Highlights of 2021 Weddings
Last month, I shared my highlight reel of 2021 which featured all the family sessions, newborn photo sessions, maternity shoots, and love sessions (or engagement shoots, as most call them). I added in a few sneaky boudoir sessions and a handful of branding shots, as well! Click here and cuddle up while you enjoy all these sweet moments if you missed it!
I decided not to include all those gorgeous wedding captures because I felt that separating them was just what needed to be done; they truly are a whole thing on their own because 2021 was quite the year! A beautifully wild, vivacious, and juicy year full of constant surprises.
As we all know, it was the second year of the pandemic, and the things we have come to accept as second nature are so wild. I feel like if you travelled back even just 4 years ago and told someone that people would be wearing masks at weddings where dancing was illegal, they would think you were totally bananas! But that has been our new normal.
In case you don’t attend a lot of weddings or know much about this industry, I’m here to share a little about what we have become familiar with over the past two years when it comes to being a part of weddings during the era of COVID-19.
To start, there were masks…lots of masks. Cloth ones, N95s, and all the other types too! We had lockdowns and fateful Fridays, where we would get announcements about how the rules had changed yet again and everyone would have to scramble to adjust their weddings in size and other details. The changes to the rules, the changes with the number of guests that were allowed (again and again), and the changes to the actual wedding dates themselves were endless. There were reschedulings, cancellations, elopements, long engagements, longer engagements, and short engagements. There were rapid tests, PCR tests, and so much anti-bacterial soap. We were outside a lot, even during the brittle cold, the rain, and the snow; times when normally, going outside wouldn’t be an option at all. There was live streaming in every which way, different wedding formats to accommodate the live streaming, and takeaway food instead of sit-down meals. There were cancelled flights and confusing rules at venues, because each one seemed a little different. Dancing was allowed, then not allowed, then allowed again with masks, but then sometimes no one wore masks and it just depended on how the security was.
Keeping track of all the ever-changing rules wasn’t easy. But we were all in it together and so, we got through it. And what came out of it were endless beautiful moments with so much heart. I feel like with all the obstacles that were in the way, people made up for it with the extra heart. People were more meaningful and more open to changes. And the speeches…the speeches were amazing and on a whole other level. They were at an all-time high for holding your attention, making you laugh, and leaving you thinking about what was said long after. Truly, they were one of my favourite things that seemed to have shifted amongst all the Covid changes.
I photographed in so many gorgeous venues; some that were quite familiar and then some that were very new to me. From Evergreen Brickworks, Mararamiro, Whispering Springs, Lune, Elora Mill, Berkeley Fieldhouse, Airship 27, Braestone Club, Bandit Brewery, District 28, Langdon Hall, secret High Park locations (hit me up for those…after having my own wedding there, I can help you with how to do it too!), private property locations in tents and open green spaces, Airbnbs in Prince Edward County, Jump, Fat Pascha, Casa La Palma, at home in a cozy backyard…the list goes on and on.
The planners I worked with were beyond wonderful and truly, these people have gone above and beyond during the pandemic. I always recommend couples consider having a planner or coordinator. There is nothing better for your day than to have someone there ensuring all things go down without a hitch so you can just be present and enjoy every moment! A few I worked with this year and will forever recommend are Laura Olsen, Shaelyn Angus, Ebony & Ivory, Blush and Bowties, Tracey Mcateer Events, Shannon Belisle, and Vivid & Vogue Weddings and Events and so many others!
The florals…oh, the florals. White Oak Flower, Wild Pansy, June Bloom Events, Flower Treasures, Kind Florals, Hunt and Gather, and Blush and Bloom are all amazing as are so many others!!
Here are a few highlights for me:
There were some surprise weddings that just were nothing like I had imagined, and others that far surpassed anything I could dream of.
There was a wedding that’s about to be featured in Brides magazine, which is a huge bucket list item for me! Keep your eyes peeled for when this comes out!
Toronto Life gave the wedding of Mary and Michael double the love. Not only did they do a beautiful feature on Mary and Michael’s day, they then selected their wedding as their number one wedding in their Top 10 Weddings of 2021 too.
Junebug picked an image from Danielle & Stratton’s rainy wedding as one of their 2021 Best of the Best Wedding Photos.
In the end, I had the honour of finishing up the year having shot 39 beautiful weddings.
And 2022 is looking beyond wonderful. I’m currently about to cap off bookings, which I’ve never done before, but something I learned from last year is that it’s so important to make sure I don’t burn out…and burnout is a real thing over here. I’ve been feeling it hard right now and because of it, I’m not taking any more bookings of any sort (lifestyle, love, and family) until May (hahahah I write this while just having booked 2 more for next month so clearly working on my ability to say “no” here lol).
I’m heading into hibernation and I’m going to start doing all the things I have said for years I’m going to do, like finish Oscar’s baby book and clean out all the photos on my phone. I’m gonna work on some reels too, which I’ve been quite enjoying, and I have some hilarious ones in store.
For those who’ve already gotten themselves in my calendar, I’m so excited. For all you wedding couples, I’m so so so so so excited. I have some magical, wonderful things in store for you all.
And, if you are planning for 2023, I’m ready for you.
