Renee & Paul are in for one exciting year. Not only are they getting married in August, but they are also expecting their second baby later on in the year. I am so excited, because they will be doing their gender reveal at their wedding, using their cake to do so. Their wedding will take place at Whispering Springs Wilderness Retreat, and it will be my first time shooting there. The venue has absolutely gorgeous luxury tents with actual beds in them, which will make for such a unique experience for them and their guests. I'm really looking forward to capturing their wedding!

I absolutely loved the laid back nature of Chelsea and Jacob's wedding. Their wedding was so unique and showcased their personalities perfectly. One of my favourite touches was that Chelsea's bouquet perfectly matched her hair, wedding dress, and shoes. 
After each wedding, I send out a questionnaire to help me accurately describe each couple's wedding and their love story. Usually I rewrite it, but I really enjoyed the comedic relief in each of Chelsea's answers, and I knew their was no way I could say it any better myself.
Below are my questions, each followed by Chelsea's answers in her own words;
​

We were connected through a mutual friend. At first we chatted on MSN (we are old) and
eventually met at a pub in Oshawa.

We have been together for over eight years and have grown so much together. It is hard to pinpoint one moment, but it just felt like a natural progression. Plus, our cat Sebastian really wanted us to finally “make it official.”

Jacob proposed at the Pickering Waterfront during the summer of Pokemon Go (remember that?). Needless to say, the beach was pretty busy, but he managed to find a private place to propose and when I turned around he was on one knee. That night had the most beautiful sunset and we celebrated that weekend by going to a comedy show and eating a lot of poutine.

We planned the wedding in a few short months after enjoying a long engagement. We knew pretty quickly that we wanted to get married at The RMG – it is a beautiful location in our hometown and we frequent museums, so it was meaningful to us. We did not have a theme, but admittedly leaned pretty heavily on the colour pink for all of our décor. I like pastels and find them very romantic for weddings.

It was so stress-free! Everything came together so easily and in such a relaxed manner. The vendors we worked with were great and helped facilitate this. I kept getting asked leading up to the wedding if I was stressed out yet and I sheepishly had to admit that I was not. It was an easy planning process with no roadblocks, which made it a fun and carefree day.

The joy of having all of our friends and family together to celebrate our love. Also, the awkwardness of the first dance. Make sure to pick a short song and marry someone that you can laugh about it with!

I have followed Michelle Lewis Photography for a long time online. Her work is spectacular and exactly the look that we wanted for our wedding photos. We knew after our first meeting with Michelle that she was professional, organized, and exactly who we wanted to be our photographer. We honestly couldn’t have done it without her!

Thank you so much, Jacob and Chelsea, for choosing me to be your wedding photographer! It means so much to me that you trusted me to capture such an important day in your lives. I wish you both a lifetime of happiness together!

Photography: Michelle Lewis Photography
Venue: The Robert McLaughlin Gallery
Caterer: Berry Hill Food Co.
Florist: Mint Atelier
Hair and Makeup: Hairstyles by Dana and Makeup by Morgan
Wedding Dress: Pearls & Pockets
Wedding Rings: Vintage family ring (for her) and Peoples (for him)
Groom’s Attire: RW&Co
Wedding Cake: Gluten Free Me

For their wedding, Tracy and Sean chose to have a white wedding, with black and gold elements. The florals were all white, which made them so elegant. This was so fitting for them, since their last names are White.
The ceremony and portraits took place at Trafalgar Castle in Whitby. I absolutely love shooting there, since it's so beautiful and their are so many ornate features in the building. Following portraits, we all went to Kedron Dells Gold Club, which is where their reception took place. The outdoor portraits below were taken there. 
Congratulations again on your wedding, Tracy and Sean! I hope you both have an amazing marriage.

Photography: Michelle Lewis Photography
Ceremony and Portrait Location: Trafalgar Castle School in Whitby
Reception Venue and Catering: Kedron Dells Golf Course
Décor & Coordination: Kristy from Kedron Dells
Florist: Aspen Florist in Bowmanville
Wedding Dress: Bliss Bridal
Wedding Rings: Paris Jewellers
Groom’s Attire: Moore's
DJ/musicians: Kris

Nicole and Carlos met through mutual friends at a social gathering back in high school. They kept in touch casually, until years later when Carlos asked Nicole to meet up with him for coffee. The two said they have been inseparable ever since. They are the type of people who really appreciate the small things in life. They wanted to be with each other no matter what, as they looked back on a collective of small moments and being there for each other through life events. Carlos proposed to Nicole following a surprise birthday dinner he had planned. He took her to the elegant 360 Restaurant in the CN Tower. Following dinner, they went on a romantic walk on the observation deck to look at the city lights, which is where Carlos got down on one knee to propose.

