Naz and Nathan’s Royal Botanical Garden wedding was on a beautiful summer day in July.  I had been to the RBG a few times before for an engagement session and a wedding a few years ago.  I was really looking forward to this wedding because Naz and Nathan are such an awesome couple and I knew that it would be a beautiful wedding.   

I got to know Nathan and Naz at their engagement session that we had a few months before.   We had a fun time taking photos at Colonel Samuel Smith park in Etobicoke.   I found out that they had met at a Halloween party at McMaster university 6 years before getting engaged.    Naz had been dressed as a devil and Nathan was dressed as Barney Stinson from the show “How I met your mother”.   It seems they clicked at that party and the rest is history. 

Leading up to the wedding day, I had a few conversations with Nathan and Naz to come up with their photography timeline to ensure that we had enough time for photos and lots of downtime so they could relax and enjoy themselves.   Naz started researching Airbnb’s for the getting ready period of the day and she emailed me a few options.   It was really nice of her to include me on the decision because there are a few things to think about when you choose your locations for photography.    Naz ended up booking two Airbnb’s that were close to the venue and both had great natural light and nice décor.  

When I showed up at Naz’s Airbnb on the morning of her wedding I was so pleased with the setup!   There was a room with nice window light and all white walls and floors.  There were also a few mirrors in the room and some cute décor.  This was the ideal situation and it was like a mini photography studio.  I was a happy camper. 

Adding onto that, Naz and her friends were such a delight to be around.  They had to wake up extremely early to get ready for their daytime wedding, but there were so happy and even had a little ABBA dance party in the early morning.  Their good vibes were infectious, and I had an amazing time capturing their excitement.

We met at the Hendrie Park area of the Royal Botanical Gardens for a first look which was done near one of the reflective ponds.  Lucky for us, the park wasn’t open yet to the general public, so Naz and Nathan were able to have some alone time for this special moment.  After their first look, we took some photos of them around the gardens with the light shining behind them.  The gardens were looking gorgeous and I’m really happy with how their photos turned out.  It was getting extremely hot though, so we found a shady area for the bridal party photos.   

After we finished taking their photos, Naz and Nathan took a break before their ceremony.   Their ceremony was under the Rose Garden tent with their close friends and family present.  It was a very touching ceremony and all the guests looked so happy to be there.   

Once the ceremony was complete, we took some family photos near the Rose Garden tent and then headed to the Rock Garden venue for the reception.   The reception room was so bright and airy with high ceilings and glass walls.  It was perfect for a daytime reception and all the details were very nice.  Naz and Nathan had a theme of lavender and white throughout the reception and everything looked lovely.   

There were a few speeches and there were a lot of tears and plenty of laughter during the reception.   I loved learning more about Naz and Nathan during their reception.  They truly are such a kind and fun couple and I wish them many years of happiness together. 

I loved taking photos of Naz and her bridesmaids in this Airbnb. This room was ideal for photos!

Nathan’s and his groomsmen also got ready in a very nice Airbnb.

Nathan and Naz had their first look on the morning of their wedding by one of the large ponds at Hendrie Park. The flowers of the gardens provided a really nice backdrop for this special moment.

The flowers were all in bloom and the setting was perfect for their bride and groom photos.

I love the lavender in the foreground of these photos. It matches Naz and Nathan’s colour scheme which is nice.

It was a very hot day, so we found a shady area for the bridal party photos.

Their ceremony was under the Rose Garden tent and everyone was so happy to be there.

The reception was held at the Rock Garden room where there was tons of natural light and views of the gardens.

Naz’s mom had handpainted and made all of the favours for the guests. It was a really nice touch.

There were some tears and lots of laughs during the speeches…

What a wonderful wedding! It was an honour to capture this special day for Naz and Nathan. Congratulations to the happy couple!