Stylish Canoe Wedding In Toronto Downtown // Chelsea & Vivekhttp://www.bluecolibri.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/toronto-restaurant-venues.jpg740493Gee & IevaGee & Ievahttp://2.gravatar.com/avatar/8a35f73b6a4b774172b5427e1f198bce?s=96&d=blank&r=g
We had a blast shooting Chelsea and Vivek’s wedding at the Canoe Restaurant. Famous for their food sunsets and Toronto skyline views Canoe is perfect spot to tie the knot. We were curious what Chelsea and Vivek think about their big day at the Canoe so we asked couple of questions and thats what they said.
Would you like to share something about the planing process? The best piece of advice we received in the planning process was to stay true to us in the decisions that we made. We embraced this advice whole heatedly and picked our overall style, venue, and suppliers based on this criteria. At the end of the day, we were thrilled with every decision we made, and the whole event felt very authentic to who we are as people and how we wanted to celebrate the start of married life.
Would you do something differently? No – we loved how our special day turned out!
What was the most fun part of the day? We loved having so many of our friends and family from all over the world all in one place together in the city we now call home. It was truly amazing to celebrate with people who have been with us along our journey as individuals and as a couple.
Was it challenging to plan a wedding? We decided to keep things fairly simple and did not get too caught up in the details. This made for a really enjoyable, stress-free wedding planning process!
We shot a few Jewish weddings and we have to say they never disappoint. What stuck with us this time how intimate and warm Lauren and Josh’s wedding ceremony was. Connection and energy between these two was insane. It was so touching and beautiful to watch. One frame for now from Lauren and Josh wedding ceremony at Airship 37 in Distillery District. Mazel Tov!
Canoe Restaurant Wedding In Toronto // Chelsea & Vivekhttp://www.bluecolibri.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/canoe-wedding-toronto.jpg740493Gee & IevaGee & Ievahttp://2.gravatar.com/avatar/8a35f73b6a4b774172b5427e1f198bce?s=96&d=blank&r=g
One frame from Chelsea and Vivek’s Canoe Restaurant wedding in Toronto downtown. Chelsea and Vivek just wanted to enjoy their day. Preparation photos were not their thing. After meeting them on 54th floor of TD Bank Tower we just followed their lead and had fun. Our couple was on fire and on top of the world. When it comes to being on top of the world on your wedding day we think its really hard to beat Canoe Restaurant. Stay tuned for more.
One from Larissa and Dave’s Cambium Farms wedding in Caledon. As usual Cambium Farms don’t disappoint. We shot Roslyn and Dan’s wedding here awhile back. Cambium Farms had some improvements done over the years. Once there we immediately noticed new ramp to the barn so if you have family or friends in the wheelchair you will really like this new updated feature. Other than that Cambium Farms managed to preserve rustic look and vintage charm. Larissa and Dave’s wedding had Ukrainian twist to it. You have to wait a bit to see their full wedding story we think you won’t be disappointed.
Royal Canadian Yacht Club Wedding // Alice & Madshttp://www.bluecolibri.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/wedding-photography-royal-canadian-yacht-club-683x1024.jpg6831024Gee & IevaGee & Ievahttp://2.gravatar.com/avatar/8a35f73b6a4b774172b5427e1f198bce?s=96&d=blank&r=g
Warning! This is extremely long blog post of Alice & Mads Royal Canadian Yacht Club wedding on Toronto Island so hope you love wedding pics, also it has a ton of golden reading material from our couple. Enjoy!
Upon reflecting on organizing our very international wedding I do not think it was really any more challenging than doing it from Toronto. What was really important to us was to make all of our friends and family welcome, no matter where they travelled from. For us, this was a once in a lifetime opportunity to have all of our nearest and dearest from all over the world in one place to celebrate us. We had friends in attendance from 4 continents, and travelling as far as Melbourne and Cape Town. We estimate that we had about 30 Norwegians and an additional 20 from other countries. Travel and all of the places that we’ve lived were a very important theme throughout the planning and execution of the day.
