How to Plan Accordingly for Your Wedding Day's Weather

Summer’s heat, fall’s wind and storms, winter’s below zero temperatures and spring’s showers, there is no end to the possibilities of what the weather could be on a wedding day. Added to the seasons, very often our Ontario weather includes any number of different weather patterns on a single day!

In our experience, weather can be one of the most stressful factors of a wedding; it’s an element of the day that cannot be controlled; however, it can really change a couple’s vision and wedding plans. Despite the uncertainty, the weather forecast doesn’t have to negatively affect the day’s events and the happiness a couple experience. The keys to not being stressed about the weather are: 1. Good planning, 2. Communication with your wedding vendors, and 3. Being prepared.

1. Good Planning

One of the first things a couple does when they first get engaged is booking their venue. When touring different venues, think about different scenarios at the venue depending on the weather. Does it have a covered location if the ceremony is going to be taking place outdoors? Does the venue offer different options, eg. indoor and outdoor locations for photographs? Are they flexible with where a couple can host cocktail hour or have photos taken on their wedding day? A venue is the single most important factor to set the tone of the wedding day so thinking about the different options based on possible weather forecast is an important thing to consider.

Part of wedding planning should also include a Plan B and even a Plan C based on possible weather scenarios. If the wedding day include multiple locations (including locations which require photography permits), it is absolutely essential to think about whether they would still work if it were to rain, or if it were extremely windy stormy, etc. Having a solid ‘weather plan’ well before the wedding day is one of the easiest ways to combat unnecessary stress on your wedding day.

2. Communication With Your Wedding Vendors

Your wedding vendors, in particular your wedding planner and photographer, are your greatest resource for ideas and inspiration! Depend on their experience and knowledge with how they have dealt with different weather in the past, locations they recommend for photos in the case of bad weather and trust that they know what is best! All of this should be discussed well before the wedding day so that a solid plan is in place and all your vendors are on the same page.

We love when our couples are in touch and take the time to book a call to talk about ideas and/or inspiration. We want our couples’ weddings to turn out the very best possible so our advice is with the best of intentions! We want nothing more for our couples than to enjoy their wedding day, not worrying about weather-related hiccups the day of. With good communication, the day of will be absolutely perfect.

3. Being Prepared

Being prepared before your wedding day is the best way to alleviate any stress the day of. Have umbrellas on hand for a rainy forecast, ask your hairstylist to be generous with the hairspray for windy days, have your bestie close by with water and blotting paper for those incredibly humid summer days and have a solid Plan B in place well before your wedding day.

Once you’ve done all you can to prepare, focus on being present and enjoying every moment of your day without stressing about the weather. You just never know, it might end up being the reason for some of your favourite candid photos from your wedding day :)

Photography: Ugo Photography | Venue: Three Feathers Terrace

Reach out to us to begin planning your wedding photography by clicking below!

Wedding Photography Advice for Couples Planning an Intimate Wedding Celebration

It’s no surprise that intimate weddings are trending! With a general shift to more personalized ‘wedding experiences’ for couples and their guests and the high cost of living here in Toronto, intimate weddings are on the rise. We personally love the unique, modern and stylish ways couples are choosing to celebrate their weddings!

First things first, what do we mean when we talk about ‘intimate’ weddings? Although there are a few different opinions among wedding professionals, as a general rule, an intimate wedding is a celebration with any where from 20 to 75 guests. The day can include the all important wedding ceremony and a sit-down dinner or the ceremony and a cocktail reception…there are a ton of different ways to plan an intimate celebration! Due to the smaller guest count, the sky is literally the limit as to the venues and spaces couples can use; from restaurants and cocktail bars to stylish rooftop terraces and backyards! Whatever the space or location, intimate weddings are very memorable and personalized experiences.

As with all weddings, intimate events require advanced thought and planning. What wedding photography advice we would give to couples planning their intimate wedding day?

LIVE IN THE MOMENT

One of the biggest advantages of intimate celebrations is that couples have more time with each other and their guests; therefore, we wholeheartedly recommend to soak it all in and enjoy the moments with the people closest to you! The photos will reflect all the natural and authentic interactions and moments together.

