gta wedding Archives | Olive Photography

Alton Mill Wedding | Julia & Josh

April 14, 2017

Soo, going through this wedding to pick out photos for the blog made me tear up.
Yup, I’ll admit it. I’m such a sap for love-filled gazes – and this one had SO many.
I especially loved the tearful and heartfelt moments with the parents and grandparents. *sigh*
And their first dance under the twinkly lights!

Julia and Josh met at Ryerson while doing their undergrad – funny story, I though Josh looked familiar when we initially met, and then we discovered we actually had a class together too! Small world, eh?

On their wedding day they got ready at the Millcroft Inn, then got married at Alton Mill. Both locations are so lovely, surrounded by picturesque nature.

Their day was so beautiful. Read all about it and their love at the end of the photos below – and until you get there, enjoy checking out these memories from their wedding!

So heartwarming, no?

And here are some words from the couple themselves!

Your Love Story: How did you meet? Do you have a sweet proposal story?
We are Josh and Julia and we met in university while studying in the same program. Since then, we’ve made each other laugh every day!

What is your wedding theme / style / colour palette? Why did you choose this?
The theme just naturally evolved from our love for summer nights outside on a beautifully lit patio with string lights, our closest friends and family with good food and wine. From there, we used many local vendors and small shops off etsy to make it more personal. That’s actually how I found my dress! It’s from a talented designer from Vancouver that started on etsy a couple of years ago, making dresses with the help of her mother. She now sells her dresses all over the world. There were many personal touches, including some amazing macaroons used as favours and made hand painted with flowers by the groom’s mother.

What 3 words best describe your wedding?
Intimate, relaxed and rustic.

Favourite wedding moment(s)?
The entire day was so special and fun, filled with many unexpected tears of joy. Our ceremony took place outside on the grass, under an arbour Josh built with birch we picked up on one of our hikes. We also loved our first dance on the patio with our guests surrounding us and the string lights on.

Venue: What made this venue the one for you?
It’s a little gem we found in Caledon many years ago, and quickly became our favourite place to visit on a Sunday morning for coffee. When the time came to plan our wedding, there was no doubt we’d have it at Alton Mill. The beautiful outdoors, old stone walls, patio with romantic lights and all the history it has to offer made it for the perfect venue.

Photographer: How did you know you had found the right photographer?
We were looking for someone that captures the natural light and candid photos we like and knew we found our photographer when we met Anastasia. She was the calm and fun presence we needed to make us feel at ease on the big day.

Any words of advice for couples planning their wedding?
Start the work early, pick the details that make you happy and have fun while you go through the process.

WEDDING VENDORS

Getting Ready Location: Millcroft Inn
Reception & Ceremony Venue: Alton Mill

Dress Designer: Truvelle Bridal
Hair & Makeup: Jen Evoy Makeup Studio
Bridesmaid robes – Plum Pretty Sugar
Groom’s Suit: Esco

Delicate Headband: A Bit of Love Wedding (Etsy)
Stationery: Charlie Whiskey (Etsy)
Men’s Tie Bar: Perpetuum Mobile Shop (Etsy)
Flowers: A friend
Cake & Macaron favours: Groom’s Mother
Catering & Planning: TK’s Catering
Officiant: Garry Francis–
Other weddings with similar locations you may enjoy: Meghan & Matt’s Ancaster Mill Wedding and Melody & Darren’s Cambridge Mill Wedding
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Maybe you want to follow Olive Photography behind the scenes? Fun stories are posted regularly on Instagram – Follow along!

Knollwood Golf Club Wedding – Ashley & Matt

January 14, 2016

Y’all. Ashley and Matt are awesome.

They and their family are so amazingly silly and fun.
They also wear their hearts on their sleeves – in the best kind of way.
When they are ecstatic, you can expect happy tears.
Ah, the happy tears.
The speeches were hilarious as we were reminded to look around the room and just see how many times certain family members were crying. We all laughed so hard.

I love that this wedding was infused with so much of this couple’s personality.

