Cassandra & Brandon

Cassandra and Brandon’s wedding is especially memorable to me because there are so many personal connections tied to it. Cassandra works at Paradise Banquet Hall as a sales manager, so this was not simply another wedding at a venue we know well. She is also Emily’s cousin, which connects two of the Paradise weddings we have photographed. One of my favourite parts of the day happened at The Tannery Mall in Newmarket. We received permission to photograph there, and Cassandra and Brandon recreated a wedding portrait that had originally been made for Cassandra’s parents. Moments like that are exactly why I still love photographing weddings after all these years — the photographs become part of a family history. We also made a dramatic portrait of Cassandra and Brandon kissing while her veil flew behind them. Earlier in the day, Brandon and his groomsmen gave us a completely different look with a strong black-and-white portrait on a couch. Between those photographs, the family connection and Cassandra’s relationship with Paradise, this wedding had a very personal feeling for me.