Sarah and Ashton’s classy, chic, and unique La Maquette Wedding captured by Allie Jennings Photography.

The word delight comes to mind seeing the ceremony pictures of your couple at la maquette . What were your first thought when you viewed the album from this intimate outdoor ceremony?

I got the pleasure to live this day, not just view it after the fact in the editing process, which is the best part of wedding photography in my opinion. You get to experience a couple’s wedding day WITH them, and then re-live it again when editing. It’s pretty typical that I giggle to myself or even shed more tears running through the captures again long after the day has passed. Sarah & Ashton’s day was no exception. A gorgeous day from start to finish!

How would you describe the atmosphere and style your couple created for their wedding reception and how did you best capture it?

I’d describe this wedding as classy, chic, and unique (that rhymed). A lot of that comes from the environment and the bride and groom themselves. From there, it’s just me either capturing it as is (like a creative little fly on the wall), or suggesting posing that suits the tone of the day as well. I like to let my couple just “be” as much as possible and I hope that shines through in their photographs from their lovely day.

What were the factors that contributed to your couple picking La Maquette as their wedding day venue and how best did you highlight the qualities about the space based on this?

Sarah & Ashton were originally supposed to have their wedding at Berkley Church, another one of your venues, but with Covid restrictions in 2020 they were limited with how many guests they could have attending, and because of that decided to make a last minute change to La Maquette so that things would suit their new guest list a bit better. At first I was a bit sad to hear that news as I was really looking forward to shooting at the other venue, but when I walked into La Maquette, I knew it was perfect for their day!

The outdoor ceremony space that doubled as a space for cocktails was perfect for capturing that lovely September golden light as they all enjoyed the day. The inside is just as great too! A classy but unique vintage look for their reception.

 

Part of your process for engagement shoots involved asking your couples to plan a date that includes their interests and creates a suitable environment for their personalities to relax and be playful within . How do you similarly apply this process to your wedding day shoots?

Yes, I love making a “date” out of my engagement shoots and having my couples come up with a bit of a storyline for their shoot. The wedding day needs a bit less of that since it’s a whole event on it’s own and I am there to capture how it all plays out.

So much planning goes into the wedding day, that on the day, I like to let that all fall into place and just be in the right place at the right moment.

Obviously there’s always some posing that goes into a good capture, but my favourite shots are always the ones where the couple can forget I am there at all, and feel at ease with their partner. I think that comes down to the relationship that I have with my couples because they feel comfy enough to be themselves in front of my lens.

What choices made during the  planning of this wedding day struck you as truly unique and had a good outcome for your couple?

Golden hour shots on the street in downtown Toronto were probably my favourite! The venue is nestled in a place that doesn’t necessarily feel overly city-like, but if you pop out onto the street, you’re right downtown and it’s definitely a vibe. We ended up with some lovely bride and groom portraits of them in the middle of the street, while guests enjoyed inside. For golden hour shots, you don’t want to have to get too far away from the venue so this was a perfect outcome.

What in your mind are the qualities of a truly timeless wedding portrait?

A timeless photograph or portrait to me means a capture that the bride and groom will look back on and FEEL the day just by seeing the photograph.

This means no overly edited work, and trying to present the photos in a way that will make them connect with their day again and again for years to come.

How did you despite this wedding taking place in “Covid retractions and safety requirements manage to get such a varied and complete documentation of the day including some time capsule masks shots ? What were some of the strategies and plans you employed ? 

Because of the venue having the outdoor space as well as indoor, we were able to get shots of the guests and the bride and groom with and without masks as they enjoyed their evening. This was a huge bonus at the time as so much expression is obviously missed with masks on.

Photographer : Allie Jennings Photography

venue : La Maquette 

HMU – The Blush Parlour.

Dress – The Gown.

Tuxes – Indochino

Florals – Ange Kanavas