May 4, 2020

What are the best photo locations in Toronto? Well, photographers definitely have all of the answers! What makes wedding photographs better?

The wedding photos of your dreams can be crushed pretty quickly with the selection of the wrong location. Don’t get me wrong, beautiful photos can be taken just about anywhere BUT if you want to get those pin worthy shots, the location should be something to choose carefully.

There are a few key elements that contribute to a beautiful photograph. Without these 3 elements carefully considered, your wedding photos might suffer.

1) The Setting 2) The Light 3) The Subjects (posing)

Now here is our top 10 list:

1) Aga Khan Museum

The Aga Khan Museum is often over-looked for photo locations in the GTA. It is one of our top choices because of its diversity. It is clearly an architectural beauty with the most gorgeous play of shadows, light, symmetry and reflections. This location certainly works for anytime of day. And if graphic architecture is too much alone, you have lavender gardens, and rowed trees on grassy lawns too!

Permit: Yes

2) Distillery District

The Distillery District is one of Toronto’s top tourist hot spots for a reason. Full of brick walls with vines, golden sunset sun beams, art installations, and beautiful cobblestone walkways and alleys. This location never seems to get tired. Be sure to book this location on a weekend where there isn’t a festival though! You will certainly regret having every tourist in town in your background otherwise! 

Permit: Yes

3) The Broadview Hotel

This hotel is one of our favourites because of its variety of rooms and looks. The building itself is historic and beautiful, and the inside is just as pretty. The first floor bar is a great location for bridal party shots and the rooftop restaurant has some pretty rad seating areas for couple shots with a view. The staff are pretty accommodating to work with too.

Permit: Comes with a room or venue rental package and sometimes they allow small groups in too 😉

4) Cherry Beach

This beach is one of our favourites for a few reasons. Firstly there are a few different “feels” at this beach. Obviously there is a great beach with good sunset views but there is also a perfectly lush grass area that has the biggest most soft looking trees. The dog park is pretty too, if you are not too scared of a possible run in with an over-excited pup.

Permit: No

5) King West

King West has so many great hidden alleys, colourful doors, emergency exit stairs and variations of urban street settings to choose from. Since this street doesn’t have car traffic anymore either, it can make for great jaywalking shots too.

Permit: No

6) Roncesvalles

This neighbourhood has so many colourful graffiti walls, quaint coffee shops, coloured and brick wall options to choose from. Combine that with a walk to Sorauren Park and you have the best of urban and nature shots.

Permit: No

7) Scarborough Bluffs – Bluffers Park

Scarborough Bluffs has the iconic cliffside beach shot at sunset in addition to long grasses, shoreline, park and scenic lookout points above the lake. This park can get pretty packed on summer weekends though. Parking spots are few and far between after 10am in July and August so keep this gem for a spring or fall wedding instead.

Permit: No

8) Kortright Centre for Conservation

The Kortright Centre offers 325 hectares of conservation forested areas, paths, winding nooks and cranies. The best part is the rowed pine tree forest for that magical storybook look.

Permit: No/ Pay an Admission Fee

9) Estates of Sunnybrook

These historic stone homes have a rustic French charm, with crawling vines, pristine green lawns and numerous rooms of all colours to shoot in. This is a romantic and classical look with a variety of options. A great rain day option! 

Permit: Yes

10) Financial District

While the financial district might seem like the last place you envision your wedding photos, this area can be quite fun to shoot in. A sure city vibe with tall modern towers, numerous graphic options and walls galore! Evening sun bursts through alleyways and reflects off building windows for interesting plays with light and shadow.

Permit: No but be careful in some areas as they are guarded by security.

Some extra food for thought:

Permits

When choosing a photo location, you must check to see if a photo permit is required. If it is, you will have to pay for the permit and book in your time slot in advance. Make sure to check with your photographer before booking this in. Any location that requires a permit is a busier and more touristy area. Keep this in mind if you imagine a stunning photo of you and your partner solo surrounded by a barren Distillery District. It’s just not gonna happen. Double check that no specific art fairs, festivals or special events are booked the same day as your wedding. If it is, we urge you to rethink your photo vision.

Look Up

When choosing a photo location for your couple and bridal party photos, you must consider space. If you have a large bridal party and want photos of everyone together, you will need space. This does not just literally mean a field of grass will do. Consider levels for people to sit. Look up. Is the main photo interest only on the floor? Have you chosen a famous garden because of the pretty flowers growing on the ground? If you have 20 people in a shot, you may not see these pretty flowers at all. Consider using height to your advantage when you have a large grouping of people. We suggest cityscapes, architectural interests, barns, bars, trees or hotel lobbies. These kinds of locations, will allows people to sit on objects so that you don’t just have 20 people standing in a row. Or use space to your advantage and have people spread out into the natural space.

Lighting

Lighting is crucial when deciding on a location to shoot. Although you may be thinking, “Well I cannot control the light,” you kinda can. Try to avoid shooting in the height of the afternoon. This will avoid the raccoon eye shadow issue. No one looks good in that light. Consider finding locations that have wide open shade. Avoid hard spotted light like a forest at noon. A forest location however can look stunning at 3pm onward for example. In conclusion, choose a photo location based on the best possible light condition in the case that it is a sunny day. So if you are shooting at 1pm and you want Edward’s Gardens for example, this might be a bad lighting situation that you have chosen. There is very limited shade there and not only will everyone look like a raccoon, but they might be sweating buckets too. A better option for that time might be the Financial District with all the buildings and huge shadows or even the Distillery District or Evergreen Brickworks.