There was something extra special about photographing Ben and Dom’s Graydon Hall Manor Wedding. I’ve shot a bunch of weddings in and around Toronto over the years, and I’m always blown away by how many incredibly elegant venues there are. I’m gonna let their answers to my questions do the rest of the talking.
1. How did you two meet? We met the modern way (on Bumble, ha)!
2. Did you know right away that he/she would be the one? It sounds cliché but “when you know you know” – I (Dom) knew during our first date… a few (short) months later we were engaged!
3. Do you fart in front of each other? H*LL yes! I’m pretty sure I farted in front of Ben within two weeks of knowing him. I’d say he’s definitely more shy about it than I am. “I don’t fart” – Ben
4. Who gets up faster in the morning? Funny because question 4 and 5 go hand in hand … I (Dom) wake up first and once my alarm goes off – I’m out of Bed. Ben on the other hand is very ambitious the night before when he plans to get up at 5:30 am. In reality, when it comes to his ability to get out of bed before the 3rd or 4th snooze of his alarm … he would get a ‘capital F’.
5. What was your biggest most meaningless fight (ex fighting about something weird like whether the sound
you here outside is a cow or not…this actually happened with me and my gf) See response above … the struggle is real Monday to Friday.
6. How did you choose Graydon Hall Manor for your wedding? We knew we wanted to have our wedding in Toronto and after tons of research, we went to see the venue and absolutely fell in love with the character and style of the building and could see the vision for our big day coming to life in the space. Similar to ‘finding the one’ – when you know you know – it was our first and last venue appointment.
7. Why did you choose me as your wedding photographer? There’s only one Brent Calis! We saw your work on Instagram and thought it was beautiful, unique and truly captured the style we were going for (not the typical wedding posing pics). After meeting in-person, we immediately felt that we could be ourselves. You took the time to get to know us, our friends and family which made shooting with you super easy, comfortable and most important – because of that, you were able to capture us in our most authentic and vulnerable state on what was the most monumental day of our lives.
8. What was your favourite moment of the day? For both of us, our first look.
9. Is there one thing you would recommend for future couples getting married? Wedding: Enjoy the process from start to finish. It’s so easy to get swept up in the stress of planning, discussions and at times, unsolicited opinions/advice but you need to make sure during planning and also during the wedding to take a step back and enjoy the (‘wow’) moment with your partner – after all, it all started and ends with you two. Life: Marriage is a choice you (as the individual) makes each day. It is important to put your partner first and not take the marriage for granted. Be committed to working together and growing your relationship/partnership.
A huge shout out to Jennifer Van Son who was my second shooter for the day. Many of her shots are featured below. If you are looking for an incredible photographer in Toronto and area, contact her. She is not just an amazing photographer, but she is a super incredible human.
Check out the wicked vendors below
Venue: Graydon Hall Manor
Dress: Couture Gown – Paul Bondy
Video: Solely Love Films
Flowers & Décor: Hunt and Gather Floral
Cake: The Rolling Pin
DJ: Michael Coombs
Hair & Make-up: L’une Beauty Boutique & Salon
Custom Hair Piece: Jaclyn Louise Designs
Second Photographer: Jennifer Van Son
Antique Car Rental: Trevilivery Limousine & Coach Service