Since we live in Oslo, Norway there were some minor challenges when organizing our wedding. When we embarked on the initial planning stages of our wedding my mom and sister were happy to make suggestions and visit venues for us. In the end we ended up at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club on Toronto Island. For me, this was my dream venue and somewhere that I had always dreamed of getting married. The venue itself is gorgeous, but the whole experience from taking the boat to the island and the most incredible backdrop of Toronto is something truly unique. This gave a special added extra not only to our international visitors but to many Torontonians who had never been to the Island. We were even treated to a thunderstorm during dinner!
We had to book many of our vendors sight unseen. Given that wedding season in Toronto books up very quickly and very far in advance we did not want to risk missing out on our first choice vendors. Thankfully, every single one of our vendors delivered beyond our expectations. Mads and I planned a whirlwind wedding planning trip in February before the big day, every single day was booked with appointments relating to the wedding including: cake tastings, wedding tastings, meeting the florist, our photographers and lastly meeting our wonderful Minister, Rev. Dr. Malcolm Sinclair from the Metropolitan United Church. He was a very easy choice for us as he had married my sister only a few years previous. He styled his speech around or main passion, travel. Specifically he quoted the poem “Ithaca” by C.P. Cavafy which reads “As you set out for Ithaka hope the voyage is a long one, full of adventure, full of discovery.” These are words which the two of us will carry with us for the rest of our lives.
There is more good stuff from Alice & Mads RCYC wedding just scroll to the bottom.
For Mads and I South Africa plays a very special part in our lives. It was the first time we lived together and began to plan our lives with a longer term outlook. We both studied there for our Masters degrees at the University of Stellenbosch. All of our stationary was designed by Jolindi Van der Merwe who owns Chystalace Wedding Stationary in Pretoria, this was our first nod to our special time in South Africa. On the big day I had a King Protea flower in the middle of my bouquet, this is the national flower of South Africa, and one which makes a big statement. John from Garden’s Path Floral Design was more than happy to incorporate the nods to South Africa and cheery lemon theme from our stationary into the floral design of the day.
Playing on the international theme of our wedding the dock at the RCYC was decked out in alternating Norwegian and Canadian flags. When arriving at the club to get ready in the morning it was a really special moment for both Mads and I, signifying our union. Instead of having table numbers we decided to have table names of some our favourite vacation destinations and places that we’ve lived. This was accompanied by the one DIY element of our day, a map with photos of us in those destinations. We wanted our friends from all over the world to mingle so we spent quite a while planning out our tables. We seated friends similar interests and professions together and didn’t seat couples beside each other so that everyone was forced to interact with each other. This ended up being a great decision and many people left the night with new friends. Scandinavian wedding receptions are different than a Canadian reception. Normally they have approximately 10 speeches from both family and friends (this can make the dinner a bit lengthy). In the end we had five speeches which were all hilarious and had the entire room cracking up! Our non-Scandinavian guests were also in for some fun surprises along the way. In Scandinavia if people start clinking their glass it means the bride and groom need to stand on a chair and kiss, similarly if the guests stomp their feet the bride and groom need to get under the table to kiss. Lastly, if the bride or the groom uses the washroom all the ladies line up to give the groom a kiss or the men line up to give the bride a kiss. This was a big hit and was so wonderful to get everyone participating in these traditions.
Is there anything we would change? I wouldn’t change anything in terms of logistics. All of our vendors were incredible, I would also encourage a photobooth. People who hadn’t met before were queueing up to take silly pictures with each other and it provided a great way for people to get to know each other. Seeing all of the photos after the fact was such a treat. Also, having an on the day wedding coordinator is worth their weight in gold. This was perhaps the best investment of the day! Ours was there the entire time and helped us with everything, from setting the place cards to giving us the cues to walk down the aisle. He was incredible.
