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Laura and Aaron Engagement, Main St. Newmarket, ON

I imagine at some point Main Street Newmarket becoming a hot destination and a hub for our photography brethren trying to get the coolest, most creative shots for our clients. All because of us here at Studio Solaris… (cue Handel’s Messiah)… OK… back to reality now :-). Truth to be told, these parts of Newmarket have their charm, a charm that attracted Laura and Aaron, especially after seeing Kaytlin and Ryan’s engagement. They are a couple very much into each other and they have tender, intimate way of interacting with each-other that required only a minimum of intervention from our side.

I was also in for a surprise. Laura loves sunflowers and their wedding theme will revolve around them. This a very neat idea, they are my absolute favorite flowers as well. About midway into our photo session Laura stopped and bought two of those flowers to use in the following shots. Absolute beauty!

We can’t wait to shoot their wedding in October!

Newmarket engagement photography, Main Street, L & A

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Natalia and Erik's Wedding Day, Casa Loma, Toronto.

For us this wedding was a bit of a première. We’ve been in the wedding business for quite some time already but it just so happened we never had an opportunity to shoot at Casa Loma. It has fantastic architecture and carefully trimmed and maintained, not to mention beautiful, grounds that are a pleasure to be in. Their Conservatory is a perfect place for a ceremony and there are plenty of rooms to hold cocktails and entertain guests.

Natalia and Erik’s wedding was a bit unusual in its setting. The ceremony, the cocktails and the pictures we’re held at Casa Loma. The dinner was set at the quaint Fieramosca Trattoria and finally the party was held not very far off on The Pilot‘s Stealth Lounge. The amount of effort and energy in designing, decorating  and organizing this wedding was simply incredible, down to the exquisite custom hand-cut (by Natalia)  invitation we received in the mail.

The ceremony and cocktails were classy (fresh oysters anyone?), the dinner delicious (fresh Italian à la carte anyone?) and the party crazy (pole dancing anyone?) yet when we say all this it still seems a bit understated…

Needless to say we, along everyone else taking part, had a great time at this wedding and the following is a small sample of the events of the day.

Enjoy!

Casa Loma Wedding Photography N and M-100

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Macy and Geoff Engagement, Richmond Green, Richmond Hill, ON

I’ve known Geoff for a while now. We had interminable technology arguments like iOS vs Android, the future of cars and automotive in general… all profound, quietly romantic subjects. When he told me he and Macy got engaged we also discussed shooting their engagement and wedding at length for a full half  minute, before switching back to debating how self-driving cars from Google will undoubtedly destroy the joy of driving (my take) or revolutionize urban traffic and forever get rid of gridlock (his). We’re men, OK? Iron Man 3 is the best romantic comedy, let’s leave it at that…

So how come loving, funny, light hearted and easy going are the first thoughts popping in my mind when I think about Macy and Geoff’s recent engagement shoot? I don’t know, it is undoubtedly this strange power our partners have over us, a power that’s smoothing up our rough edges, reminding us how fragile we really are if we’re alone. It is perhaps fitting that Macy and Geoff wedding is back to back with Kaitlyn and Ryan’s . If we’re to judge by what we’ve seen in these two engagements, that weekend in August will be one to remember!

For the time being, here’s a small sample of this session.

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy!

Richmond Green Engagement Photography, in Richmond Hill, Macy and Geoff

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Kaitlyn and Ryan Engagement, Fairy Lake, Newmarket, ON

I have a feeling that Newmarket’s Main Street and Fairy Lake don’t come very often into Google searches as some of the most sought after engagement photography locations do. We thought why let places like Unionville have all the fun? Kaitlyn and Ryan are locals and wanted to stay in their neighbourhood for various reasons, for one they own the Books Cafe and Things right on Main Street, a place I visited regularly for the past year or so. Jasmine Tea  for me and a Chai Latte with cinnamon on top for my daughter was our mainstay…

The engagement itself was just fantastic, from swings and bear hugs to intimate, quiet moments, Kaitlyn and Ryan put their irresistible bubbly energy forward, a real pleasure for Sandra and I to shoot. Here are some of our favourite images from this session.

Enjoy!

Engagement Photography, Fairy Lake, Newmarket with Kaitlyn and Ryan (more…)

Tanya and Kivar's Engagement, Edward Gardens, Toronto

Remember when we posted Nela and Mark’s engagement  we mentioned the “double” feature session in Edward Gardens that day. This is the second one, this time with Tanya and Kivar. As a couple, their history goes back right to early high school years and you’ll notice toward the end of the post the shots with them going thru some of the little things they got each other along the way. They wanted those years somehow represented in the session so that particular section was done on their old high school grounds. Everything changed there since, however their love carried on.

