Bella's Brides Wedding Dress Blog

Your wedding day will be one of the most important days of your life. This is a monumental occasion and signifies the beginning of a journey to eternity. The vows that you take during your wedding represent a serious commitment for you both and it is appropriate that today should be recorded for posterity. Much time and preparation must be devoted to your wedding day, as you want everything to go off without a hitch. Make no mistake about it, while you will be very excited and thrilled, you will also be quite nervous and anticipatory. Details, details, details – it’s all in the details!

While it is true to say that the memories of this special day will be ingrained upon your memory for years to come, you’ll also want a lot of visual clues to stir the memory in the years ahead. We live such a busy existence that even the very best memories start to fade as time goes by. You want to be sure that you do not forget anything and will invariably rely on the best wedding photographer in Toronto to help you repaint the picture.

Choosing a place for wedding photography can be quite a task by itself. We want the memories to be a true reflection of what happened on that great day and the locations that we select in advance will therefore be quite crucial. Indeed, choosing a place for your wedding photography can be one of the primary tasks as you get things ready and you should also consider the possibility of inclement weather, sad but possible, by choosing an alternate venue.

While you plan the outline of your entire wedding’s organization, you should look for assistance from your photographer. He or she will have an experienced eye and be able to advise you about the best locations. Just because one of these appears to be particularly photogenic, it does not mean that it will be entirely suitable for your needs and for the desired outcome. Backdrop, lighting, time of day, space, set-up considerations – all must be taken into account.

When choosing the best in Toronto wedding photography locations, consider some of these venues:

Newmarket Tannery

This is an ideal location if the weather looks a bit “iffy.” It is indoor, but has lots of natural light. The decor is very ornate, with a Roman architecture theme – lots of granite, large pillars. It has a lovely fountain, which may be able to form the centerpiece.

Guildwood Park

This is one of our favorites and is designed in the style of an amphitheater with Versace-style architecture, a lot of ornate pillars and arches that can really add a splendid backdrop to the photography. This location is next to a grand lake.

The Distillery District

This is a very “hip” and cool place. It’s highly recommended and may be reserved well in advance, so consult your wedding photographer in Toronto soon. There’s a lot of visual art and perfect architecture, with iron and wooden gateways, etc.

Edwards Gardens

For those of you who are familiar with James Gardens, this is a similar setup with sparkling fountains, a staircase to stage the photographs, yet a lot more room.

While seeking out help with wedding photography in Toronto, wedding dresses could be next on your list.

Visit Toronto Bridal shop- Bella’s Brides-one stop shopping for all you needs.

The bridesmaid is an important figure in the wedding scene, as she can be such a valuable assistant in the days leading up to the big event, a shoulder to cry on when things get a little stressful (as they will), a familiar face during the event itself and a valued caretaker to mop things up afterward. There’s a lot to do and a great deal of planning to make sure that your friend has the most important day of her life.

You have been chosen as the bridesmaid because you mean something very special to the bride. You can view this as an honor, for indeed it is. However, there’s quite a lot of work involved as well. Do everything you can to anticipate problems and to smooth over any wrinkles and you’ll be sure to have enhanced your friendship!

Right from the beginning, the bride may ask you for your input to help with administrative tasks. Start to get involved with preparing invitations, even if this means just addressing the envelopes in your best writing style. If you have a creative style, this will likely not have gone unnoticed by the bride and you can help out a lot by assisting with the selection of appropriate decor, decorations and party favors.

The bridesmaid should also be a good organizer, ideally and help to take a lot of the weight off the bride and groom’s shoulders. Ensure that everything is ordered and is set to be delivered in plenty of time.

You may go along with the bride and the maid of honor to look for that beautiful wedding dress. In Toronto, wedding dresses are fit for a queen and you may be able to help her select styles and accessories if she chooses custom wedding dresses. Remember that when wedding dresses are selected, bridesmaid dresses are as well and this will be a great treat for you.

The days immediately before a wedding are a whirl of activity and you should help to ensure the bachelorette party goes off without a hitch and that everybody knows where and when the rehearsal dinner is taking place. The big day itself will soon come and you should be ready as a personal assistant with anything that could possibly have been forgotten close at hand.

After the wedding has taken place, you can be the point of contact when bride and groom slip away on their honeymoon. Of course they don’t want to be worried with any “admin” back home and you could do a lot to make sure that their honeymoon is memorable by looking after the distribution of photographs, cleaning up details after the party and handling all that paperwork.

It can seem as if there is so much to do that you’re afraid that you might forget something. Do yourself a favor – just don’t forget to call on the resources of professionals and as recommended by the bridal shop, Toronto has plenty of contacts to help you out.

Finding the right Wedding Photographer

Choosing a wedding photographer depends on a number of different criteria. You need to have a clear idea of what’s involved in choosing a wedding photographer that’s right for you.