The one thing that Mads and I would change would be not to stress as much and worry less. We were so nervous in the lead up and on the day, but everything works itself out. We had the most amazing support system in our wedding party and our families that there was absolutely nothing we should have been worried about. Everyone is there to celebrate you and will help you wherever possible!
It was really a special day for us. We are still getting compliments about uniqueness of our day. We know that it was special, but it is wonderful to hear how special it was to all of our family and friends, especially those who travelled to be with us.
We’d like to give a huge thank you to our amazing photographers who truly captured the magic of the day!
Airship 37 Wedding In The Heart Of Toronto // Pip & Chrishttp://www.bluecolibri.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/airship-37-wedding-toronto-downtown-683x1024.jpg6831024Gee & IevaGee & Ievahttp://2.gravatar.com/avatar/8a35f73b6a4b774172b5427e1f198bce?s=96&d=blank&r=g
Nicely tucked in next door to Distillery District Airstrip 37 is perfect spot to celebrate wedding in Toronto downtown. We would say space at Airship 37 is what you make of it. At first glance Airship has very modern urban atmosphere. From here you can take various routes decorating the rooms and probably be safe no matter what. As we mentioned probably a thousand times we love weddings that take place at one location from start to finish. This allows more connectivity between wedding day elements. At Airship 37 staff are pros at flipping rooms from ceremony to reception so you can relax and enjoy the moments during cocktail hour. There are couple of areas to hang out, mingle, connect and reconnect with your family and friends. There is outdoor space with vintage bus jammed in for your amusement. The bus is actually fully functional prop. The other area is sort of a lounge bar area. Here you can grab a drink escape sunshine on a hot summer day or hide from the rain.
If you have a need to step out from Airship 37 grounds from whatever reason Distillery District is next door. Distillery District needs no introduction of course. Here you can grab a bite, a cup of coffee or have a drink before the celebration begins in case you early or whatever other reason. If you love people congratulating you every step of the way Distillery District is perfect for your wedding photos. If not there are plenty of spots around the area that are more private and we been using to take pictures for years.
As always worth mentioning space without people it’s just that an empty space.
We had fantastic time shooting Pip and Chris wedding at Airship 37. We walked through Distillery District enjoyed sunshine during cocktail hour and finished big day with sparkles. Please scroll for the photos that we think tell a better story than words. Cheers!
What To Wear For Engagement Photoshoot // By Amanda Lee Shawhttp://www.bluecolibri.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/stylish-looks-for-engagement-photos-1.jpg740493Gee & IevaGee & Ievahttp://2.gravatar.com/avatar/8a35f73b6a4b774172b5427e1f198bce?s=96&d=blank&r=g
You’re engaged, congratulations! After saying yes to that special someone, naturally you’ll want to share the news and show off the ring, but there can be a lot of pressure associated with getting your engagement photos just “right”.
My name is Amanda, Toronto based Costume Designer and with a lot of experience creating and styling looks for people in film and print. I’m here to share some insights to help save the stress and come away with an engagement photo you’ll want to highlight rather than hide for years to come.
Firstly, work with your location. You’ve probably picked the perfect place for your photos so keep it in mind when selecting your outfit. Whether you’re hiking in the woods, strolling through downtown or rolling around on a sandy beach, make sure you wear something appropriate for the setting. Also, embrace the colour palette of your surroundings. Are you against a red brick wall? Standing in a green forest? Pick an outfit that works with these colours and doesn’t cause you to blend into the background and you’re already ahead of the game.
Be yourself. Your engagement photos are just that ,YOUR engagement photos. Above all, choose an outfit you feel comfortable in. If you’re generally a casual dresser, dress casually and if haute couture is your thing, rock it. You never know what interesting poses your photographer might have in mind, so make sure you can move freely in whatever you choose, or have a game plan for the limitations a pencil skirt holds.
