a wedding planner on board, which is a huge step towards making sure your day goes smoothy and all the nitty gritty details can be handled by someone else on the day of. Jackie Penner Events and her associate Alicia did a magnificent job of handling the coordination of the day, and ensured everything looked perfect. They also took my requests and suggestions prior to the wedding in stride, making sure I had enough time to capture the memories and portraits that I knew Kyla and Phil wanted. Not all of my weddings have a planner to help them out with this, so that’s where I am happy to step in and assist in the timeline management! I certainly cannot do the job of a planner, but I love helping out pre-wedding to make sure we are setting ourselves up for success with a realistic timeline and one that allows my couples to really enjoy their day. Often, this means doing a First Look and portraits all before the ceremony. Kyla and Phil opted for this structure, and it meant that they could be at their entire cocktail hour and also to avoid feeling rushed on their big day. I could go on and on about First Looks and the advantages they offer, but I feel like I talk about it all the time so I won’t say anything more on that specifically! In the morning, as hair and makeup were wrapping up, I realized that Kyla was the last gal in the makeup chair and that things were starting to look a little tight on our ‘getting ready’ timeline. She still had about 10-15 minutes left of makeup, and we were due to be leaving in 25 minutes. We had wanted to get a photo of Kyla and her girls all in their matching robes and shirts once they were all done hair and makeup, but I knew we had to prioritize. We decided together to scrap that photo so we could maximize our time, and we instead got the bridesmaids all dressed and ready so we could quickly get Kyla dressed and have those nice moments with her girls and her parents. We even had enough time to grab a few quick portraits outside of her family home, in the beautiful greenery covered archway! We ended up leaving her parents’ house 15 minutes later than planned, but in the end I knew we didn’t need to stress because we had padded the timeline for portraits a bit and we still had hours until the ceremony. I think the main takeaway from an experience like this is that it’s important for couples to recognize that even with the most careful planning, things just happen and the timeline can start to run behind schedule, but we need to be flexible and make decisions on the fly sometimes. This obviously isn’t an extreme example but I’m confident that an even greater delay still could have been managed and dealt with, with very little added stress and we still would have had a wonderful wedding day!

See below for the complete list of talented vendors!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

A huge thank you to Jacqueline Sy for photographing along side me!

Planning + Coordination: Jackie Penner Events | Florals: Mint and Magnolia Floral Design Co. | Makeup: Beauty by Alana | Hair: Hair by Day Inc. | Cake: Kyla’s Mom Mara! | Signage + Invitation Suite: Safari Marketing Communications Inc. | Cocktail Hour Jazz: Frank Adriano, 12 String Music | Dinner + Dance Music: Box Social | Officiant: Kelley Potter, Celebrant | Bridal Gown: Enzoani, Promises and Lace | Bridesmaid Gowns: The Dessy Group from Promises and Lace | Suits: Moores | Rings: Ryan Daniels Jewellery Design | Venue: The Royal Ambassador Event Centre

June 11, 2018
Victoria Park Pavilion Wedding in Kitchener, Ontario

LET’S TACO BOUT A PARTY! Clo and Jon’s Victoria Park Pavilion wedding came to life exactly as they’d described. They wanted it to feel natural and relaxed, casual and authentic- but all with a bit of their style added in! They didn’t want to do anything they wouldn’t normally do, say anything they wouldn’t normally say, or eat anything they wouldn’t normally eat. A taco buffet and sangria for dinner, and a donut bar for dessert were huge hits, and really helped add to the playfulness and laid back feeling they wanted for their wedding day. But don’t let this fool you- this was still an incredibly beautiful, meaningful and well organized day. The night wrapped up with an oldies dance party, which were played live by The Keynotes. We had a special delivery during dinner (see below!) and Jon’s Dad was in charge of the dance floor with his sweet moves!

I spent the morning with the gals getting ready in Chloe and Jon’s stunning home, and focused a lot on real moments, instead of a lot of set up and motionless images. The moments when Chloe’s parents saw her as a bride for the first time are in here, and both were such sweet moments to witness. Lots of tears and hugs- the mark of a love filled day!

Hope you enjoy this one!
xo Jenn

PS See below for the list of hugely talented vendors that Chloe and Jon brought on to bring their day to life. And a huge shoutout to Allison Leigh for shooting with me!

Chloe did all of her paper goods and signage by herself! Holy talent.

Ah my heart! I love catching sweet moments like this. That’s a proud Mama right there!

My jaw dropped when I saw Clo all dressed and ready to go. Check out the back of her A la Robe dress!

Couldn’t leave without giving snuggly Penny some love.

This first look sequence is everything! One of my favourite parts of wedding days!

Mint and Magnolia just blew this one out of the water. How incredible is this boho bouquet?!

Such a fun colour palette for the bridesmaids- burgundy, forest green and taupe. These ladies rocked this!

And here we are with the cutest first look with bride and Dad. Proud parent moment #2.

Proud parent moment #3!

Holding back the tears…

Potted herbs of rosemary and basil made for simple and practical centrepieces! I love this idea!