They know how to have a great time, and their save the dates and programs showcased their humour. (You can see them in the photos below!)

And Matt loves wrestling so he and his guys donned Luchador masks for some snaps – too dang funny!

The weather was wet for much of the day so we had to re-jig where we did their first look and some portraits, but the charming Knollwood Golf and Country Club Inn has an adorable wrap-around porch that was perfect.

I absolutely *loved* working with Ashley and Matt – you guys are the sweetest and I’m super honoured to have been a part of your love story!

— Now for some photos! Also don’t miss their reflections of their big day at the bottom of the post!

KEY PLAYERS:
– Bride’s dress designer: Bonny Bridal
– Boutique where dress was found: Sheila’s Bridal Ancaster, ON (Plus size gown specialist and highly recommended!)
– Bouquets: Sobey’s Ancaster, ON (This was my greatest wedding bargain and I’m so happy how they turned out!)
– Hair: Sarah Davis of Wilde Hair Boutique Grimsby, ON
– Makeup: Makeup by Carmela
– Groom’s Suit: Moore’s
– Groom’s Accessories: Moore’s
– Centrepieces: Handmade with love
– Invitations: Designed by the groom and printed at TPH
– Cake: L.A. Cupcake Boutique
– Cookie Table: Bab’s Bakes owned by the bride’s mom, Barb
– Favours: Pumpkin Spice Hot Cocoa handmade with love
– Cake Topper: The Threaded Hook
– Getting Ready Location: Knollwood Inn
– Ceremony Venue: Knollwood Golf Course
– Photo location: Knollwood Golf Course
– Reception Venue: Knollwood Golf Course
– Other details of note: Christina Robbins of Knollwood was heaven sent and made all of our wishes come true!

– Photographer: Olive Photography

– A little bit about where you met?
We like to say we met where digital love goes to die, otherwise known as the website Plenty of Fish!

– What was the style/vibe of your wedding, and why did you choose to make it that way?
We wanted our wedding to feel relaxed, warm and inviting. When we saw our venue with the copper-hooded fireplace and the wood beams we knew it was the perfect fit! We also didn’t want everything to be cookie-cutter, so we tried to incorporate lots of details like Matt’s love for wrestling (incorporated into our vows, groomsmen pictures and sugar cookies). Our bear-themed nicknames were also incorporated into our crocheted cake topper.

– What made you choose to have your wedding in the season you did?
We both love fall and we were hoping for seasonal temperatures and beautiful fall colours. We ended up getting gale-force winds and rain blowing from all directions, but it still worked out beautifully. Our ceremony was moved inside and lit by candles in the windows, which we loved.

– What was your favourite wedding moment (bride & groom)?
Ashley: Ah! So hard to choose, but probably our vows. We laughed and cried and immediately after the ceremony that “Oh my gah! We’re married!” moment is incredible.
Matthew: I have two. The first was breaking down when I saw Ashley in a window’s reflection during our first look. The second was scanning the room after the speeches and seeing everyone we know laughing and having a good time. The dance floor was packed right to the end.

– Any advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?
It is so cliche but relax and enjoy everything. We spent so much time ahead of the wedding worrying about the “what ifs” and when the day came, it just melted away. There isn’t much you can do the day of, so enjoy the ride.
Also, use your vendors to meet other vendors. We found our make up artist and sourced our cake topper through Anastasia!

– Any final thoughts about the big day/experience of getting married that you’d like to share?
Don’t underestimate the amount of work and detail that goes into pulling a wedding together, but also know that it’s not as bad as it seems when you’re stressed out. Chip away at it a few nights each week, knocking items off your To-Do List as you go along. It’s completely manageable even if it seems like a mountain at first. Make time for yourselves and talk about things other than the wedding!

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If you enjoyed this rainy day wedding at a cool, rustic GTA venue, you may also like this one at the Cambridge Mill!

