Kelly and Phil’s city engagement photos were one of those sessions that make you appreciate your city. It reminded me how many beautiful locations are just steps away from your apartment.

For their engagement shoot, we had the pleasure of having their wedding planner, Sarah Sansom from Day by Design Wedding and Events, join us at the start. She had helped Kelly and Phil plan their one-of-a-kind Casa Loma wedding. Kelly wanted her to be part of the engagement session before we began taking photos.

The City Engagement Photos in Toronto

As we discussed during our conference call, Kelly and Phil wanted a very casual engagement session that reflected their day-to-day life in the city. For the first part of the session, we planned to meet at Balzac’s Coffee in the Distillery District. There, I would capture photos of them enjoying their favourite cup of coffee.

After that, the next stop was Corktown Common Park. This is where they wanted me to take most of their city engagement photos. We also considered Underpass Park as a backup location in case of rain, since the forecast was showing a chance of showers.

Additionally, during the call, Kelly and Phil mentioned that they wanted to include their dog in some of the photos. They hoped to visit the Humane Society, where they had adopted him, to capture a few meaningful shots of the place that brought him into their lives.

The overall plan was for a relaxed, laid-back city engagement shoot.

Instead of meeting at the coffee shop, Sarah and I met Kelly and Phil in the lobby of their building, where we finalized our plans for the day. After that, Sarah left us, and I suggested we take a few photos in front of their building. There were some colourful trees just starting to change with the season, as fall was in full swing.

I chose that spot as our starting location for a few reasons, but mainly because it gave us a quiet space to connect without the distraction of crowds.

Casual coffee Date at Balzac’s in the Distillery District

Once we took a few initial images and got a sense of the lighting and style we liked, we made our way to the Distillery District. Since we didn’t have an official photography permit for the area, the plan was to take some casual shots while Kelly and Phil grabbed their coffee.

As we walked toward Balzac’s, I captured photos from a distance. This gave Kelly and Phil a chance to relax and be more candid during their city engagement photos.

However, when we arrived at the coffee shop, we found out that photos weren’t allowed inside. So instead of documenting the coffee-making process, we took some sweet shots just outside Balzac’s.

Luckily, having photographed in the Distillery District before, I already knew the best spots to use. This meant we didn’t need to spend a lot of time at each location. Being there early in the morning also worked in our favour. It gave us a quiet space to shoot without dealing with crowds or people in the background.

After visiting a few of my favourite spots in the Distillery District, we continued on to Corktown Common Park.

Corktown Common City Engagement Photos

This park was located directly behind their modern building, making it very easy to navigate this part of the city. As mentioned earlier, we planned to visit all the locations on foot. So, we didn’t need to drive or use any transportation to reach the spots Kelly and Phil had chosen for their city engagement photos.

It was such a great opportunity to incorporate the modern, creative design of their building with the beautiful fall colours of the park. Fortunately, the park itself was empty. This gave us plenty of chances to capture great photos without having to wait for people to pass by my posed couple.

At this point, I could see Kelly and Phil beginning to relax and be themselves. This was really rewarding to witness—especially knowing how nervous they had been during our virtual meeting.

Afterward, once we had taken all the photos we wanted there, Kelly went to get the dog. Meanwhile, I stayed with Phil to take a few portraits in front of their building.

Underpass Park Photos at Corktown in Toronto

As we finished taking photos with Phil, I noticed the beautiful Corktown Underpass Park for the first time. I was struck by the vibrant graffiti covering the underpass—it was stunning. The lighting was breathtaking, and I was already envisioning the next set of shots I wanted to take once Kelly returned with their dog.

While I was still photographing Phil, Kelly arrived, being pulled along by their excited dog, who couldn’t wait to greet Phil. Without wasting any time, I began capturing moments as they played together.

I was already looking forward to coming back to this spot later. However, we had one more location to visit before wrapping up the session. After completing most of the photos I had planned, we started walking toward the final location that Kelly had chosen for us to photograph.

Revisiting the Humane Society

At the corner of Queen Street, a painting of dogs adorned the facade of the Humane Society building. I saw a great opportunity for some colourful photos. So I asked Kelly and Phil, along with their dog, to move to the other side of the street, closer to the painting, while I photographed them from across the road.

From that angle, I was able to incorporate the red brick facade, the mural on the wall, and the motion of the red city streetcars passing by. It was a busy spot, but it was worth taking the time to capture this scene.

I could see their expressions grow more relaxed and joyful as the whole family came together. Soon, they started truly enjoying their time. It was a rewarding moment to document Kelly and Phil’s city engagement photos just as they had envisioned.

The Creativity in Toronto City Engagement Photos

As we were heading back toward their building, I asked if we could spend a bit more time—just the three of us, without the dog—at Underpass Park in Corktown. I had a few ideas I wanted to try out and was excited to put them into action.

I was so happy when they agreed, giving me the chance to show them what we could create together. Both Kelly and Phil gave me the space to express my creativity, which I truly appreciated.

No matter where I go to take photos in Toronto, there’s always room to be creative—guided by each couple’s ideas and preferences. It’s a city full of unique backdrops for any style of photography, whether shaped by the photographer or the clients.

I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work with couples like Kelly and Phil – couples who know what they like and appreciate my attention to detail and the beautiful balance of lighting.

Credits and additional information for couples that like to see more creative city engagement photos.

Check here another Distillery District engagement session of Debralee and Justin. View this super creative Toronto Engagement Photos with Full Blue Moon from Anja and Marcus.