This was my first time photographing a Liuna Station wedding, and I was thrilled to capture Kathryn and Orlando’s special day. Having already done their engagement session at Dundurn Castle, we had completed their entire photography experience in the Hamilton area.

Planning the Liuna Station Wedding

Kathryn’s mom, Elizabeth, reached out to me after getting my contact information from Veronica. She was one of my brides whose wedding I photographed in 2018 and her sister’s in 2022. Elizabeth knew what she wanted for her daughter’s Liuna Station wedding, and we collaborated to align their needs and wants for the big day.

After our initial meeting, Elizabeth searched for a photo location before the ceremony. Although the Royal Botanical Gardens was their first choice, it was fully booked. I suggested Gairloch Gardens because both Kathryn and Orlando were getting ready in Oakville, making it a convenient stop before heading to Liuna Station for the rest of the day’s events. I was thrilled when Elizabeth told me she had booked a time at Gairloch Gardens for our photo session. Although I’ve photographed there for the past 14 years, it was mostly for engagements and family sessions—never a wedding.

Gairloch Gardens: A Serene Setting for Wedding Photography

As usual, I headed to Kathryn’s parents’ house for the getting-ready photos while Erika went to Orlando’s place. The day was beautiful and sunny, although showers were expected in the afternoon. I didn’t want to dwell on the possibility of rain on the wedding day until it actually mattered. So, with a positive attitude, I started working, not letting the weather affect me until adjustments became necessary.

I successfully captured the getting-ready moments at Elizabeth’s house, documenting some incredible images while keeping everyone focused on what they were doing. There were some familiar faces from one of my past weddings, Veronica and Brett’s. I was excited to be part of this group of people’s happy moments again. After finishing most of the photos on time, I was ready to go to Gairloch Gardens and set up myself for the first-look photos.

While the gardens provided breathtaking scenery, the timing of the photos posed a challenge. It was close to noon, and the sun’s position at nearly a 90-degree angle created harsh shadows on everyone in the park.

How We Managed The First Look Photos at This Liuna Station Wedding

For Kathryn and Orlando’s first-look photos, they opted to include their immediate family and bridal party. We would take pictures with them right after the first look so they could start driving towards Liuna Station. Meanwhile, we planned to continue shooting with the bridal party and the couple.

Expecting a busy atmosphere with wedding guests, the bridal party, and park visitors, I chose the wooden bridge over the pond at Gairloch Gardens for the first look. Having Erika with me, I could photograph from afar while she was getting the back of Kathryn arriving on the bridge. Once Kathryn’s walk began, I knew the moment would be too joyful and spontaneous to interrupt or stage. Therefore, I ensured I positioned myself to capture every angle possible. Their joy upon seeing each other for the first time was simply endless. It’s always such a special and enjoyable experience for me and everyone involved, no matter how many times I get to witness it.

After we finished the first-look photos, I shifted my focus to taking portraits with the immediate family while Erika worked with the bridal party. Finding a location with suitable lighting was difficult due to the harsh sun. The light casts a green hue on people’s faces in the shade because of the strong sun. However, being in full sun caused harsh highlights on people’s foreheads, making proper exposure challenging and causing under-eye darkening.

How Experience Helps You Take Better Photos

After finishing with the groups, we only had a little time for just two of them. Erika and I created a plan to capture their photos in about 15 minutes and recover any images that we may have missed. I knew I would escape the green casting in the shade if I got close to the lake. I took the couple to the shaded area near the lake to avoid direct sunshine. On the other side, the lake reflected a nice light towards the entire garden.

We took most of our photos at this location. I could see that both of them started to relax and enjoy the pictures now that they knew we were almost done and could enjoy the cold breeze by the lake. Towards the end, just before we left, we went to my favourite location at Gairloch Gardens – the ivy wall and the gate within it. Here, we took our most non-posed images, and I enjoyed watching them, relaxing and having fun with the pictures.

Outdoor or Indoor Wedding Ceremony, What Would Be?

We arrived at Liuna Station, and I was amazed at how many times I had passed by it but never knew its location. The wedding ceremony was all set up by the fountain in front of the station. Erika was taking some drone shots while I was deciding whether the wedding ceremony would be inside or outside. The hot weather we had earlier was replaced with dark clouds, signalling it would soon pour rain on us. The staff at Liuna Station realized that and immediately set up for the wedding ceremony in the station’s foyer.

Although it was challenging to switch from an outdoor to an indoor location with all the planning and setup, I really liked the indoor venue chosen for the ceremony. The tall ceilings and reflective surfaces provided me with numerous opportunities for creative shots that wouldn’t have been as stunning if the ceremony had been held outdoors.

I ensured all my lighting was set up, and the ceremony started. I enjoyed the indoor ceremony for this Liuna wedding so much. Working with my couple and their group in 360 degrees was terrific. Being able to move around freely during the ceremony allowed me to capture some fantastic photos for the couple.

Once the ceremony finished, we went outside with the entire bridal party.
Light rain fell on us, but nobody minded, so we finished all the bridal party photos in front of the Liuna Station.

 

The Cocktail Hour

During the cocktail hour, the Liuna staff replaced the wedding ceremony setup with the entrance point for another wedding at the venue. We relocated to the right side of the lobby for the cocktail hour. Erika took candid photos of the guests while I captured the reception room setups.

I realized I wanted photos of the bridesmaids and Kathryn because we didn’t have time to take those at their house. We went outside where the weather had changed, and now we had a perfect overcast sky and dry ground.

Here, we had a lot of fun with the girls while Erika and I worked tirelessly, moving our coverage from one location to another.
Erika was only booked until the start of the reception, so we made sure to capture everything we needed before she left.

Wedding Reception at Liuna Station

The room where the reception would take place was elegant and had a great setup. I knew the DJ, Adam, and it was nice to see familiar faces, which added a nice touch of comfort to the setup process in the cozy venue. I set up my lighting next to his booth to ensure everything was ready for the reception.

The room’s atmosphere was cheerful, and their friend, who was serving as the MC, made it even more joyful. She was married to the wedding officiant, whom I knew from Veronica’s wedding. It felt like one big family, which made me comfortable sitting at the table with many of the guests.

I took photos of all their planned events, but I was particularly excited to capture the outdoor nighttime shots at Liuna Station. The station has a stunning facade, and I just knew the night photos would turn out beautifully. I decided to take these photos close to twilight rather than at night to include the blue sky in the background instead of just darkness. Once the dance floor opened, I quickly got them outside. We took photos in front of Liuna Station, by the fountain, and near the candelabra lights at the station’s entrance.

Nighttime Photos at Liuna Station

I knew these would be their favourite photos because Kathryn mentioned them at our initial planning meeting. Once we had taken the last planned photo, the sky opened, and it started raining hard. I packed up my equipment and took some pictures on the dance floor and some more candid images inside while it was still raining. The rain stopped the following day.

I was thrilled that we managed to take all those photos. They would have been impossible to cpature if the rain had come several hours earlier. It was a beautiful day with some great photos and many memories. Most importantly, it was a day that these two would remember for a lifetime with these lovely photo memories.

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

Here is another wedding in Hamilton, Cara and Chris’ wedding at The Waterfront.