Anne and I had the pleasure this past winter of meeting Catherine and Stephen at the Bridal Expo in London, Ontario. We found out that they planned to get married in Mississauga, very close to where we lived prior to moving to Stratford.  And when they let us know that they wanted us to photograph their wedding … well, we were thrilled to hear the news.

Catherine started her morning getting ready at the Waterside Inn in Port Credit (where they also had their reception). After spending some time with her and the family, we then headed to St. Paul’s Anglican Church in Lorne Park – and stopped en route to visit Stephen at his family’s home.

Mother Nature did manage to cooperate with us for most of the day, so after the service, we went to visit Benares Historic House – a beautiful location where we decided to have a little fun.  Then finally, we went back to the Waterside Inn for their reception.

Catherine and Stephen:  you and your families are wonderful people and thank you again for kindness and the honour of photographing your wedding.  We enjoyed our day with you and we wish you lots and lots of love (and happiness) in your life together.

If Catherine and Stephen have given you access to their online gallery, please visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery.”

When Anne and I moved to Stratford, Ontario about 3 years ago, we knew that we would be geographically close to London – but we had no idea that we would be spending so much time there! We feel extremely fortunate as we have been warmly received by the people of London – and thrilled that most of our wedding clients are from there.

I met Joanna and her sister last winter at the London Bridal Expo … and shortly after the show, Joanna and Ryan hired us as their photographers for their wedding. Needless to say, we were thrilled when we heard the news.

I had the opportunity to spend some more time with them during their engagement session this summer – and in a few short months, their wedding day was upon us (isn’t it amazing how quickly time flies when you are planning a wedding?).

Joanna and Ryan were married at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London (a really beautiful church). Mother Nature was somewhat cooperative with us, and when the rain stopped after the family photos, we briefly headed out to Eldon House for a few (quick) shots with the bridal party.

We then arrived at the London Convention Centre for their reception. For those of you looking to host a large event, this is a great place.  The staff are extremely well organized, very professional and courteous. Not to forget, their catering staff really know how to serve a great meal!

Joanna and Ryan: Anne and I are honoured you chose us as your photographers and hope you had a really wonderful day. We wish you nothing but joy and happiness in your life together. BTW, I hope you had a couple Mai Tai’s for me in Hawaii!

If Joanna and Ryan have given you access to their online gallery, please visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery.”

Before I start speaking typing about our next wedding, I would like to say a couple personal things.

First of all, being a witness to a wedding, is an extremely rewarding experience.  One thing about us wedding photographers is that we are often silent witnesses to the wedding day and with the diverse cultures in Canada, it is amazing what you can see through your viewfinder (and feel in your heart) when you photograph such an event.

Also – I have been honoured by the many multicultural weddings I have had the chance to photograph.  In Canada,  not only do you find people from different cultures getting married, they are often of different faiths.  I love how most Canadians not only try to understand different customs – they actually respect them.  Needless to say, I am a very proud Canadian photographer – especially since I was an immigrant to this country at the tender age of one.

I met Sona and Brent earlier this year – and they are two of the sweetest people I have ever met.  They live in Red Deer, Alberta and decided to get married in Ontario where Sona’s parents reside.

From the first day when we met at Elan Cachet (the wedding planners for this fine event – and if you need a wedding planner, they are *fantastic* to work with – thank you Antoinette and Michelle x2) until I said goodbye to them at the reception, the whole process of getting to know them better and being part of their wedding has been extremely enjoyable.  And – they crafted the perfect wedding day – taking the best from both their East Indian and Scottish heritages and melding it into a beautiful celebration.

Their wedding and reception was held at Glencairn Golf Club.  It is a *beautiful* location and if you are a photographer reading this blog, it is a dream to photograph a wedding there.  It is not because of its scenic beauty (and there is lots of it) – it is because the staff are so helpful and they will go out of their way to help you get the perfect shot (thank you Tanya and Erin!).

I would normally speak about spending time with each Sona and Brent – and I won’t.  What I will say is that I really appreciate the time I had with each of them before the ceremony – just chatting with them (and taking a few photographs) and getting to know them both even better.  I think they were both a bit nervous – and who wouldn’t be – they were about to get married and I could tell that in their hearts, they were making the best decision of their lives.  To say that they adore and love each other is an understatement.

Take a look at the slide show and you will see the best of what Hindu and Scottish weddings have to offer.  There is so much Anne and I got to witness during their wedding day, well, we are almost speechless (and you would never know it from reading this post!).  BTW, the fabulous decor was provided by Design2Decor – and I don’t really need to say anything – just take a look at the reception hall to see their work.

Sona and Brent:  you two were destined for each other and we are so happy that you found each other.  Anne and I thank you and your families for your hospitality (and extreme kindness) and we send you nothing but love, joy and happiness.  Not only did you take two different cultures and incorporate them into your wedding day, you showed us all what it actually means to respect and embrace our differences.  If the world were to ever to follow your example, the quality of life on this planet would go up exponentially.