Engagement photos are a chance to be less formal (you’ll be dressed to the 9’s on the big day). For the gents a nice pair of jeans with a button down shirt and pullover sweater works nicely. Ladies, if you have a favourite dress or top, incorporate it into your look.
I suggest avoiding baggy or ill-fitting clothes, anything that’s overly revealing or overly casual, like running/tennis shoes or graphic tees. You want to look good while still feeling comfortable.
That being said, feel free to dress up! A cute cocktail dress or a suit aren’t too much and will look just as nice. (You can even channel your wedding day with a white dress!)
This may be your opportunity to try out that amazing outfit you’ve been eyeing. However, it is important to make sure you’ve worn the clothes and planned your outfit ahead of the photo shoot. Buying a new outfit can be great, but make sure you feel comfortable and not awkward in it. Nothing could be worse than showing up on the day and worrying the whole time about bunching pockets or a rogue shoulder strap. Take the guessing game out of the equation and wear your new outfit at least once, even if it’s just for dinner and drinks at home.
Play off your partner. Definitely don’t wear matching outfits (even if you want to, please don’t, you’ll thank me later), but coordinating colours can help create a feeling of cohesion. If you’re looking to add a pop of colour, ties and heels are a great place to start. They can add the element of fun and flare you’re looking for and pairing them with an otherwise neutral look ensures you won’t be over powered by your outfit.
Finally, don’t forget the little details. You’ll want the classic engagement ring shot so your hands better be camera ready! (male and female) I tend to prefer neutral tones but you can always add a pop of colour, it is a celebration after all! If you’re like me and don’t normally wear nail polish, get a manicure in a nude or neutral shade. This will keep your nails looking nice without making it feel like someone else’s engagement photos. And guys, tidy up those hands too. You’re going to be on display and while it may not be your thing to get a manicure at least trim those nails and keep them clean for the shoot. Earrings that suit but don’t distract and a simple watch or bracelet are all simple items that help the photos feel less like a catalogue ring photo shoot.
Whatever you choose to wear, remember the focus is about you choosing each other. Confidence will help you move more naturally and make your photos that much more successful and the shoot more enjoyable, so don’t loose sight of the intention and exude the confidence you felt saying yes into those pictures.
This is by no means a rule book, the most important thing is to make the session unique to you and ensuring that you enjoy it! If it starts to rain, incorporate cute umbrellas. If you break a heel, have your other half lift you up. If you forget the ring, well you better go back and get it, it’s an engagement photo after all, and I’m sure it’s going to be lovely.
RCYC Toronto Island Wedding // Alice & Madshttp://www.bluecolibri.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/rcyc-wedding-photographer.jpg740493Gee & IevaGee & Ievahttp://2.gravatar.com/avatar/8a35f73b6a4b774172b5427e1f198bce?s=96&d=blank&r=g
This year we were invited to shoot RCYC Toronto Island wedding. For those who don’t know The Royal Canadian Yacht Club is located on Toronto Island. We love to shoot weddings in Toronto the problem is once you in the middle of downtown you don’t see the town anymore. RCYC was just a solution to fix this problem. Not only we were watching Alice and Mads exchanging their wows under the willow tree all Toronto skyline was in front of us. But to be honest we are so grateful for all the awesome people we meet and specially when we meet them after they book us for the big day. Alice and Mads live in Norway and they trusted us too shoot their wedding at RCYC without the eye to eye meeting. We are blest with people we meet year after year and so thankful for trusting us with such an important moments of your life. One for now with Alice and Mads.
Airship 37 is another awesome wedding venue in Toronto downtown. Airship 37 located next door to Distillery District so you can be sure that all your wedding photography spots is walking distance from the venue. Therefore you can spend more time in front of the camera instead of siting in the traffic on the way to some other location. It’s run by Berkeley Events so you know you getting quality service. Recently we shot Pip and Chris wedding at Airship 37 and totally love the space and atmosphere of the venue. Here is one with our super laid back awesome couple.