Victoria Park Pavilion wedding creative team: Mint and Magnolia | Bride’s Makeup: Pohanka Makeup Artistry | LoversLand | Little Mushroom Catering | Victoria Park Pavilion | Debrodniks Donuts | Kettle Creek Weddings | Robins Goldsmithing Inc. |
Makeup: facesbynadeen | Hair by Britt Zavitz | Signage: Bride! | Lights: Wedding Dream Decor

September 19, 2017
Elegant Muskoka Wedding at the Sherwood Inn, Port Carling

Laura and Kevin’s elegant Muskoka wedding was one for the books! This entire weekend was carefully crafted by these two to make sure that their guests had an awesome weekend in cottage country, while keeping all the festivities very intimate and representative of Laura and Kevin’s love story. Their hearts belong in Muskoka- they spend so much time there, and they got engaged there, so it only made sense for them to exchange their vows lakeside, among the picturesque pines. While Laura and her bridesmaids sat and got their hair and makeup done, guests were paddling around the resort in canoes, playing lawn games (handmade by our bride and groom and their families!) and went golfing nearby. We had a jam packed wedding day but with such careful planning, everything went off without a hitch! During their planning process, Laura and Kevin started making fun dates and day trips out of their wedding errands, and one day they stumbled across a bakery in Gravenhurst that has been run by the same family for 3 generations. Kevin’s siblings picked up boxes and boxes of treats from the bakery for the late night station, and they all helped to set up the most epic donut table I’ve ever laid eyes on! So much thought went into every little detail and the end result was incredible. And so, with that, welcome to the largest blog post in history.

See below post for the incredible team of vendors who helped Laura and Kevin’s vision become a reality! A huge shoutout to Christina at Sherwood Inn who was absolutely a treasure to work with, and also to the DJ (from Muskoka Touring Company) who shocked and surprised everybody by singing live and putting on a stellar performance of Shout! And as always- to Deanne for being such a dang good wedding day side kick.

Eddy K, Laura’s gown designer, has featured us on their blog!

Enjoy!
xo Jenn

Like, seriously- how do you look so fab when in the middle of hair and makeup?!

This was my second time working with Seasons in the Country and their work is SO stellar. Such dreamy bouquets!

A couple of our bridesmaids enjoying the sun and the view from the dock!

That’s one proud Mama right there. I love moments like this.

Laura read this heartfelt card from Kevin literally moments before their first look, and it was the sweetest thing ever.

So dapper! I’m loving the choice of the bow tie for Kevin!

The back of Laura’s Eddy K gown was just magical- you’ll see lots of shots featuring her back! I couldn’t help myself!

Laura carried her grandmother’s brooch in her arms all day long. The perfect mix of glam, antique and something meaningful to add to her bouquet!

I feel like they look like a Hollywood couple- so glamorous and classic!

Check out this sweet sister moment- how cute are they!

This one goes out to Mr Harvey, Kevin’s dad. His only request!

Remember what I said about the back of her gown!? Isn’t it so elegant?!

If you’re ever looking for a weekend away, Sherwood Inn was absolutely incredible. Their food was so fantastic and every staff member we crossed paths with was a gem.

Sneaking in a few moments away from the party is one of my favourite things for newly married husband and wife. It’s a very busy day, so taking a few moments like this is so special.

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Eryn Shannon Makeup and Hair | Seasons in the Country | Studio Five Hair | Sherwood Inn | Eddy K | We Three Collective | Muskoka Touring Company | Park & Fifth Co | The Bakery, Gravenhurst | John Twist | Robert Cleeve | Guelph Tent Rentals |

July 3, 2017
Soft Romantic LaSalle Banquet Centre Wedding

This was my very first time photographing a wedding at LaSalle Banquet Centre and I must say, I hope I’ll be back there again soon! The pavilion is so stunning (I’m told there were recent renovations, though I’m not sure what it looked like before!) We had a bit of a tricky weather day for Danira and Jacob’s celebration, but I wasn’t too worried since I knew we could always rely on the white and grey covered pavilion area and it’s beautiful french style windows. Luckily, it only really rained during their ceremony and it cleared right up afterwards! This spot has so many great areas for portraits and I thought it was nice for their guests to be able to spend the majority of the afternoon outdoors.

I’ve loved working with these two since the very beginning, they are so easy going yet extremely organized (Danira was literally Swiffering her kitchen floor between getting ready activities!) and that made it so easy to grab some relaxed and fun portraits of them as husband and wife. We snuck a few extra moments at sunset and had Danira swirling and twirling on the porch area and it has such a classic and almost European feel to it. I’m in love!

See below post for the team of talented (and very kind) vendors! Huge thank you to Deanne for trekking along with me all day!

xo Jenn

Bridal Solutions | TheFaceStylist | Brightside Films | LaSalle Banquet Centre | Tamara Williams (hair) | Enduring Promises | Sophie’s Gown Shoppe | Custom Made Wedding Cakes | Ingledew Invites | Sound X Entertainment | Michael Hill Jeweller | The Corkery |

June 27, 2017