Kortright Centre for Conservation
The first time I photographed at Kortright Centre for Conservation, I underestimated the sheer size of this site. I was lost in the woods, with a bride, in high heels, and a wedding gown finding the photo op locations. This time around I pre-scouted the area. Something I haven’t done in years. So I downloaded a map and showed up two hours early on the wedding day. Honestly, two hours wasn’t enough. However, I was able to locate the key sites I wanted to capture and sorted out a semicoherent route to hit them all within my time frame. The session luckily did go over a lot smoother.
When I get a referral couple, I generally know from the first email. “Hey, I was looking for a photographer. My friend so and so recommended you.” This was not the case. I didn’t realize this was a referral wedding until the final itinerary came in. Where the maid of honour’s name seemed familiar. Turned out it was a previous bride with her new husband’s last name. A pleasant surprise for sure. Always happy to see familiar faces.
Ceremony
The traditional Jewish Ceremony for this wedding was in the Kortright Centre for Conservation Glass House. It’s an indoor space with all the aesthetic beauty of an outdoor wedding. The decor was beautiful. Custom vows were sweet and personal. However, the flower girl stole the show. Not every day you see a full-grown male adult dressed as a flower girl.
Reception
The reception was in the Main Hall of the Kortright Centre for Conservation. Its unique layout provided the backdrop for both the evening party and morning prep. A little tight for sure but it’s expected with a large Jewish family. But hey, we’re all family now so no issues getting close. Especially when it came to the hora and group dances throughout the night and firepit marshmallows as the late-night snack.
