Alicia + Ghislain Engagement - Waverly Park

Most of my photo sessions the last few months has either been weddings or family portraits, so when Alicia and Ghislain contacted me to take some engagement photos for them, I was super excited. Not that there is anything wrong with weddings and family portraits, but it's always nice to do some engagement sessions to mix it up a bit.

Since Alicia is going to law school, she figured what better location, then Waverly Park, which is where the law school is located. It also happens to be my old high school which used to be called P.A.C.I. Back then it was a beautiful building and it still is to this day. 

After a quick hello in the parking lot, I immediately took Alicia and Ghislain to the back of the school. There is very nice brick wall there so we spent a bit of time using that as a backdrop. We then headed back to the front of the school to get some more photos. It's hard not to come away with great looking shots with such a beautiful and historical building the background. 

They both brought some props to the shoot as well which I was more then happy to incorporate into the session. Because they hadn't decided on the exact date, we made sure to do two different dates. So if you are wondering why the date is different in some of the photos, that is why. It's actually very smart if you ask me, and something I will recommend to future couples who are still unsure about their date.

Once we were done in front of the school, we headed on down to Waverly Park. I have done many wedding portraits here so I already had some ideas of where to go. With that being said, I always look for different angles and perspectives. As a photographer, it's important to always challenge yourself to do something different, which I think I was able to this time around. Sometimes it's getting down lower, or perhaps using a different lens. One of my favourite photos is the last one, where I got a while expansive shot of both of them kissing with the law school in the background. 

Another spot we took advantage of was the Magnus Theatre back wall. Admittedly, I have used this was a couple times before but I just couldn't resist. Even though I had used it before, I still made sure to try something a bit different. With the sun low in the sky, it created some great soft shadows, on the wall, so I played with that a little.

One that can be overlooked sometimes during an engagement sessions just focusing on the couple and not getting any ring shots. So we took a few minutes to get some interesting photos of Alicia's ring. Then after a few more photos of the happy couple, we were done. I say this every single blog post, but it always holds true ... Alicia and Ghislain where the perfect couple to photograph. They were very easy going, and the fact that they brought some of their own props helped us get some truly unique photos. I'm glad I was able to be a part of the engagement!

Katherine + Gerry Wedding

My good friend Gerry who I have known since high school decided to finally tie the knot and asked me to photograph his wedding. Anytime I get the chance to photograph an friends wedding I always look forward to it. Having met Katherine a couple times prior to the wedding I knew instantly that they were perfect for each other. So once the day came, I couldn't wait to get started. 

Before the ceremony, Katherine wanted some getting ready shots which took place at the same location as the ceremony, The Italian Hall. I spent about 20 minutes with girls and then it was off to the ceremony in the main banquet room. Admittedly this was the first time actually photographing the ceremony itself inside but it ended up being very nice and the decor was amazing. The ceremony itself came and went very fast but I managed to capture some good candid photos of the wedding part and of course the guests. Katherine and Gerry had a great little science experiment and there were also a couple other fun moments as well. 

It was then off for some group portraits. The first stop was our old stomping ground, PACI. I really did enjoy going to that high school so it was very cool using it as a backdrop for the portraits. We started with the front entrance for the family photos and then moved on down to the trees for some of the wedding party photos. 

Gerry and Katherine originally met at Madhouse so that was our next stop on the way back to the Italian Hall. We got a couple photos at the bar and then at one of the nice little tables in the back corner. Once I was done there I actually when home for a few hours and then started up again at the reception later in the evening. The reception was a ton of fun with a few great surprises. At one point a Ukrainian Dance Group took to the floor and put on a masterful performance. I actually managed to get a few good action shots as well which I was very impressed with. Then it was time for dancing and good times. 

The band for the night was absolutely amazing and later in the evening Gerry joined them onstage for a few classic songs. I must say he sang pretty damn good. After a bit more dancing, the harder and bouquet toss, then eventually the cutting of the cake my night was over. All in all it was a super fun day and it was a pleasure being a part of a good friends special day. Thank you to Katherine and Gerry for the opportunity to capture there wedding day!