Boakview Photography

Funky Hotel Ocho Wedding in Toronto

There are so many things we love about doing what we do! We get to see some pretty awesome places and spaces, we get to play tourists in our own city and explore new nooks and crannies, we get to meet some pretty amazing couples and families, and we are trusted to do some pretty creative and sometimes kooky things with the people who we work with! I’m not going to lie it’s a pretty sweet gig! And then, once in a while we are asked to really step outside the box and our sentiments about what we do is 100% confirmed! This is exactly what happened with Yalda and Geoff at their Hotel Ocho wedding. Yalda and Geoff are one of those couples that just ooze cool, but in a very unassuming and honest way (you know, like they don’t actually realize how freaking cool they really are!) so when we started chatting about what to do for their portraits, traditional settings just didn’t cut it. Being huge fans of records, we knew one thing for sure: we somehow needed to incorporate their love for vinyl into their wedding. And what better way to do that then to have them visit their favourite records shop, Sonic Boom,  (which happened to be located just a stone’s throw away from their venue! Lucky us!) But I am getting ahead of myself let’s start at the beginning!

Yalda and Geoff are adorable, they have contagious belly laughs, they love craft beer, they are kind and thoughtful, and they dance like EVERYONE is watching! Their wedding was a reflection of all of these beautiful qualities and then some. We started the day downtown, Ocho Hotel and their condo respectively. Yalda got ready with her sister and mom in the Ocho’s beautiful bridal suite, while Geoff clinked craft beer with his best buds and his dad at their condo listening to, what else – records! When we made our way for the first look  in downtown Toronto in Graffiti Alley, the excitement and anticipation was evident – Geoff admitted he was a little nervous, but that all melted away once he saw his beautiful bride! As luck would have it, hanging out with this cool crew also brought on a celebrity sighting, when none other than GEORGE STROMBOULOPOULOS made an appearance and actually agree to take some photos with the bridal party (common if that’s not cool, we don’t know what is!) After our Strombo sighting (and some fan-girling from my end!) we made our way to Sonic Boom for some record shopping and photo-taking. We always tell our couples that on thier wedding they will more than likely stop traffic – and boy was this ever the case! I think almost every person at the record shop strained their neck to see this beautiful couple peruse the vinyl selection and canoodle in the aisles. (So much fun!)

The remainder of the wedding was equally as magical. Despite the fact that their wedding was a modern and non-traditional affair, Yalda incorporated some cultural elements to her Ocho Hotel Wedding. Being of Persian descent, Yalda, her mom, and sister all set up  a gorgeous ceremonial table. All objects within were representative of the couples’ past, present and future and matched with the wedding’s burgundy, forest green, and gold theme. The guests dined amid candlelight, while listening to heartfelt conversations and some hysterical anecdotes! The gifts for everyone included mini succulents, a beautiful keepsake to remind everyone how Yalda and Geoff’s relationship will grow and nourish much like a plant does when sprinkled with oodles of TLC! The first dances after dinner were equally as intimate as the whole day, and when Geoff and his mom took the dance floor there was not a dry eye in the house (see the photo below – it was one of the most touching moments we have ever witnessed!) And then came the party, that just like our super cool couple, this one was OFF THE HOOK!

Wedding InvitationsWedding RingsBride getting makeup done at Ocho Hotelmakeup at ocho hotel bride in Ocho hotel bridal suite bride's gown at ocho hotel bride getting dressed at ocho hotel getting ready at ocho hotel sisters getting ready at wedding in ocho hotel bride at ocho hotel black and whitereveal with mom at ocho hotel mother daughter hug at ocho hotelblack and white photo of bride at ocho hotelvinyl records groom and groomsman getting ready groomsman getting ready groom getting ready in toronto left field brewery groom and dad groom looking out at the city groom walkin in toronto bride looking out of hotel ocho bride coming out of hotel ocho bride walking on queen street bride and bridesmaid in grafitti alley groom at grafitti alleyfirst look in graffiti alley bride and groom first look in graffiti alley fun first look in graffiti alleyintimate first look in graffiti alleyintimate portrait in graffiti alleyintimate portrait of bride and groom in graffiti alley black and white intimate portrait in graffiti alley colourful intimate portrait in graffiti alley bridal party in graffiti alley george stromboulopoulos in graffiti alley bridal party in graffiti alley toronto bridal party portrait in graffiti alley couple walking through graffiti alley couple at sonic boom recordsrecord shop bridal portrait record shop bridal portrait sonic boom record shop couple portrait record shop wedding record shop couple sessionintimate couples session in sonic boomhotel ocho ceremony decor hotel ocho ceremony decoration hotel ocho ceremony bride and dad ocho hotel wedding couple getting married at hotel ocho hotel ocho ceremony couple first kiss at ocho hotelmarried at hotel ochoreception decor at hotel ocho reception set up at hotel ocho table set-up at hotel ocho cake and flowers at hotel ochoreception at ocho hotel dinner reception at ocho hotel bride crying at reception couple kissing at ocho hotelspeech at hotel ochofirst dance at ocho hotel father daughter dance at hotel ocho family dance at hotel ocho mother son dance at hotel ochohotel ocho reception hotel ocho party dancing at hotel ocho dance party at hotel ocho bride dancing at hotel ocho party at the ocho hotel hotel ocho wedding hotel ocho party at weddinghotel ocho night wedding photos night wedding photography couple crossing spadina ave

