Archeo Wedding in the Distillery District — Ryanne Hollies Photography -

A lunch wedding in the heart of downtown Toronto.

The day started off with both the bride and groom getting ready in condo penthouses with some pretty outrageous views of downtown Toronto. The beautiful cityscape in the background of the top floor was also the perfect setting for Lisa and Don’s first look, providing us with an incredible and higher than life start to the entire wedding day.

On the rustic patio of Archeo in the Distillery District, Lisa and Don said their vows to each other and celebrated with their family and friends. It transitioned from a gorgeous outdoor ceremony space, with the classic Old-Toronto red brick backdrop, to an open concept lounge space (couches included), serving as the perfect spot for the cocktail hour.

Lisa and Don kept things informal and light-hearted. It was an afternoon of socializing, eating and basking in the sun. The perfect August weather kept the guests out on the patio where the children were having a blast running around and the adults were mingling in the sunshine among some of the Distillery District’s beautiful classic architecture. The atmosphere was so relaxed, the kind of relaxed you feel at your family BBQ on a long weekend. The bride and groom allowed themselves to spend time with each and every one of their guests who had come from near and far to celebrate this major milestone.

The couple was able to infuse their love of France and everything it meant to them into their decor and favours. They had the ultimate candy bar which was enjoyed by all the guests throughout the afternoon (especially the kids). They also had their own love lock sign as used as their guestbook, mimicking both the bridge in Paris (where the bride and groom went on their honeymoon) and the sign right around the corner in the Distillery District.

We did things a bit backwards in terms of the wedding photography, which in hindsight, provided us with a much more relaxed paced so the bride and groom could bask in the moment. We did all of the bridal party and couples portraits after the wedding had wrapped and we were free to explore the Distillery District. It was such a blast hanging out with their crew with no timeline constraints giving us ample opportunity to explore all the Distillery has to offer. Once we finished up with the bridal party, Lisa, Don and I made our way over to Sugar Beach, which was just a short walk from where their dinner was held, the goal was to give the bride and groom some quality time together in the soft afternoon light. The beach was crowded but it didn’t stop us from making our way right through the middle of it to take advantage of the gorgeous location. Surrounded by sunbathers we got some of the most unique portraits (and a few waves from boaters on the lake), but ultimately, Lisa and Don’s connection created a bubble around them as they enjoyed being in one another’s arms for the first time alone on the wedding day. Despite being among an eclectic group of Toronto residents, we ultimately had moments where we felt entirely on our own. I was sucked into their beautiful world just long enough to capture it.