Being a GTA wedding photographer means sometimes doing wedding photography outside of Toronto. I was excited to shoot Meagan and Kris’ wedding photos at Willow Springs Winery in Stouffville, as it is very close to home for me. Most of my clients can attest that I’ve been actively exploring locations outside of the GTA, and taking every opportunity to shoot in locations that are new to me. Sometimes that means my own backyard!

One thing I always do during my first meetings with potential clients is ask them as many questions as I can about the wedding photography that they want, and the wedding day timeline. I do this as part of my qualifying process, in order to ensure that the wedding day plans will support the photography that they desire. Sometimes (Okay, much of the time!) clients will have elaborate descriptions of all of the amazing wedding photos that they will want to have,  and I enjoy being a part of this excitement…and then I have to burst the proverbial bubble when I have to compare those expectations with the wedding day timeline. This is the hardest part of a meeting. This is also the absolute most important part. Managing expectations is something that should be done before taking a contract; not afterwards.  I’ve refused to take some weddings because the expectations simply weren’t realistic when compared to the timeline of the wedding day. I’m also sure that I’ve lost some weddings because I simply wouldn’t instill false confidence in the form of unrealistic promises. I know many wedding photographers in Toronto will say whatever they need to to book a wedding. That’s not my style.

When I met with Meagan and Kris initially, they had the standard plan of shooting their wedding photos after the ceremony, before the reception. The timeline that they described wasn’t unrealistic, but I do remember asking how they felt about doing the wedding photos before the ceremony. At first they didn’t seem all too keen on the idea – and I get it – the whole traditional seeing the bride for the first time as she walks up the aisle with her father. My goal is never to kill that moment for a couple, but rather to bring new possibilities to the table that maybe they’ve never considered. I was happy when they got back to me, agreeing that shooting the photos before the ceremony made the most sense. We discussed the new plan for the day, which still included Kris and Meagan seeing each other for the first time walking up the aisle – only now it would be just the two of them (and me quietly sniping the moment!).  It was perfect.

In hindsight, the decision to shoot the photos before the ceremony ended up being the best move ever. As fate would have it, the ceremony had to be pushed back about an hour due to a small logistic error in communication involving the limo and some key family members!  We basically moved straight from the ceremony to the reception, and only had a few family photos to catch up on instead of the entire photo session in between. I went to the bar, ordered a beer, and gave myself an invisible pat on the back for recommending the photos before the ceremony;)

Meagan and Kris, I couldn’t have had more fun working with you two. I still remember some of the conversations I was able to have with some of your friends and family, and really felt like I was among friends:)

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