Photo Location: Terroni (Toronto) and Residence (King Vaughan Side Rd.)

Main city or town: Toronto

Secondary city or town: Vaughan

Memories of the day…: “Ohhh the memories! Our shoot was split into two shorter session in order to capture both our favourite and first date spot and the wonderful natural beauty which surrounds our home. The first shoot was in the summer at Terroni and that was a blast. This being our first formal shoot together we were both excited and nervous but it took us no longer than a few shots to get cosy and giggly and let loose! Shawn made it so easy for us to relax and have fun. We even snuck in an outfit change lol…and lucked out with the weather as it was sunny so we were able to get some shots outside too.

The second shoot was a bit of a mission. With rescheduling due to weather we ended up shooting on one of the last nice days in the fall. It was about 13 degrees out but I swear it felt like 2! But we managed to look warm and relaxed and got some really cool shots with our old truck and the natural elements. Even with grey skies Shawn and the team make the photos glow with warmth. It meant so much to us to capture both locations in such a beautiful way. These photos are very special to us as they represent who we are as a couple. We love to eat out and we love to relax at home! Thanks for capturing our true colours ”

Did you have a “theme”?: “Our theme is probably summarized as: Vintage, Indie with a classic twist! We have quirky ideas and details but these are well balanced with the more classic elements that you would expect to see at a larger wedding. Our challenge was taking a concept suited for a smaller backyard summer wedding and elevating it to a grand scale, being indoors and with a much larger guest list!

The colours are soft pastels with yellow as a main accent colour. I always say we are going for a “made with love” kinda feel ”

Recommended Wedding Vendor: Crystal from Distinct Occasions – “Crystal is our wedding planner / side kick / problem solver / mentor lol.

She helps us with final decisions, searching for vendors and keeping us on track. I cannot wait until we hand over the reins and she gets to make all this planning happen on the day of. It’s going to be great!”

Recommended Wedding Vendor: Deb from Palettera (Stationary) – “Deb is brilliant and has provided incredible custom invites for both the wedding and the shower. Her attention to detail and her craft is exceptional. A true artist – we love her!”

Recommended Wedding Vendor: Lori from The Caketress – “Lori captured our vibe from our first meeting and was able to present a concept that was both unique but still coupled with classic elements. We are both so excited to see this concept come together! She was able to incorporate important details/elements that help tell the story of the wedding/theme and this cake will have such a presence in the room.”

Recommended Wedding Vendor: Rachel from Rachel Clingen Designs – “From our first meeting Rachel got it! She was right there with us through all the quirky and creative ideas and excitment. Rachel was able to take a very diverse and dare I say crazy ideas and make it all make sense. I tend to be all of the place when it come to creative designs ( I had 5 large inspiration boards lol) but both Rachel and Crystal were able to take those ideas and weave together a design that made sense! Great job ladies xo”

Recommended Wedding Vendor: Shawn from Renaissance Studios – “Sorry – we just had too! The team is awesome and is always quick to answer/respond to our questions/concerns and the photos, well they speak for themseleves

Shawn’s work is fantastic and we love working with him. Melissa is great and extremely organized and Clint did a fantastic job with the editing process. Thanks to all of you xo”

Recommended Wedding Vendor: Norris from Norris Films is our videographer and he is truly a bundle of great energy. His work can be found on his website or on Vemo and we are super excited for our same day edit!

Anything else you’d like to add?: We are getting married – Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! So excited

PS: Shawn…. We are still waiting on that car wrap lol

Wedding Date: Jun 11, 2011

Reception Venue: The London Club, London, Ontario

Photo Location: Old St.Thomas Church, Sparta, The London Club

Main city or town: St. Thomas & London

Secondary city or town: Sparta

Memories of the day…: “Memories … where to start!! Hands down, our day was better than I anticipated it to ever be; everything was perfect! From our absolutely AMAZING photographers (and friends) to our superb vendors and our FANTASTIC wedding party, we couldn’t have asked for a better day ”

Did you have a “theme”?: Our theme was Modern Vintage with a Scottish Twist!

Recommended Vendor: Old Gardens Flower Shop – “I LOVED our flowers! I decided to go with “Fresh-like” fake flowers instead of real ones and I’m so glad we did! Not only did we have amazing colours and textures, we didn’t have to worry about them wilting or needing water all day AND we get to keep them forever! Amazing!”

