Toronto engagement photography Archives

Carpet Factory Engagement Photos | Tiina & Greg

June 29, 2017

I’d actually emailed with Tiina a few times before she was even engaged – She manages the photo permits at the Carpet Factory in Liberty Village, one of my favourite places to shoot!

When she and Greg booked with me for their wedding and engagement photos, we of course *had* to use the Carpet Factory premises somehow. Lucky us, she gets access to some top secret amaaaaaazing spots.
I absolutely loved exploring all the secret nooks of the area. Their engagement photos have a relaxed, intimate and candid feel to them that I absolutely adore.

Thanks so much for letting loose in front of my lens and for such a fantastic evening, you guys!

And now, here’s their love story! Written by the lovebirds themselves:

Greg and I met 4 years ago over some beers on a patio. During our first date, we spent most of the time talking about our adventures traveling Southeast Asia and other parts of the world. The conversations flowed so naturally and time just flew by. Shortly after our first date, I was off on another adventure. We talked everyday while I was away… the rest is history. Since then, we’ve traveled to 8 counties together and have another 2 trips planned before the wedding in October.

In our spare time, we’re either planning our next getaway or staying active.

The “proposal”

Greg proposed at Blue Mountain, along a quiet trail at the top of the mountain. With snowboards were in tow, Greg got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. It was perfect and not a person in sight. After soaking in the moment, we went down the slopes to enjoy some bubbly.

I’m excited to be marrying my best friend, my travel partner and the person who makes ME a better person.

(He probably wouldn’t want me to mention this – but I taught him how to snowboard!!)

Courtney & Dan’s Ward’s Island Engagement

November 19, 2016

She moved from Nevada to be with him in Toronto.

Her smile is like sunshine and her eyes are possibly the brightest most happy eyes I’ve ever seen to be gazing at her mister.
Courtney and Dan are so sweet together. Here’s a peek at their engagement session – and don’t miss their love story, written by the couple themselves, at the bottom of the post <3

Their wedding will be at Steam Whistle Brewery, so they thought they’d bring some bottles to the session – a fun nod to their nuptuals 🙂

– THEIR LOVE STORY –

From Daniel:
One day five years ago, I was walking into a work meeting, when a colleague of mine stopped to ask me a question. He casually mentioned that the daughter of their neighbor was in town for the summer and was looking to meet people her own age. He wanted to know if I was interested in meeting her.
At this point, the boardroom was filling up with people and my colleague kept going on and on how this girl is really sweet and cute and that I need to meet her. I politely asked if we could continue the conversation after the meeting, but by then several other people had overheard and started egging me on to get her number.
I succumbed to the peer pressure and got her number. Shortly after, we connected and I had invited her to my house for a birthday BBQ. This fearless American woman travelled by public transit on her own from Oakville into a city she barely knew to meet a guy she didn’t know.
Either she was extremely bored; or it was fate, regardless I was hooked. After a few years of long distance, she graduated and decided to move to Toronto for me, that’s when I knew she was the one.

After be together for so long, we both knew it was time to get engaged; however I wasn’t going to give in so easily. When we booked our trip to Italy, I made it perfectly clear that it was NOT going to happen, as I didn’t want her thinking about it the entire trip. At the same time, I knew I was going to propose, but I had to ensure it would be a surprise.
I had it all planned out; as I wanted to propose on the Piazza de Michelangelo, which I read had a great view and sunset. However, I had no idea there would be several hundred people also in the plaza. This was not a spectacle I wanted to share with hundreds of strangers. Sure enough I didn’t have to, as another future bride was proposed to just a few meters away.
Since I wasn’t going to be the second guy to do it that evening, I decided to wait until the following morning. I woke up early and got everything ready. As we did every day, we recapped what we were going to see that day.
As I finished the recap, I quickly said “change of plans!” and got down on one knee and proposed. I would like to say it was a magical speech that completely captured my love for Courtney; however, I am pretty sure I blacked out and forget everything I said and did.
All I remembered was she said YES. We ended up buying matching wedding bands on the Ponte Vecchio (which was my plan from the start). And now we are here… cool story right?

From Courtney:
Dan and I met 5 and a half years ago on somewhat of a blind date. I lived in Nevada, but was home for the summer with my parents who had recently moved to the GTA. My Mom and Dad lived down the street from a colleague of Dan’s, who thought we would hit it off.
After exchanging some emails back and forth, Dan invited me to his house for a birthday barbecue with his friends. I left thinking we might be friends, and that we might hang out again… maybe? I like to think Dan left knowing we would be here someday:). Somehow I couldn’t shake him off after that, and I found myself packing up my life after graduation and moving to Toronto to be with him.

We reached a point where I knew we would be getting engaged someday, I just didn’t know when. So when we booked a trip to Italy in April, I thought… “Maybe?”. Dan was quick to shut me down, he told everyone not to worry, that a vacation proposal was too obvious and there was no way we would be coming home engaged. When we got to Italy, love was all around us.
By our third day we had seen 3 proposals, and assumed I would not be next. I was in shock when Dan got down on one knee early one morning in Florence and asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. I actually said “is this real life?”. We spent the day walking around the city and bought our wedding bands along the famous Ponte Vecchio. Now we get to come home and start our lives together!