Markie & Bella ~ An Epic Creative Bridal Session on Horseback

I think it’s safe to say that when someone asks you to do something completely off the beaten path and epic the resounding answer should be a joyful “Heck Yeah!” This is exactly what happened when I was asked to do a creative bridal portrait for a former bride / equestrian, Markie! Markie and Bella have been friends for a long time now, basically since Bella was a wee little thing, but they’re not what you would expect BFFs to be. For one, Bella is about 10 times the size of Markie, has four legs, and would most like be asked to leave any restaurant, bar, or club, which limits one’s dining and hanging out options!  Bella is a horse you see, a magnificent and magical beautiful white horse! When we first met Bella on the day of Markie and Andrew’s wedding, we were instantly in love – not only is Bella super photogenic (every photographers’ dream!) but she was also the most unique part of any wedding we have captured to this day. Markie rode in on Bella to the hilltop ceremony (stay tuned for the blog coming soon) and stuck around to witness the vows. Apparently a party animal (pun fully intended) she did not want to leave once the festivities began and hung out at the wedding into the later evening – if this isn’t a sure sign of a good friend I don’t know what it! Fast forward a few months, I opened an email from Markie asking me whether I would like to capture her in her wedding dress riding her beautiful Bella. To say I was beyond excited is a gross understatement, I was over the moon – I mean, how often does a bride ask you to photograph her riding a horse!? It was a dream come true (I love horses myself just never really took the time to learn how to properly ride one – one day!) So, on a sunny fall afternoon, I made my way to Creemore to meet Markie and her Bella to take some photos of the two of them doing their thing. I am beyond excited to share some of my favourite photos of this amazing creative adventure – and have to extend a very special thanks to these two beautiful ladies for letting me capture it all!

The Best of 2017 ~ Weddings

This has been a year full of many new adventures and experiences, both personal and professional – not all have been super positive but they all definitely made us learn something valuable about ourselves as people, creatives, and as business owners. We are so grateful to be doing what we do – to have the freedom to be creative on a daily basis (sure it’s not always easy, but it sure is rewarding and fun!) and to bear witness to some of the most vulnerable and emotional events in people’s lives – We feel humbled that couples trust us to capture their most sacred memories and to immortalize their most precious moments, that truly is an honour! So thank you, to all of our friends and family, to our amazing couples that make what we do possible – we couldn’t have done any of this without your support and your trust! Hugs all around!

PS: Choosing a a limited amount of photos for our “Best Of…” slideshow was probably the most difficult thing we had to do so far in the new year! Please turn up the sound and enjoy!

Kirsty & LuKas ~ A Beachside Wedding at Artscape Gibraltar Point

As photographers, we have the pleasure of seeing and capturing countless locations and venues, this is one of the great perks of our job. But even despite the fact that we get to shoot in really cool places and spaces, our bucket list for weddings seems to grow each year!  So when Kirsty and Lukas contacted us about their wedding on the Toronto Island we were thrilled. An island wedding has been sitting on our bucket list for years, and now someone wanted us to come along for the ride?! YES PLEASE (Happy Dance!) Not only were we thrilled to capture a wedding at such a cool location, but as soon as we met Kirsty and Lukas our hearts just melted – I mean these kids are just adorable – there is no better way to describe them (check out their love story bellow)! What began as a regular meeting in our dining room quickly became a chat-fest of epic proportions that lasted for over 2 hours! We were hooked!

