I finally shot my first wedding 2 weeks ago!  It was for my sister’s best friend, Tukta and Jerome.  I was kind of nervous since the only photography experience I had prior to this was shooting one of my friend’s engagement session.  I asked my friend Letty to come along for comfort and for the experience.  Even though our skill in photography were around the same, it made me feel better there would be another person covering shots that I could potentially miss, plus I knew Letty had lots of natural artistic talent.

The day started out pretty hectic with Tukta still needing to buy her wedding shoes an hour before the ceremony began.  It was funny to see the faces of shocked sales clerks when we were inside the shoe stores.  We end up arriving to the ceremony 30 minutes late only to be greeted by the wedding host who was pretty annoyed.  She kept rushing us off the property after the ceremony was over, hardly giving us any enough time to take pictures even though we had 30 minutes remaining before the agreed upon departure time.

Regardless, it was a lovely and wonderful day.  The weather couldn’t be nicer.  Jerome and Tukta handled the situation perfectly keeping the atmosphere upbeat and joyful.   Both Letty and I had TONS of fun.  Who knew being a wedding photographer was so physically draining.  I was sweating the entire time and my legs were sore.

This event was so fun that it inspired us (me and Letty) to pursue it further.  Even though our pictures are miles away from the real professionals, we learned a ton and had a blast.  Thanks Jerome and Tukta for having faith in us.

Okay enough of me talking… here’s the set:

Slideshow:

Check here to view the video in a larger format.

Wedding Book:

So after getting engaged, the next natural step is to look for a wedding venue. I’m looking for a trendy yet elegant venue. Toronto is such a large and unique city, there must be something that fits the bill.

“Elegance is not about being noticed, but about being remembered.” Giorgio Armani

Venue List

• CARLU
• Toronto Board of Trade
• Paramount Conference & Event Center
• Arcadian Court
• Eagle’s Nest
• Liberty Grand
• Capitol Event Theater

There were a few other places that were on our list, but we just didn’t get the time to schedule them yet, the other venues included

• Andrew Richard’s Design
• Fermenting Cellar
• Eglington Theatre
• Copper Creek
• AGO
• ROM
• Rosewater Room (MY PERSONAL FAVORITE, but unfortuately the venue only holds 200)

Now onto the reviews! I’ll break down each venue by the following categories:

• Facility
  • Are the carpets nasty?
  • Does the washroom smell?
  • Can I have my ceremony here?
  • Who is the Caters? Is there an onsite kitchen?
• Price
  • What’s the price per head?
  • What do I actually get? is it just a 3 course meal?
  • What are the hidden costs?
• WOW Factor
  • WOW? or plain out screw this place.

Look for some detailed reviews within the next few days. Got lots of interesting photos and comments to share with those out there that are looking for a venue for thier special day!

I have become the unofficial wedding planner for crazyC since his engagement announcement so a new category is being created for all things wedding related.  My first post in this category will be about venues and photographers… stay tune!

So, this weekend I got engaged. The plan was executed FLAWLESSLY, due to my meticulous planning abilities. When I say FLAWLESS, I really do mean FLAWLESS. The weekend started off by watching an amazing fireworks display over the falls at night. We had the prime location, so it was a rare opportunity to be watching it up close…

Jenn’s one weakness is her stuff toy collection of Nemo’s. She always brings one on vacations. Knowing this, I had something prepared for her, and in the morning this is the note she found.