I have to admit…I have a fantastic life. Not only do I have a beautiful family, but I have an amazing career that allows me to photograph beautiful weddings all over the world for some of the most amazing people you will ever meet. My 2010 season kicks off in May in Florence, Italy for Carmen and Elton’s wedding. They will be married at the luxurious Villa San Michele !
I have to give a big THANK YOU for Rhonda | Devoted to You Inc. for helping connect us together. We first got together exactly 1 year prior to their engagement session over some drinks. We got acquainted quite nicely and talked more about their special day. Like most of my consultations, I felt an instant connection with these two. And I was glad they felt the same. The original date was for September 2009, but I was fully booked that month and it just wasn’t looking like it was going to happen for us…bummer. Thankfully, Carmen’s dad decided on May 5, 2010 for them to have the wedding. NICE ! I was available !
It turns out that neither of them have been to Italy so this is going to be an amazing experience for them. Thanks to Rhonda and the internet, she is able to coordinate everything back here in Toronto with the planner out in Florence. Luckily, I have been to Florence, so I have a pretty good idea of the main areas. My head is going to explode soon with all these ideas in my head for their relaxed portraits. It’s so beautiful and romantic there…a perfect spot for an intimate destination wedding.
These two kids met at one of Elton’s friends birthday parties at C-Lounge. I jokingly asked if they met in the unisex washrooms there haha But they didn’t. And if you’ve been to C-Lounge, you will know what I’m talking about. They are just a perfect fit for each other and it’s so obvious to me when I photograph them. I think it’s awesome that they are both really into photography too and I hope they have a chance to come tag along this year for a little mentoring.
For their engagement session, we headed down to Liberty Village in the King West area of Toronto. It was my old hood. Funny enough, when I lived there, I didn’t really hang out down in that area or even walk to explore it. It’s got an awesome vibe down there and some fantastic restaurants too ! Boy, do I miss it. Here’s a peak from last week’s session. A big thanks to Satine | Satine Studios for taking care of the hair and make-up….for Carmen, that is. Satine’s cool. I’ve worked with her many times and I highly recommend her !
We finished our session indoors at a really cool shop, Demo Soap. It’s one of my favorite soap stores !!! I can’t believe how much they have grown ! I remember visiting Thomas in his little wee studio almost 3 years ago, when my brother and sister-in-law told me about his unique product. Jeanette and I fell in love with his stuff and we try to go there when we need some cool stuff for the house. You definitely need to check it out, if you haven’t already ! Thank you Thomas for letting us use your shop !
I had a blast with them. My fingers were seriously about to fall off. It was bloody cold out ! Working the camera is a little difficult for me in the Canadian winters…which reminds me why I, by choice, don’t take on any weddings between November-April, unless it’s for the absolute right couple. Carmen was the real trooper though, wearing a short sleeve dress in the first half of our session. She was gracious enough to give me a heat pad to stick inside my coat to stay warm. Thank you Carmen ! You saved my fingers from amputation !
I can’t wait to meet them in Florence in a few months. I’ll be flying in my friend and future business partner (more on that later) Claudia Hung to document the wedding with me, which should be fun. And if things go according to plan, the Cinema team (more on them later too haha !) will also be joining us ! It’s going to be absolutely amazing !
-Joee
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Hair and Make-Up: Satine Yang | Satine Studios
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