We had the pleasure of documenting Serena and Kyle’s Glendon Campus wedding. The day included a church wedding at St. Andrew, followed by a beautiful reception at The Venetian Banquet Hall on a sunny summer day.

We had been planning this event for a couple of years, but we had to reschedule and postpone multiple times due to the pandemic. In the meantime, we also had the opportunity to capture Serena and Kyle’s engagement session at Paletta Mansion and their intimate Irish wedding ceremony at Bronte Creek the year before this wedding.

The Start of This Glendon Campus Wedding

Starting with Serena’s getting ready location, her mom ensured everything was perfectly set up for me, the photographer, and Marthy, the videographer from SDE Weddings, to capture the magic of her daughter’s big day.

The room where Serena was going to get ready was spacious and beautifully lit, with all the natural light coming from the large windows on one side of the room. All the accessories that Serena would wear and use that day were nicely laid out on the bed in a vintage tray, ready for our creativity to start the day’s story. Marthy and I didn’t hesitate. We dove into capturing the stunning scenery and those special moments of the wedding day that always seem to fly by faster than anyone expects.

Meanwhile, across town, Erika, my second photographer, was busy capturing Kyle and the groomsmen getting ready. With Kyle from Ireland and his best man flying in from there, we wanted to document these quiet, special moments before the day’s activities picked up.

Getting Ready Photos Italian style

While Serena’s mom handled all the setup details, I concentrated on capturing Serena’s getting-ready moments. I knew focusing on creative shots would be more challenging once the guests arrived. This approach allowed me to shift the photography from capturing candid moments to documenting the joy shared with grandparents and relatives who came together to celebrate the day with the family.

I was fortunate to have a perfect environment, which allowed me to capture some amazing photos of Serena as she prepared with her mother and bridesmaids in the room. After finishing those photos, I moved to the lower level of the house and the backyard setup area to take some family photos and capture the authentic feel of the day.

Church Ceremony for This Glendon Campus Wedding

Serena and Kyle chose one of my favourite churches for their wedding ceremony: St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Oakville. A few years prior, I had the honour of photographing another Irish wedding there. At that wedding, the bride, Claire, was Irish, and her husband, Gary, was Latin American.

Arriving early at the church, I set up my lights to capture the ceremony in a documentary style. Once I was ready, I noticed that Marthy and his second videographer from SDE Weddings were already set up, and Erika was busy taking photos of Serena and her dad in the limo.

Working closely with videographers to document the day, I’ve learned how important it is to partner with someone who complements my approach. That’s why I recommended Marthy from SDE Weddings. He is highly creative, works seamlessly with any photographer, and is exceptional at proactively resolving any issues that arise.

In this case, managing travel time and traffic was one of our challenges. After the church ceremony in Oakville, we needed to travel to the Glendon Campus at York University in North York for a photo session and then on to The Venetian Banquet Hall in Concord for the wedding reception. To streamline our schedule, we agreed to meet at the campus and start coverage together, saving us time and ensuring everything ran smoothly.

Oakville Church Photography

The wedding ceremony at St. Andrew’s was long enough for us to capture photos that truly showcased the essence of Serena and Kyle’s wedding while also adding a creative twist to the event. Everything went smoothly, and we worked together perfectly, making the ceremony feel like it was over in a heartbeat.

After that, I started taking family photos right next to the church while Erika captured candid images of friends and family congratulating Serena and Kyle. After the family photos, I knew I wanted to take pictures of just the two of them in front of the church. However, I was worried about not having enough time to travel to Glendon Campus afterward.

To save time and capture more photos, Erika and I started taking pictures of Serena and Kyle. Marthy captured candid videos of the guests, occasionally joining us without interrupting our work.

Glendon Campus Photo session at York University

The drive to York University was long and stressful, something I anticipated when reviewing the wedding day timeline. Despite the challenges, I was committed to making it all work.

Without wasting time, I began working with the groomsmen while Erika photographed Serena and the bridesmaids. By splitting up, we managed to gain some extra time for later, allowing us to focus solely on Serena and Kyle’s coverage and giving Marthy and his team more time for their videography.

Before I began focusing solely on Serena and Kyle, we completed the bridal party photos and all shots with the groomsmen and bridesmaids. As we wrapped up the last of those, I noticed two buses full of wedding guests arriving at the main entrance. While I was pleased that we were ahead of schedule, I felt some stress about how this might impact the final images of the couple.

Despite this, I realized that Serena and Kyle had become so relaxed with us that we were capturing many beautiful moments. Everything was falling into place as planned, so we proceeded to the final part of the campus to complete our photo session.

In the open field behind the main building, I gave Marthy full control, allowing him to take drone shots while the other videographer captured footage for their amazing film. Instead of waiting, Erika and I moved to the opposite side of the field to cover Serena and Kyle dancing in the green field. Their dance looked natural and effortless, a lovely contrast to a staged performance.

We concluded the photo session with some creative shots in the ravine below the campus before heading to The Venetian Banquet Hall for the wedding reception.

The Venetian Banquet Hall Wedding Reception

Patricia from Cre8tive Studios, a relative of Serena and her family, created the stunning wedding decor and interior decorations for the Glendon Campus wedding. The setup was breathtaking, and Serena and Kyle planned an intimate reveal of the wedding reception area, which they wanted to experience privately before the guests arrived. They entered the space alone to take in the details and rehearse their first dance, ensuring everything was perfect before everyone else came in.

While Erika covered the reveal and rehearsal, I set up my equipment and photographed the receiving line and the cocktail reception, which was scheduled to start immediately after the reveal. Once we finished with those shots, Erika began photographing the setup while I captured the antipasto display and candid moments of the guests enjoying the pre-reception party.

I was impressed by how beautifully the head table was set and how the bridal party tables were positioned on either side, perfectly complementing the entire setup. I knew their first dance would set the tone for the evening, so we positioned it to capture the moment without interference.

The DJ kicked off the reception with a grand entrance, introducing the parents, the bridal party, and finally, the couple. As might typically happen at an Italian wedding, the hall buzzed with cheering and excitement. The guests continued to cheer until Serena and Kyle’s first dance began.

Their first dance was nothing short of spectacular—like something straight out of a movie. Despite what felt like only a minute, their performance lasted five minutes and was mesmerizing. We captured so many beautiful photos that truly reflected the magic of the moment.

Party at The Venetian Banquet Hall Italian Style

The evening traditionally began with delicious food and emotional speeches between courses. As the dinner party neared its end, a family member performed, and to my surprise, the dancefloor quickly filled with guests.

Serena and Kyle had planned a special surprise for their guests, which they saved for the end. After their final speech and the parents’ dances, the DJ introduced DJ Danny D, the famous Toronto radio DJ. The energy in the room surged, and the dance floor became packed with guests dancing and having the time of their lives—something I hadn’t seen in my 25 years of wedding photography.

The atmosphere was electric, filled with joy and excitement, and I had a blast capturing these vibrant moments. Amid the celebration, we also found time to photograph the cutting of the wedding cake before I wrapped up for the night.

The crescendo of events at the reception beautifully reflected the love and joy Serena and Kyle share. It was a perfect conclusion to my coverage of their journey, which began four years ago when we first met.

Recently, Serena and Kyle welcomed a healthy and lovely baby boy into their lives. I’m looking forward to capturing this new chapter as they transition from bride and groom to mom and dad.

Thank you, Serena and Kyle, for your trust and support. Until next time.

Credits to below wedding professionals and locations that helped Serena and Kyle’s wedding to be one-of-a-kind.

Here is another city wedding with great architecture, Marisol and Sadmir’s wedding at Casa Loma in Toronto.