November 11, 2016

Ali and Jory’s love and admiration for one another is truly palpable. I love witnessing a love like this and for that reason, this wedding was something special to capture.

I adore both this simple and tropical orchid bouquet. The modern twist is simply achieved by the black and white ribbon used to wrap the flower stems. Wow! What a statement piece.

The pear shape diamond is beyond beautiful. It is classic and simple just like Ali.

“One of my favourite moments of the day was in the morning having a coffee with my mom before all the craziness began.” – Ali

Ali is a lovely woman. She is caring and thoughtful and just pleasant to be around. Her two piece dress looked stunning on her! She opted for a long sleeve lace top to go on top. Overall her look was modern and classic. She aced it!

The lace detail of Ali’s dress was just absolutely stunning.

Something borrowed. Ali’s mom’s garter belt.

The gorgeous bride is prepped, dressed and ready to say “I do.”

Jory is also sweet and fun to be around. He makes you at ease instantly and has such a loving nature about him. You can tell that he’s one of these people that wants to make sure everyone is taken care of.

Ali and Jory’s bets friends dated for 3 years, so they had met through them. When their friends broke up however the twosome started hanging out. Their friends weren’t so happy at first, but eventually came around to it!

Ali made a beautiful photo book about their story for Jory. A-Z their memories and photos were documented. What a tearful and beautiful way to cherish their memory.

The couple’s first look moment was truly beautiful. Jory waited for Ali to descend the hill and tap him on his shoulder. They embraced each other and cried in probably one of the only moments that they really were “alone” for the day. After that, they were all smiles.

“Driving with Jory to Glendon College to do our Bride and Goom photos was one of our favourite moments…where we could actually be alone together and enjoy each other” – Ali

We headed off to Glendon College to shoot our couple shots of the twosome. Their look suited the location perfectly.

The feeling of love is quite evident between these two.

The addition of some black and white images added to the timeless look and feel of this lovely couple. 

We went back to the Westin Prince Hotel to photograph the largest bridal party I have ever witnessed! 18 groomsmen and 7 bridesmaids! WOW! Did I have my work cut out for me.

The men. The crazy men. Well, there sure were a lot of them and we managed to herd them all into one location and get some good shots of them – so I was happy and exhausted! lol. Most people can’t find this many people to even come to their wedding, let alone stand up for them but it makes sense for this couple. They are just too kind and awesome!

The ceremony and reception ensued at York Mills Gallery. The event space is a great location to create your vision in a blank space. Caspar Haydar Designs helped the couple create a tropical getaway, helping guests forget the bitter cold winter brewing outside.

The ceremony space looked gorgeous under the rowed twinkle lights and the chuppah was a stunning focal point! The green, white, black and pink colourscheme screamed Miami and the tropical garland was eye catching! The room really looked Miami Art Deco with a modern twist!

The ceremony started with the intimate Jewish Bedekin, where family took some moments with the newly weds sharing their marriage and life advice.

“Having my dad whisper some special wishes and inside jokes in my ear right after we signed all of the documents and before we all walked down the aisle were precious moments for me.” – Ali

The ceremony was short and sweet and felt so loving under the Huppah.

“Looking into Jory’s eyes while saying our vows and having our parents and siblings under the chuppah with us was such a warm and intimate feeling I will never forget.” – Ali

And finally…they are officially husband and wife!

The reception setup was beautiful and romantic and set the tone for the evening. 

“My favourite details WOULD have been all of the signage if they had remembered to print it all. I put a lot of time and effort into making them myself….so I guess it would be the focal point of the room which was the layering of the dance-floor with the lucite head table behind and boxwood wall behind that. It was spot-on from what I had envisioned and thought Caspar did such a fabulous job. That, or the band!!!!” – Ali

It was time to get comfortable and Ali’s removable top came off just as the evening reception got underway.

The groomsmen having way too much fun hoisting the groom into the air. Now, that’s how you party at a wedding reception!

The happy couple thoroughly enjoying the speeches being given by their family and friends.

Displaying the candles at the head table on the floor instead of on top of the table was such a great idea. 

“Adorn by Miguel” was our first dance song. We wanted something a bit sexier and different from the typical first dance song. We both love Miguel and just felt like the lyrics and sounds reflected our relationship.” – Ali

Such a sweet moment between the bride and her father as they enjoy the traditional father-daughter dance. 

This band always gets down to the dance floor to get people involved and having fun!

“We know that our group of friends are quite the rowdy bunch so we had a photo booth for everyone to make GIFs. It later turned into a video booth “goodbye cam” where they could send us messages and make complete fools of themselves and we’d have evidence of it for years to come.”

This wedding was truly a lovely day from beginning to end. I can only wish the best for this sweet couple. They really deserve all the happiness life can offer them. I hope one day, we will meet again where I document the next stages in your lives.

xx- april

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ceremony + reception: York Mills Gallery // officiant: Rabbi Yossi from Beth Torah Congregation // wedding planner: Ashley McEachnie (day of) from Caspar Haydar Designs // wedding stylist: Caspar Haydar Designs // cake: The Rolling Pin // catering: CaterTrendz // furniture + decor rentals: Divine Furniture // flowers: Caspar Haydar Designs // makeup: Makeup for Bride and others – Robert Weir; Other Makeup – Jordan King // hair: Ori Friedman // dress: Mikaella by Paloma Blanca; Bolero was by Romona Keveza from Kleinfelds // shoes: Clarks and Superga sneakers // tux: Hugo Boss // favours: Pop Tarts and Donuts – The Rolling Pin; Chinese Food – Riz on Bayview; Matches – For Your Party // bridal party gifts: Hair by Ori Friedman; Necklace from Judith Jack / stationary: The Write Invite // photobooth: Event Circle // music: The Universal Boogie Band/Magen Boys Entertainment // hotel: Westin Prince Toronto // videographer: Redstone Productions // dance floor: Event Graffiti // number of guests: 230