Winter Wedding in Toronto

The moment Marta and Mike told me about their winter wedding, I knew it was love at first sight. Marta and Mike are really fun and adventurous spirits that I just love hanging out with! As a wedding photographer, it is really important for me to get along with my couples and it was so easy with these two! Marta and Mike met in Guelph where they both grew up. Mike works as a business analyst, while Marta is a successful interior designer, both living in Toronto. Mike is an avid sports fan, and plays recreational softball and golf with his buddies any chance he gets. Marta loves all things design, fashion and food. She loves to cook and Mike loves to eat. Aren’t they perfect match? Another thing that deserves special attention is the fact that Marta designed all of their wedding stationery! Marta is super creative, very smart, charming and stunning – a killer combo! Mike, you are one lucky man!

Ok, onto the wedding. Marta and Mike told me that they wanted their wedding to be a non-serious, super fun party that everyone has a blast at! As a fun lover myself, can I just say I was stoked for their wedding? They decided to throw a New Year’s Eve wedding bash that was focused on the party. Marta designed all of the bad-ass stationery and black and white paper decor that incorporated many witty quips and quotes throughout the space (“Trust me, you can dance – Vodka”). Cocktail offerings were a traditional Old Fashioned (my favourite!) and a bubbly French 75 in keeping with the festivities of New Year’s Eve. The bride’s gals each received a heart-shaped pendant necklace engraved with a rap lyric, and the groom’s dudes all got Blue Jay caps in various colours (reflecting the groom’s passionate love for baseball, of course). A full 4-course dinner played off of the groom’s maternal Italian side, who insisted on a plate of pasta before their meat.
Photographing their fun-filled winter wedding was a breeze. We started the day with their First Look at Toronto’s infamous Distillery District which was a perfect spot! This historic area’s red brick walls were a perfect backdrop for Marta’s burgundy bridal bouquet and her chic red lipstick look. Personally, I think First Looks are a must at any wedding. You can check out my blog post here where I talk more about it. In order to capture this intimate moment’s thrill I used Mango’s signature candid approach to document their raw, genuine emotions. We then followed into my one of the favourite Distillery District’s lanes to continue with the couple’s portraits and bridal party shots. As a wedding photographer, it’s important to find that balance between editorial and documentary styles and use them interchangeably whenever necessary. It takes time and practice in order to achieve this balance and make it come to you naturally. Of course, here at Mango Studios, we are blessed to have a crazy talented photography team who understands the ins and outs of great wedding coverage! When it comes to bridal party portraits, my approach is very natural and organic. Even though I will utilize some of editorial aspects, it’s important for me as a photographer to capture your true personality and the chemistry you’re sharing with your best friends! I might ask you to look at each other (this will surely make you laugh!) or tell me a story of how you met. I will then shoot in between these moments to get the flattering portraits that are still very natural and speak tons about the special friendship you’re sharing with your squad. Moving onto the reception, I switch to the photojournalistic style as it’s the best way to capture all the laughter, tears of joy, and hilarious jokes in photos.

Speaking of receptions, I absolutely loved what Marta and Mike did to their wedding reception decor at Archeo’s space. All of the florals, including Marta’s and her girls’ wedding flowers, were designed by the talented team at Coriander Girl. Deep, merlot red flowers with loose greenery – they looked so organic and flattering against bridesmaids’ leather jackets and gold sequin dresses. Continuing the theme, Coriander Girl also worked her magic and transformed the reception space at Archeo into a winter wonderland garden, filled with romantic hanging greenery and lush floral arrangements. The reds in the flowers complemented the space’s rustic vibe, while the greenery gave it a modern spin!

Looking back at this winter wedding, I feel grateful for being a part of such an awesome New Year’s Eve wedding bash. Not going to lie, I spent the rest of the night dancing away with Marta and Mike and sipping on the bubbly French 75. Below are some shots from this wedding and I hope it inspires you for your own winter wedding!

Photography: Mango Studios
Venue: Archeo
Florals: Coriander Girl