Anna & Peter's Wedding: Vaughan Wedding Photographers at Fontana Primavera

Fun, Emotional, Heart-warming, Magical.  Just some of the words to describe Anna & Peter's Beauty & the Beast themed Wedding!

Anna & Peter's Wedding was stunning in so many ways, from her gorgeous bouquet of red roses, to Peter's tailor-made suit and then ending the evening with a starry-night sky backdrop...

This was a very large European Wedding with 250+ guests taking place in Vaughan Ontario at the Fontana Primavera Banquet Hall.

We started at Anna's childhood home in Mississauga, a beautiful brick home on a court.  Anna was getting ready, a perfect time to start shooting.  I love the getting ready moments.  Let me tell you why: when I got married 5 years ago, I didn't have the opportunity to have getting ready moments and I wish I had.  Most of us can relate, looking at a photo can bring back of ton of emotions and memories.  If I had those moments to look at now, I would have loved to see how all the moments added up before the ceremony.  The time before the 'I do's' are just as relevant.  They are filled with so many details.   Little details that end up being such memorable moments.  I mean, look at her veil, draping over her shoulder.   And what was she thinking?

The gals were adorned in these adorable satin robes, keeping with the royal blue colour scheme for this Wedding.  What happens when you have a roomful of lovely ladies?  There's going to be some trouble (in a fun way of course)!

Pre-ceremony moments are so important.  It's a great way to take some time to really 'take it all in'.  With a full house of 10 lovely bridesmaids and a maid of honour (yes I said 10!), and 2 littles as flower girls, it was nice for Anna to have some quiet time to herself.  (Check out Anna's upscale, stylish shoes by Vince Camuto).

Anna's dress definitely resembled Belle's gown (from Beauty & the Beast), with it's gorgeous layers of tulle cascading around her, length by length.  Such a stunning gown from Mona Richie Boutique and adorned with just the right amount of bling too.

One of the most tear-eyed and pivotal moments for me to photograph was the 'First Look' with her Dad.  I remember our conversation with Anna, during one of our consultations: she said to me, the first look with my dad, it means a lot to me.  Gah, the Kleenex please! (Spoiler alert!! Stay tuned for the Bride & Groom's own unique rendition of their First Look later on in this story).

The climb down the oak staircase was indeed a magical moment. Anna's gorgeous gown swished behind her and the chatter down below fell silent with only hushed "oohs and ahhhs".  When Anna approached her father,  it was heart-warming.  When she descended the stairs, it was like the sun just burst into the room at the right moment.  She was immersed in this beautiful glow of natural light.  Nearing the end of the staircase, Anna stood there for a moment looking at her dad. And  I wish you could have been there to see  the way Anna's father held back tears as he beamed at his daughter, the Belle of the Ball.  He was completely awestruck.  Father/daughter moments, just too pretty not to photograph!

And let's not forget the First Look with the ladies! Check out one of the flower girls in the corner, that's Quinn, totally awestruck by Anna's gown, lol, too cute!  

We headed outdoors for some fun!  Check out these lovelies hanging around the block!  Awesome choice on the colour palette for this Wedding, loving the ladies' gowns.  And check out Anna's bouquet of roses, gorgeous!

Ok so Anna's father, Ed, has this awesome Billiards and Bar room in his basement.  So why not take advantage of some fun on your Wedding Day?  Anna & the ladies thought it would be fun to shoot some pool and play a round of cards.  Oh and check out the cool bride as bartender! ;)

Then it was time to catch the bus to the Ceremony. 

While I'm with the ladies, Mike is photographing the gentlemen.  Peter's getting ready shots included moments with  his Best Man/brother, Daniel and his father, Carlos.  These guys were fun and made sure Peter was suited up well in his tailor-made suit, inspired by the Beauty and the Beast.  Peter's  classy suit was purchased from 4 Men United.   Bow tie, red rose and engraved name on the cuff of his shirt, yup, Peter was definitely looking dapper. 

Then it was time to head outdoors.  And what better way to spend time with the fellas then a cool walk around the hustling streets of Toronto.  Hustle fellas, hustle! Mike followed these guys around and captured some awesome city shots.   These charming guys certainly got a lot of attention roaming the streets.