McMichael Art Gallery Wedding – Isabella & Lukas

December 2, 2015

McMichael Art Gallery Wedding

High school sweethearts Isabella and Lukas had the most beautiful wedding at the McMichael Art Collection. Not only is it an incredibly unique place to get married (how neat is it that they got married in an actual gallery?), but the surrounding forested area was just magical.

The gallery is surrounded by such lovely trails, and some very unique sites – 6 of the 10 Group of 7 artists are actually buried there, and Tom Thomson’s actual shack where he painted his famous work was transported there! We had to take some photos by that very cool piece of history.

The bond these two share is already so beautiful on its own, but their wedding day was made even more spectacular by the seasonal details they so thoughtfully planned: crimson pomegranates, apples and florals, pinecone place card holders (love that!), scarves and blankets for all the wedding party and guests to keep toasty, sweet calligraphed quotes and signs as well as so many other whimsical and wonderful touches.

Here are some snapshots from their big day – with words from the newlyweds themselves and vendor details at the end!

And now, here are some words from the happy newlyweds!!

— What was the style/vibe of your wedding, and why did you choose to make it that way?
Lukas laughs when I talk about the theme…”woodland glam” (almost as hard as he laughed when I told him that our Christmas decor would be “woodland christmas”). We wanted to showcase our love of the outdoors and of art. We had visited the Mcmichael together many times in elementary and high school, we thought it would only be right to go back there! We hoped that all the touches and details would be meaningful to us as a couple, while also honouring our families and different cultures.
We also wanted to capture moments from our long history together as a couple. Our music came from our high school mixtapes for each other and decor incorporated the many photos from our 9 year relationship.

— What made you choose to have your wedding in the season you did?
We both loved the colours and all the coziness that comes with fall. A lot of happy things happen in fall, from birthdays to Isabella’s parent’s wedding anniversary. We also love the Mcmichael best at that time of year!

— What was your favourite wedding moment?
Lukas’ favourite moment: Watching Isabella walk down the aisle with her dad, looking so beautiful and elegant was simply breathtaking. And in classic Bella style, she tripped on the front of her wedding gown. In a cute little huff of frustration and embarrassment she hiked up her dress and marched down the rest of the aisle. Our guests all let out a laugh but if you looked towards me you would see a smile from ear to ear. It was a perfect display of the clumsy yet perfect bride I would marry minutes later. An unplanned and completely accidentlal moment reminded me of why I fell in love with her.
Isabella’s favourite moment: There are many moments that I will always remember. But my standout moment happened the second we walked out of the ceremony space. The gravity of the ceremony finally hit me and a kiss from my groom brought me to tears. Lukas will attest to the fact that I emote as much as rocks do. But at this moment my heart was full. We had the back of the gallery space to ourselves as the wedding party and parents made it down. Seeing our most beloved friends and family cheering and crying was so special. We got to hug each person and revel in the moment. Not only did I feel so much love for Lukas, but I felt the love from our family and friends.

— Any advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?
Weddings are filled with so much emotion and meaning. Knowing that though, it will never be drama free no matter how hard you try! Despite it all though, those special moments that come from the day make it completely worth it.
Keep your sanity by doing everything very early! Complete tasks when you feel it is “too early”…because no matter what it isn’t.
Finally we learned the wedding is about more than the couple. Something we commented on repeatedly throughout the day was how lucky we were to have our family and friends in our lives. We hope that your day will be filled with the most love your friends and family could possibly give.

