"Ally is not only creative and professional, but she is incredibly relaxed and is able to "go with [the subject's] flow", enabling her to capture natural and poignant moments! My husband and I highly recommend her to anyone interested in her work - she's simply wonderful!"
Thank you Soula and Theo for leaving me such a sweet review.
Soula and Theo were both school teachers. He's a sport fan. She's his fan. It didn't take them long to decide on moving in together in their beloved Roncesvalles neighbourhood (click to see their neighbourhood engagement) and getting married in Fall 2016, the long weekend right before school started. They both adored candid, documentary wedding photography hence the hiring of me for this special day. I was sincerely honoured to document these two kind souls' wedding.
Soula and Theo had their eyes on Steam Whistle Brewery in the heart of Toronto for their wedding celebration. They both loved the urban setting. It also didn't hurt that Steam Whistle had a nice dance floor for this not-too-big-fat Greek wedding and an outdoor garden overseeing CN Tower. Soula joked about their guest list. It's not easy to fit everyone in a unique wedding venue in the city instead of a banquet hall. But it's all worth it.
Soula and Theo wanted an intimate wedding despite their Greek traditions for weddings of bigger size. They had a traditional Greek wedding ceremony at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church of Toronto - which I had to mention it's one of the most gorgeous churches in Toronto for weddings. It's also the right size for small weddings with less than 100 to 150 guests. Soula walked down the aisle in her simple yet beautiful wedding dress and took Theo's breath away. She cried. He comforted. They're married. A taxi took us to Steam Whistle after the wedding ceremony. The wedding venue was set up with DIY decorations that are minimalistic and elegant. It's an early fall wedding with the sun setting at 8PM. The romantic golden sunlight shined on Soula and Theo's first dance and the wedding reception officially began. Followed by lots of chitchats and laughters and dancing and drinking and more dancing, the evening was filled with fun and love. I said goodbye to Soula and Theo and walked out from Steam Whistle at late night. Looking at the CN Tower above me I felt so darn proud being a Toronto wedding photographer. Wedding photographers stepped into people's lives and had a taste of their culture and in Toronto every wedding was so different and all cultures were so accepting. Soula and Theo didn't opt for a Greek wedding photographer for their Greek wedding but rather found me, a documentary wedding photographer to capture the candid moments they treasured. I'm not a good writer but I want to simply express that this feels really good. Toronto rocks.
xx,
Ally
Wedding Vendors:
Florist: Coriander Girl, Hunt and Gather | Make-up: Sylvia Makowski | Wedding Dress: Hayley Paige | Venue: Steam Whistle Brewery