Away From the Computer!

I wanted to let you all know that I will be away from my computer and email until Friday, June 1st. I appreciate your patience in my replying to any messages at this time. If you need to reach me immediately, please call me at 647 688 3875.

Cheers,
Jessica

Jenny & Tyler's Wedding :: May 26th, 2007

Jenny and Tyler are amazing people. They are so real and down-to-earth that anyone can relate to them. I knew that it would be a great day when I pulled up to Trillium Trails,which is just north of Oshawa, to find the ladies relaxing over bottles of beer and making jokes as though the wedding of one of their best friends was an everyday encounter. The day was an emotional one, both with laughter and tears which always makes for great photos!

Jenny had two pairs of shoes for her big day. These are the first ones for the ceremony.

The girls had a long walk from the main building at Trillium Trails to the outdoor ceremony site so the groomsmen met them halfway at the bridge and walked them to the front.

I love this shot of Tyler with his brother behind him on the left and Jenny's brother on the right.

Jenny has the bluest eyes ever! I am totally jealous!

Here Jenny gets a little help with her reception shoes which were adorable ballet-style flats.


Jenny's named her maid of honour, the "MO-HO"!

The MC was a friend of Jenny's named Cathy who was one of the cutest MC's ever!

The Pereira Family

On Sunday I met the Pereira family including their cute schnauzer, Oscar, at the fabulous Lions Valley Park in Oakville. We were a little worried about the weather not co-operating with our plan for outdoor photos but everything ended up perfect and the thunderstorms held off. The Pereira's eldest daughter Jenn is getting married next month so the family wanted to get some last family shots done before Jenn officially leaves home. The Pereiras are beautiful people so I had no troubles getting some great images out of them!

Maddy's Bat Mitzvah Rehearsal

On Tuesday I met the beautiful Maddy and her family at the Temple Emanu-El in Toronto to photograph the rehearsal for her bat mitzvah that is taking place this weekend. After the rehearsal we did some family shots that included photos of her adorable four-year old twin siblings, Benny and Ella.

Benny and Ella go to hold their own little torahs.

Carla & Stephen's Wedding :: May 19th, 2007

It is weddings like Carla and Stephen's that make me feel so blessed in having the job that I do. It is a great pleasure to spend such a special day with wonderful people and I definitely feel lucky that I am able to do this.

If you have ever lost your faith in true love, you need to spend a day with Carla and Stephen to restore that faith. These two are so in love that they absolutely glow. Mention Stephen to Carla and her eyes immediately sparkle in a way that only one person can make happen. Not only is their love for each other evident to anyone who meets them, their love for all of those close to them is just as evident. Upon first meeting Carla and Stephen, you are immediately a close friend and they embrace you in their circle of important people. When they chose me as their wedding photographer, I began counting down the days until their wedding because I was so excited to capture it for them.

We had a perfect day on Saturday; the sky was blue, the temperature warm. I started with the girls who got ready at Carla's parents house. The ladies all wore custom made dresses in styles that they chose themselves. We then moved to the stunning St. Helen's Church on Dundas Street West for the ceremony. All of the family and wedding portraits were done at University of Toronto before we headed to the Ambiance Banquet Hall for the reception. Carla and Stephen hired the lovely Cindy Johnson of Platinum Events to co-ordinate the day and it could not have run more smoothly thanks to her! I absolutely adore working with Cindy!

Congratulations Carla & Stephen! You are such a fantastic couple!


Before she got dressed, Carla was crouched on the floor writing a card for Stephen.

Getting into that wedding gown is such a graceful event! "Just like a swan, Carla!"

Carla's Mom helps her with her veil.

All of the ladies lined up!

For the girls' bouquets, Carla had bought special charms with their initials.


Nervously waiting in the limo pre-ceremony!

When Carla and her father stepped in the doorway, I seriously lost my breathe for a second. The glowing light behind them was so gorgeous!

I loved Carla's long veil!

The incredible Helen at Marmalade Cake Company created their adorable cake!

Carla, her Mom and her bridemaids decorated cookies for all of the guests.

Cindy in action!

I think that I may have had a couple of tears during their first dance... along with everyone else present!

Instead of a regular toss bouquet, Carla opted for something a little different: she threw single pink roses so that all of the ladies could get one!

The fabulous Cindy Johnson and I with the happy couple!

Latest Boudoir

On Friday I met a bride at the Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto for a boudoir portrait session. The room that she rented was perfect for the shoot and included a balcony that allowed for some fun photos! Here are a few from the session that I have permission to post.

I Do... Let's Eat!

