We met Natalie and Emil through Emil’s sister Dina and we are so glad Dina sorted out the introduction! We both walked away from their consultation and thought, “we hope they book with us!” They were so friendly from the get-go and we just felt this instant connection. We knew these two would produce a spectacular wedding, making for great wedding cinematography – and they did! The big day started off with a quirky hotel, then led to a breathtaking church, stunning venue, surprise dances and…I can go on, but I will stop myself here and get down to the details.
VENUE: Natalie and Emil held their wedding at Liberty Grand in the Renaissance room. It was certainly grand and absolutely gorgeous with arched windows and 27 foot ceilings! If you’re going for old style elegance and luxury as a theme for your Toronto wedding, this is the place for you. Normally I’m not a fan of the carpets they put in banquet halls, but I actually thought the carpet in this space suited the furnishings. The dance floor was super spacious but still small enough to make guests at their tables feel cozy. The chandeliers were dripping with crystals and the large backdrop of arched windows really opened up the space to make it feel larger than it was and help product great wedding videography. I also appreciated the foyer space where they held the cocktail hour, as it felt elegant and homely at the same time. From the marble floors, to the fireplace, to the comfy looking seats, the space looked like a foyer to someone’s home (well, more like mansion!) rather than an event space. Two thumbs up from me!
FLOWERS: I have to make a special mention for the flowers – GORGEOUSLY FRESH!!! Bouquets were so colourful and the centerpieces were absolutely lush! They really stood out in the reception space and added the pop of colour needed to make the space warm and inviting. I definitely recommend the couple’s florist Jaimie from Peter Paul’s Flowers.
WEDDING PLANNER/COORDINATOR: I often say that the people who work behind the scenes deserve the most credit. Machel Reeves (machelreeves@sympatico.ca) definitely proved my point as she was absolutely on top of every little detail going on throughout the day and night of the wedding. Basically, you could trust that things would get done and in a timely manner under her watch. She was so helpful throughout the day and really made our jobs easier. We could tell that she really put the couple’s minds at ease throughout the night and they were able to enjoy themselves to the fullest!
FIRST DANCE (& THE BAND): Let’s just say the couple trained for months to perfect this dance, and man, did they PERFECT it! We had so much great footage it was hard to narrow it all down for the wedding video! They performed two dances, both intricate and incredibly sexy – you both didn’t miss a single step, and Natalie, you totally rocked that gold dress! The energy and excitement in the room was enhanced even more so by the band they chose to play. Luis Mario Ochoa’s Band brought the house down with Cuban music and kept everyone on their feet and shaking their booties all night! It was such a unique band to choose and the music made you feel instantly transported on holiday to Cuba!
PHOTOSHOOT LOCATION: We definitely have to say that the photoshoot location, Brickworks, was a great backdrop for both photo and video. Make sure you get your permit and ensure you have enough time in the desired space (as they often book other events). It’s not your typical backdrop like a park, and provided some unique video opportunities for us. It is definitly a good space for photos too, which we’re sure George from Studio 2000 would attest to.
SPEECHES: There were a lot of amazing speeches throughout the night so it took us a while to figure out which ones we would use for the video. One speech we were certain about, was Emil’s dad’s. How can you not love a man who compliments his new daughter-in-law and wife in the same sentence?! Extremely charming, warm and well received words, judging by the hoots and hollers from the audience! Great job to all the other speakers – we would’ve had a highlight video filled with speeches if we could!
MUSIC: 40 Day Dream by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros was a perfect fit for the style and vibe of this wedding (we used another tune by this artist in our popular Kerri + Craig video). We knew we wanted to use the prominent beats in the music to work with the wedding videography that we captured. More intricate editing was involved but completely worth it once we saw the final product. We’re very happy how it all turned out and a lot of it is thanks to this amazing song!
Congrats once again to the newlyweds, Natalie and Emil! You two are beautiful people both inside and out and we wish you nothing but the best for the future ahead 🙂
Until the next post,
Joanie x