Scarborough Bluffs Engagement – Caitlin & Jesse

June 9, 2016

Caitlin Jesse Engagement LR sneak peek-11

Scarborough Bluffs Engagement Photos | Olive Photography

For Caitlin & Jesse’s engagement session we totally incorporated so many things that were very ‘them’, which is always super nice! When we started out, Jesse said he’d like to take some shots of them playing road hockey together since he’s SUCH a hockey buff (more about this in their love story below). So we had some fun getting *slightly* competitive on the street. We then strolled through some of Caitlin’s childhood neighbourhood – her parents live legitimately right around the corner from that incredible lookout point. Can you believe that is in Toronto? (Safety Note: Anyone who visits here, *please* be careful as the bluffs are known to spontaneously shed. Stay back several feet!)

On our way back from the Bluffs we got to talking a bit more about the two of them & their interests, and I learned that Jesse also loves his pickup truck. The idea struck me to pop some popcorn and hang out in the back of the truck for some shots – and that spontaneous idea led to some of my absolute faves from their shoot! Caitlin’s parents’ cat Diva even joined us for some of the fun!
Here are some of my faves from their engagement session – Can’t wait for their big day at Cambium Farms next month!

Hockey Engagement Photos | Olive Photography

Toronto Engagement Session | Olive Photography

Cat Engagement Photos | Olive Photography

Popcorn Engagement Photos | Olive Photography

And here’s their love story, from the couple themselves!

Jesse’s first love is hockey, so it only made sense that he would propose on skates. He planned a surprise weekend getaway in Ottawa including a morning at the spa for me and an evening together skating on the Rideau Canal.

We braved the -20 degree weather and headed out. Not having been on skates for years I was totally out of my comfort zone. Jesse, on the other hand, was in his element and literally skated circles around me. You would think that after 10 years together I would have had some suspicions of what was about to happen, but I didn’t. So when Jesse bent down on one knee to adjust his skate I was simply proud of myself for not falling on my face without the support of his steady hand. As I slowly and shakily turned around to see what was taking him so long he began to ask the question. Everything from that point on is a blur. I don’t remember what either of us said or did but I do remember the excitement, surprise and overwhelming joy (and the pain of the small tears freezing to my face).

5 Helpful Engagement Session Tips

February 4, 2016

I get asked this question all the time – What makes a good engagement session?

Since I’ve found myself e-mailing responses to this question so often, I thought I’d put together a quick little guide.

For me, it’s actually super simple. There are 5 Helpful Tips that really do make a *huge* difference in the results of your photos.

TIP #1 – LIGHT

The definition of ‘photography’ literally translates from Greek to drawing with light. (Photo=Light, Graphy=Drawing)
Light is a huge component of what makes a good photograph.

For engagement sessions, many people love the warm glow they sometimes see in photographs, often with sun beams coming into the shot. The best time to get this type of light is about the hour to half hour before sunset. I typically start sessions 1.5 hours before sunset to have a bit more cushion time to explore and catch different types of light.

Sometimes the skies don’t allow for these sun beams (c’mon, cloud cover!), and that’s ok. It may not even be something you like. But, don’t fret if it’s not a bright sunny day. In fact, it’s actually BETTER when the day is cloudy versus too bright. Clouds are like nature’s soft boxes, creating a great, even light. Bright sunshine (like at mid afternoon) makes people squint and leaves ‘hot spots’ (bright white areas) on your clothes & faces. Clouds or scheduling your session at a later or super early time will help prevent this.

Speak with your photographer about the best time to take your photos to get the best results. This will also depend on how your photographer likes to shoot. For me, I love the hour-ish before sunset. (This actually applies to your wedding portraits too, if possible!)

TIP #2 – PERSONALIZATION

I love it when engagement sessions reflect you as a couple. I always ask couples to tell me some things they enjoy doing together, or places they enjoy visiting. From there we can gather inspiration for little things we can add to your session to make it something you can look back on and think, ‘that was so us during that time’.

For instance, you guys may love going for coffee, or having picnics, or maybe you love sports. Or maybe you just want to spend time at home since it’s your favourite place, or visit where you had your first date. We can include hints to these things in your individualized session.

Of course we’ll take some awesome lovey portraits, but it’s also neat when the location or some items in the photos have special meaning for you.

TIP # 3 – OUTFITS (Think: Comfortable, Co-ordinated, Compatible)

A big question I get a lot is ‘what should we wear?’