With Mike and I, anything goes, really, because it's your Wedding Day.  We're up to making your day unique.  So Mike continued to follow the fellas around the block.  The groomsmen surprised Peter by coaxing him into a nearby hair salon (Hair Transformations by Cole on Dundas St. W).  The staff were very accommodating.  They didn't mind  the large entourage of 10 groomsmen who squeezed in and around the small space near Peter's salon chair.  The big tease was chopping off Peter's pony tail.  Peter had been growing his hair long for months to imitate the Beast's hairstyle (from the Beauty & the Beast).

To add to the spirit of having fun, they purchased cigars at Mac's Cigar Store.   These guys definitely looked cool and confident dressed to the nines, and Toronto made them well aware of it, honking their horns and waving at the fellas.

It was back to the church for the fellas...

Back to the ladies and their bus ride... Yeah, these ladies knew how to party it up!  Ok first we listened to "The Wheels on the Bus" for the kiddies, and then the party tunes played and well, let's just say the bus was jammin' along.  

Anna & Peter's First Look was humble and took place in the basement of their church.  It was a First Look with their own twist.  They didn't want to see each other.  Instead they wanted to hold hands and say a little prayer before the walk down the aisle.  It was emotional to say the least and when they touched hands, Peter couldn't hold back his tears. 

After such an emotional moment spent together, it was time for Anna and Peter to finally see each other.  Check out Peter's winning smile when he sees Anna walk in, such an awesome groom reaction.  I loved the tender moments between Anna and her father, and the way he joined Peter's hand with Anna's, giving her away with the touch of hands.  The pastors were fun and upbeat and their speeches at one point made Anna and the audience laugh out loud. 

It was such a beautiful ceremony, with much emotion.  The pastor at The City Church International in Toronto had wonderful words to say during the ceremony.  There were moments where both Peter and Anna couldn't hold back their tears.  The pastor relayed a story about his own life, that having your loving partner by your side is very important, especially as the years go by.  He instructed the couple to love each other more every day, to not stop doing the little things, and to always appreciate each other every day.  As much as there was raw emotion, there was a point where he had the bride and groom and the audience laughing so much.  Before the exchange of vows and rings, Anna and Peter incorporated their own tradition of a foot bath called the Union Ceremony.  As their guests watched the process of washing each other's feet, Nicole, one of the lovely bridesmaids, sang and the talented groomsman, Eddie played the piano.

We headed off to James Garden in Toronto.  We met the lovebirds who pulled up in their cool ride, a luxurious Rolls Royce.   They hung around the vehicle waiting for their bridal party to arrive.  The newlyweds were so immersed in each other and we just hung around too, with our cameras...

And then they decided to take a romantic walk...

Oh and that bus pulled up with that wild bunch and it was good times with the bridal party, with the entourage totalling 20 gals and guys!  With a bridal party that large, it was great to get to know so many personalities.  They were an amusing bunch, very entertaining and at one point the fellas literally swept Anna off her feet, lol!  While at the park, this great bunch were complimented on such great attire and gowns.

Anna & Peter's photo collection is stunning and we wish we could post all of it, but here's just a few.  More romantic walks, hand-holding and whispers in the park.

The reception took place at Fontana Primavera in Vaughan.  It was a beautiful venue with gorgeous chandeliers.  For their Beauty and the Beast theme, Anna & Peter chose a great venue.  If you love  Beauty and the Beast, then you're in for a treat, because this Belle and Beast's first dance was adorned with a gorgeous backdrop of tiny, flickering lights.  It was so pretty and so elegant, that you almost forgot they were indoors because it seemed like they were dancing outside with a starry-night sky.  That gorgeous backdrop décor was styled by In the 6ix Weddings.  Anna and Peter's Wedding was carefully planned out, from the littlest details, like the Beast's rose in a glass dome, to the biggest details including a grand piano at the venue entrance!  

The entrances were grand and the bridal party encircled the newlyweds, a great way to get the party started!  Anna & Peter's First Dance was magical.  So was Anna's dance with her Dad.  These guys loved to party and it was nothing short of crazy-fun and good times.

We like to end the night with a memorable moment.  In this case, it was magical, Beauty and the Beast sort of magical.  Holding each other for  a moment longer, with a starry-night sky background and an adorable couple, we are sure that this is only the beginning of their happily ever after.   

Thank you Anna & Peter for allowing us to be a part of your magical day.  

XO