Sunday was a pretty amazing day for Dave and I. We stayed up late the night before making sure every last detail was ready to go and we were prepped for one of our coolest shoots ever… our wedding photography workshop at the Royal York Hotel! Feeling some serious butterflies, we packed up the car and made our way to the Marriott on Bay St where our conference room awaited us. I was so stoked about the hours of fun ahead, the dresses, the models, the make-up, the location… opulence as far as the eye could see. I really do LOVE putting together and styling these workshops, anything I envision - even a fairytale - can come to life.
With so many amazing people on board we knew we were in for one fabulous photography workshop. Some of our brides to be may recognize Tai (above left) our model, she’s featured in the current edition of Wedding Bells! She and Sylvia (above right) were so talented, they really made the day such a breeze for all of our photographers. Catherine Langlois, one of Toronto’s premiere wedding gown designers fitted Tai with her stunning designer gown and veil, both looked absolutely ethereal.
Georgia Spyra, co-founder of Wink Make-Up Academy here in Toronto was along to make our models look incredible, she has a fantastic ability to create a flawless glow and maximize beauty. Georgia was named one of the top 20 makeup artists in Canada by Lancome International, as well as one of the top five Bridal makeup artists in the country, you can see why we loved having her along!!
We chatted about light, locations, composition and the photography business until lunch and then made our way to one of Toronto’s most famous landmarks, The Royal York Hotel. We reserved the gorgeous Imperial Room for the workshop. Between the ballroom and the spectacular front lobby we were in heaven and had so many beautiful places to shoot! I took a look at a few of the attendees shots and I have to say I was completely blown away with the stuff these guys were getting.
When I laid my eyes upon this opulent bridal gown, a little voice in my head said “I WANT that.” Made of silk, Swarovski crystals and lace, it looked like it was something Cinderella might wear. Dave played with the fairytale theme and set up this storybook shot. I love it :)!!
The attendees took part in our 8 minute challenge - applying what they learned from the in class portion of the day and shoot the models on their own. We wanted them to have fun with it and get creative, so we made it interesting by offering a prize to the best two images. We’ll post the winners shortly but since all of them are pro photographers I have a feeling it’s gonna be a really close competition.
These shots were taken in the front lobby of the hotel. I just love the way the light plays on the taffeta of Catherine Langlois’ creation, such perfection.
Dave took some of the attendees back into the Imperial Room to play with some available light.
Matt and Tai struck a pose or two while the photog’s snapped away!
When 4:30 hit, we took it outside for the final session of the photography workshop…a real Engagement Shoot with our own fabulous, fantastic, fun-loving clients Sandrina & Jay!!!! Dave was thinking of a celebrity/ paparazzi theme for the shoot. It was totally awesome, these guys pulled up in style with a driver and a shiny new Escalade.
Wowza! How hot do these guys look?? Oh! Oh! Can I have your autograph…Pulllease 
SA-Mokin’ These rockstars were a perfect ending to our day full of fun and adventure. Thanks to everyone for taking part, we had a blast!
Before we sign off, we wanted to give a huge shout out to our awesome friend and associate photographer Kristin for the photographic coverage of the workshop.
Dave and I are totally thrilled - no - jumping for joy about our latest news! We arrived home from our road trip to find out that we’d taken home NINE, yes NINE Photography Awards with WPPI. We’re sooo ecstatic, we can’t believe we won awards in almost every category!!
It is a huge honour for our work to be considered as some of the best photography in the world. WPPI is Wedding & Portrait Photographers International and thousands of the best photographers enter WPPI’s competitions every year for a crack at the prize. Thank you so much to all of our wonderful clients for trusting our creative vision. You helped us make this all possible. A BIG thank you to WPPI for presenting us with these awards!!
Take a look at our winners!
Dave shot this one last year in Barrie at the MacLaren Art Gallery. The 3D glasses were the couple’s idea (Hi Emily & Andrew!).
