COVID-19 Wedding
This will be my first wedding since reopening after the COVID-19 lockdown. I’ve had a few elopements here and there. But, this is my first official wedding. Coronavirus seems to be the thing that is dominating all the conversations lately and rightfully so. It is impacting our lives as we know it in almost every way possible. As a wedding photographer, I am seeing a massive impact on the wedding industry and how it is impacting couples getting married.
While most of my regular weddings are rescheduling for 2021, this particular couple decided to downsize their guest list and follow through with the original date. Their smaller gather made this a super intimate wedding.
Guardian Angels Parish
They had a church ceremony at Guardian Angels Parish. This was originally my most nervous part of the wedding to shoot. The majority of this event was outdoors. And churches in the US were getting a pretty bad rap for having COVID-19 outbreaks. Thank goodness Canada is doing it better. Their full safety protocol did take some time to complete, but I was pleasantly surprised by all the safety measures they provided. Everyone wore safety masks. The bridal party color-coordinated theirs. And the groomsmen’s masks doubled as their pocket squares for the remainder of the day. Be sure to check out the video of their ceremony below to see how churches perform weddings during COVID-19.
Royal Botanical Gardens
After the ceremony, the entire bridal party headed to the Royal Botanical Gardens for wedding portraits. This venue is still one of my favorites to shoot at. Currently, due to COVID-19, they had the indoor spaces sealed off. However, their outdoor gardens serve as a beautiful backdrop for wedding photos.
Reception
The remainder of the evening was spent in the bride’s family home. They tented and decorated the entire backyard for a COVID-friendly wedding. Mini sanitizers as party favors, and supersized ones as their centerpieces. They had prepackaged desserts for guests. But, the focal point of eventing was their wedding cake. If this is what they consider downsizing, I can’t wait to see what their big event will look like next year.
I also photographed their newborn session.