Reputation and Experience: these days digital photography has given everyone the power to take good images, but only true professionals with talent and training can provide you with a professional service. A persona recommendation is often a good starting point. You cannot afford a ‘no show’ or a botched job. You only have one chance to get your wedding photography right and you have to be able to trust the photographer.

Someone who will fit in: You need to shop around and meet the wedding photographer. There’s nothing worse than hiring someone whose personality or style does not fit the occasion. Most wedding photographers try to be as unobtrusive as possible and behave like and look like a guest.

Will they take photographs we actually like?  Take a look at their work and decide if this is the style for you.

Do they offer a wide range of packages to provide choice to meet our budget? Always key to choosing the right wedding photographer: they have to fit your budget with no hidden costs.

When Should You Book Your Wedding Photographer?

The sooner the better. 9-12 months before is a good rule of thumb. Why so long? Well, like a wedding venue can get fully booked, so can a wedding photographer. Most only work at weekends and there aren’t that many weekends in a year. And while you are at it, make sure you are not being provided with an assistant rather than the main man or woman.

What Are The Different Styles of Wedding Photography On Offer?

These days there is much greater choice than just the traditional wedding photographs. 

A wedding as an exercise in photojournalism

This approach turns the wedding experience into a story with a beginning and end and covers a number of styles which can be very individual to the photographer. It will usually employ a number of locations which are pertinent to the bride and groom’s ‘story’.

The style is usually described as ‘candid’ and shot using available light. If any of your family hankers after traditional planned shots of family groups, the ceremony etc. then be very careful about this style.

Traditional wedding photographs:

The complete opposite of the photojournalistic style, this is the one we all know. It means endless poses of the bridge and groom, the best man, the bride’s parents, the groom’s parents, everyone together, cute page boys – you get the idea. Usually a wedding photographer in this style will have done the same prepared set of shots with the same camera positions and lighting, even at the same venues, dozens of times. It isn’t exactly spontaneous or original but it does record the event and people for posterity.

Artistic wedding photography style:

This is another planned and posed style but makes uses location, composition, unusual angles and digital rendering to produce something between candid and traditional. But beware: some artistic photographers can be a little ‘off the wall; – make sure you see several examples of their style before choosing.

What Should I Pay For A Wedding Photographer?

Answering that question is like answering ‘how long is a piece of string?’ You must make a decision based on your overall budget. Decide what percentage of your budget is required for professional wedding photography.

What you must ensure is that you get value for money. This means you have to do a bit of research, ask friends what they paid and look for recommendations.

A typical price range is from $1000 to $3000. It could be a lot more but not a lot less unless you just want the photographer to show up and leave you to.

To decide what you should pay means you have to understand what you want and the service you require,

Some questions to consider:

• Do you just want the negatives/digital files to ‘do it yourself’ or a complete professional service?
• Type and style of albums?
• The final number of photographs required?
• The range of photographs: is it just the wedding ceremony, or will it cover the whole day including reception?
• The reputation and previous work of the wedding photographer.

Summing it all up

Like everything else, wedding photography has changed and the digital age has offered many new opportunities. Make sure you plan ahead and make the choices you and the families involved will be comfortable with. You only get one chance to create a wedding album which you will cherish for a lifetime.

Plan your Wedding Early:
Almost without doubt, those who begin planning the wedding details earlier experience less stress later in the game. The more clear and concise the details are the better position the bride and groom are in during those critical days leading up to the event. Starting early can mean choosing a generalized wedding theme, and then brainstorming for the most important aspects associated with it – the location for the ceremony, reception. Gathering resources – help from friends and family, and possibly help from a wedding consultant and coordinator – really help solidify the plan.

Take Time for Yourselves:
Don’t ever forget the reasons why you and your spouse are doing this – for love and for devotion and commitment. Many spouses lose focus of this as they follow through with their wedding planning details. Remember that no wedding is ‘perfect’. Keeping the love and excitement right through the wedding is also very important. Some things you can do to unwind during the planning stage may be:

Talk with close friends a lot. Tell them your frustrations, your concerns, your expectations of how this wedding should flow. Talking your wedding through from beginning to end can really help reduce wedding stress.

Spend romantic time with your spouse. Plan a surprise one-night ‘date’ and promise yourselves to not talk about the wedding whatsoever during that time. Pretend almost as if you are back to the stage of dating and keep it fun, mysterious and romantic. Break your date up into two parts – one where only ‘body language’ is allowed, and one where talking and socializing about anything not about ‘weddings’ is emphasized. Stay away from busy places.

Hit the gym, go for long walks (preferably away from people – beaches and hikes work very well) Many people can significantly reduce stress by staying active in sports if possible during the wedding planning stage.

Take long, hot baths, and pamper yourself with anything and everything you can during your bath. Spas, saunas and anything of the sort are great at this time.

Trust in your faith of your friends and family. They want your event to pull off with a bang as well.

Always remember, the biggest part of reducing wedding stress is having fun!