If Sona and Brent have given you access to their online gallery, go to our home page www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery”.

Late summer weddings are always lovely – and Janet and Don’s wedding in Toronto recently was no exception. Anne and I met them late last year and we were really looking forward to photographing their wedding.

After spending some time with Janet and her family, we met up with Don and his family at the church.  Janet and Don were married at Corpus Christi Parish in the Beaches in a really lovely service.  We were then wisked away to the absolutely beautiful Toronto Hunt, which IMHO, is one of the nicest venues for a wedding (and reception) in Toronto.  The grounds are simply beautiful – with its elegant clubhouse and perfectly landscaped grounds.   And not to forget, it has an incredible view of Lake Ontario and the service there is second to none.

Janet and Don:  Anne and I wish you a lifetime of happiness and thank you for the honour of choosing us to be your photographers.  You had a really lovely wedding day and we trust you enjoyed it to its fullest.

If Janet and Don have given you access to their online gallery, visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery”.

Once in a while when I have a (rare) day off from shooting, I often spend time helping out photographers I respect – and Ralph Heinze is one of those people.

I recently accompanied him to Cambridge to photograph Angie and Scotty’s wedding. It was great to work alongside Ralph again and also, to have the opportunity to document some memories for this great couple (plus their really *adorable* daughter).

Ralph: it was great to shoot with you again. And to Angie and Scotty: it was wonderful to meet you both and best wishes always for a lifetime of love and happiness.

I’ve posted a few shots that I took that day and you can visit Ralph’s blog for the complete wedding coverage.

Anne and I recently ventured back to our previous home of Toronto to The Berkeley Church for Julia and Greg’s wedding. They currently live in Guelph, Ontario and decided to venture into the big city for their nuptuals.

We’ve seen a number of couples who have decided to see each other before their wedding and they decided to do so as well.  After they initially saw each other, we spent some time in the area photographing the two of them and then ultimately heading to St. James Gardens for a little fun with the bridal party.

Their wedding was held in the upper section of the Berkeley Church – amongst their beautiful and tall stained glass windows with lots of bright sunlight flooding through them. Greg is a chef who trained in our fair city of Stratford – and after he and Julia fed their guests very, very well during the reception, we were all treated to an aerialist performance before their first dance.

Julia and Greg: Best wishes to you both for a very happy and joyous life together. Your bridal party and families are lovely and it is great to see you have such great support for your life together.

If Greg and Julia have given you access to their online gallery, please visit our home page at www.roelphoto.com and click on “client gallery.”

A couple of weeks ago, Anne, Dave, Jeff and I went to Niagara-on-the-Lake to photograph Melanie and Adam’s wedding.  For those who have not been there before, it is a very beautiful place close to Niagara Falls, Ontario – a quaint town filled with vineyards, gardens and lots of scenic beauty. Our friends at Occasions Niagara planned this lovely event – and like every wedding we’ve seen this summer, Mother Nature gave us an amazing (or downright bizarre) assortment of weather – everything ranging from sunny, blue skies to torrential rainfall and high winds.

Melanie and Adam currently  live in Vancouver, British Columbia but decided to come to Ontario for their wedding.   They also chose to see each before the wedding ceremony  – and after their first glimpse of each other (in a lovely ivory wedding dress and a designer suit respectively), we  then headed out to the Niagara Botanical Gardens, which is one of the nicest gardens/parks I have seen in Ontario.  After  we finished the bridal party and family photos there, we ended up at Chateau des Charmes (another really beautiful place) for their evening wedding service and reception.

To the delight of their guests, Melanie and Adam also arranged for a spectacular fireworks display at the vineyard… plus they closed off the evening with a duet they composed.

Melanie and Adam:  We send you our best wishes for a happy and prosperous life together.  You chose a really beautiful place to get married at and we hope your wedding day was everything you wanted it to be.

If Melanie and Adam have given you access to their online gallery, please visit www.roelphoto.com and click on “online gallery”.

p.s.  For those of you who are regular readers of this blog, you might have noticed that this is the first complete black and white slide show I have ever posted here.  As Melanie loves black and white images, I decided to feature their wedding on our blog as such.

For those of you who know fashion… or more specifically, wedding fashion, Vera Wang is known as one of the top, if not the best wedding dress designer around.  Period.

Recently, one of our lovely brides (hi Vivian!) was invited to the Vera Wang bridal salon in Yorkville (Toronto) – she had her (lovely) gown created there and the staff were very kind in letting us capture some images of Vivian in their shop and on the property.

So, if you are looking for something different – and simply beautiful to wear as you walk down the aisle, check out Vera Wang’s Bridal Salon in Yorkville.