Toronto City Hall
Toronto City Hall is an unlikely place to witness the enduring power and beauty of marriage. Most people have a city hall wedding because they want something simple. They imagine they will sign a few papers in a dowdy office and that’s it. The reality is something else altogether. Toronto City Hall has a little wedding chamber on the third floor. Their, in house officiants, sort out all the details within twenty minutes. They go out of their way to make it a special moment. They play music. Offer you the option to walk down the aisle. They talk about marriage as a loving partnership but customize it. Whenever I photograph weddings here, the readings are always unique and relevant to the wedding at hand.
Eyes mist over, voices tremble. A mystery unfolds. The two emerge not just married under the laws of the Province of Ontario, but somehow transformed. Toronto city coordinates about 40 to 50 weddings a week. Some are spur of the moment, others arranged by family. Some couples arrive in shorts and T-shirts, others decked out in gorgeous saris or sharp dinner jackets. My couple today had a baby on the way
Photo Session
I do a few Toronto City Hall elopements during the year. Most of my couples book me for two hours. This allows enough time to get married and take some photos with your attending guests/witnesses. Afterward, I take the couple on a little local tour of the city. I customize this route based on the couple’s personality and weather conditions.
Nadine and Cameron, had a very unique elopement as they were expecting a baby. So their portrait session also doubled as an elegant maternity shoot. We started out at the wedding chambers for their civil ceremony. After the ceremony we did a quick stopover to Nathan Phillips Square. It was converted to an ice skating rink for the winter season, so the couple strapped on their skates for a fun portrait session. We then proceeded to Old City Hall. It’s a Romanesque courthouse just across the street and is one of the oldest buildings in Toronto. From there, we cut through Eaton Centre and came out at Trinity Square. This location is great during the colder months as the surrounding buildings cut down the wind. It’s also close enough to the mall giving cold brides an easy option to warm up as needed.
