jewish wedding

Elise + Dennis' Wedding - Minimalist and Bright

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Photo by Scarlet O’Neill

Photo by Scarlet O’Neill

 

There is nothing I love more than a couple that loves each other as well as great food and design. Although Elise and Dennis didn’t reach out until a few months before their wedding, it always surprises my couples how much left there is to do. Luckily, we all seemed to be on the same page on the direction for the big day. The bride wanted soft tones punched with some bright colours in the florals. Although the entire day would include some of their Italian roots in the food provided by Buca Restaurant, the day would mostly just reflect them as an urban Toronto couple. They chose the downtown Toronto venue of The Great Hall that provided lots of natural light so that the photographer, Scarlet O’Oneill, couple capture the day beautifully. The ceremony focused on a whimsical and deconstructed baby’s breath installation surrounded by modern sleek chairs for their closest 120 guests. After the ceremony, guests were welcomed upstairs on the mezzanine for apps and drinks while overlooking the reception that was receiving the final touches with candles being lit and florals being tweeted. After appies, the guests came down to the beautifully cozy reception area. Everyone got to sit nice and close for a. family-style dinner service that was beyond words! After an amazing meal, it only had to be followed by some amazing live music! The band played into the night and the couple got to sneak out for one last mini-shoot with the photographer to wrap up the night! What a beautiful day it was with some positive energy. I always love working at this venue and this day was no different.

Sending all my love to the newlyweds and their families!

Planning: Bisous Events

Photo: Scarlet O’Neill

Venue: The Great Hall

Caterer: Buca

Colourful Boho Wedding - Sneak Peeks C+H

The day after I got married, I got a call for wedding planning for the exact venue I got married in. I was actually on a mini-honeymoon but they sounded really cool so I was excited! Before we even had the chance to meet, Chelsey and Holden booked me while being at home in Nunavut. When I finally got to meet them in person, they wore clothes as if they were going hiking... and I realized these two were not only in love but an adventurous pair. The bride mentioned since the wedding was going to land on Cinco de Mayo, perhaps a colourful wedding would be fun but changed her mind to appease the idea of a typical formal wedding colour palette of blush, gold, ivory... but after meeting them, I knew a colourful, whimsical wedding would be perfect for them! I went ahead and put together a colourful mood board for them anyway and they loved it! 

This wedding was just so much fun to plan - all the colours, traditional Jewish components, the band, the inflatable duck (although this did cause me a little bit of stress seeing the bride so high up in the air with heels on)! 

Thank you so much to this couple for being beyond trusting of me to be able to do what I do best! 

 Planning + styling: Bisous Events

 

Photo: Danijela Weddings

Venue: The Great Hall

Engagement photos in Paris... Ontario!

Evolylla Photography

Evolylla Photography

Paris, France has a lot of meaning to both of us. My husband, Joseph, was born and raised just in a suburb outside of Paris and spent a lot of his adulthood living in Paris. After a little over a year together, this is the city where I first met his extended family, that he is so close to, on our first trip together. Right after getting back from our trip to "La Ville-Lumière" or the City of Lights, I started Bisous Events, inspired by the colours and ambiance of the romantic city and the charming surrounding countryside.

So when we got engaged, we wanted to find a locale that reminded us of France. We found out there was a town of Paris, Ontario just a short drive outside of Toronto so even before I saw any images of the town, we knew we had to take the drive out. We had our photographer, Ally from Evolyally Photography, drive out with us for a fun day of engagement photos. 

We wanted a casual vibe so Joseph wore linen pants, a button up with a vest (no jacket) and I wore a flowy, off-the-shoulder dress. Unfortunately, the weather was surprisingly chilly in comparison to the days prior. Regardless, we had such a fun time wandering the quaint main street and driving the country roads up to the town. Since we're not professional models and a little awkward, I wanted to have something pretty to carry so I didn't have to worry about what to do with my hands which is why I asked the oh-so-talented Coyote Flowers to create me a neutral palette bouquet... it was absolutely stunning! On the way there, I had to make a pit stop and ended up at the only place I could find... a retro diner. As a lover of movies, Joseph adored the diner since it reminded him of all the old American movies he watched growing up. We shared a hot dog and chocolate milkshake. Ally took the opportunity to take some of my favourite candid photos. Anytime I have been around Ally, it seems I'm always eating something so there are plenty photos of me eating tangerines, fries, hot dog or sipping on tea, coffee or milkshake. I didn't realize it until I went through all the phoots, it made me laugh but hey... I get hangry. 

We spent the rest of the chilly afternoon to enjoy the scenery of the bridge, main street and cute shops in Paris, Ontario. Many of the cafes and restaurants have beautiful backs patios that overlook the stream where we enjoyed some tea to warm us up. As the sunset, I made a quick change of clothes in what I love to wear most, my black leather jacket and boots, to explore any cute stops we could find on the way back to the city. The day fully reflected what Joseph and I love to do most, share meals and go on little adventures travelling around whether it be in Iceland or a park in Hamilton. 

Moral of the story:

  • A good photographer will capture the best moments regardless of the setting and it doesn't mean you have to do it during the golden hour (aka sunset). 
  • If you want to do an indoor or outdoor shoot, always double check if you need a permit for that park or restaurant.
  • Don't forget to get some prints! Digital images are great but nothing is better than a physical copy to cherish.
  • Lastly, do what feels natural and fun to both of you for the most authentic photoshoot. The best images are usually ones that feels true to you both. Think of incorporating your home, favourite outfit or pet.

Photos: Ally Ho / Evolally Photography
Hair: Justin / Puzzle Creations
Make-up: Erin Winn / The Look Bridal
Florals: Coyote Flowers
Menswear: 18 waits

New Review: Liz + Ari

From our beautiful bride, Liz:

 

Finding out about Bisous Events was the luckiest discovery I could have possibly made. 

When I began planning my wedding, I saw their work on Instagram one day and bookmarked some photos as inspiration, and kept going back to gawk at them. I had never considered having a wedding planner, but when my wedding was six months away, I had a panic attack. With so many decisions to make, family pressures/(strong) opinions, and budgeting anxieties, I felt I had lost control. I no longer knew what I wanted for my wedding; if I was on time, too late or too early to do things; and lost confidence in my abilities to put it together. 

I went back to the Instagram photos from Bisous Events, and decided to contact them.

I am so grateful that I did. Jessica Auvray helped me every step of the way. Although she was planning other weddings at the same time, I still felt like I had her on my side 100%. She is incredibly organized, very responsive, has great taste in decor - she has the ability to make your wedding exude a feeling, not just make it look pretty - and is bossy in the best possible way. She also seems to know the most stylish vendors in the city in order to pull the whole look together, including the smallest of details. On the day of our wedding, we already knew in advance that we didn't have to worry about logistics. Jessica and her assistant ran the show and ensured everything went as planned. I couldn't have imagined having the wedding we had if it weren't for Jessica. Throughout the six months of working with her, I also got to know her as a person and she is simply lovely. She is thoughtful, encouraging, supportive and patient. These are qualities that I don't think wedding planners necessarily need to have in order to do a good job, however they are qualities that make her stand out. I felt like I had a friend helping me. 

In short: she rocks. If you are in need of a planner, or even if you don't think you need one, I highly recommend Bisous Events.

 

Thank you for being so sweet to work with! I know wedding planning can be very wonderful but also very emotional.

Liz looked absolutely stunning (along with her bridal party) on their big day and I was so happy to be apart of it!

Gros bisous!

Neil Ta Photography

Neil Ta Photography