Kate & Justin's Intimate Toronto Elopement

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It took absolutely every inch of strength that we had to not spend the evening crying…

Everything was so perfect, so beautiful, and so intimate that we were overwhelmed with so many different feelings (love and gratitude were definitely at the top of that list) and we really, truly, had to hold back, or else we would spend the entire evening behind our cameras sobbing. We were lucky enough to photograph these two back in the winter when Justin proposed to Kate at the Toronto Reference Library but we didn’t get a chance to shoot, or even chat, with them for long because Justin quickly whisked his new fianceé away so they could hop onto a plane, fly to Chicago, and dine at their dream restaurant, Alinea! Talk. About. A. Proposal. Right?!

When Kate reached out to us a few months later to ask us to continue with them on their journey and photograph their wedding we were so excited! They couldn’t wait any longer and wanted to keep things low key so they were planning an intimate elopement at City Hall and even asked us to help plan the evening (and Hannah coming off of planning her own wedding, this was perfect timing haha) by choosing their date and the best time slot for their ceremony. As if that wasn’t heartwarming enough when their wedding questionnaire started rolling in we were in actual tears at how beautifully written and emotional it was!

As an example, here’s what they said to the question “What do you love most about each other?”:

I admire so many things about Justin, it's so hard to choose just one... I'd have to say that Justin has such a way with people and will weasel his way to your heart in no time with his aggressive friendship. He always has Asian candy to give to random colleagues, nurses, and strangers. On my first day as a paramedic working with him, he bought a loot bag full of treats and we had a tasting party in the hallway of the hospital with our patient while waiting our turn in line. No matter who you are, he includes you in all his jokes and conversations and makes you feel like the most important person in the world.

I admire Kate's unstoppable drive when she sets her sights on a goal, her utter devotion to her house plants, and her insatiable curiosity for all of life's experiences.

When we arrived on the afternoon of their big day we were surprised to learn that they had not seen each other yet, despite spending most of the day together in their 500sq ft. condo! Being antsy we quickly set them up for a first look that was nothing short of passionate and emotional (and the first point of the day where we felt like we were going to burst out crying). Following this we did another first look with Justin’s parents (cue tears again), and then slowed things down by having a tea and the most delicious bread, oil & balsamic vinegar. All 6 of us in Justin & Kate’s condo, eating, having tea, and everyone taking a moment to themselves was such a unique experience- we’re used to the chaos and hustle and bustle of weddings- but it was a great reminder for why we all need to slow things down and really take in everything that’s happening!

See some photos down below, click to enlarge and browses through…

The most unimaginable thing happened on the way to the ceremony…

Picture this: we’re a little pressed for time considering we’re going from the west end to the downtown core on a Friday at 3PM so we quickly shoot, pack up, and hit the road all together. About 3/4 of the way there, the inevitable question of “Do you have the marriage license?” comes up and for the first time ever the answer was “No”. Insert the most calm panic we’ve ever witnessed (but I mean, they are both paramedics after all, they’re used to high pressure scenarios) and after some problem solving Kate called city hall and got their time slot pushed an hour, Justin’s dad dropped us off, and then went back to their condo to get the paperwork. We took advantage of this by shooting their portraits while we were waiting for Justin’s parents to get back, and with this time we had the opportunity to wander around to different parts of city hall before their ceremony!

Click the photos below to enlarge and browse through

City Hall ceremonies are notoriously short

they give you a 30 minute slot in the chambers but in truth it takes about 5 minutes to go through paperwork, about 10-15 minutes for the actual ceremony, and then another 5 minutes for signing before things are #official! Since things are so quick we spent the last few minutes together to go out onto the roof and shoot their group photos and some last minute golden hour photos!