Late September elopement wedding in High Park

Fun Fall wedding in the woods in High Park

We're ALL having fun in this pix!  The couple and their 6 guests found a grove of trees in High Park and we held a wonderful short wedding in the woods at the end of September.  The weather COOPERATED (yay), and a good time was had by all.  It's important to find a little space away from people getting outdoor exercise, and dog walkers - but it's a big park! 

Signing the registry book on a bench in High Park

Phil the photographer - available for weddings big and small.

Lovely family wedding at the Jam Factory

a great jazz duo, fabulous food, fun wedding party, and a quote from Tolkien's Silmarillion for the wedding.  As always, great pix by Neil Ta.   More pix to come...

Jam Factory, Family wedding

Jam Factory

Lovely wedding at La Maquette Patio

La Maquette 

Here are a couple of teachers - funny and committed, to teaching, and to each other.  Their wedding was wonderful, and the ceremony was held in the outdoor patio at La Maquette.  Here they are exchanging their personal vows - and smiling all the way.  Great pictures by Agnes Wyrot, at Northern Wildflower

Hart House Gallery Grill - a lovely and yummy restaurant venue at UofT

Hart House: Gallery Grill

If you like Hart House at the University of Toronto, but are also looking for a great chef and a 'different' ambience than one of the halls, we've had a couple of weddings lately at the Gallery Grill at Hart House.  It's housed in the old Faculty dining room, overlooking the Great Hall.  We're having a wedding in the intimate grill area later this year, in front of the Fireplace, but this event was in the dining room.  You can have a reasonable number of people - 30-60? Just ask them - esp if this is a seated dinner, which is usual.  But it's best with under 50, I'd think. You also have the front bar area for cocktails, and then the dining room for the dinner.  So, about the same size as the Wedding at Frank at the AGO, or at Le Select, or other restaurants we've used.

Year of the Sheep - A farmer on King and Spadina

So -- Here I am, on King and Spadina, outside 2nd Floor Events (in the alley near Brassai).  I had a noon wedding at Le Select, and an evening wedding up the alley.  Sometime in between, a farmer from Arthur, Ontario brought in some hurdles and set up a SHEEP PEN outside the venue and filled it with 5 sheep and a lamb. (The couple were celebrating the Year of the Sheep, and they also had great Lion Dancers for the Reception).  Photography by Oink & Coo

These are Horned Jacobs, one of the oldest Highland breeds.  The rams have 4 horns, the ewes have 2.  In another life, we were sheep farmers in Eastern Ontario, so I know how to hold a lamb :-)  The farmer let me hold this one, and as you can see, I'm EXTREMELY HAPPY.  Now if I only had my border collies, Jess and Nell...   Memories.

and here we are inside, at 2nd Floor events, exchanging rings and vows - in a quite lighthearted mode. .

Zombies were not invited to the wedding

We had a lovely wedding at the Arts and Letters Club on Elm Street at the end of October.  But somehow a few thousand zombies also decided to take to Yonge Street on that Saturday.  Photographer Neil Ta got this great picture of the calm couple in the midst of -- the zombie apocalypse.

Zombie March on Yonge Street

Burroughes Building - downtown with a vibe and a view

Had a lovely wedding last night at the Burroughes building on Queen West - despite the usual adventures with the meandering Bathurst bus and those delightful detours.  The absolutely great photographers were a Brit and a Blonde- and if you can grab them when they're not in Costa Rica, say hi for me.  This room can be set up for any purpose (they moved the chairs after the ceremony, and set up a wet bar in the back).   Great feeling in the room.

Hart House Chapel - delightful family wedding

Hart House Chapel

Funny moment at a lovely family wedding at the non-denominational chapel at Hart House, University of Toronto.  We have held many elopements in the chapel, and it's good for a small family wedding (the maximum capacity is 25-30, but kind of squishy).
Lovely photos are by Nika Jaksic

Photos at the Carillon tower

summer patio at Le Select

great wedding at Le Select, and great photos (as usual!!!)  by A Brit and a Blonde

(remember this? last summer at the Pride parade? that's a Brit and a Blonde)

Lovely morning elopement in the park

Dovercourt Park, quiet and magical at 7:30am - birds, flowers, a couple of kids and a dog or two - and an entirely lovely couple..

Great Photography by Jennifer Rowsom

Dovercourt Park elopement

Here's another great wedding that was shot by Jen

Black Creek Pioneer Village Wedding

Wedding photography - how much to book for an elopement?

I'm NOT a photographer - and I have some very nice wedding photography colleagues. So this is a personal opinion, and not a professional one.

Wedding photographers will offer you packages based on time, and quantity/type of photos. If you are eloping (private wedding), and not having a big reception, how long do you need a photographer? (And yes, it's a great idea to have a real photographer shoot your elopement).

In our experience, it's nice to have one meet you at home, (optional), follow you to the ceremony, capture the trip (climbing the stairs at the CN tower, taking the streetcar/subway, coming up in the elevator to the rooftop, etc.) shoot the wedding and the signing of the license (20 minutes), and the hugs and happiness after (20 minutes). If you want street shots, you can ask them to follow you to another location for some aftershots (20-30 minutes).

But you don't need LOTS of shots of preparation, unless you want them. So 1 hour minimum will cover the ceremony, or 2 hours the arrival, ceremony and aftershots, or 3 hours max will cover the home shots, the wedding, and the 'just married' aftershots. A photographer needs to know the real time you'll be using their services, so choose 1,2,3 hours, and then discuss the number of pix, presentation, etc. If a photographer is also acting as a witness, it's nice to add a little gratuity as well.