The answer to this is three-fold:

1. Comfortable: The most important thing is that you are comfortable, since it will show in the photos if you aren’t. This means wearing something that is weather-appropriate (wear layers in cold weather so you’re not freezing with hunched, stiff shoulders in the shoot!), as well as something you can move around in easily. Make sure it’s something you’d feel comfortable sitting on the ground in – something that won’t shift in awkward, possibly revealing ways (e.g. a short skirt, or a tight buttoned shirt that could pull the spaces between buttons awkwardly). Accessories like scarves and blankets can also add a cozy feel.

Engagement Session Tips | Olive Photography Toronto

Toronto engagement photography - Olive Photography

2. Coordinated: Make sure your outfit styles work well together. Maybe you’re both wearing earth tones, maybe you’re both slightly more formal, maybe both outfits have a bit of the same colour, or perhaps you’re wearing different yet complementing colours. The important thing is that your outfits work well together. Something to avoid is one person being super dressed down (e.g. in a hoodie or torn jeans) while the other is a bit more put together. Class it up, but also keep it relaxed & co-ordinated. (Note: Co-ordinated is different from match-y – don’t wear the same shirts and pants, since that tends to have a formal family portrait vibe.)

This bride-to-be even co-ordinated her lipstick with their picnic cherries:

3. Compatible: Make sure your outfits make sense/are compatible with the location of the shoot. If we’re frolicking through a forest you probably don’t want to be wearing heels. But heels definitely work for city photos. If it’s snowing outside it may look (and feel) strange to wear a sleeveless dress, so wear something weather-appropriate (this is also part of the ‘comfortable’ tip). Make sure your outfits will look nice in the context of the environment.

TIP # 4 – MANICURES

This goes for both the ladies and the gents. Get your hands ready for those potential close-up shots.
Painted nails look so great in photos.

Also, these things are often overlooked: moisturize (so you don’t have dry skin and cuticles) and trim those nails, gents!
These little things make a big difference.

TIP # 5 – ENJOY

Engagement sessions are a time for you to let loose and enjoy a fun date. It’s totally about you guys – a time for you to pause, enjoy each other’s company, and connect. Your photographer will help make you feel comfortable and give you directions if needed, but we are there to capture the essence you two. Spend time really feeling each other’s love, because that’s what this is all about!

Cherry Beach Engagement

April 27, 2014

There’s most certainly a spark between Ashley and Jay – one that sizzles, if ya know what I mean.

This pair is hot together, and it’s evident that they are super into each other. While I photographed them embracing one another I heard Jay complimenting Ashley – it made me gush just a bit.

We went to Toronto’s Polson Pier to photograph their engagement session since the view of the city from there is really pretty awesome. If you haven’t been, go check it out!

Unfortunately it was CRAZY windy, so much of the session involved Jay having to help Ashley move her beautifully done hair out of her face, and wiping the wind-induced tears from her eyes (messing with her also beautifully done makeup) – we joked about how him ‘fixing’ her was the theme of the session.
Despite the wind, however, we did have fun, and we managed to get some really sweet moments captured when the wind took a bit of a break. They even enjoyed playing a quick round of one of their favourite board games – how cute!

We also munched on some really yummy fries and poutine from a nearby food truck whose scent was wafting onto the beach, tempting us to wrap up and eat! Haha. Of course, that lent itself to a fun impromptu photo-op as well.
… Great, now I want french fries again… 😛

Here are some photos from our time together, as well as some words from the bride and groom-to-be at the end!

And now, some words from the happy couple:

THEIR FIRST DATE
“It was the night of the Grey Cup Event… After meeting at a local pub for some cocktails after a long day’s work, the two couldn’t wait to kick back and get to know one another over good conversation and some drinks. A local “regular” couldn’t help himself from visiting the table frequently and striking up conversation with the cute couple. J’s amazing sense of humour and ability to kindly tolerate the poor lonely man was admirable. However, his firmness and fearlessness in finally telling the guy to bug off and “allow him some time alone with his pretty lady”, really won Ashley over! From that night on, they were basically inseperable, enjoying any and every minute they could together…”

THE PROPOSAL
When it happened: Sunday, August 25, 2013
How it happened:
“What a better way to start the evening then a night at the Canadian National Exibition! After an evening of fun and entertainment with close friends, Jay was adamant about getting home by midnight. Wondering if they were going to turn into pumpkins, Ashley was reluctant and curious as to why it was so important to be home early on a Saturday night. After heading to the Danforth for a night cap with their friends, the two finally headed home to retire for the evening… or so she thought.

When Ashley got home, she immediately headed upstairs to bed. Jay came up insisting she wait, and come downstairs with him. After she agreed, he took her by the hand and guided her downstairs into her family’s dining room. As she asked “what are we doing?!”, she walked into the room lit with candles, and dressed with flowers. Jay presented her with champagne, sweets and… a small jewelery box! Jay asked, Ashley said yes, and so the story continues…”

Makeup: Shari at Sutherland Artistry
Lashes: Jennifer Couto at Lasholiscious
Hair: Daniel Palacio at Deberardinis Salon and Spa

—

Anastasia Giaouris

Photographer, Olive Photography
olivephotography.ca
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