It was an absolute pleasure shooting with them. They are the kind of couple that feels natural and uninhibited in front of our large lenses, bringing energy, ideas and at times quiet moments of great tenderness.

This is how it went. Enjoy!

Engagement photography in Edward Gardens, Toronto, with Tanya and Kivar

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Amanda and Neil's 5 Year Anniversary, Richmond Green Park, Richmond Hill.

Amanda contacted us a few weeks ago about having an anniversary shoot done and from the get go we knew this will be a bit different. She mentioned she and Neil wanted something special to celebrate their anniversary. They also wanted to have Jack, their 9 year old dog as an integral part of the session and wandered if we would accept that. Well of course we do, we love animals but, you see, this dog is special. Four years ago he was diagnosed with a 3rd degree atrio-ventricular block and he needed a pacemaker. He became, as they called him, their “bionic” dog. This in turn, makes Amanda and Neil a special couple in our book. Jack was their companion from the very start of their relationship and he still is today because of their love and care.

Now Jake is a dog and obviously has absolutely no idea he’s got a pacemaker. He lives in the present moment, a moment he enjoys very much judging by the energy and enthusiasm he’s not being afraid showing everyone. I believe there is perhaps a lesson in all this, an example to be followed.

We did have quite a bit of fun on this photo shoot. We hope you’ll enjoy it…

Richmond Green Anniversary Photo Shoot A and N

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Nela and Mark's Engagement, Edward Gardens, Toronto

With the warm weather finally here it was a busy day in Edward Gardens, lots of people enjoying the sun, lots of photographers out after the beautiful blooming flowers, preparations for an outdoor wedding… the whole nine yards. We added to the commotion with two engagement photo shoots. The following is the first of the day, with Nela and Mark. He is a bit camera shy but it did not take long to warm up and enjoy the session. Nela on the other hand was full of energy and loving the camera right from the get go. Great couple, we can barely wait to shoot their wedding in less than two weeks.

Enjoy!

Engagement photography in Edward Gardens Toronto Nela and Mark

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Natalia and Erik Engagement, Distillery District, Toronto.

The Distillery District is one of our favorite spots for engagement sessions and as it turns out it was Natalia and Erik’s choice as well… They like it here even though being so busy lately they were surprised by all the changes the area has gone through in the last year or so. We were there early enough to get some nice morning light and avoid most of the tourist crowds. It was a perfect setting to relax, enjoy their company and shoot a couple of photos at an unhurried, deliberate pace.

We’re really looking forward to their wedding next month. You’ll see, it will be a really nice one 🙂

Engagement Session, The Distillery District, Toronto, N and E

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Eva and Mark's Big Day, Grand Empire Hall, Brampton, ON

You might remember Eva and Mark from our Edward Garden engagement session last year. We had quite a bit of fun on that day, shooting, talking, getting to know them better… Their open, easy going, fun loving attitude could not have prepare us however to the level of energy this wedding had in store for us. There are parties and then there’s this one that must be one of the wildest we ever attended :-).

The morning started quiet enough with preparations at both Eva and Mark’s houses and the bride reveal we set up went very smoothly, precisely as planned. Mark reaction on seeing Eva the first time was just priceless (see the images below) and pretty much set the tone for the remainder of the day. The Spring weather being what it was (I don’t even want to talk about it) we headed over to King Edward Hotel, downtown Toronto whose staff was very kind to accommodate our late request for an indoor shooting permit.

The rest, as they say, was history.

Lighting the house on fire it’s usually just an expression but as parties go, this one is literally as close as it gets without the use of an open flame. Awesome !

The following is a small sample on how the day went. Enjoy!

 

E&M Wedding Photography, King Edward Hotel, Toronto

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Michaela and Jared Engagement, Black Creek Pioneer Village, ON

This entry is a bit overdue… Michaela and Jared are dear friends of ours and we’re absolutely excited to shoot their upcoming June 2014 wedding. We spent a whole day at Black Creek Pioneer village having quite a bit of fun on their engagement session. One is quite surprised to find all kinds of farm animals there, calmly going around their business, sometimes posing as long time mates… It’s all part of the atmosphere there, kind of homey and rustic. Having lots of time to spend, as we strolled around the village looking for good photo opportunities, we were met by a rather large pair of farm geese moving at a purposeful and deliberate pace. Half inquisitive, half annoyed the male signalled us we’re “close enough” so we stopped and we took a small, quick “couple’s” portrait… Later Michaela jokingly said this was the photo she and Jared looked at their best… While this is not altogether bad, we think we have a few other pictures, more representative of Michaela’s and Jared’s sparkling dynamics as a couple.

Perhaps we should let you , the viewer, be the judge… enjoy!

Black Creek Engagement Photo MandJ-4

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