Their wedding at Gibraltar Point was everything we imagined and more. From the boat ride to the island to the shaking of everyone’s booties until the wee hours of the morning, their wedding was simply amazing (s’mores included)! We can gush about it for pages, but instead why don’t we let the photos do the talking…Enjoy!

Lukas & Kirsty’s Love Story:

Lucas and I met on the online dating website, Plenty of Fish. He had been on several dates, I was new to online dating. My inbox was full of tiring “ur cute” messages from guys until Lucas’ came in. “Hey! If you could send one thing into outer space, what would it be? Everyone asks what do you do and that’s boring. If you could do anything you wanted for work, what would it be?” Intrigued, I messaged him back. We met a week later after spending countless hours chatting over Facebook. It took him eight years to propose, but he did it in the most magical way. We were on vacation in Vancouver visiting my brother and his then girlfriend. We took a few days trip to Vancouver Island and headed up into Tofino. We had a few cocktails at brunch (little did I know, Lucas was building some liquid confidence!) and headed to a secret beach some of the locals had shared with us. As we combed the shore for shells, Lucas got down on one knee and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. We collapsed in the sand, holding and kissing one another. At that moment, no one except for us existed.

What inspired your wedding and your venue?

Lucas and I have a strong passion for the outdoors. We spend every weekend from spring until fall camping, rock climbing, paddling our cedar strip canoe and hiking. We wanted to find a venue that was a good balance between a rough outdoorsy place, yet comfortable enough for our guests that don’t enjoy the outdoors as much as we do. Artscape Gibraltar Point was so beautiful! It provided a stunning natural background for our ceremony, reception and photos. I wanted a bohemian vibe to our wedding and with minimal d?cor and I feel Artscape met that requirement for us. Our fabric bunting was handmade by one of my bridesmaid’s father for her wedding last year, we felt honoured to have them hanging at ours. In fact, almost all of our d?cor was handmade!

What was the most unique aspect of your wedding?

I felt the location of our venue made our wedding unique. 75% of our guests travelled from out of town to come to our wedding on Toronto Island. We chartered a ferry that brought our guests through a section of water channels and dropped them off at Artscape’s private ferry dock. Our guests then had to take a short path through tall grasses to get to our ceremony. Everyone raved that they felt they had attended a destination wedding, yet it was right in downtown Toronto. We also kept the vibe to our wedding incredibly laid back. We had guests in shorts and t-shirts and others in full blown designer suits!

What was your favourite part of the day?

My favourite part of my wedding day was that incredible, overwhelming feeling of absolute elation after being pronounced husband and wife. The positive energy at our wedding was palpable. I have never in my life experienced anything like it!

What’s your top 3 pieces of advice to future brides?

1) Always give each other enough space to grow. Each day we have new experiences, learn new things and meet new people, all of which impact who we are and how we see the world and shapes us into who we are today. That will constantly evolve and that’s an amazing thing.

2) Don’t sweat the small stuff. Don’t waste time being angry about things that aren’t worth it, and keep in mind that the wedding is a celebration for you and your closest!

3) It’s okay to not be on the same page as each other especially where wedding planning is concerned, it’s bound to happen as you each grow and change. The most important thing is being able to recognize when you are both butting heads with each other and having an open conversation about what you each need to feel loved and accepted again.

Vendor List:

Venue: Artscape Gibraltar Point

Dress: BHLDN

Hair: Melody Bostelaar at Lebel & Crowe

Make-up: Carley Chamberlain Makeup

Rings: Charm Diamonds

Tapestries: The Fox and the Mermaid

Paper Garlands: Maisy and Alice

Terrarium Card Box: Ikea

Bar Sign: Michael’s

Invitations: Lipamea

Officiate: Wayne Wright from Kettle Creek Weddings

Ferry Service: Island Princess Ferry

Flowers: Popis Flowers

DJ: DJ Goodvibes (Eric Woolston and Maylee Todd)

Catering: Food Dudes

Bridesmaids live succulent bracelets: Passion Flower Made

 

 