Hello my Beautiful Brides & Grooms,

This past weekend I ran into an old Ryerson University friend who is working on the tv show I Do...Let's Eat! She told me that they for some "foodies" who are getting married in the coming months, particularly in June and July, who would want to be on the show. Please email me for more details!

Cheers,
Jessica

The Lake in Port Hope

Growing up on Lake Ontario in Port Hope was a big part of our lives. Hardly a couple of days could pass without a trip to the waterfront. As kids we would swim at the beach. As teenagers we would hang out there and watch the stars. So many of my childhood memories are based around the Lake. Every time my sister Abby and I go back home to Port Hope, we have to visit the Lake. It is something that is so familiar to us even though it is ever-changing. I do not know if I could ever live somewhere that was not situated near such a large body of water.

Happy Birthday Nanny!

On Sunday, my sister Abby, Katerra and I headed to Port Hope to spend the afternoon with our Nanny/Great-Nanny for Little K. On Saturday she celebrated her 81st Birthday! Happy Birthday, Nan!

Little K is becoming such a big girl! Sunday was her first trip in her new "big girl" carseat. It comes complete with her own bottle holder. How convenient!

Save Us From Our House!

For the next few months I will be working with a reality tv show called Save Us From Our House. I had my first afternoon shooting with the show on Wednesday. I had a great time photographing three different families in the studio. Stayed tuned in the next few months when the episodes begin to air on the W Network with my photos and mini peeks of moi in action!

Studio Work

My apologies for being slow in updating my blog as of late. I have been enjoying a few quiet days before the wildness of wedding season hits! Yesterday I had a big shoot in the studio. Jenn helped me with getting the lighting all set up. Stayed tuned for the real shots!

Boudoir in the Studio 2

My second boudoir session in the studio on Sunday was with a friend of mine. It was the first time that I have done boudoir portraits of someone that I know. She ended up bringing another friend for support and the three of us had a great time! Her wedding is in a couple of weeks and the photos are to give to her fiancé as a wedding gift. I am sure that he will love them!

Boudoir in the Studio

On Sunday I had two different boudoir sessions in the studio. Here are some of my favourite images from the first session. The final product will be an album to give to her husband as a first anniverary gift!

Patricia Duffy

Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a big music fan. I love music and rarely travel anywhere without my iPod that is chocked full of everything from Hot Chip and Arcade Fire to Mos Def and K'Naan to Shakira and Manu Chao to Johnny Cash and Elliott Brood. I love it all - seriously! When I was a kid I took piano lessons for a number of years. I think that I got up to grade five in the Royal Conservatory of Music. Then I moved onto the alto sax and played for seven years. I loved it.

I was very thrilled when Patricia Duffy contacted me last week. Patricia is a jazz singer and songwriter in Toronto. She was looking for some moody black and white images of herself and a band while they recorded her new CD. On Monday I met them at a studio in north Toronto and not only did I get to experience them all coming together musically, I got to record the session photographically. So here we have:

Vocals - Ms. Patricia Duffy
Bass - Dr. David Bell
Drums - Archie Alleyne
Piano - Rob Botos
Sax - Jeff King

The band listens to one of the tracks that they had just recorded.

Inside Patricia's sound booth.

Archie and his drums were in a separate room from the rest of the musicians.

I loved the sax with the Tim Hortons coffee.

The engineer really did not want any photographs initially but I think he warmed up to me by the end of it. Here he is, working his magic while the band plays behind the glass.

Lindsay & Iain

Linday and Iain are a hilarious couple and I really enjoyed photographing them. I met them on Saturday in Kensington Market to do some nice portraits. There was only one thing - Lindsay did not actually know that we were scheduled to do the shoot. Iain had booked the session with me and had kept it a surprise from her! Luckily Lindsay is naturally a gorgeous girl so no real primping was required for the shoot. We had a fun afternoon wandering around Kensington Market and Spadina Avenue.

Threads North

My friend Neil was selling his t-shirts at Dundas Square last weekend so I stopped by for a visit. His company is called Threads North and their goal is to produce socially responsible t-shirts. I absolutely love the designs and cannot wait to see what they come up with next. Check out the website to see what they have in stock. I, myself, picked up the newest design titled "Heroes".

April & James Engagement Photos!

April and James are one of my most favourite couples that I have photographed - they are simply awesome! They would not stop laughing the entire shoot. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am quite the giggler but if you thought I was bad, you should definitely meet James! April has the most perfect profile and gorgeous blue eyes - I am totally jealous! Our original plan was to meet on Saturday at Edwards Gardens to do the portrait session but since CP24 was calling for a sixty percent chance of rain, we decided to play it safe and do the session at Allan Gardens. It all worked out beautifully (and of course we did not feel a drop of rain!).

I love the way April is looking at James in the first photo and how they crack up by the second frame!