Photograph: Dave Biesse
This was part of a baby shoot I did with adorable little Lauren. Isn’t she precious!?
Photograph: Charlotte Leonard
Natasha & Kester’s destination wedding happened recently and I’m sure a lot of readers will remember these shots. We were stoked to win 4 awards from their shoot alone.
Photograph: Charlotte Leonard
Photograph: Dave Biesse
Photograph: Dave Biesse
Photograph: Charlotte Leonard
Photograph: Dave Biesse
Both Dave and I love doing quirkier shots. This was taken in the up stairs bathroom of Miller Lash House - a great all in one location if you’re interested 
Photograph: Dave Biesse
As we drive out of town this morning - heading to our photography workshop with Jerry Ghionis in Washington - we’re excited to be able to share with you yesterday’s beautiful wedding between Jasmine & Abby. We photographed the wedding and created a same day slideshow which we presented toward the end of the reception.
The day was full of beautiful ceremonies, with a chior signing many of the prayers and 6 priests to oversee the service. The couple’s families are both very committed to the same church where the couple met, so each ritual was performed beautifully and it was exquisite to watch their declarations of love for one another.
Jasmine & Abby, we feel honoured to have been chosen to capture your special day. All the very best in your new life together - your happiness is so evident and we congratulate you with love.
Enjoy the slideshow.
We’re back in Toronto now after a fabulous time away in the tropical paradise of Barbados. We have had sooooo many shoots since we’ve arrived home we have had absolutely NO time to do what we LOVE to do so much… blog about all our adventures! ~ sniff sniff. btw, thanks for your facebook messages and we will try to stay on top of our blogging duties everyone (p.s. Yes, we have workshop deets coming soon. November’s workshop is gonna be off the hook!!)
So back to the Barbados fun! As predicted we had an unbelievably awesome time with Natasha & Kester. They’re the sweetest, most romantic, fun and charming couple ever! It was such a breeze to work with these two because every shot just works, and neither of them have a single bad angle!! As soon as we hit the airport asphalt, we knew we had a couple of supermodels on our hands!
They really are the hottest couple, we called them Brangelina but soon re-named them “Kash” as they deserved there own hybrid Hollywood nick-name. Natasha was an absolute dream to work with. She’s taken dance all of her life and it shows. She’s so elegant and graceful she just floats like a cloud when she moves. Kester on the other hand is always looking cool and charming and kept us all laughing which is why they just made the best models ever!!
When we arrived to the resort we were blown away by it’s beauty. Aquamarine waves lapped upon the shore and Barbados is of course known for soft white sand beaches that feel nothing short of baby powder between your toes. They were kind enough to book us in a stunning ocean view suite with all the amenities and luxuries of home. Geez guys, thanks again, you never cease to amaze us
Not only did they make all of the arrangements for their destination wedding from Canada, (with help of their wedding planner of course) but they did not miss a single detail. From the ‘how’d they do that’ wedding invitations, to the out-of-this-world floral design, the personalized wedding website to the phenomenal clifftop ceremony complete with shoe string palm trees swaying in the sun and a custom built deck for the guests comfort and enjoyment. The evening ended with an opulent reception at the exclusive Wispers on the Bay Restaurant… Aaahhhh, just thinking about takes me back.
Another great thing about getting away with these guys were all of the exciting adventures we got in to. We went on a glass bottom boat ride, swimming with sea turtles (heeyy dude), toured the Mount Gay Rum factory and experienced the breathtaking natural wonders of the Harrison caves (out of this world and a must see.) We ended it all with a tour of the island and made our way to Bathesheba or small community commonly known as surfers paradise.
We knew we’d have the time of our lives shooting “Kash’s” perfect wedding in paradise. We’re planning 5 dream albums together from the engagement to wedding and everything in between!! Documenting one of the most important times of their lives was such an amazing experience for us and a pure joy to be a part of. Thanks so much guys, can’t wait until we shoot your one year anniversary in beautiful Barbados!!
