Kristen + Mike | A Balzac’s Coffee Shop Wedding, Distillery District, Toronto

When I first met with Kristen and Mike, they explained that they weren’t really the “wedding” type, and their wedding was going to be very nontraditional.  I have heard that a lot in my years shooting weddings, and have found that the term “nontraditional” is very subjective.  To some, it means that they’ll forgo the cake cutting and garter toss, and on the other end of the spectrum, couples forgo the wedding altogether.  For Kristen and Mike, it meant making their day as relaxed and casual as possible, without the hoopla that normally comes with getting married.  They helped each other get ready in their own home, she did her own make up, they spent the minutes before the ceremony enjoying cocktails and mingling with their guests, and during their informal ceremony at Balzac’s Coffee Shop in the Distillery District, guests continued to enjoy their cocktails while Kristen and Mike exchanged their vows.  The overall mood of the wedding was laid-back, but very intimate, and the emotion that both Kristen and Mike displayed during the ceremony had me choking back tears behind my camera.  I was honoured to be included in their day, and admired the way they pulled together a beautiful, classy celebration that was so very “chill”.

K.