Carlos & Nicole's favourite colours are blush and navy, which is why they chose them for their wedding colours. They then added gold and ivory and felt that this gorgeous combination was perfect. When looking at wedding details, they would always gravitate toward items that were elegant and romantic, which is what naturally led them to choosing this theme. I absolutely loved their wedding decor! 

"The one part of our wedding that I will always remember is walking down the aisle and seeing Carlos and all the groomsmen looking so happy." – Nicole
"The one part of our wedding that I will always remember is my nephew Joaquin reading the bible verses during our ceremony. He was brave and the passages he read set the tone for our marriage." - Carlos

"We came across Michelle’s page through a blog and instantly fell in love with how she captured special moments. We knew from our first meeting that she was not only a talented photographer but an easy-going and kind person that we felt comfortable to be ourselves with. Michelle was extremely helpful, patient and flexible which made the entire process that much more enjoyable." - Nicole and Carlos

Wedding Photographer: Michelle Lewis Photography
Ceremony Venue: St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Markham
Reception Venue & Catering: The Brighton Convention & Event Centre
Florist & Décor: Rias Designs Inc.
Hair Stylist: Bridal Hair Couture By Katie
Makeup Artist: Beauty by Alana
Wedding Dress: David’s Bridal
Wedding Rings: Spence Diamonds
Groom’s Attire: Tuxedo Royale
Wedding Cake: It’s A Cake Thing
DJ/musicians: DJ Ase (Alim Kara)
Transportation: Lavish Limo

 Believe it or not, this wedding almost didn't happen. The reason for that is because Craig was very sick and in the hospital three times within the week leading up to their wedding. Katie had e-mailed me just a couple of days before the wedding to let me know that Craig was released from the hospital, and that he was resting to recover as best as possible so that he would be okay in time for the wedding. 
The venue that they chose for their wedding was the Ajax Convention Centre. It is classy and elegant, and it matched their theme nicely. For the wedding theme, they wanted something breath-taking and elegant. It definitely looked like a wedding straight out of a fairy tale! The beautiful décor and florals were by Princess Weddings. The bouquets and centrepieces were created using all-white flowers. 

What made you decide to hire Michelle Lewis Photography?
"Her portfolio was beautiful and once we met her she was so professional and talented. we knew we would trust no one else to capture our special day."

​How was the planning process? Did you encounter any roadblocks along the way?
Planning was a breeze; ensuring the groom wasn’t in hospital on the wedding day was much trickier!

What is one thing about your wedding that you will always remember?
Craig crying as I walked up the aisle.

Are there any special décor, jewellery, or other items that you would like to tell us about?
I had my great, great, great grandmother's engagement ring from 1888 pinned to the inside of my gown.

Congratulations on your wedding, Katie and Craig! I am so grateful that you trusted me to be your wedding photographer and I wish you both a happy marriage, and all the love that comes with that. 

Photographer: Michelle Lewis Photography (shot by Michelle and Gillian)
Venue and Caterer: Ajax Convention Centre
Florist and Décor: Princess Weddings
Hair and Makeup: Nicole Richards & Co
Wedding Dress: Sophia Tolli
Groom’s Attire: Moore’s
Wedding Cake: Felicio's
DJ: Entertainment Source

This beautiful rustic wedding took place at Century Barn in Cavan, Ontario. The rain held off for the outdoor ceremony, which took place beside the old barn. This venue was absolutely stunning!

This beautiful backyard wedding took place in Peterborough, Ontario in July. It was a very hot day! The ceremony took place in the gardens of Stillwater On The Lake, which is a bed & breakfast. The reception took place in the backyard of a private property next door to the bed & Breakfast. They had a gorgeous tented reception, and the whole wedding had a relaxed and intimate atmosphere to it.

