Chill Vibes on a Snowy Morning

The day kicked off early, but it was smooth sailing from the start. My Uber driver had the perfect reggae playlist going, setting an awesome vibe for the snowy morning. Sure, I was a bit nervous at first, but halfway from Toronto to Ajax, I shook off the self-doubt. No time for that today.

By the time I arrived, I was so relaxed I couldn't even remember why I was worried in the first place. The morning was calm, joyful, and completely stress-free. Funny thing though—the weather was moody as hell, a perfect contrast to the day’s true vibe.

Meeting Susan felt like catching up with an old friend. She’s so easy to talk to, and Rodrigo was just as great (though I feel like a grandma saying “delight,” it fits him perfectly). They kept it simple with just their closest friends (a lovely couple) and Rodrigo’s parents, who flew in from Brazil, arriving at 5 AM on the day of the ceremony.

As we drove from Ajax to Uxbridge's city hall, I noticed Rodrigo's mom smelled just like my own mom. Must be that classic Brazilian laundry softener!

Staying Cool at City Hall

Surprisingly, I kept my cool at city hall. Normally, non-traditional indoor venues make me overthink a bit, which isn’t great for creativity. But a deep breath grounded me, and I was able to focus and find my flow. Then I started to fully enjoy the beauty of their vows and love.

Scouting the Perfect Spot

While scouting for family portrait locations, I found a church right outside the city hall with a cool old castle vibe. Finally, I did something obvious that took me way too long to figure out: I shot the landscape first to pick the best framing later. So simple, yet so effective—haha.

One thing you need to know about this days, is that: it was COLD. Susan, you are fierce. Period.

Weather's Whimsical Dance

After dropping off the parents, we headed to the waterfront. The weather was all over the place—sunny, then cloudy, then windy, and finally snowy. The clouds were perfectly shaped, like something out of a René Magritte painting. Inspired by his surreal works, I found beauty in the unpredictable weather patterns. We had less than five minutes to snap the pictures because it was freezing out by the lake. Despite the rush, I'm amazed at how stunning the images turned out. While I would have loved more time, I'm thrilled we captured such magical moments in such a short burst of creativity.

A Cool Surprise

From their pre-wedding questionnaire, I knew they both had motorcycles, but it never clicked that Susan rode too. (Their mood board should have been a dead giveaway!) When I found out, I couldn’t hide my excitement—pretty sure I jump-walked.