Vendors

Photography

Olive Photography

www.olivephotography.ca

@OlivePhotoTO (Instagram & Twitter)
www.facebook.com/OlivePhotographyTOWedding Coordinator
Behind the I Do
www.behindtheido.com
@behindtheido (Instagram & Twitter)

Flowers
Caprice Design and Decor
www.capricedesign.com
@caprice_decor (Instagram)
@capricedesign (Twitter)
https://www.facebook.com/CapriceDesign/

Hair
Monstylefile l Hair by Monica
http://www.monstylefile.com/
@MonStyleFile (Instagram & Twitter)
https://www.facebook.com/MONSTYLEFILE/

Makeup
Mobile Makeovers
www.mobilemakeovers.ca

Dress Designer
Maggie Sottero
http://www.maggiesottero.com/
@maggiesottero (Instagram & Twitter)
https://www.facebook.com/Maggie.Sottero

Suit
Peter Parvez Custom Suits
http://www.peterparvez.ca/
https://www.facebook.com/peterParvezCustomTailor/

Cake: none

Favours: London Children’s Health Foundation Donation

Venue

McMichael Canadian Art Collection

http://www.mcmichael.com/

@mcacgallery

https://www.facebook.com/mcacgallery/

Caterer

Presidential Gourmet

http://presidentialgourmet.ca/

https://www.facebook.com/presgourmet/

@pres_gourmet (Instagram & Twitter)

Ryan Caroll of Dialed in DJs

dislexia.ca/DID/action/

@dialedindjs (Instagram & Twitter)
https://www.facebook.com/DialedInDJs/

… Can’t get enough of Isabella & Lukas? Revisit their engagement session here 🙂

Wedding at The Manor – Chloë & Andrew

November 7, 2015

Chloë & Andrew had their wedding at The Manor in Kettleby Ontario at the very edge of Summer – when the leaves were still green but the temperatures had cooled. Though it rained that day, the cloud cover acted like a big, natural softbox which was *amazing* for their photos.

They had a modern colour scheme was subtly echoed everywhere – from their invitation suite to their table linens to the polkadots on his pocket square, and gold belts for the bridesmaids (cool!)… they certainly have a keen eye for attention to detail.

What was even more unique than their bold choice to use black as her main colour was the incredibly vibrant and exciting pops of fuchsia they infused in the day’s florals. This, combined with the fun popcorn favours, celebratory wands and sparkling gold details helped ensure the atmosphere felt light and effortless. It was the perfect balance of classic with modern touches, giving this wedding a timeless feel.

They themselves also looked incredible – From her ethereal looong, flowing veil and delicate gold tiara, to his tailored navy suit and patent leather shoes with blue stitching to coordinate – their wedding getups were on point!

Sidenote: It was so sweet that Chloë used one of her childhood hangers for her wedding dress <3

I won’t say too much more since you can see how beautiful their big day was through the photos — but at the bottom of the post is more about their wedding from the couple themselves!

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Ah, so much fun!
Now, here are some words from the newlyweds themselves!

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What was the style/vibe of your wedding, and why did you choose to make it that way?

We wanted our wedding to be a big celebration, lots of laughs and lots of dancing! We are not very traditional and neither are our families so we decided to have our ceremony and reception at our amazing venue, The Manor. We used black, white and gold in our invitations and incorporated polka dots and stripes to emphasize the black/white theme. We didn’t want the hall itself to look too drab so we used bright fuchsia flowers to add some dimension to the tables. We felt it was a great reflection of us as it was a very sophisticated party but a fun loving day!

What was your favourite wedding moment?

Bride – it was literally the best day of my life so to pick one moment is very difficult! My top fave memory of the day was when Andrew and I had our first look before the ceremony. It was such a sweet and special moment for the two of us and really helped to ease any nerves that either of us may have had. Plus he looked so handsome in his tux! Another special moment for me was when I saw our reception hall for the first time. Wedding planning is stressful enough but trust me when I say it’s not easy sticking to your gut and choosing black linens in a sea of ivory and blush weddings! after months of picking all these little details at some point you start second guess all your decisions. It was such a relief to see how perfect everything looked!

Groom – my favourite moment was watching Chloë walk down the aisle with her father. She looked so beautiful and so happy. Being surrounded by all of the most important people in our lives meant the world to me.

Any advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?

Wedding planning can get really emotional for so many different reasons. Chloë was super organized and had spreadsheets for everything! She was determined to be the most organized so that during the day she could let our vendors take care of everything. It really was a stress free day for her.