Kelly, Vince, & Joie ~ A Fun Family Engagement in High Park

There is truly nothing more special than the melding of two families – two hearts, two souls, two sets of dreams to become one…unless there is a third little heart, soul, and set of dreams involved. When Kelly and Vince first approached us to photograph their engagement session we were thrilled, not only are they our kind of people (you know, laid back, easy-going, creative, and slightly dorky) they also wanted to include Vince’s beautiful little girl Joie. We absolutely loved the idea of having a little lady included in their session (I mean who doesn’t love a little girl in a pink tutu!?) but also because we love the idea of this unique little family coming together and sharing their love. We had so much fun roaming high park, swinging on swings, picking flowers, and snuggling. It really made all of us feel like big kids again…

Lena & Hussain ~ An Intimate Elopement in Toronto

When we first met Lena & Hussain, I could instantly sense the love they had for each other – the light touches of their hands, the stolen glances at each other, the secret smiles all made my heart melt. Their story even more so. The two met at a holiday party for international students at their university in Montreal in 2010. A few glances across the room, a light conversation, and both were utterly in love. They dated for a few years and then on New Years eve in 2016 Hussain popped the question. For varying reasons the couple decided not to have a big splashy wedding and instead invited only the very closest of their friends and family for a small urban elopement in Toronto. It was an absolutely lovely way to spend a day. Lena and Hussain rented an AirBNB and got ready together with Lena’s mom and Hussain’s sister-in-law – it was a beautiful family affair with lots of laughs, embraces, and even a few tears. We then made our way to city hall, where the couple said their “I dos” while their nearest and dearest watched. Finally, underneath a huge mural of a Persian rug (Lena is Persian so the rug mural held a lot of cultural significance for the bride) the couple danced, snuggled, and laughed while I snapped away. We ended the day with a round of warm cups of tea and coffee – the perfect finale!

I asked Lena some questions about her big day, here is what she had to say:

What inspired your wedding? “There was no “real” wedding involved and I think that was the theme, just celebrating two of us, how we met and how we struggled through life during our “international student days” and how all of those experiences brought us closer. The day was symbolic of our love and we wanted to celebrate that intimately in our new city.”

What was the most important and unique thing about your elopement? “Our photography – usually when you are getting eloped you do not have photos of it, all I wanted was photos, and that was done in the most unique way possible.”

What was your favourite part of the day? “Mine, was when I said “I do.” No doubt.”

What advice would you give to couples who are planning an elopement?

Stay relaxed everything will fall in place.

Focus on what you want not on what others want – it is your day!

Have fun during planning, that part lasts longer than the actual day and should be fun just as well.

Kiss and hug your parents and in-laws as much as you can on your wedding day, this will make your pictures really lovely and it makes them feel special.

A Week in Review

It’s that time again, another week has gone by (okay a little late this time, but I’m thinking it may make more sense to do this at the end of a week as opposed to the beginning?!) So here is what went down, what inspired me, what made me laugh, and what I found intriguing from last week – enjoy….

Ida & Nolan ~ An Intimate Breakfast Engagement in Toronto

Once in a while we come across people we just know we were meant to meet. We get that lovely inexplicable feeling in our guts that these humans may be friends for life – this is exactly the feeling we go as soon as we met Ida & Nolan. Not only do we have oodles in common (including our mutual love for greasy spoon burger joints) but we instantly clicked not only with Ida and Nolan themselves but their entire family (honestly Italian families are the bomb!) For their engagement session, the couple invited me into Ida’s family home, where we had a late breakfast, chatted about their epic wedding at Hockley Valley and played with their adorable Visla fur baby, who also tried to steal some of the goodies served at breakfast (she’s fast that one). It was the perfect way to kick off the weekend, Nutella included!

A Week in Review…

When you own your own business, especially a creative one like ours, it’s sometimes really difficult to stay inspired – despite loving what we do, work sometimes becomes something you just “do” and not something you “create” and there is a huge difference in that. One piece of advice that I keep hearing from other photographers, in order to escape the the trap of feeling like photography is no longer an art, is to shoot for yourself. So this week I made a new resolution for myself and that is to photograph at least one little thing each day and, if I feel inspired, shoot as much as possible. So far the first week has been challenging, I’m not going to lie. Being sleep-deprived (Little Miss Vie has decided that she is over sleep) sometimes makes it hard to look at the world through a rosy/ artistic lens. But nonetheless, I am trying to do this for myself as well as for my work. So every Friday I will do my best to post my own week in review, to capture the world as I saw it with all of its beauty, darkness, laughter, tears and joy. I hope you enjoy the project…

Contact Us

Toronto & Beyond

(647) 454-4744

hello@boakviewphotography.com

Stay in touch

Latest on Instagram