You Love Their Work
This is the most obvious thing to consider when choosing your wedding photographer. After all, you want to love your images, right? Most photographers develop a personal style that is unique to them through both their shooting style and their editing style. A photographer whose work you truly love will always be worth the investment. Your wedding will only happen once, and this is the one time to really invest in something important that you will look back on for the rest of your life. Hiring a photographer who has a low price, but you don’t love their work, can come with risks and leave you wishing you had hired the one you initially wanted. Money is replaceable, but your memories are not, and wedding photos cannot be redone. Make sure you ask your potential photographer to show you either a whole wedding that will likely be similar to yours, or some examples from every key moment of a wedding. Ideally, you want to see at least 100 images from the same wedding to get a feel for the photographer’s style of shooting the whole day. Most photographers are happy to show you if you ask.

They Have Backup Plans
It is absolutely critical that your photographer has a backup plan for everything. First they need a backup for all of their gear, which includes a backup camera, lenses, flashes, batteries, memory cards, triggers, and more. If their camera breaks in the middle of your wedding, they need to be able to just reach in their bag and grab their backup camera. Weddings happen so fast that they won’t have time to just go buy a new one, or to stop shooting the day all together. These precious moments are too important to be missed. Technology is unreliable; hard drives crash and memory chips can corrupt. Most professional cameras have slots for two memory cards in it, which means that every shot captured will be backed up onto two separate cards at the same time. This is also critical, because it helps prevent image loss in case anything happens to one of the memory cards, so that your images stay safe on a backup memory card. They also need to properly back up all of the files after the wedding. Most photographers will back files up onto multiple external hard drives, as well as their computer. This protects your images against hard drive crashes. Ask your potential photographer about their back up gear, and how they store your images following the wedding. You can also ask how long they will store the images for, in case something happens to your album or files after you have already received them, and you need them replaced.
Another backup they should have in place is another photographer. In the rare event of an emergency before, or at, your wedding, there should be someone they can call to cover for them. Some photographers will always bring a second shooter to help tell the story of your wedding day from multiple perspectives. There are endless benefits to having a second shooter, such as having different angles captured at the same time or having the photographers in two different places at the same time. Another less obvious benefit to having a second shooter is that they act as a backup as well. This can make moments even less likely to be missed, and it also means you wouldn’t have to wait for the backup photographer to arrive in the unlikely event of an emergency. Asking your potential photographer about their back up plans can help ease any worry and give you a peace of mind knowing your wedding memories will be captured and protected.

Mary and Jason exchanged marriage vows at St. Joseph's Church in Douro, Ontario. This was a special place for them, since Mary's parents were married there 27 years ago. Following the ceremony, we went across the road and recreated a few of her parents' wedding portraits, and then also recreated the same portraits except with Mary and Jason. 
We went to Mary's uncle's farm down the road in Douro for more of the wedding photography. The farm has been in her family for over 100 years! The wedding favours were made at this farm too, and nothing beats homemade pure maple syrup! I especially loved the rustic barn with a mason jar chandelier.
We went to Lakeview Park in Oshawa after that,and on the way it started raining. We took a few portraits in the rain with my clear umbrellas, and then we all headed into the Jubilee Pavilion for their wedding reception. The reception started off with a traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony, where Mary poured tea for Jason's parents and Jason poured tea for Mary's parents. Jason's family is from Taiwan and they had about 14 guests travel from Taiwan for this special occasion. Following speeches and toasts, it was time for the parent dances and the first dance.  For the father and daughter dance, Jason played guitar and sang. For the mother and son dance, Mary's uncle, mother, and grandfather played an Irish waltz on the violin. The band played for Mary and Jason's first dance.
The whole family was such a pleasure to work with and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this wedding. Thank you Mary and Jason for choosing me to be your wedding photographer!

Photography - Michelle Lewis Photography (shot by Michelle and Lyndsey)
Hair and Make-up - Katie Lynne Hair and Make-up 
Florist - Catherine McPhee
Cake - Rachel Baksh from R-dot Baking Co.
DJ - DJ Kaii Dreams from Durham Wedding DJ's
Entertainment - "The Front Porch All-Stars" live band (family friends of the couple) 
Rentals - Ooh La La Party Rentals
Reception Venue -The Jubilee Pavilion Banquet and Conference Center 
Ceremony Venue - St. Joseph's Church (the name of the Priest was Father Sany)

Michelle & Mike got married at the Arta Gallery in the Distillery District of Toronto. Congratulations to you both! Thank you for choosing me to be your wedding photographer!

Images captured by Michelle Lewis Photography (Photographed by Michelle and Trenell)