Recommended Vendor: The London Club – “This was the perfect place for our reception – we had plated service, with the guests choice of main entree, plus a cocktail hour and open bar for less than any of the other local vendors we contacted for our big day! It was also fantastic because we were the only event happening there that day! No sharing! LOL”

Recommended Vendor: Royal Creations Decor – “We weren’t sure about hiring a decorator, but this one was recommended to us and we’re so glad we hired her to do the job! She was fantastic to work with and reasonably priced! She went above and beyond our expectations ”

Recommended Vendor: Renaissance Studios Photography – “…and last but definitely not least, our photographers. BEYOND AMAZING!!!!!!!”

Anything else you’d like to add?: “Our ceremony was at the Old St. Thomas Church in St. Thomas, Ontario. It was built in 1824 and in 1982 it was recognized as an Ontario Heritage Site. It’s small, quaint, unique and right up our alley! Our reception was at The London Club, London, Ontario. It’s a classy, upscale, private club and is a large mansion that was built in 1881.

With our appreciation of history and the importance of treasuring the past, holding the biggest parts of our wedding day at these classic venues was perfect! And driving away from the church in the Father-of-the-Groom’s classic 1955 Chevy pickup wasn’t be too shabby either ”

Wedding Date: Sep 04, 2011

Reception Venue: Belcroft Estates and Event Centre

Main city or town: Bradford, Ontario

Memories of the day…: “Our day, in just about every way, went better (and was more magical) than we ever hoped or planned for. We were in awe at how beautifully everything came together, and marvel every day at how perfectly our vision came to fruition. All details made it very ‘us’, from the DIY décor, the venue, our wedding party members’ personal touches, the food, music, and especially the happiness of our guests. We were so grateful to have Erin and Michelle to capture the essence of the best day of our lives (thus far) so we can enjoy it over and over again for the rest of our lives. We have been left with full hearts and buckets of gratitude for how lucky we are.”

Did you have a “theme”?: Vintage, Rustic, Relaxed & Comfortable

Recommended Vendor: Belcroft Estates – “All of the staff at Belcroft were so warm, helpful, thoughtful, and welcoming. From the moment we stepped into the grounds we knew we would get married there, and were pleasantly surprised all along the way. It was so special to have the ceremony, cocktail hour/photos, and reception all in one (wonderful) place, as it saved a lot of stress for our guests, and the wedding party. We got more than we ever imagined when we chose Belcroft.”

Recommended Vendor: O’Malley’s Catering in Newmarket – “Amazing food, great prices, a lot of flexibility. We (and our guests) were happy we chose O’Malleys.”

Recommended Vendor: Keep Them Dancing DJ services – “Nick and Gobar were AMAZING! They followed our ‘plan’ perfectly, and the music Gobar played throughout the night kept the dance floor hopping. It was a perfect mix of genres from all different decades. We had nothing but compliments!”

Recommended Vendor: Reverend Pamela Covert-Slater – “We love Rev Pam! And, it worked perfectly that she lives 10 minutes down the road from our venue (completely coincidental). She is completely flexible about what ‘kind’ of ceremony you want, and has many ideas and templates you can choose from (plus you can make as many changes as you like). She was a ray of sunshine on our day, and made it seem like she’d known us forever. There was an ease and natural flow to our ceremony that really made our day memorable and special.”

Recommended Vendor: Michelle Rocheleau of Set the Mood Décor – “Michelle did our ceremony location draping, head table draping, chair covers and sashes. She was there early, set up quickly, and did a great job of tidying everything up quickly too. She was very affordable, and really ‘knew her stuff’.”

Recommended Vendor: A Great Mix Bartending Service did our bar service, and did a great job. You automatically book with them if you book Belcroft, unless you choose another company.

Photography by Erin Blackwood & Michelle Belsky | Renaissance Studios Photography | Toronto Weddings & Engagements

Wedding Date: Jul 02, 2011

Reception Venue: Gambrel Barn @ Country Heritage Park

Main city or town: Milton, ON

Memories of the day…: “Our wedding day was hands down the best day of our lives! It was everything we had envisioned and hoped for: rustic, colourful and TONS of fun! The day was simply full of love in every way possible; it didn’t just celebrate our new marriage, but the love that’s shared amongst our family and friends! It was so great working with Petia & Kimon, and having them capture all of the wonderful moments.”