Hey crew,
So Charlotte and I are having a day off today as it IS a 3 day weekend. The reason for this blog post is to share with you the Same Day Slideshows from the 3 weddings we had the pleasure of photographing this weekend. On Friday we were with Nikki & Amit, Saturday with Michel & Elizabeth, then Sunday with Eric & Angela. All three couples are very cool, relaxed and fun loving… and all three opted to have us present a slideshow of their wedding photos at the reception.
It certainly was a hectic few days, but we loved every minute and are very honoured to have been at each wedding to capture their special day.
So here we go.. enjoy the shows!!
Nikki & Amit’s Wedding at Angus Glen Country Club…
Michel & Elizabeth’s Wedding at DaVinci in Woodbridge…
and
Eric & Angela’s wedding at The Manor in Kettleby…
A huge thanks to our assistants for the weekend, Michael & Meagan.
We will be posting full blog entries soon : )
Dave & Charlotte.
Every little girl dreams of a fairy tale wedding with to-die-for details, a spectacular gown, celestial ceremony and a perfect prince to sweep her off her feet and into happily ever after. If there is one thing we absolutely adore, it’s the charm and enchantment of a wonderful white wedding.
Once the day is over, the cake has been cut and the couple has been wished well, the bride and groom whisk away for some relaxing time together as man and wife. But what about the dress..?? It’s such a shame to pack it away and to wear it only once. Why not put it on again, and have a little fun? No time-lines, no pressure, just you our cameras and that fabulous dress.
Dave and I had a blast at this shoot and really loved playing around with our new macro and tilt and shift lenses… totally awesome. Look at what the tilt and shift lens does to the bottom of Amanda’s dress! It rocks, everything looks so magical and surreal!
We always hear brides saying "I LOVED my wedding but it went by so fast!" Everyone has heard of "Trash the Dress" (a fun and sometimes messy way to wear your dress again). Some brides love it, but others can’t bear the thought of messing up a beautiful work of art… their gown! Dave started thinking and came up with a great concept that keeps your dress in perfect shape and gives brides a chance to rock that gown again… like a fashion model, hence~ Fash the Dress.
When we mentioned it to Amanda we knew she would be a perfect candidate and we were happy she was game. She really loved her dress and looked so heavenly in it. The gown was so perfect it was just waiting to be "Fashed". She floated like a cloud as soon as she put it on and once again felt just like she did on her wedding day…over the moon.
Thanks so much Amanda, you were absolutely breath-taking amazing job girl!!
I’ve heard it said that "Referrals are the greatest compliment" and it’s so true.
Over the years I’ve had several brides who continually refer their friends and family who are getting married to us. Angela & Joon, who’s wedding I photographed several years ago in London came through with another amazing referral in Heather & Richard.
I know I always say this, but when I met Heather and Richard I knew they would be much more "friend" than "client".
We did an engagement shoot last year and had a ball, so during the lead up to their wedding this Summer we did start to get a little excited : )
Richard and Heather are such a fun-loving couple, they really had us both rolling over with laughter through most of the day. They were surrounded by a lot of great friends that shared the same wacky sense of humour. One thing is for sure we had fun at this wedding
The church was gorgeous! Charlotte and I loved photographing it in all of it’s beauty. I caught this shot of Heather and Richard for the first time as husband and wife and Charlotte caught the newlyweds with this aerial shot as they left the ceremony. We love getting two different perspectives on things…
We couldn’t have asked for a better bride and groom or wedding party for that matter. These guys really made photographing their wedding day easy and an absolute joy to shoot. We grabbed this killer shot of the wedding party at Osgoode Hall in Toronto post-ceremony. Great work team!
