Believe it or not, this wedding was planned in only four weeks, that’s right, not four months (which would still be a pretty short time to pull together a whole wedding), but FOUR WEEKS! After Rachael and Tyler got engaged they decided that they didn’t want to spend months planning their wedding, they were engaged and they wanted to get married, straight to the point and without overthinking it. They both knew what they wanted, and quickly turned their vision into a stunningly beautiful reality.
The plan was to have their ceremony in Rachael’s family backyard with only their immediate family present, following a reception to celebrate with all their family and friends. Once they booked their wedding venue at Ricarda’s, a beautiful Italian restaurant in downtown Toronto, everything came together quickly. Rachael’s aunt kindly lent a hand in putting together all the gorgeous florals and decor that accompanied the romantic atmosphere of the downtown restaurant while Rachael’s mom generously prepared her home for the afternoon ceremony in her backyard that was pretty much a personal forest and haven.
The morning of the wedding day the rain was non-stop, and for a few moments we all thought the contingency plan was going to have to be executed for the backyard wedding ceremony. However, the timing was perfect and the rain halted only minutes before everyone was ready to get things started and just before the bride was set to walk down the aisle. The ceremony was held in the centre of the backyard, where the bride (who went barefoot!) and groom were surrounded by trees and their closest family members. It was both intimate and vast at the same time. Being surrounded by such nature was humbling, but the emotional elements of the wedding ceremony elevated the level of intimacy and made everyone in attendance feel near and dear to the bride and groom.
Emotions ran high, there were a lot of tears (including Tyler when he first saw Rachael) and A LOT of laughs throughout the ceremony. Quite a few of these laughs were induced by Rachael’s nephew telling an innocent, yet inappropriate joke to try to get Tyler to laugh instead of cry as Rachael was walking down the aisle. You could clearly see the families sharing in the joy that Rachael and Tyler were feeling as they tearfully exchanged rings and laughed through their pun-filled vows. The bride and groom were so incredibly grateful that they had been able to share this moment with the groom’s grandmother and the bride’s grandfather, it was adorable how much time they spent with them throughout the wedding day and capturing those candid moments between them reminded me of how special a role wedding photography has in documenting those cherished memories.
After taking advantage of the beautiful foliage to photograph the bride and groom, we all travelled into downtown Toronto to meet up with all the rest of the friends and family that would be joining in the celebration. Ricarda’s is an intimate restaurant that has both an elegant and modern feel. The mood was set and all the guests were ready to party. Rachael and Tyler made a grand entrance and started their evening off with an emotional first dance. They both sang along to the entire song, only pausing to laugh or cry. Everyone in the room could feel the love emanating from them, it was a really perfect moment. Being a wedding photographer herself, it filled my heart seeing the bride and groom appreciate living in the moment and soaking in all their emotions at every turn on the wedding day.
The rest of the evening was filled with tons of laughter and many, many jokes. Rachael and Tyler made a point to spend time with every single one of their guests who had made arrangements to attend their wedding on such short notice. Everyone was dancing, singing, taking polaroids, and sharing in the couple’s happiness. The vibes in Ricarda’s throughout the evening were chill but jubilant and the atmosphere of the Toronto restaurant made the perfect location for the celebration.
It was incredibly powerful to be a part of a wedding day that had such an emotional presence, where everyone was deeply connected to their feelings and able to express them openly with their loved ones. Rachael and Tyler are two in a million and the little one they are bringing into this world is going to be a part of one amazing, supportive family.
VENDORS
Venue/Catering: Ricarda’s
Florist (Bouquet/Boutonnieres): Sweatpea’s
Wedding Dress: The Gown
Alterations: Susan Dicks
Earrings: Anna Sportun
Second Shooter: Brian Bettencourt (3B Photography)