Mystique+Philip

The weather is a main character in Mystique and Philip’s wedding highlight. Often, when a wedding is rained on, it all happens away or “off-screen”. The backup plan kept everyone far from it. But this couple faced it head-on, saying their vows under an umbrella while it poured down from above (their guests stayed comfy under the adjacent tent). It’s this kind of tenacity that has defined Mystique and Philip’s relationship. “It’s only fitting”, said Phil, when talking about all of the adversity they’ve had to overcome since they first started dating, and more recently, a personal loss. “Honestly, it was perfect. The sun wouldn’t have even been right.” They got a tiny respite from the weather to grab a few photos and some video outside the beautiful Berkeley Fieldhouse, their venue, and then the rains came back. The unexpected stuff is usually the most memorable!

One of my favourite moments from any wedding came during the ceremony… Philip’s brother-in-law was the officiant and he did an impeccable rendition of the Impressive Clergyman from The Princess Bride. I couldn’t find an elegant way to fit it into their highlight, so it’s presented here as a Bonus Scene.

Mona+Vipul // Same Day Edit

This was a big one. Four days of celebration, food, family, friends, dancing, tradition, amazing wardrobe and jewelry, a horse-drawn carriage, and a mighty-nice view of Niagara Falls behind their outdoor ceremony. I kept a few notes along the way…

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Day 1 of Mona+Vipul’s four-day wedding! This is without a doubt the longest wedding shoot I’ll have been involved in. Two ceremonies, Sikh and Hindu, lots of partying, lots of food, and an edit that will premiere on Saturday night covering the whole week. Here we go!

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Day 2, the Haldi ceremony, where members of her family applied tumeric paste to Mona’s face, arms, and legs, among other traditions. Tonight, some live performances!

Blog_Day3

Day 3, ceremony number 1. The edit is starting to come together; in between events we’re assembling as much as possible. After the ceremony today, Mona’s family “gave away” their daughter, an incredibly emotion-filled moment. They drove away into the afternoon rain (to Niagara Falls, I presume, to get ready for an even longer day tomorrow!).

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Day 4, ceremony number 2. I can’t think of many backdrops to a wedding ceremony more epic than Niagara Falls. Maybe the Grand Canyon?

Today was a whirlwind; the chairs were late to arrive and in the early morning it looked as though it could be a dreary day. Then the sun poked through and the venue was setup. Everything came together at the right time, our Same Day Edit premiered at the reception in front of hundreds of family and friends, and the four-day celebration was done.

Shauna+Jerry

Shauna is obsessed with mugs. It’s only fitting that one of Jerry’s gifts to her was a new mug with a personal message Sharpie’d onto the side of it. And inside, there was something more.

The day seemed something like a tour around Toronto; after the ceremony they strolled around Evergreen Brickworks, a beautiful space with a mix of natural and industrial elements, and a hint of street art. Keep it in mind if you’re looking for shoot locations in TO, or simply a nice place to spend the afternoon. The reception was held at 2nd Floor Events, a newish venue downtown, also very cool and modern.

Shauna and Jerry’s wedding marked a huge transition in their lives; they went from living far apart (both in Alberta) while Shauna finished med-school, to a big move together across the country to Ottawa. Everything felt a little like a going away party. A theme that seemed to emerge, however, was how the bonds of family and friendship and love can go beyond the things that might keep people apart.