Bride – I had so many spreadsheets for everything, which I use a lot at work so why wouldn’t I use them for our wedding?! If you’re not the spreadsheet type maybe ask someone in your bridal party who is savvy at excel to help you out. Everything from organizing our guestlist to keeping track of gifts and thank you cards and then our day of timeline these really helped me relax and enjoy the day. My parents poked fun at me when I handed out a wedding guide (it was only 3 pages!) And mentioned that something wasn’t included in my flow charts. I didn’t make any flow charts but you get the point!

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Vendors:

Photographer: Olive Photography

http://www.olivephotography.ca/

Twitter + Instagram: @OlivePhotoTO

FB: https://www.facebook.com/olivephotographyto

Dress designer: Mori Lee

http://www.morileecanada.com/

Twitter + Instagram: @morileebridal

Suit: Tiger of Sweden

http://tigerofsweden.com/

Twitter + Instagram: @tigerofswedento

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Tigerofsweden

Bride & Groom’s Shoes: Ted Baker

http://www.tedbaker.com/

Instagram + Twitter: @ted_baker

Hair: Bridal Hair Collective

http://www.bridalhaircollective.com/

Instagram: @bridalhaircollective

FB: https://www.facebook.com/amygriffithshairstylist

Flowers: Pink Twig

http://pinktwig.ca/

Instagram + Twitter: @pinktwigfloral

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Pink-Twig-Floral-Boutique

Popcorn Favours: Beau-Coup Favours

http://www.beau-coup.com/

Twitter: @beaucoupfavors

Instagram: @beau_coup/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/beaucoupfavors

Invitations: Wedding Paper Divas

https://www.weddingpaperdivas.com

Twitter + Instagram: @weddingpaperdivas

Venue: The Manor Kettleby by Peter and Paul’s

http://bypeterandpauls.com/themanor/

Instagram + Twitter: @bypeterandpauls

FB: https://www.facebook.com/TheManor1982

Wedding planner/Decor : Event Decor and More – Tish Mihelic

http://www.eventdecorandmore.ca/

Photobooth – Photobombbooth

http://www.photobombbooths.ca/

Instagram + Twitter: photobombbooth

FB: https://www.facebook.com/photobombboothsTO

Hamilton Lakeview Wedding – Kelsey & Nico

October 22, 2015

Such good humour – even after red wine spilled on her dress!

Kelsey and Nico fill my heart right up.
They are two of the sweetest, kindest people you will ever meet.
I feel very lucky that they invited me to witness and document the resounding love they share.

They planned an incredibly charming Hamilton Lakeview wedding. The blues of the water were echoed in the bridesmaids dresses, bride’s shoes, reception room colour and touches, and their twinkly blue eyes.

They are so easy-going, and their wedding had a very relaxed vibe – right down to climbing on the wave-splashed rocks at sunset!

The historic site where they held their ceremony and where they took wedding party photos was also so unique and beautiful – like a castle.

High school sweethearts Kelsey and Nico emanate such beauty and love in the most sincere and lovely way. It was beyond a joy to be a part of their special day.

— Here are some words from the newlyweds themselves! —

** What was the style/vibe of your wedding, and why did you choose to make it that way?

We wanted our wedding to reflect who we are as a couple – casual, relaxed, and fun (at least we think so)! We opted for more comfortable attire and simple DIY decorations to make it more personable and in order to stay within our budget. At its simplest, we wanted to celebrate our wedding with our friends and family, with lots of dancing and laughter – and we got exactly that!

** What was your favourite wedding moment:

Kelsey: That’s a tough one! I relished every moment of the day (yes, even the red wine spilling on my dress!). But if I had to choose one, I’d say this: We wanted our wedding day to be as organized as possible to limit the amount of stress that we’d feel on such an important day in our lives. We budgeted extra time for our “first look” before the ceremony which meant we were able to relax and enjoy each other’s company before the busyness of the day. I also loved taking photos by the water on the rocks after dinner – it was such a beautiful evening and a special moment together as husband and wife!