Did you have a “theme”?: “We’ve always described our vision as rustic, a little laid-back, and definitely multi-coloured!”

Recommended Vendor: Mid-Knight Catering – “Mid-Knight Catering, who is associated with Country Heritage Park, gave us an elegant barbeque for our reception and it was absolutely delicious!”

Recommended Vendor: Joe Leite Catering – “Based out of Cambridge, Joe Leite Catering will hands down give you the BEST Midnight Seafood Buffet Table you’ve ever experienced! Our guests went crazy when all the food came out at 11pm!”

Recommended Vendor: Lilies White (Florist) – “The staff at Lilies White played an integral part in making our vision flourish! All of the colourful, wild-looking bouquets and arrangements were perfect for the day!”

Recommended Vendor: Pearl Bridal House – “Best shopping experience ever! This was the only shop I visited for wedding gowns, and they were fantastic. I was able to find my perfect dress in just 2 hours! ”

Recommended Vendor: Kettle Creek Weddings – “Our officiant Trish was great! She walked us through the entire ceremony process and allowed us to customize it to express who we are as a couple. She is so kind and relaxed, which is much needed on your wedding day!”

Photography by Petia Karrin | Renaissance Studios Photography | Toronto | London Weddings & Engagements

Wedding Date: Jun 06, 2011

Reception Venue: Western University

Photo Location: Western University Campus, London

Main city or town: London, Ontario

Memories of the day…: “Our wedding day was a blast! We had such an awesome time with Shawn and Aaron. They made us feel so comfortable in front of the camera (and were two people who are pretty camera shy). When we got our final pictures we were so happy with how they turned out. Shawn and Aaron were able to capture our day better than we had ever imagined. Thank you so much!”

Recommended Vendor: Western University (The Great Hall) – “It was so great working with the people at Western University, they were so helpful with all the planning and little details that made our day so perfect. We worked a lot with the wedding coordinator of The Great Hall Catrona, she was wonderful to work with. We appreciated her hard work and help so much!”

Recommended Vendor: Peterborough Garden and Gift Gallery – “We were fortunate enough to have Ryan’s parents who are the owners of Peterborough Garden and Gift Gallery do all of our flowers for our big day. Our bouquets were gorgeous! I was so happy when I saw them, they were exactly what I had pictured. And the way they decorated the hall was perfect! Thank you Bill and Cathy for all your hard work ”

Photography by Shawn Van Daele & Aaron Yukich | Renaissance Studios Photography | Toronto & London Ontario Wedding Photography

Wedding Date: August 20, 2011

Reception Venue: La Hacienda Sarria

Photo Location: La Hacienda Sarria, Kitchener / Cambridge, Ontario

Memories of the day: “To sum up our day in a few words is impossible. Our location was incredible, in spite of the fact we had planned an outdoor candlelit ceremony that got rained out. We moved inside and the room we got married in was intimate and romantic. You could feel the love and happiness that surrounded us; it really felt like everyone was a part of the ceremony. It may have turned out even better than our original plan. Our photographers were UNBELIEVABLE. They knew exactly what we were looking for and our photos blew us away. Even James who was dreading taking a million photos, was working it and loving every minute behind the lens! Everyone who has seen our pictures immediately says they look like they are out of an editorial spread in a magazine. James and I must have high-fived a million times when we looked through them. The candid shots and nontraditional poses are our favs, they really captured “us”, unconventional, passionate and creative. Kudos to you Renaissance Studios photography, especially Josh and Gord!

Did you have a “theme”?: Classic black and white, married at dusk, candlelit ceremony, surrounded by family and friends.

Recommended Vendor: Taylor’s Bridal Shop – “Unreal service, insane prices. Got my wedding dress here.”

Recommended Vendor: La Hacienda Sarria – “Hands down, best venue in the KW area!”

Photography by: Renaissance Studios Photography, Toronto, Kitchener, Ontario | Josh Cornell

Venue: Rufflet’s Country House, St.Andrew’s, Scotland UK

To view the video directly on Animoto – click here!

Music: Baby, It’s Cold Outside – She & Him – A Very She & Him Christmas