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. However this couple  decked out in a gorgeous t-length wedding dress and sharp dinner jacket.
Photo Session
I do a few Toronto City Hall elopements during the year. Most of my couples book me for two hours. However these two were visiting Toronto after a few years and wanted to make the experience more special. Shannon was originally Canadian, but she moved to the UK a while back to be with Rob. Since they were still planning on living in the UK, they opted to at least have the ceremony in Toronto where her family could take part. Afterward, I took the couple on a little local tour of the city. I usually customize this route based on the couple’s personality.
So we started out at the Toronto City rooftop. Worked our way through Nathan Phillips Square to Osgoode Hall Park. Then we took an Uber to the Distillery District. Once the couple was throughly worn out from all the photos, we grabbed a drink at a local British themed bar with their family. And then headed to The Keg Mansion for their mini reception. Not gonna lie, but their cheesy garlic bread is heavenly.
