Most wedding & elopements that I get to photograph can often be summarized by a handful of words that round up the iconic things that burn into my memory from the entire experience. I can summarize Chengchen and Karen’s elopement with a few simple ones; fashion, culture, beauty and grunge.
This was an extremely intimate experience, the kind of intimate where I’m signing as one of the witnesses intimate (I got the privilege to ink my name of the documents after winning a hard fought battle of rock-paper-scissors against Ryanne). I tend to get nervous before all the shoot I do, big or small, casual or not, but with wedding there was something that felt immediately comfortable and inspiring. Maybe it’s because Karen and Chengchen have a ‘real wedding” planned for a later date that includes their friends and family, and I don’t have the normal “pressure” of standard wedding day, but it wasn’t that at all. The couple’s energy was subtle but impactful, I subconsciously mirrored their aura and went about documenting their presence as if it was the natural thing to do. It didn’t hurt that their entire wedding was shot on analog film which put me in my natural element and paved the way for me to push forward creatively and create images that were uninhibited by roadblocks in my minds and thoughts of nit-picking perfection. Throw in the Studio Bon Soleil and you have yourself a wedding that checks off all the boxes aesthetically, especially once you take into account the bride and groom’s style and fashion.
I stopped in my tracks when I saw Karen arrive in her first bridal look; a combination of contemporary fashion and traditional cultural elements. She was truly a vision and awe-inspiring, a legitimate bridal fashion icon, not once but twice in one day. It was difficult not to want to create images that highlighted her look and how she seemed like she jumped out of the pages of an editorial magazine. Chengchen’s first look was the perfect compliment, mixing a low-key fashion groom style with flair, something I honestly would wear myself and an iconic look that serves as a reminder that grooms can be fashionable and contemporary on their wedding days too. The bride wanted the first part of the day to be casual and fun, they wanted to spend time creating images of themselves that were different and alternative to what traditional wedding photos can become. They wanted to be fashion-forward and collaborate with me to create something that elevated beyond wedding photos all while maintaining traces of themselves and their love for one another.
After we explored the grungy alleyways around king street and queen street, the bride and groom made their up to the studio Bon Soleil in downtown Toronto to swap into their “normal” bride and groom looks, (which were also pieces of fashion forward art) and they prepared to share in an intimate ceremony to officially become husband and wife. There was literally 4 of us baring witness to Karen and Chengchen’s love and commitment, Ryanne, myself and the lovely team at Fleur Weddings, that’s it. It was without a doubt one of the most intimate weddings I’ve gotten to photograph and it was also without a doubt one of the most beautiful exchange of vows I’ve seen as a wedding photographer. Chengchen and Karen have this youthful gaze with one another that is so sincere that no other word can describe it other than cute, and that’s not a word I throw around often. There was just something so cute about how they engaged with one another, a bit of shyness that was quickly overcome with passion, and just a softness that was really captivating. They were absolutely invested into the entire experience of the elopement and let their guards down when sharing quiet moments together.
Several rolls of film later and we’re simply left with the memories of the wedding day alongside a few negatives. I got to create some of my favourite images of the year at this wedding and all I did was let the bride and groom shine through in every moment, whether they intended it or not. Rarely to I get to blend my love for cinematic imagery with my love fashion and editorial photography (at least at weddings) but this elopement brought all those elements out naturally without my own influence. This seems to be a constant reoccurrence for me in 2021 and I couldn’t be more grateful for that reality. It was never my intention to be known as an analog wedding photographer, I want my images to speak for themselves regardless of the medium they’re created with, but I would be lying if I said film wasn’t an important tool for me to showcase my identity as a photographer. I couldn’t be more grateful to be working with couple’s who understand that side of me and my process, brides and grooms who actively encourage me to be creative and utilize analog film because they also appreciate the nuances and nostalgia that come hand in hand with the process.
Song of the day - S.W.I.M by Midwife