SPLURGE ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT

Having a smaller guest count allows couples to use their budget for other aspects of the day that are important to them. Some choose to budget for a food experience that will blow their minds, floral installations that they’ve dreamed of, wedding day signage and/or stationery that really personalize the event, etc! Whatever it is, it’s important to communicate to your photographer that you would love to have photos of all the details so that you can remember what made the day truly ‘you’.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE TIME TOGETHER

As mentioned above, a smaller event naturally allows couples more time on the wedding day. Take advantage of the time to connect, celebrate together and have more couple photographs taken! It might not surprise you to hear that we think a couple can never have enough photographs together on their wedding day ;)

COMMUNICATE ANY PHOTOGRAPH REQUESTS WITH THE VENUE & YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER

Many intimate weddings here in Toronto take place in busy establishments that have both private dining options (for weddings and events) as well as dining areas for patrons. If you haven’t planned for a full venue buy-out, it is important to speak to the venue beforehand to find out if there are any areas where photographs are not permitted. Privacy laws could restrict a couple from where they can have their photos taken if the establishment has paying patrons. We always recommend to couples just to check with the venue before the wedding day and to confirm any wedding photo requests.

It makes us so happy to see and photograph the very personal ways couple celebrate such a huge milestone in their lives! If you have any questions about intimate weddings or you’d like to book us for your wedding day, click below. We can’t wait to hear from you!

New Wedding Venue Spotlight: Three Feathers Terrace, Innisfil ON

We couldn’t be more honoured to be a preferred vendor at one of Ontario wedding industry’s most talked about new venues, Three Feathers Terrace. It is an absolutely STUNNING venue for wedding celebrations during any of the four seasons! It’s architecture and facilities have been so thoughtfully designed - which is really no surprise due to the owners’ vast knowledge of everything related to weddings. Co-owners and sisters, Rebecca and Vicki have over 20 years of combined bridal, planning, and wedding decor industry experience, making the experience of getting married at Three Feathers an absolute seamless one!

Something really unique about Three Feathers Terrace is the sheer number of options a couple has for their ceremony, cocktail and reception locations and design. Just depending on the weather and a couple’s vision for their wedding day, any one of the outdoor and indoor spaces can be used to make wedding day personalized and unique.

For both large celebrations and small intimate wedding days, Three Feathers Terrace has something for everyone! We look forward to all the beautiful wedding days captured here in the years to come!!!

A Wedding Photographer's Perspective: Five Things That Make The Biggest Difference on A Couple's Wedding Day

How do you envision your wedding day? Whether it be a relaxed, laid back celebrations with your nearest dearest or the party of the decade, a level of planning is necessary to ensure that the day runs the way you’d like it to. We have had the privilege of being a part of hundreds of wedding celebrations and it’s always our wish that a couple’s wedding day is as memorable as possible.

Here are FIVE things that, in our opinion, make the biggest difference on a wedding day from our perspective as wedding photographers:

1. LIVING IN THE MOMENT: Genuine and authentic photos come from couples living ‘in the moment’ on their wedding day.  Take it all in, focus on your partner and celebrate with your loved ones and friends.  Your photos will reflect it!!

2. LOGISTICS: When planning your day, it’s important to take into account travel times and locations.  The more locations and distance between locations, the more travel time involved.  You don’t want to look back on your wedding day and wish you had another five minutes for photos with the important people in your lives, so if possible, plan to have your getting ready, ceremony, photo location and reception all nearby, if not in the same location to save tons of time!

3. BOOKING ALONE TIME DURING THE DAY:  As mentioned, the wedding day can be a very busy blur - a very happy blur but a blur nonetheless.  So book time for just the two of you in the day by doing a first look, reading your vows privately, booking time for couple photos, etc…We promise that you won’t regret it! It’s the needed time to reconnect and remember the importance of the day and your love for each other.

4. GOLDEN HOUR PHOTOS: Don’t miss out on taking advantage of the beautiful evening light just before sunset.  As golden hour usually takes place during dinner service or just after, guests won’t even notice that you’re gone for 10-15 minutes. Many times our couples’ tell us afterwards that they are some of their favourite photos from the day!

5.HAVE FUN: Closely related to living in the moment, just have fun!!!  Planning a wedding requires A LOT of time, effort and investment so when the day finally comes, HAVE FUN!!! It’s your day and you deserve to enjoy every minute of it!!! 

Contact us below to begin planning for your beautiful wedding day photographs!

Venue: Omni Amelia Island Resort | Planning and Design: Ema Giangreco Weddings | Florals: Flower Bar Co. | HMUA: Makeup By Christina Burns and Beyond a Salon | Ring: Susie Saltzman | Dress: The Find Bridal Outlet