4 weeks and 3 days…Every day feels like the countdown to Christmas for me and I’m sure Dave too. He just plays it cool and tells me how many sleeps I have until Natasha & Kester’s GLORIOUS wedding in Barbados! I’m checking off the days in the advent calendar in my head until… we’re swept away to sweet, sweet paradise. That’s right…we have another fabulous destination wedding upon us and we’re getting pumped! Natasha’s dress fitting made us both fantasize about all of the amazing shoots and locations we have planned for this super-fab, super-hot, super-awesome couple in the tropics.
We have got to say that this girl knows how to shop! She went to the right place when she walked through the doors of one of the best bridal boutiques in Toronto to hunt for her dream gown. The vote was unanimous, Natasha (or Tash as we call her) looked drop-dead-gorgeous in that designer wedding dress! I guess that’s the reason why "Jealous Bridesmaids" got it’s name he-he.
Charmaine, the owner of the boutique, was so helpful and the experience was so great she just made us all feel like royalty while we were there…sigh. 2 of Tash’s 7 Bridesmaids to be helped her with the fitting and made sure everything was perfect. We all had a blast, it was great having them along. We were all so giddy and excited for her even Dave was like a kid in a candy store!
The cute name of the boutique defiantly got a few laughs. Check out the "Jealous bridesmaids" giving Tash "the stink eye" for being wayyyy too gorgeous in her dress!
**Not to worry everyone. No brides were hurt in the shooting of this dress fitting**
Stay tuned to the blog for more shots of Natasha & Kester’s wedding, it’s going to be a grand and absolutely spectacular event!!
We woke up bright and early on this gorgeous summer morning to make our way to what was going to be one of the most exquisite weddings of the summer. We grabbed our coffee and hit the road with camera gear, our projector and our brand spanking new MacBook Pro (or "Lappy" as Dave calls him) in tow. We had a bit of a drive ahead but when we finally hit Snodden Rd. we knew we were at the right place. Brent’s name has been a part of Sutton, Ontario’s history for so many generations that the road was actually named after his family. We pulled up to the beautiful farm house and met Brent and his groomsmen getting ready for the big day inside.
Once the cuff links had been fastened and guys were looking their best, we took them out for a few shots of "the boys" together before the ceremony. Brent’s house had so many great places to shoot it was too difficult to decide on just one locale. So we had some fun with it and we got some arty shots of guys by Brent’s barn and then made our way to the bright yellow canola field you can see in the distance.
After a killer shoot with the boys, Dave and I met up with Jen, the charmingly beautiful bride to be. Jen looked absolutely gorgeous and was surrounded by her wonderful bridesmaids and loving family when we arrived. She is such a sweetie you can see why Brent adores her so much. Everything from her fairytale gown to her bouquet of white roses was done to sheer perfection. You could see her family was so happy and so full of love on this perfect wedding day. Jen’s mom joined in with the girls as they turned their bouquets into microphones broke out into a cover version of.."going to the chapel and we’re gonna get married." It was too cute.
At last! The magnificent Clydesdale horses pulled up with a little white buggy to carry Jen away to meet her groom. I was lucky enough to come along for the ride and shoot Jen on the way to the church, it was sensational!
Jen and Brent have such a endearing love for one another, it’s so sweet. We just love catching those little candid moments of joy and love between a bride and groom. It’s so touching and this is why we love what we do!
Jen and Brent have been a part of this beautiful little stone chapel their whole lives. It was so important for them to be married there and it held so much meaning for the two of them.
They were so full of excitement once they became man and wife the newlyweds were all smiles as they rode away together in their little horse drawn carriage. When they made their entrance to the Briars Golf and Country Club Dave was waiting in the tower high, high above to capture it all. I love watching Dave work, he’s always climbing things and exploring new angels to get the perfect shot
We ended the day with a surprise slide show that Jen and Brent planned in advance for their guests. When Dave and I projected the special moments from their day on the big screen there was not a dry eye in the house.
Thanks Jen and Brent for being such an awesome couple and making our experience so spectacular. You truly made us feel like a part of the family. Congratulations!