Nico: While it was an unforgettable day overall, some truly stand-out moments were the ones where Kelsey and I got to be alone together. There’s something special about having a minute or two to yourselves on a day where everyone’s attention is on you! Standing out on the rocks with just my wife as the sun set would have to be my favourite moment.

** Any advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?

Don’t sweat the small stuff – as cliché as it sounds, things may go wrong but you have to stay positive and never forget what the planning is all about – celebrating your love and commitment together in the presence of the people who mean the most to you. What else really matters, right?

Be as organized as you can to avoid some of the minor stressors that may arise (logistics of the day) but don’t let that get in the way of having the best day ever! Budget your time well so that you have room to breathe and enjoy each other’s company!

Details:
– Dress designer: Mori Lee (bought at Sophie’s Gown Shoppe in London, ON)
– Bridesmaids dresses: David’s Bridal
– Groom attire: Express (shirt, vest, and tie), R.W.& Co. (pants), Call It Spring (shoes)
– Flowers: Burlington Flowers
– Centrepieces: DIY (candle holders and books from Michael’s Craft Store)
– Cake: The Lakeview
– Favours: Donation to CMHA (Canadian Mental Health Association)
– Ceremony Venue: Dundurn National Historic Site – Hamilton, ON
– Reception Venue: The Lakeview by Carmen’s – Hamilton, ON
– Hair & Makeup: Dolce Divas
– Photographer: Olive Photography

P.S. Can’t get enough of this amazingly adorable couple? Check out their engagement session done on Toronto’s Ward’s Island.

This wedding was featured on Style Me Pretty! See the feature here!

Niagara Vineyard Wedding – Laura & Zach

January 11, 2015

Laura and Zach’s Niagara vineyard wedding was set against the most spectacular and romantic setting – the gorgeous green rows of grapes touched by the golden sun made us feel like we were in a dream.

Laura’s attention to detail brought the beauty inside the reception tent, as lovely mis-matched yet co-ordinating vessels held an unexpected and totally fresh array of florals, and each plate was adorned with an adorable burlap and lace pouch which housed home-made caramels as a ‘Thank You’ to guests.

The whole vibe of the day felt so beautiful – amongst the days I’m sure we’ll all remember fondly as one of those epic Summer memories that we’ll never want to let go.

There was so much happiness, warmth and love that day, and the gorgeous setting mirrored how we all felt.

Here’s a look at Laura and Zach’s beautiful wedding at Ravine Vineyard… And be sure to read some words about the big day from the couple themselves at the bottom of the post!

… And here are some words about these lovebirds and some of their advice to engaged couples:

Q: Tell us a bit about your love story?

A: We were originally introduced through friends during University. With both of us at different schools and living in different cities and with no physical introduction, we continued on our separate paths. It wasn’t until July 4th, 2010 on a random Sunday, that we decided to meet up in Toronto on a whim. For those that know us, this was out of character for both of us! We then spent the day exploring the city, opening up to each other about our lives, the difficulties we’ve overcome, hardships we’ve endured but perhaps most importantly, where we wanted to go in life. We joked, we laughed and we continued to just let it all happen! After an incredible 8 hour walk through the city, we sealed it with a kiss and have been best friends and soul mates since.

Q: What were your favourite wedding moments?

A: It is almost impossible to narrow down a favourite moment, the entire day was magical! From the moment we woke up to the time we fell asleep, the day was perfect.

Q: Any advice for engaged couples planning their wedding?

A: Enjoy the planning process, stay organized and stay on top of things! By doing this, you will be able to relax and enjoy the weeks leading up to the wedding. Don’t forget to think about the guests in your planning, the small things go a long way! Most importantly, it’s your wedding, so throw an extraordinary party to celebrate your love with family and friends!

Q: Any final thoughts about the day you’d like to share?

A: The day won’t go by quickly if you are relaxed and ready to enjoy!

P.S. This wedding was featured on The Wedding Co.! See the feature here!