Downtown Toronto Wedding at Hotel Ocho — Ryanne Hollies Photography -

I’m so excited to share this gorgeous Hotel Ocho wedding. To say Joanna was a stunning bride is putting it lightly. She was something pulled straight out of a high fashion magazine and Dave was the perfect complimenting groom in his dapper Tiger of Sweden suit. Their style worked hand-in-hand with the rustic and authentic downtown Toronto vibe that Hotel Ocho is so famous for; the red bricks, exposed beams, being right by the busy intersection of Queen Street and Spadina, it all felt very quintessentially Toronto. Hotel Ocho is a one the best wedding venues in Toronto, it checked off all the right boxes for me as a wedding photographer, but most importantly, it felt so right for Joanna and Dave’s intimate wedding.

This was one of those weddings where fate played an important role. When Joanna and Dave were looking for a last minute wedding photographer, Joanna’s close friend, Angela, connected us. Angela is a makeup artist and we’ve worked together on past weddings, including Ali and Alex’s wedding at Airship 37. After we met with the bride and groom, we knew that somehow it had all worked out and we couldn’t wait to be a part of their beautiful wedding day.

Their wedding day was simple; a heartfelt church ceremony followed by a gorgeous reception at Hotel Ocho with all their closest family and friends. Although we didn’t know each other for a long time before the wedding, we really got to bond throughout the day, especially during our portrait session at David A. Balfour Ravine. Dave is seriously goofy and could make Joanna laugh no matter what situation I put them in. He jokingly threw in a few funny faces during our photo session but when it came time to share private moments with his bride he was affectionate and warm. It was hard for them to contain their emotions and sentiment for one another during the portrait session since they really allowed one another to live in the moment and truly take in their feelings and embrace them for all their worth. As the day progressed we got to see more of the nuances of their relationship and how truly perfect this bride and groom are for each other. Looking back through the images I could really feel the love they’ve cultivated for one another over the years and although they had their doubts (as every couple does) about being in front of the camera, they couldn’t have been any more natural or themselves throughout the entire process.

The simplicity of the wedding day rang true in their choice to not have a bridal party, only their witnesses acting as maid of honour and the best man. The reception was full of genuine conversation, Joanna and Dave made sure to talk to every single person throughout the dinner to express their gratitude and importance of their presence. In true Dave fashion, he cracked everyone up during his speech and Joanna reminded everyone how grateful they were to have their loved ones share this day with them.

It was a perfect day, filled with so many acts of love, including Joanna’s brother performing a song on guitar to accompany the father-daughter dance, which had her dad in tears. It was a sweet moment between father and daughter and it truly highlighted the importance the bride’s family played in her life leading up to the wedding day.

A special thank you to Angela for connecting us, you are so talented at what you do and it was a pleasure collaborating with you again.

Joanna and Dave, you are two in a million and it’s clear you bring out the best in each other. Here is a little look into your intimate wedding day at Hotel Ocho in downtown Toronto.